@proceedings {06169823803, title = {Virtual lab for system identification of an electromechanical system}, volume = {74 DSC}, number = {1 PART A}, year = {2005}, note = {

Virtual instrument (vi);Identification laboratory;Virtual Lab (VL);

}, pages = {705 - 712}, address = {Orlando, FL, United States}, abstract = {

A stand-alone virtual instrument (vi) has been developed to augment an experimental system identification laboratory exercise in a required mechanical engineering course on system dynamics. The Virtual Lab (VL) was used productively as a post-lab exercise in conjunction with an existing laboratory experiment for system identification. The VL can be formatted as a standalone file, which the students can download and access at their convenience, without the need for LabVIEW software. The virtual lab presented in this paper used the experimental identification of a transfer function for an xy recorder developed at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. In the original Rose-Hulman experiment, students view a video of the acquisition of frequency response data for an X-Y recorder. Then, students complete a detailed optimization procedure using Microsoft Excel in order to determine system parameters for two transfer function models. This paper describes using the Virtual Lab to extend the original lab exercise into an interactive mode. The students complete the Microsoft Excel part of the exercise, but then repeat the optimization using brute force via the LabVIEW based VL developed by the authors, rather than using the optimization toolbox in Excel. With the VL, students can see in real-time the effects of each unknown parameter on the frequency response plot, thus providing additional insight into the relationships between these parameters and the behavior of the electromechanical system. This feature is notably absent in the Microsoft Excel portion of the exercise. Although this exercise uses simple dynamic models, the combination of Excel and LabVIEW approaches provide an insightful introduction to experimental system identification. In this paper, details of the VL are presented, including the functionality of the VL and methodologies for disseminating the VL as a stand-alone piece of software. Finally some assessment results for the original (Excel version) and VL methods of presenting the laboratory exercise are discussed. Copyright {\textcopyright} 2005 by ASME.

}, keywords = {Computer software, Data acquisition, Mathematical models, Mechanical engineering, Real time systems, Students}, attachments = {https://mahilab.rice.edu/sites/default/files/publications/omalley2005asme.pdf}, author = {O{\textquoteright}Malley, M.K. and David M. McStravick} } @proceedings {04448428417, title = {Virtual labs in the engineering curriculum}, year = {2004}, note = {

Engineering curriculum;Real-time parametric changes;Graphical interfaces;Virtual labs;

}, pages = {15293 - 15304}, address = {Salt Lake City, UT, United States}, abstract = {

Computer simulations have been developed for use as student exercises to illustrate concepts required for various engineering courses. These simulations or Virtual Labs are highly graphical and interactive to help undergraduate students understand basic concepts by graphically solving problems and by visualization of real-time parametric changes. These Virtual Labs (or VL{\textquoteright}s) can be used productively in conjunction with existing laboratory experiments as pre-lab exercises, but the more important benefit is realized in cases of concepts that have no experimental support and in courses that traditionally do not have an associated laboratory course. These VL{\textquoteright}s are generated in the software package Lab VIEW, which offers graphical interfaces for the student and can be formatted as standalone files, which the students can download and access at their convenience, without the need for Lab VIEW software. Currently five VL{\textquoteright}s have been generated and several have been evaluated by students in appropriate classes.

}, keywords = {Computer programming languages, Computer simulation, Curricula, Data reduction, Graphic methods, Students, Visualization}, attachments = {https://mahilab.rice.edu/sites/default/files/publications/mcstravick2004asee.pdf}, author = {David M. McStravick and O{\textquoteright}Malley, M.K.} }