Riga Technical University Research Articles

International Relations of Riga Technical University and Dresden University of Technology Over Three Centuries (1862–2024)

The cooperation between Riga Technical University (RTU) and Dresden University of Technology (TUD; Technische Universität Dresden) is one of the oldest international partnerships in the history of both universities. It started more than a century and a half ago and continues today. The cooperation between the two universities has manifested itself in various ways – both by taking over the experience of the university as an institution and sharing it, and in student and lecturer exchange trips. Some engineers and lecturers have worked at the Technical University in Riga, while former residents of Riga have studied and worked in Dresden. Cooperation agreements between the two universities were concluded in the second half of the 20th century. The best students of the renovated Riga Polytechnic Institute (RPI) continued their studies in Dresden and practiced in German companies. Both students and teaching staff went to TUD to exchange experiences. The long-term cooperation continues even today, including mutual congratulations on the anniversaries of universities and nominating scientists as Honorary Members of universities.

Foreword

The eighth scientific journal, prepared by RTU Research Centre for Engineering History (RCEH), is published in the year of the 162nd Anniversary of Riga Technical University (RTU). It comprises five scientific articles, the authors of which are scientists and lecturers of universities in Latvia, North Macedonia, and Germany, as well as a member and student of the Latvian Association for the History of Science.

Chronology of Key Events of Riga Technical University in Study Year 2023/2024

Chronology of Key Events of Riga Technical University in Study Year 2023/2024

Main Stages and Results of the Development of Mobile Space Environment Simulation Facility “Metamorphosis”

Abstract This article presents the main stages and results of the project “Mobile Space Environment Testing Equipment Development of “Metamorphosis” Prototype for Transportation Intermodal Traffic”. For successful implementation of the project, the project has been divided into four stages: 1) Design calculations and design documentation for the design elements of the prototype; 2) Prototype software development; 3) Manufacturing of construction details and prototype assembly; 4) Industrial research and prototype testing. The goal of the project is, based on industrial research, to develop a prototype of the Mobile Space Environment Test Facility (MSTF) “Metamorphosis” transported in an intermodal environment, and to achieve the level of scientific and technical readiness of MSTF from TRL2 to TRL4 (by the scale of the European Space Agency (ESA)) for further development of the project. This project is unique and has no comparable analogues, as all existing test facilities are stationary. The project is implemented by Riga Technical University in cooperation with Cryogenic and Vacuum Systems Ltd.

Measuring University Staff Mobility Impact in Higher Education

The paper addresses an issue within the field of higher education that has been discussed since the inception of the Erasmus mobility programme in 1987 - how to properly measure the impact of the staff mobility (academic and administrative). Students have a clear roadmap when it comes to the mobility practice and impact assessment but when it comes to staff mobility, impact assessment is less clear. For academic staff mobility, certain metrics can be used to objectively assess outcomes, but when it comes to the administrative staff, matters become more abstract as there are no widely used common metrics. This paper proposes a tool – the Mobility Matrix, that allows to measure the staff mobility impact using quantitative and qualitative data. The Mobility Matrix offers 10 characteristics of the mobility period that can be assessed at 3 levels for the quantitative part and three text fields for the qualitative part. This tool was tested at Riga Technical University (2023) for the assessment of the staff mobility impact. If the staff member provides credible and accurate data, the Mobility Matrix has the potential to become a common practice in higher education, allowing for new recognition mechanisms of staff mobility to emerge.

Use of the National Climate and Energy Policy Simulation Tool in the Policy Making Process

Energy transition towards CO2 neutral energy systems is challenging as the national energy policy depends on numerous factors. In system dynamics approach these factors are identified as causal and feedback loops with lock-ins, as a result constituting stock-and-flow structure. Such a kind of structure is used in different simulation tools. This study analyses the use of the Latvian national climate and energy policy simulation tool in the policy making process. As a hypothesis of the study was set that the simulation tool, which is based on the principles of systemic thinking (explaining causal relationships) and an easy-to-use user interface, significantly improves the national energy and climate policy making process. Accordingly, to verify the hypothesis the task was to evaluate the use of the national climate and energy policy simulation tool in the policy-making process. For the evaluation the relevant literature was reviewed: climate and energy policy goals, policies and legislation in the European Union and Latvia; approaches to modeling national climate and energy policies, including optimization models, simulation models; the use of simulation models in the modeling of national climate and energy policies; the use of system dynamics models in the modeling of national climate and energy policies. Besides using the systemic thinking approach in the process of creating national climate and energy policies, the user experience in building simulation tools was used. Based on the literature analysis, improvements to the interface of the national climate and energy simulation tool developed by Riga Technical University, Institute of Energy Systems and Environment were made and developed training material for the use of the simulation tool, based on explaining the causal relationships built into the model.

Teaching English at Tertiary Level: Motivating Students of Technical Study Programs

Student motivation has always concerned foreign language instructors. It has become more topical in recent years, after the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions, and the new global phenomenon known as remote learning. Previously, it has been claimed that teachers should pay greater attention to intrinsic motivation (e.g., curiosity, autonomy, interest in the subject, novelty), as only intrinsically motivated learners are kept motivated throughout the whole course of learning. It has been proven that extrinsic motivational factors (e.g., awards, positive feedback, good marks, pressure from the family) are inadequate to keep learners motivated over a long period. Still, psychologists suggest that both extrinsic and intrinsic motivation must be activated to ensure an efficient learning process. The present research is aimed at investigating the view of the learners of technical study programs on intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors as regards foreign language learning, the interrelation between the teacher’s character, studying environment, classroom management, and family involvement in the studying process and motivation, as well as to investigate the factors that motivate the technical students to learn and kept them motivated in the remote learning setting. The author of this research surveyed 140 students of Riga Technical University of the technical study programs. The results showed that both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are essential for student motivation in the post-pandemic time. However, in a crisis situation, even self-motivated students appear to lose their intrinsic motivation and seek support from families, peers, and teachers to stay motivated. The challenging, entertaining, and engaging tasks, good classroom management, and the application of digital teaching methods are appreciated by students in these times.

Analysis of Suitability of Fixed-wing Aircraft for Launching Satellites into Low Earth Orbit

The use of near-Earth space for scientific and commercial purposes has skyrocketed in recent years. However, progress continues to be hampered by the cost and availability of vehicles relied upon for delivering payloads to the Earth’s orbit. The Riga Technical University (Latvia), with the assistance of the Technological University in Kielce (Poland), is developing a concept of a novel payload launch system. The implications of such a system for launching payloads into low Earth orbit (LEO) are presented in the article. The system, intended for launching small spacecraft, comprises the A319 MPA transport airplane used as a platform aircraft and a three-stage payload carrier, codenamed LatLaunch. The first and second stages of the three-stage launch vehicle are unmanned winged aircraft. The third stage is a classic rocket which, once dropped from the launch platform, takes the payload to a specific height, at a given rate of speed and at a predetermined trajectory angle. The article presents the results of a study focusing on designing this system.

Innovative approaches to the education of students of technical specialties in the conditions of war in Ukraine

Problem. The military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine became a challenge to the very existence of the state, its sovereignty and collegiality, and also severely affected all components of education. There was a significant threat to the life and health of the participants of the educational process, large-scale destruction of the educational infrastructure took place, which caused the forced large-scale movement of participants in the educational process within Ukraine and abroad, and led to the deterioration of the provision of educational services and the acquisition of knowledge by those seeking education. This especially applies to specialties of the practical direction. Goal. The aim of this work is to find ways to address the issue of educating Ukrainian students in technical specialties during times of war, to ensure safety, and improve the quality of educational services. Methodology. The study involves analytical research on laboratory and practical work in the context of distance learning. It includes detailed analysis the existing experience of remote performance of laboratory work and the possibilities of their use in the educational process of Ukrainian universities under the conditions of war was conducted. Results. The search for ways to borrow existing experience in the remote execution of laboratory work and the possibilities of their use in the educational process of Ukrainian universities in wartime conditions showed that it is advisable to implement them using the laboratory of digital remote electrical engineering education “My Digital Electrical Engineering”, developed by Riga Technical University. The structure of this laboratory and the algorithm for working with it have been studied. Originality. A step-by-step algorithm for introducing the laboratory of digital distance electrical engineering education into the educational process of KhNADU is proposed. Practical value. The results of this study can be used to enhance the process of distance learning in technical universities of Ukraine during times of war, ensuring safety and improving the quality of educational services.

Distance, Remote, Virtual, Blended, Hybrid and Online Learning: Selecting the Proper Name for Modern Realia

Covid19 pandemic led to tremendous changes in the educational system in March 2020. In November 2022, hybrid, blended, remote, distance, online, and virtual learning have already become the new norm due to the difficulties the nowadays’ society faces. Still, the question of the proper name for the new reality is left open. The present research aims to explain the difference between the six previously mentioned terms that define the types of learning and selecting the proper name for modern realia, considering the requirements for the delivery of the subjects in Latvia. The research employs the theoretical review aimed at analysing the definitions and characterization of the six selected types of learning, as well as establishing the differences and similarities between those. The document research method is employed to investigate the context of the use of the selected types of learning in the Latvian mass media; the survey research method is carried out to find out the associations, views, and perceptions of the first-year students of Riga Technical University regarding each of the mentioned types of learning.

Chronology of Key Events of Riga Technical University in Study Year 2022/2023

Chronology of Key Events of Riga Technical University in Study Year 2022/2023

Challenges of Digitalization of Small Credit Point Courses for Large Classes

The paper is devoted to the development of digital competences of second year bachelor students at the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology of the Riga Technical University for the course in numerical methods. The structure of the course is described in detail. The key component in the organization of the lectures and lab sessions is interactivity. Many interactive components (presentations, tests) in H5P format are available for students. The digital proficiency Levels 7 and 8 in accordance with DigComp 2.1 framework is expected to be achieved by carefully selecting topics and practical tasks to be solved during the course. The e-book written for the course and published by the Publishing house of the Riga Technical University is one of the teaching resources available to students. The course is fully digitalized so that it can be given in any of the three formats: (a) classroom and lab instruction, (b) fully online course or (c) mixed mode (blended learning). The preference is given to option (c). Both synchronous and asynchronous teaching methods are used. The organization of tests and exams (in the form of online tests) allows instructors to organize the grading effectively without spending too much time on it but at the same time effectively testing students’ knowledge.

ASSESSMENT OF PEDAGOGICAL COMPETENCE OF ACADEMIC STAFF: CASE STUDY

The current European guidelines and national priorities for the development of Latvia – to strengthen the teaching, learning and research capacity of higher education institutions and to develop the corresponding skills and competence of academic staff, promoting the excellence of science and higher education. The article will review the issue of pedagogical competence of academic staff (PCAS) in higher education institutions focusing on the primary tenants of its formation and development, offering the definition of PCAS, emphasizing non-teacher trained academic staff (without pedagogical background). As well as contribute to the discussion of PCAS among the experts and professionals of non-pedagogical field, formulating the core elements for the assessment of PCAS in three perspectives: of educators, of students, of higher education institution. The aim of this article is to determine the list of core elements for the assessment of PCAS, analyzing the proposals of 60 experts from Riga Technical University and defining the perspectives of PCAS assessment. This study will help higher education institutions to rethink their strategies for the assessment of academic staff and further perspectives of their development planning.

Calculations of Basic Geometric Parameters for Mobile Space Environment Simulation Facility “Metamorphosis”

AbstractThe article presents the results of the analysis of approaches to designing a mobile vacuum system for simulation of space environment, which could help provide services of testing space objects at the request of the customers at a place and time acceptable to them, which allows saving time and assets in the development of space objects, their elements, including satellites. Such a system under a conditional name METAMORPHOSIS is developed at Riga Technical University (RTU). As a result of the conducted analysis, the methodological approaches to the determination of the structure of the vacuum system were determined and a description of the main systems which should be included in the designed mobile simulator of space environment, as well as the methods for assessment of characteristics of its structural elements were given. The results obtained allow deciding on using a cylindrical vacuum chamber with a horizontal structure type for the designed simulator, since the weight of test equipment in this case is minimal, and determining its main dimensions, which are also specified in the article.

Methodological Approaches to the Design of a Mobile Test Facility Simulating the Outer Space

Abstract The article presents the results of the analysis of methodological approaches to the development of a mobile space simulator test facility following a low-budget project under the conditional name Metamorphosis. The project was performed at the Institute of Aeronautics of Riga Technical University together with Cryogenic and Vacuum Systems Ltd., a company specializing in the development and production of vacuum and cryogenic equipment, with extensive experience in creating technologies used in space research, and development and exploitation of the space environment simulation. The main aim of the study is to find an inexpensive outer space simulator test facility. The study shows that the liquid helium, hydrogen, and neon are significantly more expensive substances than liquid nitrogen, liquid carbon dioxide, liquid ammonia, and organic refrigerants (as well as equipment for their liquefaction). It is desirable to consider a nitrogen system for cooling the workspace due to the physical properties of nitrogen and cheap refrigerants for a projected low-cost simulator test facility. The description of the systems that should be included in the projected mobile space simulator is provided in the article. A generalized scheme of the simulator based on a cryogenic system is also presented.

Possibilities for Organizing Group Work for Computer Science Students

This article is dedicated to addressing the issue of using different methodologies for conducting group projects for computer science students. The research was conducted on two courses, "Algorithmization and Programming of Solutions" and "Development of Web-Applications for the Internet," at the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology at Riga Technical University. Two methods of organizing group projects in the educational process were investigated: a group project where student participation is not mandatory, and a group project organized with preliminary student testing and mandatory participation. The paper describes both approaches, the stages of implementation, and the actions of pedagogues and students at each stage. A survey was conducted among students of the courses "Algorithmization and Programming of Solutions" and "Development of Web-Applications for the Internet," opinions of students were collected, and based on them, the pros and cons of group projects in education were identified. The authors of the article believe that teaching methods must include new components, such as offering students the opportunity to work in teams, forming groups using different methodologies, and thereby motivating students to increase their knowledge and professional qualifications, which is the main goal of SMART education.

Peer Review Statement

All papers published in this volume have been reviewed through processes administered by the Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing Publishing.• Type of peer review: Single Anonymous• Conference submission management system: Morressier• Number of submissions received: 49• Number of submissions sent for review: 45• Number of submissions accepted: 40• Acceptance Rate (Submissions Accepted / Submissions Received × 100): 81.6 %• Average number of reviews per paper: 2.05• Total number of reviewers involved: 48• Contact person for queries: Name: Sandris Ručevskis Email: sandris.rucevskis@rtu.lv Affiliation: Riga Technical University

The Influence of Prior Knowledge and Additional Courses on the Academic Performance of Students in the Introductory Programming Course CS1

This article discusses the correlation between first-year students' prior knowledge of programming and their academic achievements. Many students who enroll in the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology at Riga Technical University drop out during their first year. Therefore, it is crucial to support first-year students in acquiring programming knowledge successfully. The Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology provides an additional course called “Algorithmization Practice” for students without prior programming experience. The authors of this paper conducted research to investigate whether this course helps bridge the gap between students with and without prior programming knowledge and whether it improves the academic performance of students without prior knowledge in their first year. The collected data was summarized using descriptive statistics, and the final scores of students from different groups were compared to identify any differences between those who attended the “Algorithmization Practice” course and those who did not. Based on a sample of 1744 introductory programming course students, our analysis indicates that students who attended the additional course demonstrated better academic performance.

Preface

The 5th International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies (IMST 2022) took place on 28-30 September 2022 in Riga, Latvia. The conference was organised by the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Riga Technical University in cooperation with EIT RawMaterials Baltic HUB. Following the established tradition, the aim of the conference was to promote and discuss the latest results of industrial and academic research carried out in the following engineering fields: analysis and design of advanced structures and buildings; innovative, ecological and energy efficient building materials; inspection, assessment and monitoring methods; construction technology and project management; sustainable and safe transport infrastructure; waste management; civil engineering education and BIM.The conference provided an excellent opportunity for researchers, representatives of the industrial community, engineers, managers and students to share the latest achievements, discuss recent advances and highlight the current challenges. IMST 2022 attracted over 120 scientists from 15 countries. After rigorous reviewing, 40 technical papers were accepted for publication in the conference proceedings. On behalf of the organizing committee I would like to thank all the speakers, authors, session chairs and reviewers for their efficient and timely effort.Finally, I would like to thank all those who helped to make this event happen. Special thanks go to prof. Diāna Bajāre and Laura Vītola for their major contribution to organizing the conference.Sandris RučevskisEditor-in-ChiefFaculty of Civil EngineeringRiga Technical UniversityList of Editors are available in this pdf.

Life Cycle Assessment of an Innovative Microalgae Cultivation System in the Baltic Region: Results from SMORP Project

Abstract Microalgae cultivation at biogas plants creates joint benefits for using liquid digestate and exhaust gas from the CHP unit as nutrient and carbon sources for microalgae growing. This circular approach increases biogas production’s sustainability towards a bioeconomy and zero-waste perspective. This study aims to evaluate the potential environmental impacts in connection to a novel microalgae growing technology named Stacked Modular Open Raceway Pond (SMORP) as a side-stream process coupled with centrate and exhaust gases from a biogas plant. A comparative LCA according to ISO 14044 is performed between the innovative SMORP concept at the pilot level and a hypothetical scaled-up system. Primary data for the inventory are directly gathered from the microalgae growing test performed at the biosystems laboratory of the Institute of Energy Systems and Environment of the Riga Technical University. Secondary data are collected from literature mostly in terms of mass and energy balances considering the SMORP pilot project design. The results of the LCA include the main findings both at mid and endpoint categories according to the IMPACT 2002+ method. In addition, a sensitivity analysis for several different parameters has been investigated. Results show the feasibility of the coupled system and the possibility of having benefits once the system is scaled up. Nevertheless, the results show a critical dependency of the environmental performance on the local conditions, potentially affecting too high cultivation costs.