Equilibrium molecular dynamics combined with the Green-Kubo formula can be used to calculate the thermal conductivity of materials such as germanium and carbon. The foundation of this calculation is extracting the heat current from the results and implementing it into the Green-Kubo formula. This work considers all formulations from the literature that calculate the heat current for the Tersoff potential, the interatomic potential most applicable to semiconductor materials. The formulations for the heat current are described, and results for germanium and carbon are presented. The formulations are compared with respect to how well they capture the physics of the Tersoff potential and how well the calculated value of the thermal conductivity reflects the experimentally measured value.
Design of Mechanism is a standard subject in Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering majors. Different methods and tools are used by lecturers to teach the subject. In this work, we investigate the impact on the competencies development by implementing a project-based learning methodology in a mechanism course. For this, we analyze the performance of students from two different groups. The first group is taught in a traditional fashion developing a final project just related to the discipline, and the second group is taught in a multidisciplinary context where the final goal is to develop a complex project where the mechanisms subject is one complementary subject with the others. The development of engineering competencies, declared for this course, is presented for both groups through the evaluation of different aspects; also, a survey of satisfaction from the students of both groups is presented. Overall, the results show that the multidisciplinary project-based learning method, having a nonacademic training partner as sponsor and solving a real nonacademic project, improves the development of competencies related to practical applications and increases the motivation and appreciation of the student towards the mechanism learning discipline.
This work presents a novel mixed reality laboratory for the development of competences in control engineering. This laboratory simulates various control systems that may interact with different control devices. The mixed reality lab has three components: (i) a virtual environment, (ii) a virtual-electronic interface, and (iii) a control unit. The virtual environment displays a virtual representation of the system under control. The electronic interface uses a microcontroller to solve the differential equations that models the simulated system. The values solved by this interface are sent to the virtual environment for driving its animation. Moreover, input and output signals are connected to the control unit for the implementation of a control law. The functionally of the proposed mixed reality laboratory is showcased by modeling and controlling a Planar Vertical Take-off and Landing (PVTOL) system. Furthermore, the motivation of a group of students, after experimenting with the laboratory, is reported.
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