A comprehensive fractal approach in determination of the effective thermal conductivity of gas diffusion layers in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

The challenges in the fuel cell industry is to produce the efficient thermal and water management for accurate determination of the effectiveness thermal conductivity of gas diffusion layers (GDL) used in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC‟s). This is one of the factors affecting the durability of a fuel cell and need to get a solution to minimize costs and optimize the use of electrodes and cells. The main objectives of this research focus on the capability of the fractal approach for estimation the effectiveness of thermal conductivity of gas diffusion layer. Moreover, on this research also to propose modified fractal equations in determination of the effective thermal conductivity of GDL in PEMFCs based on previous study. Other objectives in this study are demonstrated the thermal conductivity of GDL treated with PTFE contents by using through-plane thermal conductivity experiment method. The through-plane measurement (experiment method) has been used in estimating through-plane thermal conductivity of the GDL. Thermal resistance for GDL also has been investigated under compression pressure 0.1 MPa until 1.0 MPa. In fractal equation, the determination of tortuous and pore fractal dimension can be done by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) method. Determination of effectiveness thermal conductivity using of fractal equation with slightly modified. In findings, it was found that fractal equation have been modified and measured on the GDL parameter characteristics. It was shown that the value of the effectiveness thermal conductivity of the sample using fractal approach is in good agreement with the experimental value. Finally, all the effective thermal conductivity measured by experimental and fractal approach have been determined with the variant temperature and compression pressure to show the validation result between of this two methods

Genuine lab experiences for students in resource constrained environments: The RealLab with integrated intelligent assessment.

Laboratory activities are indispensable for developing engineering skills. Computer Aided Learning (CAL) tools can be used to enhance laboratory learning in various ways, the latest approach being the virtual laboratory technique that emulates traditional laboratory processes. This new approach makes it possible to give students complete and genuine laboratory experiences in situations constrained by limited resources in the provision of laboratory facilities and infrastructure and/or where there is need for laboratory education, for large classes, with only one laboratory stand. This may especially be the case in countries in transition. Most existing virtual laboratories are not available for purchase. Where they are, they may not be cost friendly for resource constrained environments. Also, most do not integrate any form of assessment structure. In this paper, we present a very cost friendly virtual laboratory solution for genuine laboratory experiences in resource constrained environments, with integrated intelligent assessment

Safe, Remote-Access Swarm Robotics Research on the Robotarium

This paper describes the development of the Robotarium -- a remotely accessible, multi-robot research facility. The impetus behind the Robotarium is that multi-robot testbeds constitute an integral and essential part of the multi-agent research cycle, yet they are expensive, complex, and time-consuming to develop, operate, and maintain. These resource constraints, in turn, limit access for large groups of researchers and students, which is what the Robotarium is remedying by providing users with remote access to a state-of-the-art multi-robot test facility. This paper details the design and operation of the Robotarium as well as connects these to the particular considerations one must take when making complex hardware remotely accessible. In particular, safety must be built in already at the design phase without overly constraining which coordinated control programs the users can upload and execute, which calls for minimally invasive safety routines with provable performance guarantees.Comment: 13 pages, 7 figures, 3 code samples, 72 reference

Design and Development of an Affordable Haptic Robot with Force-Feedback and Compliant Actuation to Improve Therapy for Patients with Severe Hemiparesis

The study describes the design and development of a single degree-of-freedom haptic robot, Haptic Theradrive, for post-stroke arm rehabilitation for in-home and clinical use. The robot overcomes many of the weaknesses of its predecessor, the TheraDrive system, that used a Logitech steering wheel as the haptic interface for rehabilitation. Although the original TheraDrive system showed success in a pilot study, its wheel was not able to withstand the rigors of use. A new haptic robot was developed that functions as a drop-in replacement for the Logitech wheel. The new robot can apply larger forces in interacting with the patient, thereby extending the functionality of the system to accommodate low-functioning patients. A new software suite offers appreciably more options for tailored and tuned rehabilitation therapies. In addition to describing the design of the hardware and software, the paper presents the results of simulation and experimental case studies examining the system\u27s performance and usability

Overview of modern teaching equipment that supports distant learning

Laboratory is a key element of engineering and applied sciences educational systems. With the development of Internet and connecting IT technologies, the appearance of remote laboratories was inevitable. Virtual laboratories are also available; they place the experiment in a simulated environment. However, this writing focuses on remote experiments not virtual ones. From the students’ point of view, it is a great help not only for those enrolling in distant or online courses but also for those studying in a more traditional way. With the spread of smart, portable devices capable of connection to the internet, students can expand or restructure time spent on studying. This is a huge help to them and also allows them to individually divide their time up, to learn how to self-study. This independent approach can prepare them for working environments. It offers flexibility and convenience to the students. From the universities’ point of view, it helps reduce maintenance costs and universities can share experiments which also helps the not so well-resourced educational facilities

Development of a MATLAB/Simulink - Arduino environment for experimental practices in control engineering teaching

This project presents the steps followed when implementing a platform based on MATLAB/Simulink and Arduino for the restoration of digital control practices. During this project, an Arduino shield has being designed. Along with this, a web page has also been created where all the material done during all this project is available and can be freely used. So anyone interested on doing a project can have a starting point instead of starting a project from scratch, which most of times this results hard to implement. Taking all this into account, the document is structured in the following manner. The first chapter talks about the hardware used and designed. The second one explains the software used and the configurations done on the laboratory’s PCs. After that, the web page Duino-Based Learning is explained, where you can find the five projects carried out in the "Control Automàtic" subject with their corresponding results. In this section too, as an additional research, the implemented indirect adaptive control will be explained, where the parameter estimation has been done by the Recursive Least Square algorithm. The last four sections before presenting the conclusions of the work, correspond to a satisfaction questionnaire done to the teachers that have used the setup, the costs and saves of the project, the environmental impact and the planning of the project respectively