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A multi-course project for mechatronics, system dynamics, and control experimentation courses.

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Conference

2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Publication Date

June 22, 2025

Start Date

June 22, 2025

End Date

August 15, 2025

Conference Session

ME Division 9: Enhancing Lab Experiences

Tagged Division

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

Page Count

13

DOI

10.18260/1-2--55371

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/55371

Download Count

5

Paper Authors

biography

Bo Yu Utah Valley University

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Dr. Bo Yu is currently an associate professor in Mechanical and Civil engineering department at Utah Valley University. Dr. Yu's teaching interests are in the area of system dynamics, vibrations, and controls.

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biography

Matthew J Jensen Utah Valley University Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-5229-7382

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Dr. Matthew J. Jensen received his bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in 2006. Matthew received his doctorate from Clemson University in 2011 in Mechanical Engineering, focused primarily on automotive cont

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Abstract

This work-in-progress paper presents a multi-course project designed to integrate the concepts from Mechatronics, System Dynamics, and Controls and Vibrations Experiments courses into a single, continuous project. Different portions of the project are covered in each course, illustrating for students the connection between the courses beyond curriculum pre-requisites. A temperature control system was chosen as the platform for this project. The goal is to help students make connections between course content and deepen their understanding of the subjects. In the Mechatronics course, students focus on the hardware components of the temperature control system, learning to use an Arduino microcontroller and dimmer control to adjust the speed of a fan or brightness of an incandescent light bulb. Tangentially, System Dynamics I introduces students to physical system modeling and simulation of the response of the temperature control system. The students are asked to derive the transfer function of the temperature control system and then simulate the step response using simulation software. Subsequently, System Dynamics II presents feedback control of closed-loop systems, where students are asked to design a controller for the system they modeled in System Dynamics I. Finally, in the Controls and Vibrations Experimentation course, students will build a physical prototype, implement the controller, and evaluate its performance. The project was first introduced in the System Dynamics I and II courses during the Fall 2024 semester and will be incorporated into the Mechatronics and Controls and Vibrations Experiments courses in the Spring 2025 semester. Surveys will be conducted at the end of each course to assess whether students’ understanding of the content has improved.

Yu, B., & Jensen, M. J. (2025, June), A multi-course project for mechatronics, system dynamics, and control experimentation courses. Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . 10.18260/1-2--55371

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