The adoption of innovative teaching methodologies in the department has led to more efficient and accelerated delivery of lectures by faculty, enabling students to stay updated with technological advancements. Furthermore, these innovative teaching aids foster critical thinking and self-reliant thought processes in students, empowering them to be proactive. Some of the department’s innovative teaching techniques are outlined below:
The field of gas dynamics, which deals with the study of compressible fluid flow, is a critical area of study in mechanical engineering. With the increasing use of computational methods for analyzing complex fluid flow problems, our students must gain hands-on experience using CFD tools for solving gas dynamics problems. The course aims to provide students with experiential learning opportunities to understand the concepts and applications of CFD in gas dynamics. As part of classroom learning, students are instructed to identify a problem related to compressible fluid flow and perform a CFD analysis for various flow conditions. This practice gave an understanding of the use of simulation software in design and analysis of compressible flow systems. Also, this experiential learning helps students to enrich their knowledge in the subject. At the end students were instructed to submit a report of the study conducted as part of the learning process.
Lego kits and Adams software can be used as tools to enhance the understanding of the kinematics of machines in several ways. Firstly, Lego kits provide hands-on experience in building and manipulating simple machines, which can help students better understand the concepts of kinematics. By physically building and testing machines, students can gain a better understanding of how different components work together to produce motion. They can also experiment with different configurations and observe the resulting motion, helping to reinforce their understanding of the principles of kinematics. Secondly, Adams software is a powerful tool for simulating the behavior of mechanical systems, including kinematic systems. Students can use Adams software to create virtual models of machines and simulate their motion, allowing them to explore different configurations and visualize the resulting motion. This can help students develop a deeper understanding of the underlying principles of kinematics. In combination, Lego kits and Adams software can be used to create a comprehensive learning experience that combines hands-on building and experimentation with virtual simulation and analysis. By using both tools together, students can develop a deeper understanding of kinematics and its applications in the design and analysis of mechanical systems.
Introduction to Finite Element Method (FEM) is offered as a 4 credits laboratory integrated course with 3 credits for theory and 1 credit for the lab. In the lab sessions, students will be exposed to the FEM-based commercial package (ANSYS) to solve application problems in structural mechanics, heat transfer and fluid mechanics. This will help them to learn the subject more efficiently and subsequently use them to solve real time practical problems of a multidisciplinary nature. This exercise also gives them an advantage in placements. Students are also encouraged to read and reproduce technical papers related to finite element analysis of multidisciplinary problems.
The following figure shows the simple beam analysis problem performed in the lab session. Through this problem, the students were explained with the concept of discretization and its effect on solution time and memory requirements. The significance of applying loads and boundary conditions were demonstrated. Since, if the domain is not constrained it might lead to rigid body motion. This was also shown in the lab. The concept of post processing and result extraction from the solution was illustrated. In the process, the basic concepts of output quantities were explained.
For improving the learning effectiveness and to enhance the existing courses with modern eLearning resources, we have introduced recent open-source platforms for improving the effective learning of design subjects. These tools could be used along with the conventional teaching practices. This could really bring a new perspective of the conventional design subjects.
Details of the e-learning resources are given below.
MechAnalyzer® is a 3D model-based software developed for effective teaching and learning Mechanism-related courses.
Kinovea is organized around four core missions related to studying human motion: capture, observation, annotation, and measurement.
myPhysicsLab is provided as open-source software under the Apache 2.0 License.
There are around 50 different simulations in the source code, each of which has an example file which is mainly for development and testing.
The students were asked to demonstrate the dynamics of a four-bar link mechanism using the above open-source platforms and asked to plot various motion parameters like the displacement, velocity and acceleration of each links. They were able to understand visually how the mechanism works and what are its capabilities.
The study of biology is essential for engineers who seek to develop interdisciplinary technologies. To provide students with a practical understanding of this subject, the faculty demonstrated a real-life scenario where a mechanical engineer plays a crucial role in a biological system analysis. To illustrate the integration of biology and engineering, the faculty provided a demonstration based on flow simulation in cardiovascular system.
The geometry of a patient’s blood vessel is extracted from a patient’s 3DRA data. Then it was imported to a simulation software (Ansys Fluent), and blood flow was simulated for different physiological conditions. Different hemodynamic parameters (WSS and OSI) were calculated and visualized in the post processing stage. This demonstration provided students with a real-life example of how engineering tools can be used to analyze biological systems. This approach helped students gain a realistic understanding of how biological concepts and engineering principles can be integrated in real-world applications.
One of the key performance indicators of the health status of a country is its Disaster health management. Medical health camps are of high importance to help combat health inequity. Many rural communities use medical camps to meet their health needs and receive free professional care from healthcare practitioners. Medical camps are an increasingly popular method of delivering health care to those who have difficulty accessing it. During August 2022, Kerala was affected by heavy floods. The Kuttanad area was the most affected part of the state because this region has the lowest altitude in India and is one of the few places in the world where farming is carried around 1.2 to 3.0 m (4 to 10 ft) below sea level. This area is usually prone to flood, but this time it was heavily affected. Many medical camps were organized for communities which were cut from the outside world by rising waters. The study discusses the role and impact of such medical camps in the flood-affected areas. The data was collected from seven medical camps and from 881 responders. Data was collected through informal and formal interviews and participatory observation. Researchers were shadowing different specialists, and had the opportunity through participatory observation, to see the interactions between doctors and patients. A debriefing after the consultation allowed to receive a more in-depth understanding from the doctors about each of their patients. Findings show that surprisingly 70% of the patients were women. Most patients experienced skin diseases and other symptoms related to living in a very humid environment. Children experienced the common cold, fever, diarrhea, and hematological disorders, which was expected. However, more surprisingly, many people also came with diseases totally unrelated to the flood such as rheumatic disorders, and many long-term diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and asthma. Observations also allowed to notice the behaviour of the patients. Many of them came to the medical camp just for observing and they were confused on whether to attend it or not. Many patients were doubtful because the camp was conducted for free. It indicates that more communication and work at ground level is needed before medical camps are set up, in order to make it more efficient and to reach more people in need. Since the study is participatory in nature and during the disaster, there were challenges in maintaining the study design.
P_Scope® is an innovative software developed at Digital Photomechanics Lab IIT Madras, that simulates conventional/generic polariscopes using Jones calculus for eight different problems for which theory of elasticity solution exists. It can also plot isochromatic and isoclinic phase maps to understand the nuances of Digital Photoelasticity. Innovative tool to integrate experimental mechanics with courses such as Strength of Materials, Theory of Elasticity, Fracture Mechanics, and Experimental Stress analysis and enhance learning experience.
Robotics is a field of study involving multi-disciplinary domains for developing products and systems with increased efficiency and accuracy. The SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm) is a robot fabricated from a funded project from Nidhi Prayas project scheme of Amrita TBI and NSTEDB, Govt of India. It is a 4 dof robot arm which is developed to be controlled by LabVIEW software and myRIO controller. This is given for performing lab experiments for Industrial Robotics for Mechanical Engineering students. By performing the experiments, students will learn how to program graphically in LabVIEW software and use myRIO controller to control the motors of the SCARA robot to achieve desired tasks due to pick and place operations.
Through this lecture, students learned to use software tools like Fusion360, FreeCAD, and PrusaSlicer. The workshop focused on teaching participants the various tools available for creating 3D models and successfully operating a 3D printer. This practical experience was aimed at enhancing their understanding of 3D printing technology and its applications.
Speaker details:
Mr. Sethu Madhavan S
Position: R&D Head / Partner
Organization: PN Junction Lab
Mr. Aravind PJ
Position: Senior Designer Engineer
Organization: Agappe Diagnostics Limited
The Department of Mechanical Engineering arranged an Industrial visit to Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) in two batches. A group of 68 students and 3 faculties were part of this visit. The site of KKNPP located near Kanyakumari has two nuclear power reactors, each with capacity of 1000MW on the coastal area of Kudankulam. Experts in the plant gave presentations about the functioning and operation of the nuclear power plant. Then a visit to Desalination plants built at the plant site has been arranged and explained about how sea water is used for operation of the plant. Finally, students visited the Model control room and explained about the operations of nuclear reactor from control room.
Participants gained insights into the advanced technologies and machinery employed by TCC to ensure efficiency, safety, and environmental sustainability throughout the manufacturing process. They learned about the raw materials used, the chemical reactions involved, and the meticulous quality control measures implemented to maintain product integrity. Additionally, the visit facilitated interactions with TCC’s knowledgeable staff and experts, who shared their expertise and experiences in chemical manufacturing. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions, clarify doubts, and engage in meaningful discussions about the industry’s challenges and advancements. Overall, the industrial visit to TCC provided a comprehensive learning experience, enabling participants to appreciate the significance of chemical manufacturing in various sectors while fostering a deeper understanding of the processes, technologies, and practices involved in ensuring product quality and safety.
The industrial visit from the college to the Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd (KMML) plant began with meticulous planning and coordination to ensure a smooth and informative experience for the students. After the plant tour and interactive sessions, students gathered for a debriefing session to reflect on their observations and learnings. Any additional queries were addressed before boarding the college bus for the return journey. Return to College: The college bus transported students back to the college premises, where they disembarked and dispersed. The visit concluded with students reflecting on their experiences and the knowledge gained during the visit.
The situation is particularly dire in rural areas like Ransai village near Mumbai, where poor water quality and accessibility have led to significant health issues such as kidney stones and waterborne diseases. The villagers rely on contaminated borewells, resulting in widespread health problems and an arduous daily task of collecting water.
To address these challenges, a project was initiated in Ransai village to install solar-powered pumps and filtration systems, aimed at improving both water accessibility and quality. The project focused on implementing the Jeevamritham water purification system, which utilizes solar energy to overcome frequent power outages and a three-stage filtration process to ensure clean water. This included installing submersible pumps, solar panels, and multiple water storage tanks strategically placed for efficient distribution.
