Mondragon Unibertsitatea has chosen the best engineering projects from among the 26 works presented at PBLday 2023
Mondragon Unibertsitatea has chosen the best engineering projects from among the 26 works presented at PBLday 2023
Mondragon Unibertsitatea has chosen the best engineering projects from among the 26 works presented at PBLday 2023
The first prize went to the project to separate waste and the second prize to the project to create a domestic wind turbine to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy.
A total of 146 students from the first, second and third year of the engineering degrees at Mondragon Unibertsitatea's Higher Polytechnic School today exhibited the best 26 projects developed during the first months of the academic year. They were carried out by applying the PBL (Project Based Learning) methodology, a learning method based on solving real problems that Mondragon Unibertsitatea has been using for more than 15 years. All the teams competed in this new edition of PBLDAY to win one of the four awards of the day: the first prize of 1,000 euros, sponsored by Orona Fundazioa, as well as a runner-up prize of 300 euros for entrepreneurship. There was also a cash prize of 200 euros for the third runner-up, and a fourth of 100 euros for the fourth runner-up project.
The event was also attended by more than 500 engineering students from the university and high school students.
The projects
The 26 projects selected to compete for the best PBL project are projects from 10 engineering specialities: industrial electronics, mechanics, energy, biomedical, mechatronics, computer science, ecotechnologies in industrial processes, industrial design, industrial organisation, and the latest engineering project launched by Mondragon Unibertsitatea, physics applied to industry.
Among them have been projects on transportable windmills, solutions for arthritis patients, innovative designs of removable frying pans, alarm system for falls and accidents, application to optimise the management of fishing areas, autonomous system to separate waste generated in party areas before the cleaning service passes by, solutions to reduce the risk of collapse in buildings, among many other projects.
At the event, in addition to an exhibition of the 26 projects selected for the competition, with panels and videos throughout the day, the prize for the best PBL 2023 was awarded, as well as other prizes. A jury made up of university lecturers and company representatives (Orona, Ikerlan, Jema and Innobasque) chose the best projects, taking into account the technical solution proposed and the way the teams communicated it at the stand.
The 4 finalists
1ST PRIZE
- Mechanical Engineering, 3rd year
- Autonomous waste separation system, Smart Recycling
During these days, when at most popular festivals many people gather to drink and eat together around concerts, events or competitions, tons of rubbish is left on the streets, waiting for the clean-up team to pass by.
The team has developed a mobile and portable device that is able to separate, sort and classify different types of waste. A compact and ergonomic model has been designed that is safe for users and the environment (as it takes into account energy consumption and noise pollution), and is also capable of operating autonomously or by remote control.
2ND PRIZE
- Industrial Management Engineering, 1st year
- Domestic electric wind turbine, Eolicare Sorgailua
Design and construction of an inexpensive wind turbine to be installed on the terraces or roofs of homes to convert kinetic energy into electrical energy that can be used in homes.
The project includes two pieces of software to measure different indicators, the wind required to use the wind turbine with the different domestic appliances, the consumption of each domestic appliance in the home and at what times it is used, the savings that can be made in thermal temperature, etc.
3RD PRIZE
- Engineering physics applied to industry, 1st course
- System to prevent building collapse, Buffer applied to the design of a skyscraper to prevent building risk
In this project, a scale model of a skyscraper has been developed, incorporating a pendulum whose frequency, mass and damping characteristics can be modified over a wide range of values to tune it to the characteristics of the building. A vibration acquisition system has also been incorporated and the data has been adjusted using Matlab's Curve fitter tool.
The conclusion of the project is that the Tuned Mass Damper significantly increases the equivalent damping of the building when the system is correctly tuned, reducing the risk of building collapse.
4TH PRIZE
- Mechanical Engineering, 2nd year
- Electronic brake for cars, eBrake
Conventional brakes have a hydraulic system to remove the brake in the brake pads. This new brake, designed and manufactured by the 2nd year mechanics students, is an electronic brake. In order not to generate changes in the user's sensation, when the person driving presses the brake pedal, he/she should have the sensation of a conventional pedal, even though the braking system is electronic. For this purpose, the team has developed a simulator feel system.
