Implementation of a Remote Access Water Laboratory

Implementation of a removed Access water system LaboratoryIntroductionAs schooling and communication technologies rapidly advance, so too does the spectrum of resource apply in the field of program line. One such resource is the use of online encyclopaedism genuine and far entrance laboratories for blank attainment scats. One of the hallmarks of a outgo training course is the separation of teacher and learner in space and/or time, allowing the learner self-paced study at convenient quantify, and locations 1, 2. Since its inception, blank learning has become a powerful tool for students in pursuit of nurture 4.Context of ProjectThe Centre for renewable Energy outlines Technology (CREST) at Loughborough University is the largest and leading sustainable postcode look into centre in the UK, it has overseen the research and development of the most progressive renewable energy technologies 6. The centre was the initiative in the UK to offer a postgraduate degree program me in the field of renewable energy systems technology, along with its innovative distance learning adaptation 6.Laboratory exercises play a vital role in the education of science and applied science 11, it is important for in force(p) distance learning courses to house a hands-on research lab see to it 12. Due to the run of information, communication and computational technologies remote labs ar considered one of the five major(ip)(ip) shifts in technology education over the past 100 long time they take a shit the capacity to provide a hands-on experience for distance learning students with signifi give the gatet advantages in accessibility, availability and safety 20, 21.Problem parameter anatomy 1-1 outlines the scope of the project. Water power has been exploited by kind-hearted beings for many centuries early piddle wheels driven by rivers or tides were used to grind wheat or drive machinery. As technologies matured and with the climax of electricity, water whee ls had become water turbines designed to generate electricity from the energy stored within the water resource 8. Over 70% of the earths surface is cover by water, with such a vast resource potential the vastness of studying water turbines becomes apparent 9.The current distance learning laboratory assessment for the Water Power module suggests the use of a subterfuge bundle to model a water turbine under different conditions this is not sufficient for understanding the physical behaviour of the turbine as simulation labs target only produce preprogrammed results 4. A remote lab practices a software program that allows students to gain experimentational data utilise real instruments execute in a lab on-campus using only a PC with the service of the internet 7. For distance learning students to gain a truer understanding of water turbine behaviour, it is proposed that the on-campus laboratory be modified for use as a remote lab.Aims and ObjectivesThe rail of this project is to design a system that can be used in conjunction with the on-campus axial water turbine instrumentation, allowing remote access and control of the lab for distance learning students.The main objectives to facilitate this pick out are outlined belowIdentify the dynamic, controllable elements of the on-campus laboratory instrumentation. design and build a system by which the dynamic elements can be controlled.Implement a method by which this system can be remotely accessed through the Learn server.Integrate the system with the current software used for the laboratory.Literature ReviewRemote LaboratoriesIntroductionFor 20 age remote access laboratories have been used in science and engineer education though they have since greatly impacted pedagogy in these fields, their potential in support of distance learning courses and the student self-directed learning experience has yet to be fully realised 10, 11, 15, 16. interpretationIt can be difficult to assert what remote laborat ories encompass as definitions provided in the literature are at times inconsistent 10. A clear definition of remote laboratories will be established in the context of this project in order to avoid ambiguity. A remote laboratory is the framework that enables students to carry out a laboratory experiment, using real instruments, through the medium of the internet eliminating the time and space constraints compel by hands-on laboratories 14, 17.Building BlocksThere are four critical building blocks that form the foundations of a remote laboratory these must(prenominal) be well understood in order to achieve the desired aim 12Scheduling Distance learning courses necessitate the flexibility of allowing students to decide when the can fit labs into their schedule.Remote-Access It is necessary that the students can make a secure conjunction to the lab environmentThe Operating Environment It is essential that the exploiter interface of the system is easy to use and understand.Labora tory Assignment The student must realise the aim of the lab and by and by make the connection amid theory and application.In Distance LearningRemote laboratories offer a very high level of flexibility, with access usually 24 hours a day, 7 days a week meeting the needs of distance learning courses 10. According to certain studies remote labs have been as effective and had a comparable impact on students to hands-on labs 26.Remote laboratories are not free of short comings they require space, devices, and maintenance at times even greater than hands-on laboratories 13. They are overly designed as single-user applications this removes the elements of interaction that hands-on laboratories offer.Other Laboratory MethodsSimulated LaboratoriesSimulated laboratories usually justified by their cost effectiveness and spatial advantages, have been shown to stir cognitive thinking by allowing students greater freedom to explore and experiment 18, 19, 23, 24. This however comes with its d isadvantages simulate laboratories are usually designed as single-user applications, subsequently isolating the students.Simulated laboratories are shown to not be equal in their standard across institutions 22. Though they serve well in whatever deterrent examples they are not an adequate substitute for hands-on laboratories, as they do not provide the range of possibilities produced when manipulating physical matter the results produced are preprogrammed 4.hands-on LaboratoriesHands-on Laboratories have been shown to be a corner stone in design education as engineering students identify themselves as being essentially practical 25. The results gathered from conducting a hands-on experiment provide natural results, and in this regard are far superior to those of simulated laboratories.Though the benefits of hands-on laboratory experiments are clear disadvantages are also present. Laboratory management can be expensive, equipment requires regular maintenance and certified staff are needed to supervise experiments 13. The constraints of accessibility and availability taste hands-on laboratory sessions impractical for distance learning students 20.ConclusionsRemote laboratories utilise software allowing students to gain experimental data using real instruments set in a lab on-campus using only a PC with the aid of the internet 7. This allows the students to gain practical results from experimentation, eliminating the disadvantages of simulated labs while retaining its advantages.Proposed methodologyFigure 3-1 represents the overall approach that will be taken for this project.Figure 3-1 Overview of Methodology for ProjectProposed DeliverablesThe final deliverable will be in the form of a completed system having integrated both ironware and software and having met the following requirements as shown in Table 4-1.Table 4-1 Requirements for SystemRequirementsExplanation1 comfy to UseThe system must be easy to access through the Learn server with an intuitiv e, and simplistic user interface. This allows the student to interact with the software without any great difficulty.2Easy to MaintainThe system should have easy access points in case of failure separate should be replaceable.3DurableThe system should have a high finish with sufficient build quality to coda several years.4ReliableThe system should have minimal components and lamentable parts, this reduces the chance of failure of the system as a whole. communicate vision RequirementsThe projected resource requirements are shown in Table 5-1 below.Table 5-1 Projected Resource RequirementsHardware RequirementsSoftware RequirementsTechnical ExpertiseMyRIO Hardware software packageLabVIEWElectronics UnderstandingElectric MotorsAutoCADLabVIEW CompetencyExterior Machined Partsengineering shop classCostThe utmost cost of the hardware is expected to be in the region of 600.Software should incur not cost.The maximum cost of machining of parts is expected to be in the region of 400Tot al maximum cost will approximate 1000.ReferencesPerraton H. 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