2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Learning Through Building: A Comprehensive Analysis of Student Outcomes in Heliostat Construction Activities

Presented at Engineering Physics and Physics Division (EP2D) Technical Session 2

Abstract
This study presents a comprehensive analysis of educational heliostat (Concentrated Solar Thermal Power, CSTP) prototype development, carried out by several independent student teams at Northeastern University's College of Engineering. The research evaluates both the technical performance characteristics and educational effectiveness of the project through extensive student feedback (n = 55). Four distinct design approaches were analyzed, including single-axis and dual-axis tracking systems, with various photoresistor configurations and mechanical assemblies. All prototypes achieved successful light concentration improvements, demonstrating functional solar tracking capabilities.

Student survey responses revealed significant learning outcomes in solar energy principles, practical engineering skills, and an appreciation for the complexity of renewable energy systems. Key technical challenges included motor torque limitations, weight distribution issues, and component reliability concerns.

This study contributes to both the concentrated solar power literature and engineering physics education research by demonstrating the educational value of hands-on renewable energy projects while identifying practical implementation challenges. The results indicate that educational heliostat projects effectively bridge theoretical knowledge with practical engineering experience, fostering critical problem-solving skills and a deeper understanding of sustainable energy—both essential for future renewable energy engineers.

Authors

Prof. Bala Maheswaran Northeastern University [biography]

Bala Maheswaran, PhD
Northeastern University
367 Snell Engineering Center
Boston, MA 02115
Dr. Mohamad Metghalchi Northeastern University [biography]

Metghalchi is full professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department. He received his doctoral degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1980 and has been involved in education since then. He was Chair of Mechanical and Industrial E
Dr. Yiannis A. Levendis http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8158-2123 Northeastern University [biography]

College of Engineering Distinguished Professor
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
334 SN, Northeastern University
360 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
617-373-3806
Email: y.levendis@neu.edu

Dr. Levendis holds a B.S. (1980) and an M.S. (1982) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (1987), where he also was a postdoctoral research associate (1987-1988). He joined the Northeastern University faculty in 1988, and he is currently a College of Engineering Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. He holds an affiliated faculty appointment at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and he is the Director of the Laboratory of Combustion and Air Pollution. Dr. Levendis' current research is dealing with topics related to Combustion, Alternative Energy Sources, Air Pollution and Acid Rain Prevention, Incineration of Municipal Wastes, Engine Performance and Emissions, Combustion Diagnostics and Pyrometry, Polymers, Materials Development and Polymeric Coatings. He is a leading authority in combustion and emissions of/from diesel engines as well as coal-fired and alternative fuel-fired powerplants (including biomass, waste tires, waste plastics and powdered iron). He has developed chemical/physical methods for reducing toxic emissions; has conducted combustion-based material synthesis and has developed techniques for fire suppression and extinction. He has conducted extensive research on oxygen-enhanced combustion of diesel fuel, coal and biomass.

Dr. Levendis has published 400 technical papers, and book chapters and holds 15 US and several International patents. He has been elected Fellow of ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), Lifetime Fellow of SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), Fellow of the Combustion Institute, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He has been awarded the 2013 George Westinghouse Gold Medal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME), and the 2015 Percy Nicholls Award of the joint American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), the 2021 Ralph Coats Roe award of the Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) and a 2023 Outstanding Teaching Award by AIAA. He is a member of various engineering honor societies such as TBΠ, ΠTΣ, ΦΚΦ and ƩX. He is also a member of ASEE (American Society of Engineering Education) and of AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) and he has been a member of SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineering), ACS (American Chemical Society) and of the Air and Waste Management Association.

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