El Laboratorio Virtual como herramienta didáctica en las enseñanzas de Ingeniería. Adaptación a la COVID-19

[EN] The adaptation of laboratory practices to the safety and hygienic measures imposed by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virus has been a challenge for both institutions and professor and students. To meet this challenge this paper has assessed whether the creation of a virtual laboratory for the development of remote laboratory practice, provides a practical and effective education for students of Technology Environment and Sustainability I of the Degree in Mechanical Engineering. The study has been developed during the academic years 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 with a sample of 81 students this last year. For this, a pre and post activity survey was used to determine the level of satisfaction of students and the effectiveness of the methodology was evaluated with the analysis of the grades obtained in the practice exams. With an average of 3.8, the students indicate a clear acceptance of the Virtual Laboratory. The students' responses reveal that the proposal has increased their degree of motivation to improve their training, consolidate their knowledge and in addition to considering that the technique is innovative and practical, a fact that is reflected in the increase in the average grade of the exams of practices.[ES] Adaptar las prácticas de laboratorio a las medidas de seguridad e higiene impuestas por el virus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), ha supuesto un desafío tanto para las instituciones como para el propio profesorado y estudiantado. Para afrontar este reto, en este trabajo se ha evaluado si la creación de un laboratorio virtual para el desarrollo remoto de las prácticas de laboratorio, proporciona una enseñanza práctica y efectiva para los estudiantes de Tecnologías del Medio Ambiente y Sostenibilidad I del Grado en Ingeniería Mecánica. El estudio se ha desarrollado durante los cursos académicos 2019/2020 y 2020/2021 con una muestra de 81 estudiantes en este último curso. Para ello, se utilizó una encuesta pre y pos actividad para medir el grado de satisfacción del estudiante y se evaluó la eficacia de la metodología con el análisis de las calificaciones obtenidas en los exámenes de prácticas. Con una media de 3,8, los estudiantes indican una clara aceptación del Laboratorio Virtual. Las respuestas de los estudiantes revelan que la propuesta ha aumentado su grado de motivación para mejorar su formación, consolidar sus conocimientos y además de considerar que la técnica es innovadora y práctica, hecho que se plasma en el aumento de la calificación media de los exámenes de prácticas.Santiago, D.; Del Río-Gamero, B.; Melián-Martel, N. (2021). El Laboratorio Virtual como herramienta didáctica en las enseñanzas de Ingeniería. Adaptación a la COVID-19. En IN-RED 2021: VII Congreso de Innovación Edicativa y Docencia en Red. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 941-949. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2021.2021.13709OCS94194

Laboratory Hyperspectral Image Acquisition System Setup and Validation

Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) techniques have demonstrated potential to provide useful information in a broad set of applications in different domains, from precision agriculture to environmental science. A first step in the preparation of the algorithms to be employed outdoors starts at a laboratory level, capturing a high amount of samples to be analysed and processed in order to extract the necessary information about the spectral characteristics of the studied samples in the most precise way. In this article, a custom-made scanning system for hyperspectral image acquisition is described. Commercially available components have been carefully selected in order to be integrated into a flexible infrastructure able to obtain data from any Generic Interface for Cameras (GenICam) compliant devices using the gigabyte Ethernet interface. The entire setup has been tested using the Specim FX hyperspectral series (FX10 and FX17) and a Graphical User Interface (GUI) has been developed in order to control the individual components and visualise data. Morphological analysis, spectral response and optical aberration of these pushbroom-type hyperspectral cameras have been evaluated prior to the validation of the whole system with different plastic samples for which spectral signatures are extracted and compared with well-known spectral libraries.Laboratory Hyperspectral Image Acquisition System Setup and ValidationpublishedVersio

Short Review on Predicting Fouling in RO Desalination

Reverse Osmosis (RO) membrane fouling is one of the main challenges that membrane manufactures, the scientific community and industry professionals have to deal with. The consequences of this inevitable phenomenon have a negative effect on the performance of the desalination system. Predicting fouling in RO systems is key to evaluating the long-term operating conditions and costs. Much research has been done on fouling indices, methods, techniques and prediction models to estimate the influence of fouling on the performance of RO systems. This paper offers a short review evaluating the state of industry knowledge in the development of fouling indices and models in membrane systems for desalination in terms of use and applicability. Despite major efforts in this field, there are gaps in terms of effective methods and models for the estimation of fouling in full-scale RO desalination plants. In existing models applied to full-scale RO desalination plants, neither the spacer geometry of membranes, nor the efficiency and frequency of chemical cleanings are considered

SWRO Brine Characterisation and Critical Analysis of Its Industrial Valorisation: A Case Study in the Canary Islands (Spain)

The most recent years of research have shifted the perception of desalination brine from being waste to a high-value resource, in consonance with a circular economy perspective. The Canary Islands, containing the largest number of desalination plants per square kilometre in the world, are a perfect location to study its characteristics and evaluate its potential. A total of 10 heterogeneous seawater reverse osmosis plants were selected to determine the brine’s physicochemical characterisation, comprising 37 parameters, and its correlation to the technical and operational aspects of the desalination plants. The results show a stable narrow range of the percentage of major ions concentration in relation to the total dissolved solids (55% Cl−, 29.5% Na+, 8% SO42−, 4% Mg2+, 1.5% Ca2+, 1.2% K+, 0.5% HCO3−, and 0.2% Br−) irrespective of specific differences between plants. The results obtained in this study are highly beneficial to industrial suppliers and future users of desalination brine valorisation (DBV) technologies, allowing an estimation of the chemical composition of a brine through knowledge only of its conductivity. Such information is crucial before investing in and optimizing DBV technologies. Nonetheless, from an environmental, economic, operational, energy-based, and R&D point of view, several improvements are required to promote their large-scale feasibility and viability

Concreciones en el segundo ciclo de Enseñanza Primaria en el área de Educación Física

Este grupo de profesoras/es (once en total), son especialistas en educación física e imparten clases en la zona de Telde (en 9 centros de EGB), cuyo trabajo constará prioritariamente en el desarrollo curricular de su especialidad. Objetivos: 1. Facilitar el cambio de perfil de personal docente desde el modelo de trabajo individual hacia el trabajo en equipo. 2. Llevar a la práctica innovaciones educativas respetando el currículo establecido en la legislación vigente. 3. Realizar concreciones a partir de los diseños curriculares de Canarias y los decretos de enseñanzas mínimas, con desarrollos curriculares de área. 4. Adaptar el trabajo docente a su entorno sociocultural y a las nuevas necesidades educativas, aproximándose a las enseñanzas y fines que propugna la LOGSE. 5. Posibilitar el estudio de nuevos enfoques pedagógicos y didácticos y difundirlos para facilitar la innovación educativa. 6. Elaborar materiales y recursos didácticos, que sirvan de apoyo al profesorado en el marco de la innovación educativa. Se pretende una metodología activa, procurando en todo momento la participación y corresponsabilidad de todos los componentes del grupo. El desarrollo de este proyecto, como es lógico, no tendrá incidencia directa en la práctica diaria de clase, ésta irá aumentando a medida que vayamos progresando en el trabajo desarrollado a lo largo del curso. El material necesario será principalmente bibliográfico y de reprografía. El grado de consecución de los objetivos propuestos ha sido total excepto en el 4 y 5 que fue parcial..Dirección General de Ordenación e Innovación EducativaCanariasES

Does the Use of Videos in Flipped Classrooms in Engineering Labs Improve Student Performance?

This article analyzes whether the use of videos in flipped classrooms applied to lab practices in higher-education degrees improves the students’ performance. For this purpose, the flipped classroom methodology was used in the Sustainability and Environment Technologies subject, which is included in the curriculum of different engineering degrees. The results were evaluated by considering three different aspects: student satisfaction, student performance during the lab practice, and academic marks. The methodology of the study combines qualitative and quantitative approaches. The results show an improvement in student satisfaction, as well as in student performance during the lab practice. The academic marks of the test students in comparison to the control students also show some improvement. Overall, those who undertook the flipped classroom lab practice noted many benefits, including increased student engagement and satisfaction, as well as improvements in student skills and academic results. Novel aspects such as the qualitative and quantitative evaluations of the performance of the lab practice have been introduced in this research

Water-Energy Nexus: A Pathway of Reaching the Zero Net Carbon in Wastewater Treatment Plants

The water-energy nexus, together with the need for sustainable management of these interconnected resources, has attracted growing attention from the scientific community. This paper focuses on this nexus from the point of view of the energy that is required by wastewater treatment plants, which are intensive energy consumers and major emitters of greenhouse gases. The main objective of the study is to investigate the possible use of a wastewater plant’s internal chemical, potential, and kinetic energy, and the addition of external renewable technologies with a view to achieving clean energy consumption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For this purpose, an analysis is made of the feasibility of introducing alternative technologies—anaerobic digestion, hydraulic turbines, wind turbines, and photovoltaic modules— to meet the plant’s energy needs. The plant chosen as case study (Jinamar plant, Canary Islands, Spain) has an energy consumption of 2956 MWh/year, but the employed methodological framework is suitable for other plants in locations where the renewable energy potential has previously been analyzed. The results show that a renewable energy production of 3396 MWh/year can be obtained, more than enough to meet plant consumption, but also confirm the need for an energy storage system, due to seasonal variability in energy resource availability. In terms of climate change mitigation, the emission of 2754 tons/year of greenhouse gases is avoided. In addition, the economic viability of the proposed system is also confirmed

Laboratory Hyperspectral Image Acquisition System Setup and Validation

Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) techniques have demonstrated potential to provide useful information in a broad set of applications in different domains, from precision agriculture to environmental science. A first step in the preparation of the algorithms to be employed outdoors starts at a laboratory level, capturing a high amount of samples to be analysed and processed in order to extract the necessary information about the spectral characteristics of the studied samples in the most precise way. In this article, a custom-made scanning system for hyperspectral image acquisition is described. Commercially available components have been carefully selected in order to be integrated into a flexible infrastructure able to obtain data from any Generic Interface for Cameras (GenICam) compliant devices using the gigabyte Ethernet interface. The entire setup has been tested using the Specim FX hyperspectral series (FX10 and FX17) and a Graphical User Interface (GUI) has been developed in order to control the individual components and visualise data. Morphological analysis, spectral response and optical aberration of these pushbroom-type hyperspectral cameras have been evaluated prior to the validation of the whole system with different plastic samples for which spectral signatures are extracted and compared with well-known spectral libraries