Fluid Power MOOC to debut at University of Minnesota

by Mike Gust, CCEFP Industry Liaison Officer

This is the last in a series of articles on how the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP) is having a positive impact on fluid power education. Have you ever heard of a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC)? This is a recent trend in academia whereby courses are offered free online to interested students which is an excellent means for reaching a high number of interested participants. In fact some MOOCs have been taken by over a million students! Two CCEFP researchers, Professors James Van de Ven and William Durfee, will be offering such a course this fall titled “Fundamentals of Fluid Power.”  This course will introduce students to the fundamental principles of fluid power systems, circuits, and components.  Students will learn:

1. the benefits and limitations of fluid power compared with other power transmission technologies,
2. the function of common hydraulic components,
3. how to formulate and analyze models of hydraulic components and circuits, and
4. how to design hydraulic circuits for specific system requirements.

The course will be delivered through short, focused video presentations that will include lectures, laboratory demonstrations, large system demonstrations, and interviews with industry experts. The target audience for the course includes entry-level engineers, senior-level undergraduate students, and entry-level graduate students. The six week course will be first offered during the fall of 2014.

To learn more about the CCEFP Education program or if you have further questions on how to participate please contact Alyssa Burger, or (612) 624-4991.