A novel undergraduate learning tool for engineering control and applied rheology

Vojislav Ilic, George Grodzicki

    Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference PaperConference Paperpeer-review

    Abstract

    ![CDATA[Meaningful engineering projects involve systems engineering which challenge students to apply knowledge they gained in studying individual subject-centered courses into a holistic product. This particularly applies to engineering students who are traditionally applications oriented. Engineering controls is a course most students find challenging to master in the limited time at their disposal within traditionally crowded engineering syllabus. However, presenting them with a singular and palpable task which requires application of this basic knowledge – and even more, lends itself to learning through self-discovery. This is particularly the case in mechatronics, robotics and automation in general – a backbone to most of devices in use today, where the control theory plays a crucial part. Engineering rheology is a specialist branch of Fluid Mechanics encountered by only a few students – usually at the postgraduate level. It deals with the behaviour of fluids often outside their every-day experience, and which is often contrary to the expectations. It is therefore a special challenge to undergraduate students who are only used to the behaviour of Newtonian fluids they had studied (and experienced) hitherto, to at least obtain a working knowledge of the esoteric subject in order to own up to the posed problem they chose to tackle. It too requires learning through self-discovery. The aim of this paper is to describe one such project undertaken by final year students under the authors’ supervision and guidance. It involved application of control algorithms to a fluid whose rheological properties varied with the applied load through a specialised feedback loop controlling the magnetic field strength to which the fluid was exposed. The fluid viscosity varied with the strength of the applied magnetic field. – which imparted to it the non- Newtonian characteristics. Such fluids are called magneto-rheological fluids or more commonly, just MRFs. The mechanical component using an MRF was a damper such as used in automobiles. However, rather than the commonly used “passive” variety, an MRF damper is an “active” one – damping varied with the frequency of the applied load.]]
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationProceedings of the 17th International Conference on Engineering Education: Engineering Sustainability for a Global Economy: 21-26 August 2011, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
    PublisherUniversity of Ulster
    Number of pages6
    Publication statusPublished - 2011
    EventInternational Conference on Engineering Education -
    Duration: 21 Aug 2011 → …

    Publication series

    Name
    ISSN (Print)1562-3580

    Conference

    ConferenceInternational Conference on Engineering Education
    Period21/08/11 → …

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