4BM20 - Experimentation for mechanical engineering
Content
The proverbial 鈥淢easurement = knowledge鈥� is only part of the story. Answering research questions by means of experiment requires proper experimental design, and careful analysis and interpretation of the measurement results, including due attention for the properties and uncertainties of the equipment.
This course will focus on generic aspects of physical experimentation, including overviews of commonly used methods in both experiment and analysis. Topics to be covered include basic data analysis, image processing and uncertainty analysis, as well as the basics of Design of Experiments (DoE). On the hardware side, the focus will be on two general topics of broad interest: sensors for a large variety of parameters (temperature, pressure, sound, heat, force,鈥�), and optical measurement techniques (laser diagnostics, microscopy, 鈥�).
All topics will be illustrated by realistic experimental data, and several specific experimental techniques will be highlighted. After succesful completion of this course, students will have a general feel for how to set up an experiment dedicated to the questions that need to be answered, and be able to interpret the results and to analyze their significance.
Hands-on experiments are not part of the course, but we will try to arrange lab tours.
Objectives
- The student possesses a basic understanding of the working principles of common mechanical and optical measurement techniques relevant for mechanical engineering at large, and can select appropriate techniques for experimentation.
- The student realizes the role of measurement uncertainties, and is able to incorporate those in the analysis of measurement results.
- The student possesses knowledge of elementary aspects of data analysis and presentation, including Fourier analysis and image analysis, and can apply this knowledge during experimentation.