Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Dale H. Litwhiler, Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

-developed software is also presented and discussed. Projectobjectives and course outcomes are also presented.IntroductionProviding engineering students with multiple plausible options for solving a problem allowsthem to make their own decisions about which way best fits the current application. Tradeoffsbetween options can then be explored and discussed.1 Hands-on experience for mechanicalengineers in instrumentation courses is also very beneficial. 2,3 In the work presented here, third-year mechanical engineering students designed and fabricated simple capacitive fluid levelprobes using readily available parts in an instrumentation course. A common integrated circuitoscillator (555 timer) together with a custom-fabricated capacitive probes were

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Priom Chakraborty, Purdue University - Calumet; Akram Hossain, Purdue University - Calumet; Vivek Pillarisetty P.E., Purdue University - Calumet

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

technology under Professor Akram Hossain in Purdue University, Calumet. After seeing his insight, the Professor offered him a Teaching Assistant position in the laboratory for guiding the students in the subject of Mechatronics. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2016 Page 1 of 14 Designing and Assembling of a Programmable Logic Controls (PLC) Laboratory Trainer and Advanced Research SetupAbstract:A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) is an industrialized computer control system thatconstantly monitors the state of input devices and makes

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Akram Hossain, Purdue University - Calumet; Nirjhar Das Sharma, Purdue University - Calumet; Gautam Agarwal, Wynright Corporation

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

might be expensive to build and complicated in case of operation and maintenance. Sothe main objective of this research is focused on following concerns:1. What is the advantage of using timing screw for this automatic filling system?2. How much efficiency based on production and cost we can retrieve using timing screw indexing?The purpose of this research was to design an automatic indexing for an industrial liquid fillingsystem which is basically a piston filler system. The automatic indexer was achieved by a timingscrew from “Morrison Container Handling Solutions”, driven by an Allen-Bradley servo motioncontrol system. The system can inspect the desired number of containers to be filled, accept tofeed into the timing screw also perform

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Stephen A. Strom, Pennsylvania State University - Erie; David R. Loker, Pennsylvania State University - Erie

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

circuits.To create a design that includes logic/analog operations all integrated with ‘C’ code, PSoCCreator (from Cypress Semiconductor) is used. This is a windows based development tool thatcan perform the concurrent hardware/schematic entry as well as the software compilation,download and debugging.There are three main tool windows within a PSoC Creator project – (1) the hardware schematic,(2) the pin connection mapping and (3) the software development/debugging.Beginning with the hardware schematic, all of the components can be selected from simple usermenus/pick-lists. An example of the types of logic functions that are available can be seen infigure 1. Figure 1 – PSoC Creator Digital Logic FunctionsThis is a fairly

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 1

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Collins Adetu, Florida A&M University; Camilo Ordonez, Florida State University; Nikhil Gupta, Florida State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

and Analysis of Control Systems course, and an undergraduate and graduate levelIntroduction to Mobile Robotics course. In Section IV we present post survey results collectedfrom the students and discuss potential improvements to be implemented in subsequent versionsof the platform. Finally, we present concluding remarks in Section V.II. Platform DesignIn an effort to create a low-cost experimental platform that could be used for multipleengineering courses, we decided to use recycled 0.25 inch plywood to create a reconfigurablebase chassis. The base chassis was designed by a team of 4 members including, 2 students (1undergraduate and 1 Ph.D. student), 1 research associate, and 1 teaching faculty.As part of the design constraints the platform

Conference Session

Instrumentation Technical Session

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lash B. Mapa, Purdue University Calumet (College of Technology)

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

Lexan material supported on a HDPE frame as shown infigure 1. This holds the particulate solid and the volume of the container is 934ml (934 CC). Figure 1. Container to hold particulate solidsAn Alien RFID reader is used and model number is ALR-9800 (figure 2a). The reader is basedon an Intel XScale processor, along with digital signal processor (DSP) (Roberti, 2006). TheDSP enables the rapid interleaving of different protocols with minimal switching overhead,resulting in fast performance to interrogate RFID tags [10]. Supported RFID tag protocols areECP Class 1 Gen 2, ISO 18000-6c [10]. Alien reader protocol is autonomous mode which hasupgradeable architecture for future EPC reader protocols. An RFID tag reader uses

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lash B. Mapa, Purdue University - Calumet; Suraiya Jannat Khan, Purdue University - Calumet

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

require batteries or maintenance [3]. They are small and haveindefinite lifetime.This research uses passive tags for RFID tagging. For this research we have used a passive tagmanufactured by Alien Technology®. This Gen 2 has been used throughout the whole experiment.(Take a picture of the RFID TAG)Again, the RFID reader used to perform the experiment is also manufactured by AlienTechnology®. Reader configuration is EPC Class 1. Model: ALR-9800. The objective of the EPCis to provide unique identification of physical objects. This is used to address and accessinformation about individual objects from the computer network, similar to the internet protocol(IP) address allows the computers to identify, organize and communicate with one another [2].The

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Asad Yousuf, Savannah State University; Mohamad A. Mustafa, Savannah State University; Keenya G. Mosley, Savannah State University; Mir M. Hayder, Savannah State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

compared to9.8%).1 Furthermore, employers claim that there shortages of qualified workers in STEM areas.2National Science Board identifies that the students will be required to develop their STEMcapabilities at higher level as compared to the levels in the past, even for low skilled jobs.3 Tomeet the demand for the STEM work force, there is a dire need to expand the STEM pipeline byincreasing the number of STEM graduates. To stay competitive in the global market in STEMareas, research shows that we need to make sure that US students have needed STEM skillsevery step of the way from K to 8, high school to college which is supported by high qualitySTEM education.4 Interventions needed to fill in the gaps are meant to boost K-12 STEM teacherquality

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Grace Altimus, Syracuse University; Dacheng Ren, Syracuse University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

P. Sloan Foundation, and industrial sponsors. Dr. Ren has broad research interests in biotechnology and biofilm control. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2016 Promoting engineering education using a state-of-the-art research facility Grace A. Altimus1 and Dacheng Ren1,2,3,4 1 Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, 2 Syracuse Biomaterials Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, 3 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University

Conference Session

Instrumentation Technical Session

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Mustafa G. Guvench, University of Southern Maine; mao ye

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

the device fromexcessive currents and overheating via current and power limits also specified by the user. TheLabVIEW runtime window indicates the progress of the measurement time with a highlightedhorizontal bar graph display and plots the drain I-V characteristics of the device in real time as thedata is gathered. At the conclusion of the measurement an Excel compatible file is created forfurther evaluation, interpretation, graphing of the data, and for SPICE parameter extraction [1].Power MOSFET devices, to measure their I-V characteristics under a PC’s control, require apower supply with a minimum of two channels which can be controlled by a PC via a serial, or aGPIB, or a USB interface. Our experiments were conducted with a Keithley 2230

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

George E. Meyer, University of Nebraska - Lincoln; Yufeng Ge, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

biomedical instrumentation uses electronic sensors, analogand digital circuits, computers and microcontrollers for scientific measurements and processcontrol. Instrumentation is used widely for commercial product development, testing, and basicresearch. The course described in this paper introduces basic measurement theory, applications ofinstrumentation and controls along with features of basic biological, environmental, andmechanical sensors. Sensors and transducers introduced include contact, non-contact, mechanical,thermal, optical, ultrasonic, and other devices.The topic areas of the course given 2015 are presented in Table 1. During the first five weeks, thereis an intensive introduction to the understanding of fundamental instrumentation

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Masoud Fathizadeh P.E., Purdue University - Calumet; Uditha Sudheera Navaratne, Purdue University - West Lafayette; Venkatateja Koppaku

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

environment, orceasing to exist in the near future. Significant progress has been made over the last few years inthe research and development of renewable energy systems such as wind, sea-wave andsolar energy systems. Among these resources, solar energy and wind are considered the mostpromising, reliable, abundant, and environment friendly renewable energy source [1, 2]. Most ofthese energies are dependent on parameters such as time of the day, presence of sun or speed ofthe wind. The energy production from these resources will be drastically affected as theseparameters change. Storage systems such as battery banks are utilized to store the surplus of theproduced energy from these renewable sources. Energy storage then becomes an essentialcomponent

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Asad Yousuf, Savannah State University; Claire Cynthia Lehman, Bill's Robotic Solutions; Mohamad A. Mustafa, Savannah State University; Mir M. Hayder, Savannah State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

been applied to less structuredenvironments due to advances in technology [1].To introduce industrial robotics we decided to use the Open Source Robotics Operating System (ROS)and Moveit software [2]. In previous work we developed labs using ROS and Moveit to teach basicKinematic concepts in robotics [3]. The previous work only used simulated robot arms to teachconcepts in robotics. The obvious next step for us was to add a real robot arm to the lab configuration.We have worked with well over a hundred students at the high school level and a small number at thecollege level successfully building robot arms similar to the one shown in this paper. The robot armused RC servo motors to drive the robot arm joints. The robot arm was controlled in

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Akbar M. Eslami, Elizabeth City State University; Graham Harrison, EIT, Elizabeth City State University; Mark Vincent Long, Elizabeth City State University

Tagged Topics

Diversity

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

mounted to aircraft components and acted upon by a force. The real-time signals,received from strain gages, will be in turn transferred to LabVIEW software program in order tocalculate and plot strain and stress values. Comparing the relationship of the stress and straindistribution curves proves the effectiveness of the experiment.TheoryIn order to simulate this process, the theory of pure bending will be utilized to obtain engineeringstrain values from a specimen under a specific load. Pure bending will allow a section of thespecimen to undergo a constant bending moment, due to the absence of shear forces within thespecific section. Figure 1 shows a specimen in pure bending set up, as well as the associatedshear and moment diagrams4. As

Conference Session

Instrumentation Technical Session

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David R. Loker, Pennsylvania State University, Erie; Stephen A. Strom, Pennsylvania State University, Erie

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

main sections of the course: (1)Programming applications using LabVIEW, (2) Data acquisition, sensors, and signal conditioning,and (3) Design of measurement systems. Weekly laboratory activities mirror the lecture materials.Part of the requirements in the course includes an end-of-semester team design project where onepossible option is the design and implementation of an automated test & measurement system for apower supply and control board (PSCB). For this project, students design and build the PSCB tomeet these requirements: one DC output voltage, one function generator output with user selectablewaveform type (sinusoidal, triangular, square waveform) and user selectable amplitude andfrequency adjustments, four simultaneous TTL outputs

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maged Mikhail, Purdue University - Calumet; Ali Alavizadeh, Purdue University - Calumet

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

sets of robots: a mobile robot and a robotic arm. Furthermore, the authorsare working on a new advanced course on robotics for graduate level, which will address moreadvanced topics in industrial robotics application.KeywordsTeaching Robotics, Robotics Control, and Robotics in Mechatronics undergraduate curriculum,Coordination between mobile robot and robotics arm. Background A key driving force in the development of robotic systems is their potential for reducing the need of human presence in dangerous work environments. The nature of any of these challenging work environments require that such robotic systems be able to work fully and accurately in achieving human supplied goal [1, 2]. One approach to developing these systems is to

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 3

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bob Brennan, University of Calgary; Simon Li P.Eng., University of Calgary

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

engineering class,“Computing Tools for Engineering Design”, where lectures were available to all students bothin-person and as a video recording of the same lecture. On exams and quizzes each student wasasked how they prepared for each test: did they prepare by use of in-person lectures, onlinelectures, a combination of both or neither? We then compared how each method of coursedelivery used by a student with the resulting grade on the quiz/exam. This information was usedto determine if the mode of lecture delivery (in-class or online) impacted students’ performanceon examinations.1. IntroductionAlthough distance learning and video lectures have been available for the past 50 years (e.g.,Open University1), recent advances in video and online

Conference Session

Instrumentation Division Technical Session 2

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Maged Mikhail, Purdue University - Calumet; Gregory P. Neff, Purdue University - Northwest

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

industrial partners neededmore pneumatics and PLC control than local manufacturing employers in the steel, automotive,and rail industries. The principles of pneumatics and control of pneumatic circuits lends itselfparticularly well to productive laboratory experiences in an instrumentation & control ormechatronics context to serve as a first introduction to PLC control.Pneumatic actuators and solenoid valves are relatively inexpensive and can provide fast motionthat catches the eye in lab when incorporated into an appropriate trainer. However commercialpneumatics trainers or PLC trainers are expensive and limited in what they can demonstrate. Fig. 1 Final 80/20 Cart without Components InstalledWe have prototyped a PLC

Conference Session

Instrumentation Technical Session

Collection

2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Herbert L. Hess, University of Idaho, Moscow

Tagged Divisions

Instrumentation

called micro-nets. The main purpose ofthe project is to monitor a mountainous ecosystem in three dimensions. To achieve this, themicro-nets are spatially distributed from top to bottom on the mountain, and from the top to thebottom of 25 meter trees. This identifies the ecosystem by major elevation and by layers offorest canopy.The project goals are as follows:1 1) To achieve real time wireless three dimensional monitoring of a mountainous ecosystem. 2) To comply with all the minimum impact requirements in the Wilderness Act of 1964. 3) To make the system autonomous, requiring maintenance at most once per year. 4) To physically install the system and have it functioning within one year. 5) To maintain sensors within industry