Faculty Of Mechanical Engineering Research Articles

An Innovative Method of Measuring the Extension of the Piston Rod in Hydraulic Cylinders, Especially Large Ones Used in the Shipbuilding and Offshore Industry

Abstract The article presents the results of selected works related to the wider subject of research conducted at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Shipbuilding at the Gdańsk University of Technology, regarding designing various on board devices with hydraulic drive for ships and other offshore facilities. One of the commonly used these mechanisms are hydraulic actuators with the measurement of the piston rod extension. The issue of precise measurement of the piston rod extension is extremely important in modern technologies of construction, assembly and precise displacement and positioning of large and heavy, both land and ocean engineering objects or structural elements with the use of several large hydraulic cylinders working in parallel. The article presents a one of two new patented P.425099 – A device for measuring the extension of a hydraulic cylinder piston rod. [1].

Filter based on sugar cane bagset for the treatment of wastewater from car washers in the city of Ambato, Ecuador

The effects of the oil industry continue to cause damage today. For example, car washers and their components still pollute sewage. This work assesses the efficiency of an artisan filter made of sugarcane bagasse, sand, crushed brick, and pumice stone. The research was carried out in the Chemistry Laboratory of the Faculty of Civil and Mechanical Engineering of the Technical University of Ambato, Ecuador, and as effluent, wastewater from a small car washing machine was used. To prove the efficiency of the filter and its limitations, the variation index in different parameters of this water was measured for 31 days, such as total solids, total suspended solids, BOD5 (biological oxygen demand), COD (chemical oxygen demand), pH, oils and fats, turbidity and TPH (total petroleum hydrocarbons). The preliminary results showed a significant improvement in the treated effluent's quality, especially in turbidity, TPH, total suspended solids, and pH.

Virtual Reality as an Immersive Teaching Aid to Enhance the Connection between Education and Practice

Maximizing knowledge transfer is one of the main factors of modern education. It is important to raise the probability that students can successfully apply acquired knowledge into practice. This article deals with virtual reality (VR) as an alternative method to provide students with a more immersive approach to semester assignments and their completion. In addition to information on paper, they are provided with an immersive virtual environment that interactively visualizes problems. To test this approach, a case study took place at the Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Žilina. Students were given a standard assignment for workplace analysis and optimization. However, in addition to papers containing all the necessary information about the workplace and its processes (a drilling workplace), the students could also put on a VR headset and walk through a virtual copy of the assigned workplace. Instead of relying on a 2D layout and a few photos, the students observed every detail of the workplace from any angle. Moreover, the immersive virtual workplace was interactive, and the students could interact with machine tools and replicate the real manufacturing process. With this new addition, the students completed the assignment and then filled out a short questionnaire questioning their satisfaction with the chosen approach. With positive feedback, the implementation of VR into the teaching process could further motivate students and make the transfer of knowledge into their future jobs easier.

First-Year Engineering Students’ Strategies for Taking Exams

Student drop-out is one of the most critical issues that higher educational institutions face nowadays. The problem is significant for first-year students. These freshmen are especially at risk of failing due to the transition from different educational settings at high school. Thanks to the massive boom of Information and Communication Technologies, universities have started to collect a vast amount of study- and student-related data. Teachers can use the collected information to support students at risk of failing their studies. At the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, the situation is no different, and first-year students are a vulnerable group similar to other institutions. The most critical part of the first year is the first exam period. One of the essential skills the student needs to develop is planning for exams. The presented research aims to explore the exam-taking patterns of first-year students. Data of 361 first-year students have been analysed and used to construct “layered” Markov chain probabilistic graphs. The graphs have revealed interesting behavioural patterns within the groups of successful and unsuccessful students.

Simulation of the preparation laboratory for light microscopy in the form of a 3D educational game

The purpose of the work was to create an educational game to familiarize the user with the methodology of preparing a material sample for light microscopy. The goal of the game is to obtain a correct preparation of the sample, the microstructure of which can be observed under a light microscope. The game was developed in the Unity environment. All three-dimensional machine models, along with the necessary virtual environment and the gameplay scenario, were created. Due to the use of virtual reality, it has become possible to teach students how to use preparation devices without the need for the physical presence of students in the laboratory in an attractive and safe way. Failure to play the game will not damage material, or equipment, there is no risk to the user’s health. The game has been developed and is available in the Department of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology. The form of a 3D game used in this study is an interesting alternative to traditional teaching aids. It can be used not only by students but also teachers and other people who want to broaden their knowledge about the functioning and methods of operation of laboratory equipment.

Experimental Measurements on a Stand for a Grain Sampler

This paper describes experimental measurements of travel rollers on a polyurethane thread. This exper-iment took place at the CTU Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in the laboratory of the Department of Design and Machine Parts. The experiment was performed within the project of a lightweight type of sampler, designed by a team of collaborators from our institute for OK Servis BioPro, s.r.o. For the new-ly designed type of sampler, it was necessary to determine the operation of a newly designed grain sampler. The load of the rollers is different in each environment. This paper presents the average values from the measurement, including its evaluation. Moreover, the paper compares different temperatures that can be achieved in the practice. Negative temperature values were not performed, as this meas-urement would be expensive and inefficient.

Knowledge centre for transport accessibility and mobility of people with special needs using individual transport modes

At the Military University of Technology in Faculty of Mechanical Engineering has been estabilished a Knowledge centre for transport accessibility and mobility of people with special needs (PwSN). The main aim of the Centre’s activities is to extend issues of universal design and to develop, promote and disseminate innovative product solutions and universal service standards leading to increased mobility and improved road safety for PwSN using personal transport. An additional aim is to support teaching staff in preparation for education and in the implementation of training activities in the field of universal design, counteracting the exclusion of PwSN. The activities of the Centre involve the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, the Institute of Psychology at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University and the Motor Transport Institute. The article presents in detail the intentions and expected results of the activities carried out by the Centre. It is assumed that the Centre’s activities will make it possible to develop and disseminate original solutions of systems and devices facilitating and supporting the use of individual means of transport by PwSN.

Design and Establishment of a Learning Factory at the FMENA Zagreb

Accelerated technology developments caused by Industry 4.0 create problems in its implementation. One of the most important factors that hinder the transition of companies is ignorance and, therefore, the fear of new technologies present among employees. Learning factories have proven to be one of the best solutions for introducing employees to the technologies of Industry 4.0. Croatia is significantly behind in implementing the features of Industry 4.0, especially compared to more developed countries. To facilitate the transition of the Croatian industry to Industry 4.0, it is necessary to acquaint existing and future employees with its technologies through learning factories. There is currently only one learning factory in Croatia, which is too few. This paper presents the process of design and establishment of a learning factory at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture in Zagreb, which facilitates research work and education of students and employees with Industry 4.0.

Kalker’s coefficient c11 and its influence on the damping and the retuning of a mechanical drive torsion system of a railway vehicle

Within the research of electromagnetically excited torsion oscillations in the mechanical part of traction drive systems of modern railway vehicles, which has been realized at the Faculty of mechanical engineering at the CTU in Prague, there are two separate simulation models in use. The basic calculation model, which is utilized to gain basic characteristics of the torsion system as natural frequencies and natural modes of oscillations. And the complex simulation model, which simulates a drive of the vehicle. This contribution is focused on the basic calculation model, which has been built in MATLAB. This model in its first version did not apply the contact between wheels and rails. It was necessary to find out, if this simplification is relevant with respect to subsequent simulations within the complex simulation model and its results. Therefore, the contact interaction as a traction force in longitudinal direction in the wheel-rail contact was realized via the Kalker’s linear theory. This article deals with the comparison between models with and without the implementation of the wheel-rail contact and its influence on the damping within the torsion system and retuning of the torsion system.

Accident rate of regional railway vehicles at railway crossings for the years 2014 to 2018

From a societal point of view, there are growing demands to increase traffic safety and reduce the risk of accidents of rail and road vehicles. The research to increase the safety of railway vehicles, which is carried out at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Czech Technical University in Prague, aims to increase the active and passive safety of railway vehicles. Components and systems of active safety are designed to reduce the risk of an accident. Components and systems of passive safety are designed to minimize the consequences of accidents. One of the parts of the active safety of railway vehicles is the condition and safety of the railway lines on which the railway vehicle is operated. The first part of the article focuses on the evaluation of accident statistics of railway vehicles with other road users at railway crossings for the years 2014 to 2018 with regard to the cause of the accident and the level of security of railway crossings. The conclusion of the article is devoted to proposals for solutions that could lead to a reduction in accidents at railway crossings.

15th Global Congress on Manufacturing and Management GCMM2021 In Association with ISPEM 2021

Title: New Advancement in Manufacturing, Materials and Production Engineering towards Industry 4.x Editors: Andre D.L. BATAKO, Anna BURDUK, M. Anthony Xavior Co-editors: Tahsin OPOZ, Xiucheng LIU, Prasad KDV Yarlagadda Editors: Andre D.L. BATAKO, General Engineering Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street Liverpool, L3 3AF, email: a.d.batako@ljmu.ac.uk; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4613-7067 Anna BURDUK, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Centre for Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland. Email: anna.burduk@pwr.edu.pl M. Anthony XAVIOR, Department of Manufacturing Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering VIT University, Vellore, India, email: manthonyxavior@vit.ac.inList of Organizing committee, GCMM BOARD, International Scientific committee are available in the pdf

An Experimental Study of Indoor Air Pollution in New Office Building

Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health. The new building normally has a facing problem with indoor air pollutant. New construction materials and furniture will contribute higher contaminants compared to old materials. The effect of indoor air pollutants can result in human health problems, discomfort and reduces their productivity. The purpose of this present work is to experimental study the indoor air pollution status regarding carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, and formaldehyde concentration in an administration office at the new building faculty of mechanical engineering in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The contaminants concentration values are investigated through field measurements and then compared to the limits stated in the Occupational Safety and Health Act standard. The field measurement of contaminant concentration level was conducted at the intersect plane between the vertical plane at the center of the air conditioning diffuser and the horizontal plane at 1.2 m from the floor. The contaminant concentration readings were taken at 6 locations inside the office. The data were conducted during actual working conditions. The reading of contaminants concentration is taken in 30 minutes. One minute is equal to one number of samples. It was found that only the formaldehyde concentration is exceeding the maximum limit.

Analiza wytrzymałościowa wózka kolei podwieszanej

The main topic of this article is the strength analysis of selected bogie components – the wheelset axle and the frame. Axle calculations were based on the analytical method and were conducted with different types of materials. The finite element method was used for verification of bogie frame construction and loads applied on the frame were calculated according to the PN-EN 13749 norm. The bogie is a part of suspended electric multiple unit which was main matter of authors’ master thesis: „The concept of suspended railway engine wagon”, conducted on Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Gdansk University of Technology.

Energy Refurbishment of Serbian School Building Stock—A Typology Tool Methodology Development

Energy refurbishment of school buildings is a priority regarding both energy consumption in buildings and improving comfort conditions for sensitive young occupants. During 2016–18, a group of teachers and associates from the Faculty of Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering from the University in Belgrade participated in the project “Energy efficiency in public buildings” in cooperation with GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), University of Belgrade, Faculty of Architecture and Ministry of Mining and Energy of the Republic of Serbia. During 2016 and 2017, a comprehensive survey and database of public buildings were conducted by the local community. The focus of the research was the facilities of children’s institutions, and detailed data were collected to determine the current building stock conditions, energy consumption, and possible improvements. This paper presents the methodology of the project based on defining the typology of buildings, determining the representatives of the characteristic periods of construction, and analyzing their energy performance. Five possible scenarios were considered: designed condition, existing state, and three levels of a building improvement. The main goal of this project was to ascertain the entire fund for school buildings, indicate the potential for energy savings of this type of public building at the national level, and use this as a starting point for developing strategic decisions and further energy efficiency policies. This paper presents the complete results of the research on school buildings in Serbia, their energy performance, and possible energy savings. Key findings show that a great majority of schools are in a poor state in terms of their energy efficiency, but at the same time, there is a large potential for improvement of building envelope, HVAC, and lighting systems, which can cut the current energy need for heating to up to 80%.

Teaching by active learning: A laboratory experience on fundamentals of vibrations

This article shows the design and construction of a test bench for experiments on mechanical systems vibrations. The experimental setup is finalized to the development of a project work proposed to the students of the course "Mechanical System Vibrations", within the BSc faculty of Mechanical Engineering. The principal motivation that leads to the enrichment of the educational programme of the aforementioned course is the willingness to involve the students in a valuable learning-by-doing activity, aligned to the recent paradigm of active learning. From a didactic perspective, such an approach improves the engagement of the students and promotes the discussion with their peers. In this framework, the curiosity towards the practical activity enhances the acquisition of knowledge. The project regards the theoretical modelling of a 4-storeys building exploiting a lumped-parameters approach, and the deployment of some laboratory sessions. Acceleration data gathered during laboratory activities are employed in analyses in both the time and the frequency domain, exploiting the procedure of “Experimental Modal Analysis”. Conclusively, the project requires the students to design and construct two different types of Tuned Mass Dampers whose effectiveness will be directly tested on the building, subjected to a condition of harmonic motion imposed by an actuated sled. The final deliverable of this practical activity is a report that students should submit by the end of the course.

New Ways to Measure Mechanical Losses by Motoring an ICE with Increased Cylinder Pressure

The article shows the results of measuring the mechanical losses of a piston engine in two new ways and explains the necessary engine modification for these measurements. At the same time, it compares the results of measuring mechanical losses in the internal combustion engine (ICE) in the current (hitherto exploited) way and in new ways. The first method is not replacing the cylinder charge and regulating the cylinder pressure by feeding compressed air through self-acting valves into the cylinders of the motoring engine. The second method is a closed working cycle by means of an exhaust–intake connection, in which the load pressure in the cylinder is adjusted and maintained by a controlled-intake air supply. With the current method of measuring mechanical losses of a reciprocating internal combustion engine (ICE) by motoring, there are less than half the pressures in the cylinder compared to the pressures during real engine operation (i.e., in the combustion mode). Lower pressures in the cylinder reduce the force load on the piston group and the crank mechanism, and the detected mechanical losses in the engine are thus significantly reduced compared to the reality. In the laboratories of the propulsion units of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Technical University in Liberec, research is underway on a new method of measuring mechanical losses of a reciprocating internal combustion engine by motoring with charge pressure profiles in engine cylinders comparable to cylinder pressures during standard engine operation. The paper shows the results of measuring the mechanical losses of a piston engine in two new ways and explains the necessary adjustment of the engine for these measurements. At the same time, it compares the results of measuring mechanical losses in a reciprocating engine in the current (hitherto used) way and new ways. The first method is not changing the cylinder charge and regulating the pressure in the cylinder by inserting compressed air through automatic valves into the cylinders of the motoring engine. The second method is a closed working circuit involving connecting the exhaust to the intake, in which the charge pressure in the cylinder is set and maintained by a controlled supply of compressed air to the intake manifold. The first method proved to be a more suitable way to investigate mechanical losses in ICE and determine the dependence of these losses on the pressure conditions in the engine cylinder.

Various methods of circular interpolation performance analysis

The paper discusses the possibilities and methodology of utilizing software, designed to be used with a double ball bar device to analyze CNC machine tool positioning performance, to analyze measurements measured by a different method. The Renishaw Ballbar system is a special tool designed to allow rapid and highly effective checks of positioning performance of any numerically controlled cartesian structure, such as a CNC machine tool, and at the same time allows monitoring its condition and to some extent predict its future development. The system uses sophisticated algorithms to decompose the overall measured inaccuracy of examined machine to values of individual errors and offers possible actions to remove such errors. The ability to push different measurements of circularity, such as measurement of circularity of machined surface on a coordinate measuring machine, would allow checking the presence of various errors without the necessity to measure with a double ball bar device. Therefore, the paper presents the custom software, that shows such possibilities, which was developed at the Department of Automation and Production Systems, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zilina.

Case study from Slovak University of Technology, Bratislava

Abstract Analysis of the experimental results presented in the following chapter reveals experiences with introduction of active learning methods in basic mathematics courses at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. Experiment was implemented in the academic year 2018/19, in basic courses Mathematics I and Mathematics II scheduled in the first year of bachelor study programs and in subject Basics of Statistical Analysis for bachelor students in the second year of their studies. The aim of the experiment was to find achieved level of knowledge acquisition and to compare abilities of students to solve mathematical problems individually or by collective work and collaboration in small groups. Anonymous questionnaire answered by students after completion of the experiment provided rich feedback and overview of their opinions, from which their attitudes towards different teaching methods applied in 3 compulsory subjects from their study programs could be deduced and summarised. Based on received data, research analysed also results that students achieved comparing their achievement from the secondary schools and in both maths courses at the university.

Emissions of flue gas during pulverized combustion of coal and waste woody biomass

In this paper results of research of co-firing coals from Middle Bosnian basin with waste woody biomass are presented. The research was conducted in the laboratory at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Sarajevo. Tested fuels were subjected to pulverized combustion under various temperatures and various technical and technological conditions: different mass ratio of fuel components in the mixture, different coefficient of excess air for combustion, classic and staged air supply, and fuel staged into the reaction zone. The results are related to the emission of flue gas components with respect to the technological conditions of combustion. In addition to the valorization of the influence of the primary fuel composition and process temperature on the emission values of the flue gas components, it has been shown that the application of primary measures in the combustion chamber results in lower or higher positive effects in terms of reducing the emissions of individual components -e.g. the NOx emission is reduced from 837 mg/mn3 in conventional combustion to 710 mg/mn3 using air staging, while during combustion with fuel staging, the NOx emission is reduced in proportion to the part of the fuel that is introduced into the reaction zone subsequently.

Foreword

The Congress of Automotive and Transport Engineering is an annual scientific event initiated in 1990 by the Society of Automotive Engineers of Romania (SIAR) and various Romanian universities with an interest in Automotive and Transport Engineering. This Congress is endorsed by FISITA (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Ingénieurs des Techniques de l'Automobile) and EAEC (European Automotive Engineers Cooperation).The XXXI-st edition of SIAR's International Congress with the theme “Automotive and Integrated Transport Systems-AITS 2021” was organized for the first time by the Department of Transport of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Transport from the Technical University of Moldova with the support of the State Agrarian University of Moldova and Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International) as co-host.The Congress purpose is to gather members from academia, industry and government and present their possibilities for investigations and research, in order to establish new future collaborations in the automotive engineering and transport domain.List of Acknowledgement, Honorary Committee, Scientific And Technical Committee, Organizing Committee, Sponsors are available in this pdf.