Engineering Commons^™

An Approach To Teaching Pid Controller Tuning, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

This paper discusses an approach to the teaching of PID controller tuning methods to students in control engineering at Dublin Institute of Technology. The method involves analytically calculating the gain margin, phase margin and maximum sensitivity for PI and PID controlled systems whose process is modelled in first order lag plus time delay (FOLPD) form. Students can examine the performance of many tuning rules from graphical results, allowing insight to be developed as to the most rational choice of the tuning rule for the application. Some preliminary work done to develop an expert system to allow a greater automation of …

Excellence In Engineering Education, Mike Murphy

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Teaching Nanotechnology By Introducing Crossbar-Based Architecture And Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata, Minsu Choi, Nohpill Park

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The end of photolithography as the driver for Moore's law is predicted within seven to twelve years and six different emerging technologies (mostly nanoscale) are expected to replace the current CMOS-based system integration paradigm. As nanotechnology is emerging, (1) there is a strong need for well-educated nanoscale systems engineers by industry, and (2) research and education efforts are also called to overcome numerous nanoscale systems issues. This paper is to propose a way to teach nanotechnology by introducing two emerging technologies: crossbar-based nanoarchitecture and quantum-dot cellular automata.

Blue-Box Approach To Power Electronics And Machines Educational Laboratories, Robert S. Balog, Zakdy Sorchini, Jonathan W. Kimball, Patrick L. Chapman, Philip T. Krein, Peter W. Sauer

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Our approach to laboratory education in power electronics and electric machines is presented. The approach centers upon "blue-box" laboratory components, that aid the student in rapid experiment assembly without disguising important aspects of the hardware. Several example experiments are presented. Schematics and construction techniques for the hardware are publicly available.

Changing To A Student-Centred Paradigm: The Why, What And How, Mike Murphy

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Modern Laboratory-Based Education For Power Electronics And Electric Machines, Robert S. Balog, Zakdy Sorchini, Jonathan W. Kimball, Patrick L. Chapman, Philip T. Krein

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The study of modern energy conversion draws upon a broad range of knowledge and often requires a fair amount of experience. This suggests that laboratory instruction should be an integral component of a power electronics and electric machines curriculum. However, before a single watt can be processed in a realistic way, the student must understand not only the operation of conversion systems but also more advanced concepts such as control theory, speed and position sensing, switching signal generation, gate drive isolation, circuit layout, and other critical issues. Our approach is to use a blue-box module where these details are pre-built …

National Center For Engineering And Technology Education, C. Hailey, T. Erekson, Kurt Henry Becker, M. Thomas

Engineering Education Faculty Publications

The article reports that the overall impact of the National Center for Engineering and Technology Education (NCETE) is to strengthen the nation's capacity to deliver effective engineering and technology education in the K-12 schools. Further, it informs that the National Science Foundation established the Centers for Learning and Teaching (CLT) program to address needs in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce. The CLT program has three goals, based upon stated national needs. First, CLT are expected to renew and diversify the cadre of national leaders in STEM education. The CLT includes partners with strengths in engineering and in …

Maintaining A Balance At Undergraduate Degree Level In The Teaching Of Automation And Classical Control Systems, Eugene Coyle, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

Advances in the past decade in the development and application of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and Automation Systems in both high technology industrial plants and in the more mainstream manufacturing sectors, has heightened the importance of ensuring that undergraduate degree programme syllabi are designed to adequately cater for the teaching and training of students in automation. Prior to this growth in automation, delivered syllabi in Control Systems on most Electrical Engineering programmes had a theoretical rigour, reflecting the mathematical nature of the topic. A major challenge currently facing departmental lecturing staff and programme coordinators is that of the design of …

Learning Games Programming With Dalek World., Bryan Duggan, Hugh Mcatamney, Fredrick Mtenzi

Conference papers

From September 2005 the School of Computing in the DIT will offer an elective in computer games programming to final year computer science students. This paper demonstrates how students will learn games programming by developing a 3D FPS (First Person Shooter) called Dalek World. Dalek World is developed using Microsoft Visual Studio in C++ and was originally developed by the authors to learn games programming techniques themselves. In developing Dalek World, students will learn Euclidian geometry, 3D graphics programming, object orientated game design, level loading, physics, collision detection, the A* algorithm, perception and enemy AI using finite state machines.

Integration Of Service-Learning Into Civil And Environmental Engineering Curriculum, T. C. Piechota, Shashi S. Nambisan

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Service-learning is defined as integrating the community service experience of students with their academic study so that learning is enhanced. The level of student participation in community service is at an all time high as students feel the need to confront today's technical and societal problems. However, service-learning is more than community service or volunteerism. Service-learning as defined above, integrates the community service experience with the student’s academic study (note the hyphen in "service-learning" means that both are considered equal). This enhances learning which is a fundamental goal of colleges and universities. Boyer highlights the need for service-learning stating that …

Visual Error Augmentation For Enhancing Motor Learning And Rehabilitative Relearning, Yejun Wei, Preeti Bajaj, Robert A. Scheidt, James L. Patton

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

We developed a real-time controller for a 2 degree-of-freedom robotic system using xPC Target. This system was used to investigate how different methods of performance error feedback can lead to faster and more complete motor learning in individuals asked to compensate for a novel visuo-motor transformation (a 30 degree rotation). Four groups of normal human subjects were asked to reach with their unseen arm to visual targets surrounding a central starting location. A cursor tracking hand motion was provided during each reach. For one group of subjects, deviations from the "ideal" compensatory hand movement (i.e. trajectory errors) were amplified with …

Evaluating The Quality Of Research And Innovation At Faculty Level, Mike Murphy

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Digital Scr Control Box For Educational Laboratory, Zakdy Sorchini, Jonathan W. Kimball, Philip T. Krein

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A "blue box" has been designed to introduce the silicone controlled rectifier (SCR) to power electronics students. SCRs are useful in many real-world applications, and are conceptually important in a student's understanding of power converters. The box is highly flexible in application, and its internal design is simple enough to explain to students. Experiments are shown, both of the type commonly used in the laboratory and of the type used for demonstrations. The box has also been designed to be suitable for research purposes and line voltage applications.

Using Information Technology To Enhance Control Engineering Education: Some Experiences, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

In the past decade, the use of computer based design and analysis tools, such as MATLAB/SIMULINK, has revolutionised practice in Control Engineering. Concepts that were previously only understandable after sustained mathematical analysis or experimental work may now be readily simulated on the computer. Over the past four years, the author has experimented with the use of MATLAB/SIMULINK, in the lecture and laboratory environment, with degree and taught masters students in control engineering at Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). It has been found that the tool helps to increase student understanding of challenging topics, to act as motivation to further exploration …

Laboratory Automation Curriculum At Keck Graduate Institute, James D. Sterling

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

A novel curriculum in laboratory automation and high-throughput technologies has been developed at the Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) over the past five years as part of the professional master's degree program in applied life sciences. The goal of this curriculum has been four-fold: (1) motivate study by describing the need for automation through several example problems in combinatorial biological discovery, (2) provide elements of fundamental engineering science that are required for the development of the technologies and tools that enable automation, (3) provide opportunities for the students to see and use state-of-the-art instruments, learn about existing industry standards, and to …

Gender Differences In Preference For Learning Environment Among Aviation Education Students, Eric M. Moyer

Master's Theses - Daytona Beach

This study investigated whether differences existed between sex, male and female, for the preference of three different syllabi describing three different learning environments. Learning environments consisted of collaborative, and individual, with the individual sub-divided into competitive, and individual while co-varying participants for credit hours. 264 surveys were administered to students in freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior classes in order to collect preference, and demographic data. The surveys were presented as three fictional syllabi differing only in class grading format, and a paragraph on the instructional philosophy of the professor. Instructional philosophies described the proposed environment of the class by enforcing …

University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Transmutation Research Program: Quarterly Report, Second Quarter Year 2 (June 2002 To August 2002), Anthony Hechanova

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

This Quarterly Report is a primary deliverable from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Transmutation Research Program (TRP) Director to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as described in the UNLV Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) proposal, and AAA FY02 Work Package. Note: during this quarter, the AAA national program changed names to the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) and the UNLV AAA University Participation Program changed its name to the Transmutation Research Program. The new names will be used in future references.

The TRP Director implements the program’s administration using staff from the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies …

University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Advanced Accelerator Applications University Participation Program: Quarterly Report, First Quarter Year 2 (March 2002 To May 2002), Anthony Hechanova

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

This Quarterly Report is a primary deliverable from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) University Participation Program (UPP) Director to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as described in the UNLV AAA proposal, and Statement of Work for the First Quarter Year 2 and AAA FY02 Work Package.

The UNLV AAA UPP Director implements the program’s administration using staff from the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies (HRC) to ensure that work conducted under the UNLV AAA UPP meets program objectives. The UNLV AAA program consists of four components: Program Support, Research Infrastructure Augmentation, International …

University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Advanced Accelerator Applications University Participation Program: Quarterly Report, Third Quarter Year 2 (Sept. 2002 To Nov. 2002), Anthony Hechanova

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

This Quarterly Report is a primary deliverable from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) University Participation Program (UPP) Director to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as described in the UNLV AAA proposal and Statement of Work for the Fourth Quarter.

The UNLV AAA UPP Director implements the program’s administration using staff from the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies (HRC) to ensure that work conducted under the UNLV AAA UPP meets program objectives. The UNLV AAA program consists of three components: Program Support, Research Infrastructure Augmentation, and Student Research.

Forensics And Case Studies In Civil Engineering Education: State Of The Art, Norbert J. Delatte, Kevin L. Rens

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper reviews the state of the art in the use of forensic engineering and failure case studies in civil engineering education. The study of engineering failures can offer students valuable insights into associated technical, ethical, and professional issues. Lessons learned from failures have substantially affected civil engineering practice. For the student, study of these cases can help place design and analysis procedures into historical context and reinforce the necessity of lifelong learning. Three approaches for bringing forensics and failure case studies into the civil engineering curriculum are discussed in this paper. These are stand-alone forensic engineering or failure case …

University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Advanced Accelerator Applications University Participation Program: Quarterly Report Fourth Quarter (December 2001 To February 2002), Anthony Hechanova

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

This Quarterly Report is a primary deliverable from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) University Participation Program (UPP) Director to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as described in the UNLV AAA proposal and Statement of Work for the Fourth Quarter.

The UNLV AAA UPP Director implements the program’s administration using staff from the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies (HRC) to ensure that work conducted under the UNLV AAA UPP meets program objectives. The UNLV AAA program consists of three components: Program Support, Research Infrastructure Augmentation, and Student Research.

Sunsmart Community Partnerships: Summary And Lessons Learned Report, Florida Solar Energy Center, Jennifer Szaro

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Through a working partnership with the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA), the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA), the Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation (LEAF), and FMEA member utilities, the SunSmart program offers a unified, low-cost solution to providing municipal electric customers with a solar energy option. It also provides its member utilities with a high level of technical and administrative support to alleviate concerns about working with an unfamiliar electric generation technology. It relies on a core team to develop a standardized marketing and public outreach plan which can be utilized by all participants, and …

University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Advanced Accelerator Applications University Participation Program: Quarterly Report, Third Quarter (September To November 2001), Anthony Hechanova

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

This Quarterly Report is a primary deliverable from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) University Participation Program (UPP) Director to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as described in the UNLV AAA proposal and Statement of Work for the Third Quarter.

The UNLV AAA UPP Director implements the program’s administration using staff from the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies (HRC) to ensure that work conducted under the UNLV AAA UPP meets program objectives. The UNLV AAA UPP consists of three components: Program Support, Research Infrastructure Augmentation, and Student Research.

World Wide Web Resources For Materials Science, Serge Abrate

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The internet makes technical information readily available in ways that were unthinkable a few years ago. This article shows how the World Wide Web (the web) can be used in a Materials Science class to enrich the educational process. Strategies for finding and evaluating information and are discussed. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Advanced Accelerator Applications University Participation Program: Quarterly Report, Second Quarter (June To August 2001), Anthony Hechanova

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

This Quarterly Report is a primary deliverable from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) University Participation Program (UPP) Director to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as described in the UNLV AAA proposal.

The UNLV AAA UPP Director implements the program’s administration using staff from the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies (HRC) to ensure that work conducted under the UNLV AAA UPP meets program objectives. The UNLV AAA UPP consists of three components: Program Administration, Research Infrastructure Augmentation, and Student Research.

University Of Nevada, Las Vegas Advanced Accelerator Applications University Participation Program: Quarterly Report First Quarter (March-May 2001), Anthony Hechanova

Transmutation Research Program Reports (TRP)

This Quarterly Report is a primary deliverable from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA) University Participation Program (UPP) director to the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (DOE-NE) as defined in the UNLV AAA Proposal.

The foundation of the UNLV AAA University Participation Program started as a grassroots effort in the late 1990s among community members and local, state, and federal representatives to encourage research and development of technical alternatives to direct disposal of used nuclear fuel which had been targeted since the early 1980s for Yucca Mountain, Nevada. A …

Developing An Implementation Plan For The Arkansas Msri Coalition Workshop Summary - Final Report, Florida Solar Energy Center, Jennifer Szaro

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Workshop conducted to develop an implementation plan for the Arkansas Million Solar Roofs Initiative.

Developing An Implementation Plan For The Alaskan Msri Coalition Workshop Summary - Final Report, Florida Solar Energy Center, Gerard Ventre

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Workshop conducted to develop and implementation plan for the Alaskan Million Solar Roofs Initiative.

Developing An Implementation Plan For The Idaho Msri Partnership Workshop Summary - Final Report, Florida Solar Energy Center, Jennifer Szaro

FSEC Energy Research Center®

Workshop conducted to develop an implementation plan for the Idaho Million Solar Roofs Initiative.

Mechatronics Education At Kettering University: Development Of Learning- Specific Hardware And Software, Jeffrey Hargrove, Theodore J. Stokes

Mechanical Engineering Presentations And Conference Materials

A series of learning-specific electronic circuit boards and associated software has been developed to support mechatronics education in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Kettering University. The boards are designed to interface to the Toshiba TLCS-900H Microprocessor Trainer and Evaluation Board. The purpose of these boards is to provide mechanical engineering students of mechatronics with robust hardware that readily permits interfacing of sensors and actuators to microcontrollers used in mechatronic applications. Further, the boards feature signal conditioning circuits for use in conjunction with sensors, and driver circuits for operating high-current actuating devices. Supporting software has been written to permit ready use …