3D teaching: the ideal complement for professionals in design and construction

Today, the requirement of professional skills to university students is constantly increasing in our society. In our opinion, the content offered in official degrees need to be nourished with different variables, enriching their global professional knowledge in a parallel way; that is why, in recent years, there is a great multiplicity of complementary courses at university. One of the most socially demanded technical requirements within the architectural, design or engineering field is the management of 3D drawing software, becoming an indispensable reality in these sectors. Thus, this specific training becomes essential over two-dimension traditional design, because the inclusion of great possibilities of spatial development that go beyond conventional orthographic projections (plans, sections or elevations), allowing modelling and rotation of the selected items from multiple angles and perspectives. Therefore, this paper analyzes the teaching methodology of a complementary course for those technicians in the construction industry interested in computer-aided design, using modelling (SketchupMake) and rendering programs (Kerkythea). The course is developed from the technician point of view, by learning computer management and its application to professional development from a more general to a more specific view through practical examples. The proposed methodology is based on the development of real examples in different professional environments such as rehabilitation, new constructions, opening projects or architectural design. This multidisciplinary contribution improves criticism of students in different areas, encouraging new learning strategies and the independent development of three-dimensional solutions. Thus, the practical implementation of new situations, even suggested by the students themselves, ensures active participation, saving time during the design process and the increase of effectiveness when generating elements which may be represented, moved or virtually tested. In conclusion, this teaching-learning methodology improves the skills and competencies of students to face the growing professional demands of society. After finishing the course, technicians not only improved their expertise in the field of drawing but they also enhanced their capacity for spatial vision; both essential qualities in these sectors that can be applied to their professional development with great success.

A Sequential Algorithm for the Rigorous Design of Thermally Coupled Distillation Sequences

A sequential design method is presented for the design of thermally coupled distillation sequences. The algorithm starts by selecting a set of sequences in the space of basic configurations in which the internal structure of condensers and reboilers is explicitly taken into account and extended with the possibility of including divided wall columns (DWC). This first stage is based on separation tasks (except by the DWCs) and therefore it does not provide an actual sequence of columns. In the second stage the best arrangement in N-1 actual columns is performed taking into account operability and mechanical constraints. Finally, for a set of candidate sequences the algorithm try to reduce the number of total columns by considering Kaibel columns, elimination of transfer blocks or columns with vertical partitions. An example illustrate the different steps of the sequential algorithm.

Optimization of Chemical Processes Using Surrogate Models Based on a Kriging Interpolation

Superstructure approaches are the solution to the difficult problem which involves the rigorous economic design of a distillation column. These methods require complex initialization procedures and they are hard to solve. For this reason, these methods have not been extensively used. In this work, we present a methodology for the rigorous optimization of chemical processes implemented on a commercial simulator using surrogate models based on a kriging interpolation. Several examples were studied, but in this paper, we perform the optimization of a superstructure for a non-sharp separation to show the efficiency and effectiveness of the method. Noteworthy that it is possible to get surrogate models accurate enough with up to seven degrees of freedom.

Driving performance after an extended period of travel in an automated highway system.

Federal Highway Administration, Office of Safety and Traffic Operations, Washington, D.C.

Automated highway systems precursor systems analyses interim results workshop. Conference proceedings.

Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center, Office of Safety Research and Development, McLean, Va.

Conceptual plan for an interactive highway safety design model. Final report.

Federal Highway Administration, Office of Safety and Traffic Operations Research and Development, McLean Va.

Computers in aeronautics and space research at the Lewis Research Center /

"Sep 90"--P. [12].

An analog input-output system for the ILLIAC II.

Issued also as thesis, University of Illinois.

The use of computers in literature searching and related reference activities in libraries : papers presented at the 1975 Clinic on Library Applications of Data Processing, April 27-30, 1975 /

Includes bibliographical references.

A graphics interpreter language /

"C00-2383-0019."

A graphics display language,

Issued also as thesis (M.S.), University of Illinois.

SMART: a program for simplified matrix algebra on remote terminals.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Illinois.

Subroutines for CAMAC /

Issued June 1978.

Common command language for file manipulation and network job execution : an example /

Includes bibliographical references (p. 27).

[College of Engineering (University of Michigan) publications].

Also contains brochures, directories, manuals, and programs from various College of Engineering student organizations such as the Society of Women Engineers and Tau Beta Pi.