Book-app as course literature in CDIO-based project courses- Students\u27 perspectives

Course literature should aim to provide relevant information regarding the fulfillment of course objectives and be adjacent to students’ needs and preferences. The course literature in the “Integrated Design and Manufacturing” (PPU175) course at Chalmers University of Technology consisted of a printed book, which was used as a guide to projects’ implementation. However, the high price and low transferability of the book pinpointed the need of an alternative option. The solution was a book-app created by digitizing and adjusting the content of the existing book.This paper follows the development of the book-app and it examines its applicability as course literature in a CDIO-based project course considering students’ perspectives and preferences. The first version of the book-app was similar to a PDF whereas the second was enhanced with navigational features. Students’ attitudes towards the use of the book-app instead of a printed book as well as their opinions and suggestions about content formulation and app\u27s features were collected after completion of the course through a dedicated survey and a focus group interview.The outcomes supported that although students were positively predisposed regarding the use of a book-app as course literature, they were not satisfied with the first version of the book-app due to its delayed response and low navigation capabilities. Regarding the second version, they were satisfied with its content and depth of the explanations but they encountered compatibility and navigational issues which affected their overall opinion. The paper concludes that students are ready to use a book-app as their course literature and it suggests design and content features that will enhance the usability and students\u27 satisfaction with the book-app

Utilization of environmental simulations in the design and operation of coarse comminution and classification circuit

Finding and evaluating approaches to lower the environmental impact of their processes is an immediate aim for the mining companies as a part of their sustainability strategies. When only the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology is used, the analysis does not consider the dynamic nature of the process, which leads to lower accuracy of the results. Therefore, there is a need to combine process simulations with LCA. This paper describes how environmental simulations based on LCA can be used to inform plant design and operations of coarse comminution and classification circuits. A conceptional framework is introduced that shows the architecture of the simulation tool and how the different stakeholders, such as plant designers, engineers, equipment manufacturers, operators and educators, can use it in decision-making, education, and training. This simulation tool aims to increase understanding between production and environmental impact by reviewing, improving, and evaluating different choices in the coarse comminution and classification circuit. Its use can assist in lowering the environmental impact of the whole process by configuring the coarse comminution part so that it reduces the need for the more energy-intensive milling part and by regulating the material transportation within the plant to avoid unnecessary emissions

Fit-for-Purpose VSI Modelling Framework for Process Simulation

The worldwide shortage of natural sand has created a need for improved methods to create a replacement product. The use of vertical shaft impact (VSI) crushers is one possible solution, since VSI crushers can create particles with a good aspect ratio and smooth surfaces for use in different applications such as in construction. To evaluate the impact a VSI crusher has on the process performance, a more fit-for-purpose model is needed for process simulations. This paper aims to present a modelling framework to improve particle breakage prediction in VSI crushers. The model is based on the theory of energy-based breakage behavior. Particle collision energy data are extracted from discrete element method (DEM) simulations with particle velocities, i.e., rotor speed, as the input. A selection–breakage approach is then used to create the particle size distribution (PSD). For each site, the model is trained with two datasets for the PSDs at different VSI rotor tip speeds. This allows the model to predict the product output for different rotor tip speeds beyond the experimental configurations. A dataset from 24 different sites in Sweden is used for training and validating the model to showcase the robustness of the model. The model presented in this paper has a low barrier for implementation suitable for trying different speeds at existing sites and can be used as a replacement to a manual testing approach

Application of Optimization Method for Calibration and Maintenance of Power-Based Belt Scale

Process optimization and improvement strategies applied in a crushing plant are coupled with the measurement of such improvements, and one of the indicators for improvements is the mass flow at different parts of the circuit. The estimation of the mass flow using conveyor belt power consumption allows for a cost-effective solution. The principle behind the estimation is that the power draw from a conveyor belt is dependent on the load on the conveyor, conveyor speed, geometrical design, and overall efficiency of the conveyor. Calibration of the power-based belt scale is carried out periodically to ensure the accuracy of the measurement. In practical implementation, certain conveyors are not directly accessible for calibration to the physical measurement as these conveyors have limited access or it is too costly to interrupt the ongoing production process. For addressing this limitation, a better strategy is needed to calibrate the efficiency of the power-based belt scale and maintain the reliability of such a system. This paper presents the application of an optimization method for a data collection system to calibrate and maintain accurate mass flow estimation. This includes calibration of variables such as the efficiency of the power-based belt scale. The optimization method uses an error minimization optimization formulation together with the mass balancing of the crushing plant to determine the efficiency of accessible and non-accessible conveyors. Furthermore, a correlation matrix is developed to monitor and detect deviations in the estimation for the mass flow. The methods are applied and discussed for operational data from a full-scale crushing plant

Bringing the Entrepreneurial Mindset into Mining Engineering Education

There has been an ongoing debate on how to transform engineering education to better prepare students for today`s professional world that is characterized by increasingly complex problems and challenges that engineers are tasked with upon entering the industry. Within the conceive–design–implement–operate (CDIO) framework, entrepreneurship education presents a valuable pedagogical approach to foster the necessary skills of the students through integrated, hands-on, active learning experiences. While numerous publications have addressed possibilities of how experiential, problem-based, project-based and active learning can be integrated into engineering curriculum, there has been hardly any attention on mining engineering with respect to adopting this approach. This paper will address the possibilities of integrating entrepreneurship education into mining engineering programs in particular. This paper will enhance and foster discussion among academics from mining engineering on how to integrate elements of entrepreneurship education on a course, program and departmental level to infuse value creation experiences across the curriculum

Development of a pre-verified epd tool with process simulation capabilities for the aggregates industry

This paper has two aims: to describe the current status and challenges of aggregates producers regarding the analysis and communication of environmental information of their products and to present a layout of a pre-verified tool with simulation capabilities that could assist aggregates producers with their environmental goals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three Swedish aggregates producers, an aggregates customer, and an expert agency. Additionally, published Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for aggregates and the EN 15804:2012 + A2:2019 were studied to reveal current practices and upcoming changes due to the updated standard. The synergies with process simulations were explored as a step towards using the EPD framework for continuous improvement of aggregates production. The interviews indicated that the main challenge for aggregates producers is the lack of easily available plant data for environmental calculations and clearly defined environmental goals at each plant. The proposed tool uses a common process flowsheet for both EPDs and simulations and has a pre-defined LCA module. The use of such a tool is expected to raise the environmental interest at aggregates plants and improve collaboration with LCA experts. Since the analysis is based on the Swedish aggregates market, the interview results are not directly generalizable to the European context

Understanding Current Challenges in Evaluating Environmental Impacts for Aggregate Producers through a Case Study in Western Sweden

To improve environmental performance of a product or activity, an understanding of the environmental impacts associated with it is needed. Quantification of environmental impacts can be achieved through the standardized measurement-based tool of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). However, challenges occur when trying to apply a standardized tool to a nonstandardized industry such as the aggregate industry. This study aims to provide greater understanding of the challenges facing the aggregate industry, particularly producers, in applying LCA. This was conducted through a literature review, to establish the current understanding of challenges, accompanied by a case study where a site-specific LCA was conducted with a large enterprise at a crushed-rock-production facility in western Sweden, to gain new industry-specific insight. A total of 13 challenges were identified: seven methodological and six systemic. Out of these 13 challenges, 3 were deemed a high risk to the implementation of LCA by aggregate producers, and 3 to the integrity of results. A best-practice framework is suggested to incorporate LCA into current environmental management techniques utilized at quarry sites in Sweden to overcome some challenges. However, LCA used for environmental management should not lead to double work if LCA is being utilized for Environmental Product Declarations, and further research is encouraged to find appropriate solutions with the most efficient allocation of the resources needed in conducting LCA studies

Gender Differences in Student Satisfaction Surveys

Engineering programs around the world strive to increase gender balance among their students and endeavor to encourage higher female enrollment. This paper aims to investigate and understand how current engineering students perceive their courses in terms of sufficient prior knowledge and overall general impression and if there are statistically significant differences among male and female students. The discussion on possible reasons for trends in responses will assist in taking actions to accommodate both genders.The study is carried out at the Chalmers University of Technology and focuses oncourses in its Mechanical, Automation, and Industrial Design Engineering programs. This study is a continuation of previous work on variations of student satisfaction between CDIO project courses and “traditional” courses (Malmqvist et al. 2018) with the addition of an analysis of gender aspects. The present study will use the same methodology, namely a mixed methods approach and investigate both closed-form questionnaire responses and free text answers in course surveys. Quantitative methods for comparing means of survey questions and qualitative analyses of free text answers for selected courses are chosen to shed light on patterns of different gender’s perceptions. Aspects of different course characteristics such as traditional, lecture-based vs. project-based and theoretical vs. applied are considered.The results demonstrate that statistically significant differences exist in how male and female students perceive some of their courses and how involved they are in answering course surveys, with this difference being more substantial at bachelor’s level than at master’s level. Possible reasons on why those differences exist and what measures, if any, should be taken to close the gap are discussed

Evaluation of Refractory Metal Concentrations in Nano-Particulate Pressed-Powder Pellets Using LA-ICP-MS

Whole-rock geochemical analysis is a standard method to measure the chemical composition of ores. Analysis of refractory ore metals such as Ta and W typically requires fused bead and acid digestion followed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Since these techniques are time-consuming and expensive, there is a demand for methods that can quantitatively measure low elemental concentration of refractory ore metals using a less expensive and simple approach. This paper evaluates preparation and analytical procedures developed to obtain whole-rock element concentrations of ore samples and mineral concentrates. It shows that the production of nano-particulate pressed-powder pellets followed by LA-ICP-MS analysis of W and Ta ores can be used to determine, within the error margin, the concentrations of the refractory metals W, Ta, Nb, and Sn compared to a reference values obtained by solution analysis. The results have implications for developing a commercially viable method for analysis of refractory elements to benefit mineral processing given the simplicity and resource-efficiency of the combined pressed pellet production and laser ablation analytical methodology

Applied Calibration and Validation Method of Dynamic Process Simulation for Crushing Plants

There is a need within the production industry for digitalization and the development of meaningful functionality for production operation. One such industry is aggregate production, characterized by continuous production operation, where the digital transformation can bring operational adaptability to customer demand. Dynamic process simulations have the ability to capture the change in production performance of aggregate production over time. However, there is a need to develop cost-efficient methodologies to integrate calibrations and validation of models. This paper presents a method of integrating an experimental and data-driven approach for calibration and validation for crushing plant equipment and a process model. The method uses an error minimization optimization formulation to calibrate the equipment models, followed by the validation of the process model. The paper discusses various details such as experimental calibration procedure, applied error functions, optimization problem formulation, and the future development needed to completely realize the procedure for industrial use. The validated simulation model can be used for performing process planning and process optimization activities for the crushing plant’s operation