MIT: Independent Activities Period: IAP

IAP 2013 Activities by Category - Engineering

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"Fuel Your Mind" -- A Primer on Transportation Fuels, Current and Future

William H. Green, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Jim Simnick, George Huff

Jan/08 Tue 09:00AM-04:00PM 56-114

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Limited to 63 participants

How is crude oil converted into gasoline and other transportation fuels? Is the gasoline available in Boston the same as what is available in Chicago?  What are biofuels and what is driving the demand for these fuels of the future? Which fuel properties matter for performance? Please join us in this short course offered by engineers from BP and Prof. Green to answer these questions, and to gain a better understanding of transportation fuels, and fuel processing technology. 

Projections and recent history suggest significant shifts in the transportation fuels system over the next few decades, but no one is sure how things will actually develop. This mini-course will give you a more complete perspective on the many issues involved when fuel standards or regulations shift and when new types of fuel feedstocks become available.

Experiences so far with E85 (and CNG) illustrate some of the realities which make it very challenging to introduce alternative fuels which are not compatible with existing engines and infrastructure.

Topics Include:

Sponsor(s): Chemical Engineering
Contact: Prof. William H. Green, 66-352, 617-253-4580, whgreen@mit.edu


"Horses and Thunder" -- Meeting the Energy Needs and Oil Exploration and Production in the Deepwaters

Ahmed Ghoniem, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Adam Ballard, Ryan Yeley

Jan/29 Tue 09:00AM-04:00PM 66-144

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

How will we meet our growing energy needs in the future, especially for transportation, which is heavily dependent on oil? More and more oil is discovered and produced offshore, in deeper and deeper water. How do we know where and how to drill for oil? What are some of the engineering challenges in working at 5000’ of water? How do we produce it efficiently, bring it to shore safely, and beyond? What are some of the recent developments in science and engineering that will take us further? This short course will discuss: 1. Energy needs and role of offshore oil 2. Exploration - the idea phase 3. Drilling - the discovery and development phase 4. Production - the extraction phase 5. Transportation - getting it to market 6. Recent science and engineering developments We will look at the Thunder Horse field located in the Gulf of Mexico. Starting with 1999, this field has contributed > 5% of the oil produced within the United States. Since then, oil has been discovered further out and effort is underway to produce from these fields.

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up, lunch provided.

Sponsor(s): Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Contact: Prof. Ahmed Ghoniem, 3-344, 617) 253-2295, ghoniem@MIT.EDU


Adventures in Scanning Electron Microscopy

Donald Galler, Research Engineer

Enrollment: Advance sign up. First come, first serve basis.
Sign-up by 01/10
Limited to 8 participants
Attendance: Flexible. Training requirements will be half day
Prereq: High School Physics

This class is an introduction to the basic operation of a scanning electron microscope. The basic operating principles will be covered and the attendees will be trained on the use of the microscope.

 The microscope is a new JEOL 6610 LV scanning electron microscope (SEM) with several advanced features:

 This is a training class but anyone interested in these modern research tools is welcome to attend.

 Attendees are encouraged to bring samples for exploration and will operate the microscope as part of the class.

Sponsor(s): Materials Science and Engineering
Contact: Donald Galler, 4-133, 617-253-4554, dgaller@mit.edu


Jan/22 Tue 09:00AM-05:00PM SEM lab room 4-141, 1 hour lunch break
Jan/23 Wed 09:00AM-05:00PM SEM lab room 4-141, 1 hour lunch break

NA

Donald Galler - Research Engineer


An Introduction to Modeling of Physical Systems with Modelica

Dan Burns, Member Research Staff, Chris Laughman, Member Research Staff

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 12/21
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

Come learn about Modelica, an open-source modeling language that aims to make multi-domain modeling of physical systems easier, more powerful and more convenient. 

System modeling is often a difficult skill to apply in practice, due in part to the cumbersome software tools often used.  Modelica is an object-oriented programming language that works with a sophisticated compiler to translate equation-based physical models into executable code for simulation or controller design.  Engineering systems from multiple energy domains can be readily simulated because no assumptions about constitutive relationships are made in the language design. The user can express models in a natural mathematical representation of components (e.g., a resistor model) and connect those objects (e.g., a circuit) in such a way that no equation manipulation is required by the user. This enables component model reuse-something not possible when models must be manually manipulated into ordinary differential equations (e.g., for simulation in MATLAB/Simulink). 

This course will provide a gentle introduction to the language using Dymola, a commercial Modelica editor/compiler. Open source tools will also be discussed. Students will learn language constructs and conventions through brief lectures and in-class examples. Students from any department and any level (undergrad or graduate) are welcome, although familiarity with physics and programming will be helpful.

To sign-up, email burns@merl.com by Dec. 21st.

Sponsor(s): Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Dan Burns, 617-621-7520, burns@merl.com


Sessions

Jan/10 Thu 02:00PM-04:00PM 35-122
Jan/17 Thu 02:00PM-04:00PM 35-122
Jan/24 Thu 02:00PM-04:00PM 35-122
Jan/31 Thu 02:00PM-04:00PM 35-122

Dan Burns - Member Research Staff, Chris Laughman - Member Research Staff


Athletic Performance Engineering

Dave Clarke, Postdoctoral research associate

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Limited to 50 participants
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

This course covers state-of-the-art scientific principles and tools for optimizing training for athletic performance. The course will feature four half-day segments that cover the following topics: 1) Principles of exercise physiology and training program design, 2) Computer models for optimizing training and racing strategies and 3) Guest lectures (tentatively on bicycling biomechanics and marathon pacing).

While the course is geared towards endurance sports performance (e.g., running, cycling, swimming, triathlon, etc.) the principles apply to other sports as well.

No formal sign-up is required but please email me beforehand to inform me of your intention to attend any of the sessions.

 

Sponsor(s): Biological Engineering
Contact: David Clarke, 16-463, 617 324-5671, CLARKEDC@MIT.EDU


Guest lectures (tentative)

Jan/18 Fri 09:00AM-12:00PM 56-154

We have tentatively scheduled guest lectures on aspects of bicycling science and on marathon pacing.

Dave Clarke - Postdoctoral research associate


Principles of training

Jan/18 Fri 01:30PM-04:30PM 56-154

This session focuses on the principles of training planning. We will cover basic exercise physiology, workout design, periodization/long-term planning and example case studies.

Dave Clarke - Postdoctoral research associate


Quantitative optimization of training

Jan/19 Sat 09:30AM-12:30PM 56-154

We will present the critical power and impulse-response models and their implementation for optimizing training programs.

Dave Clarke - Postdoctoral research associate


Guest lectures (tentative)

Jan/19 Sat 01:30PM-04:00PM 56-154

Session Description TBD

Dave Clarke - Postdoctoral research associate


Aurora Flight Sciences R&D Center Tour

Tim Dawson-Townsend '90, R&D Center General Manager

Jan/30 Wed 03:00PM-04:00PM 4 Cambridge Center, Meet in Lobby of 4 Cambridge Center, Next to Meadh

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/29
Limited to 20 participants

Aurora Flight Sciences is a leading small business in the field of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Servicing customers from the Air Force to NASA, Aurora spans the entire field from research to full-scale system design and development, to prototyping, flight testing, and production. Aurora's Cambridge Research Office works extensively with MIT faculty, students, and labs to conduct leading research in guidance & control, autonomy, advanced structures, space systems, propulsion, and vehicle concepts & prototyping. Visit Aurora for a company overview, details on some of our projects, and a tour of the Cambridge research facility.

Bring an ID to be admitted to the tour. Will depart promptly at 2:00 from the Lobby of 4 Cambridge Center  (corner of Broadway and Ames Street).

Sponsor(s): Aeronautics and Astronautics
Contact: Tim Dawson-Townsend, tdt@aurora.aero


Aviation Accident Investigation or Agatha Christie for Engineers

Brian Nield (Boeing Commercial Airplane)

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/07
Limited to 24 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: Spreadsheet Skills (Excel); Some Familiarity with Aviation

Commercial aviation is extremely safe, in part due to knowledge gained from studying accidents. The investigation process and some of the most significant accidents are discussed. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to work with their peers in a small, self-directed, investigative team to solve a realistic (but fictional) aircraft accident mystery. New information on the crash will be given out each session as you piece together the facts to determine what caused the accident and build recommendations for improving flying safety.

Sponsor(s): Aeronautics and Astronautics
Contact: Liz Zotos, 37-219, x3-7805, zotos@mit.edu


Aviation Accident Investigation

Jan/08 Tue 02:00PM-03:00PM 33-319
Jan/09 Wed 02:00PM-03:00PM 33-319
Jan/10 Thu 02:00PM-04:00PM 33-319

Bell Helicopter Textron Short Course: An Introduction to Rotorcraft

David B. Smith, Chief Engineer, New Product Development

Jan/31 Thu 01:00PM-05:00PM 33-419
Feb/01 Fri 09:00AM-02:00PM 33-419

Enrollment: Advance sign-up strongly encouraged. See contact.
Sign-up by 01/28
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session
Prereq: None

The helicopter possesses a unique capability unlike any fixed wing counterpart.  Long ago, physics determined that vertical lift would face enormous challenges.  As proof, consider that a commercially certified helicopter (first introduced by Bell) arrived almost 50 years after the Wright Brothers’ initial “fixed-wing” flight.  Rotorcraft engineers must resolve daunting issues in stability and control, aerodynamics, dynamics, and performance, while managing weight, cost, and complexity.  Bell Helicopter is the world leader in rotary wing technology, with a military and commercial product line.  Our V-22 Tiltrotor is the world’s fastest rotorcraft and our commercial operations service a world-wide fleet on all continents.  This short course is intended to expose engineers to the fundamental principles that govern the rotor system and will introduce some of the unique challenges faced in rotary wing aircraft development. Students will find the advanced material more interesting by participating in the first session.  Attendance at both sessions is strongly encouraged. 

Presenters from Bell Helicopter include: David B. Smith , Chief Engineer, New Product Development; Mark E. Dreier , Staff Engineer, Preliminary Design; David King , Chief Engineer, 525 Relentless; Matt Hasik , Chief Engineer, V-22 Osprey; Dr. Albert Brand , Director, Flight Technology & Simulation.
 

Co-sponsored by Bell Helicopter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sponsor(s): Aeronautics and Astronautics
Contact: Marie Stuppard, 33-202B, 617 253-2279, MAS@MIT.EDU


Biotech Business Information for Engineers and Scientists

Courtney Crummett, Bioinformatics and Biosciences Librarian

Jan/30 Wed 11:00AM-12:00PM DIRC 14N-132

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required


It's not brain surgery...it's market research. This session will introduce scientists and engineers to information resources that cover biotechnology industries and markets. We will use realistic examples and hands-on exercises with key resources to demonstrate how to match your ideas and discoveries with the opportunities and realities of the marketplace. Please register for this event. 

Sponsor(s): Libraries, Biology
Contact: Courtney Crummett, 14S-134, 617 324-8290, CRUMMETT@MIT.EDU


Building a Prototype Without an Engineer

Cort Johnson

Jan/16 Wed 09:00AM-02:00PM E40-160,, Sign up at http://iap.eventbrite.com/

Enrollment: Register at http://iap.eventbrite.com/
Sign-up by 01/15
Limited to 30 participants
Prereq: none

Learn the 3 step process of building a technical prototype without having to write a line of code. You'll learn:

Sponsor(s): Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship
Contact: Benjamin Israelite, E40-160, (978) 621-9826, bji@mit.edu


Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Tour

Catherine Slesnick, Ph. D.

Jan/31 Thu 02:00PM-03:30PM 555 Tech Square, Next to NE43

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/24
Limited to 20 participants
Prereq: Must be a U.S. citizen.


While still the MIT Aero-Astro department's Instrumentation Lab, we developed the computers and guidance systems that sent men to the moon. Now known as Draper Laboratory, our work spans everything from
guidance, navigation & control of vehicles that fly, swim, crawl, roll, walk and soar to development of micro-miniaturized electronics and devices, to biomedical devices,signal processing, and information exploitation. The tour will begin with an introduction to the Draper Laboratory, its history, and major projects. We will then visit several areas of the Laboratory and see some of its project activities. Restricted to U.S. citizens who must bring a government issued ID (such as a driver’s license) to be admitted to the tour and registration must be confirmed by Draper at least 24 hours in advance. To sign up, contact Marie Stuppard, mas@mit.edu.  The tour departs from the Draper Lab Reception Lobby, 555 Tech Square, Cambridge (next to NE43).  Co-sponsored by the Charles Stark Draper Lab.  Web: http://www.draper.com/.


  

Sponsor(s): Aeronautics and Astronautics
Contact: Marie Stuppard, 33-202B, 617 253-2279, MAS@MIT.EDU


Cold Fusion 101: Introduction to Excess Power in Fleischmann-Pons Experiments

Peter Hagelstein, Mitchell Swartz

Jan/22 Tue 11:00AM-01:00PM 4-153
Jan/23 Wed 11:00AM-01:00PM 4-153
Jan/24 Thu 11:00AM-01:00PM 4-153
Jan/25 Fri 11:00AM-01:00PM 4-153
Jan/28 Mon 11:00AM-01:00PM 4-153
Jan/29 Tue 11:00AM-01:00PM 4-153
Jan/30 Wed 11:00AM-01:00PM 66-144

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session

Excess power production in the Fleischmann-Pons experiment; lack of confirmation in early negative experiments; theoretical problems and Huizenga's three miracles; physical chemistry of PdD; electrochemistry of PdD; loading requirements on excess power production; the nuclear ash problem and He-4 observations; approaches to theory; screening in PdD; PdD as an energetic particle detector; constraints on the alpha energy from experiment; overview of theoretical approaches; coherent energy exchange between mismatched quantum systems; coherent x-rays in the Karabut experiment and interpretation; excess power in the NiH system; Piantelli experiment; prospects for a new small scale clean nuclear energy technology.

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Peter Hagelstein, plh@mit.edu


Entrepreneurial Strategy for Engineers

Jorge Guzman

Jan/22 Tue 09:00AM-04:00PM E51-151
Jan/23 Wed 09:00AM-04:00PM E51-151
Jan/24 Thu 09:00AM-12:00PM E51-151

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/18
Limited to 30 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

Many engineering students hope to build their own business one day, some might even already be working on it, or would do so if they just thought they could make a business out of their work. Business strategy, however, is a foreign concept for them. As they start their businesses they often only learn what strategy they can from observation, conversation, and reading online. Though it has results, this approach is quite suboptimal.

This course provides a “crash course” on entrepreneurial strategy, prepared specifically for engineering students (both graduate and undergraduate) with no previous knowledge of business. Jorge Guzman, the instructor, has been on both sides, he is a former software developer and is a current PhD student at MIT Sloan, TIES (the S stands for Strategy). He observes that strategy concepts are very different from engineering concepts, and that it is often hard for engineers to appreciate their value. In the structure for this class, he tries to bridge that gap.

This class is useful for anyone who wants to start their own business, join an early stage company, or join an established firm in which (s)he some someday hopes to create new product lines.

Sponsor(s): Sloan School of Management
Contact: Jorge Guzman, jorgeg@MIT.EDU


Essentials of Mechanical Assembly and Its Role in Product Development

Daniel Whitney, Senior Lecturer in Engineering Systems, Emeritus

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/18
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: (Nice to have) Matrix Algebra, Statics, 2.008

This course is closely modeled after the very popular 2.875 MIT graduate course that was not offered this year. The course presents a systematic approach to design and assembly of mechanical assemblies, which should be of interest to engineering professionals, as well as post-baccalaureate students of mechanical, manufacturing and industrial engineering.

This offering comprises the first half of 2.875, focusing on "Assembly in the large:" a system view of assembly, including the notion of product architecture, feature-based design, and computer models of assemblies, analysis of mechanical constraint, assembly sequence analysis, and tolerances.

Learn what most schools fail to teach you about how things really go together.  Reading the book, Mechanical Assemblies:  Their Design, Manufacture, and Role in Product Development by Daniel E. Whitney,  is highly recommended! It can be accessed here:

http://www.knovel.com/web/portal/basic_search/display?_EXT_KNOVEL_DISPLAY_bookid=1837

There will be no homework or exams, and the course will be non-credit.

Seating is limited, must email mech_assembly_iap_2013@mit.edu by deadline for seating.

For more information see:  

http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mechanical-engineering/2-875-mechanical-assembly-and-its-role-in-product-development-fall-2004/lecture-notes/

 

Sponsor(s): Mechanical Engineering
Contact: David McCalib, 503-505-8219, dmccalib@mit.edu


Day 1

Jan/22 Tue 08:30AM-02:30PM 3-333
Jan/23 Wed 08:30AM-02:30PM 3-333
Jan/24 Thu 08:30AM-02:30PM 3-333
Jan/25 Fri 08:30AM-02:30PM 3-333

Daniel Whitney - Senior Lecturer in Engineering Systems, Emeritus


FT-IR Sampling Capabilities in CMSE

Tim McClure

Jan/28 Mon 10:00AM-01:00PM 13-2137

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/25

The Center for Materials Science and Engineering's Analysis Shared Experimental Facility has an extended range FT-IR Microscope with a variety of sampling accessories that are available for the use of researchers. Come find out about the many sampling options now available for FT-IR.  Pre-register via e-mail.

Sponsor(s): Center for Materials Science and Engineering
Contact: Tim McClure, 13-4149, x8-6470, mtim@mit.edu


Fundamentals of Modeling and Simulation

Paul Grogan, PhD Candidate, Engineering Systems Division, Tom Coles, PhD Candidate, Aeronautics and Astronautics

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/14
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

This course is intended to introduce students to modeling and simulation techniques in an intensive one-week session. Advance registration is required and attendance is mandatory for all five days.

Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of modeling and simulation through progressive tutorial-based exercises culminating with development of a distributed simulation application. Course topics include Java programming techniques, object-oriented modeling, time-based simulation techniques, graphical and user interfaces, and distributed simulation using the IEEE Std. 1516-2010 High Level Architecture (HLA). Open source software will be used with an exception for the HLA runtime infrastructure for which a temporary license will be provided for the duration of the course.

By the end of the course, students should be comfortable with a Java development environment, able to create object-oriented models of physical systems, familiar with basic time-simulation and 2-D visualizations, and aware of the core components of the HLA standard. After conclusion of the course, students are encouraged to continue developing simulation models for participation in the SISO Simulation Smackdown, an international federated simulation event held at the Spring Interoperability Workshop from April 8-12, 2012 in San Diego, California. The SISO Simulation Smackdown seeks simulation federates to participate in a simulated lunar exploration near the Aitken Basin.

Sponsor(s): Engineering Systems Division, Aeronautics and Astronautics
Contact: Paul Grogan, 33-409, 617-388-2427, ptgrogan@mit.edu


Jan/21 Mon 10:00AM-03:00PM 32-144, Bring your laptop
Jan/22 Tue 10:00AM-03:00PM 32-144, Bring your laptop
Jan/23 Wed 10:00AM-03:00PM 32-144, Bring your laptop
Jan/24 Thu 10:00AM-03:00PM 32-144, Bring your laptop
Jan/25 Fri 10:00AM-03:00PM 32-144, Bring your laptop

Paul Grogan - PhD Candidate, Engineering Systems Division, Tom Coles - PhD Candidate, Aeronautics and Astronautics


Introduction to Surface Analysis Part 1: Auger Electron Spectroscopy and XPS

Libby Shaw

Jan/15 Tue 02:00PM-05:00PM Room 13-5002

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/11
Prereq: none

CMSE's Shared Experimental Facilities include several useful tools for looking at the structure and chemical composition of solid surfaces, with a sampling depth of a few atomic layers. This afternoon seminar is a general introduction to two of these techniques: Auger Electron Spectroscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). We will summarize how each technique works, its strengths and limitations, and some of the research questions these methods help to answer. See also "Introduction to Surface Analysis Part 2" (Tuesday, January 22).

Sponsor(s): Center for Materials Science and Engineering
Contact: Libby Shaw, 13-4149, x3-5045, elshaw@mit.edu


Introduction to Surface Analysis Part 2: Scanned Probe Microscopies

Libby Shaw

Jan/22 Tue 02:00PM-05:00PM Room 13-5002

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/18

CMSE's Shared Experimental Facilities include several useful tools for characterizing solid surfaces with a sampling depth of a few atomic layers.  This afternoon seminar introduces a fascinating class of techniques which use a tiny mechanical probe to characterize the topography and material properties of surfaces.  With a primary focus on Atomic Force Microscopy, we will summarize how each technique works, its strengths and limitations, and some of the research questions these methods help to answer.  See also "Introduction to Surface Analysis Part 1 on January 15.

Sponsor(s): Center for Materials Science and Engineering
Contact: Libby Shaw, 13-4149, 2535045, elshaw@mit.edu


Introduction to TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy)

Yong Zhang

Jan/25 Fri 02:00PM-03:30PM 13-2137

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session

The lecture provides an introduction to the fundamental principles of transmission electron microscopy. Topics covered include the illumination system, electron lenses and their aberrations, image formation and resolution. A variety of imaging and analysis techniques and their roles specific to inorganic materials, such as crystallography, diffraction patterns and high resolution imaging are to be present with practical demonstration.  This presentation will also introduce TEM sample preparation techniques for a wide range of materials, including metals, semiconductors, powders and thin films. 

 

Contact: Yong Zhang, 13-1034, 617 253-5092, YZHANG05@MIT.EDU


Invention

Emanuel Sachs

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 12/21
Limited to 30 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

Invention – we hear a lot about it. Some may even venerate it. But how’s it done? Can you learn to do it? Are their methodologies? Is it a state of mind? Do inventions just come to you? Can you sit down and decide to invent, as if on cue? What can we learn from examples of inventions and inventors? What do psychologists say about invention? Look around for a societal need and bring it along to a series of four classes.

Please email Ely Sachs (Sachs@1366tech.com) in order to register.

Sponsor(s): Mechanical Engineering
Contact: Emanuel Sachs, Sachs@1366tech.com


Invention

Jan/08 Tue 10:00AM-12:00PM 3-333
Jan/10 Thu 10:00AM-12:00PM 3-333
Jan/15 Tue 10:00AM-12:00PM 3-333
Jan/17 Thu 10:00AM-12:00PM 3-333

Emanuel Sachs


LabVIEW - 2 Day Boot Camp

David Trumper, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Josh Brown, National Instruments Engineer, Jeff Steele, National Instruments Academic Program Manager

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 12/31
Limited to 24 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: none, but basic programming skills helpful

This is an introductory seminar that will cover the following topics:

 

Attendees will receive:

 

Students participating in the course must bring their own laptop with an evaluation copy of LabVIEW installed before the start of class (http://www.ni.com/trylabview/).  The course is limited to 24 students - please register by emailing jordan.brackett@ni.com.

Sponsor(s): Mechanical Engineering
Contact: Josh Brown, josh.brown@ni.com


Jan/07 Mon 09:00AM-04:30PM 35-122, please bring your own laptop
Jan/08 Tue 09:00AM-04:30PM 35-122, please bring your own laptop

Josh Brown - National Instruments Engineer


LabVIEW for Controls and Mechatronics

David Trumper, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Jeannie Sullivan Falcon, Ph.D., National Instruments Chief Engineer

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 12/31
Limited to 18 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: LabVIEW experience or IAP LabVIEW Boot Camp on 1/7 & 1/8

This is an introductory seminar on LabVIEW for Controls that will cover the following topics: 

 

Atendees will receive:

 

This course is limited to 18 students.  Please register by emailing jordan.brackett@ni.com.

Sponsor(s): Mechanical Engineering
Contact: Jeannie Sullivan Falcon, Jeannie.falcon@ni.com


Jan/09 Wed 09:00AM-04:30PM 1-004

Jeannie Sullivan Falcon, Ph.D. - National Instruments Chief Engineer


Jan/10 Thu 09:00AM-04:30PM 1-004

Jeannie Sullivan Falcon, Ph.D. - National Instruments Chief Engineer


MathWorks: Introduction to MATLAB: Problem Solving and Programming

James Cain, Manager - Experimental Learning Environments, OEIT

Jan/28 Mon 01:00PM-05:00PM 4-163, Please bring a laptop to this hands-on lab.

Enrollment: Register at link below
Limited to 85 participants

MATLAB is a high-level language that allows you to quickly perform computation and visualization through easy-to-use programming constructs. This hands-on lab presents essentials you need to use MATLAB for your classes or research.

In this session, we import historical temperature data collected in the Northern Hemisphere from an external file, plot the data over time, then perform some analysis to view the data trend to determine if global warming is happening. You’ll learn how to write a MATLAB script and publish it to a format for sharing, such as HTML. You’ll also learn how to write your own MATLAB functions, use flow control, and create loops.

By the end of the session, you’ll have learned to create an application in MATLAB.

 

Note: Attendees should bring a laptop to this hands-on lab.

 

MathWorks at MIT IAP 2013

MathWorks is hosting six sessions during MIT's Independent Activities Period (IAP) 2013. Join us to learn how you can use MATLAB and Simulink for technical computing and application development in engineering, math, and science. Attend as many sessions as you like.

  

Please visit the following URL for more information and to register for this session:

http://www.mathworks.com/company/events/seminars/mit_iap13/index.html

 

Sponsor(s): Office of Educational Innovation and Technology, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Heather Wellman, Heather.Wellman@mathworks.com


MathWorks: LEGO MINDSTORMS with MATLAB and Simulink for Teaching Controls, Robotics, and Mechatronics

James Cain, Manager - Experimental Learning Environments, OEIT

Jan/29 Tue 01:00PM-03:00PM 37-312

Enrollment: Register at link below
Limited to 48 participants
Prereq: Basic knowledge of dynamic modeling, controls & MATLAB

This hands-on workshop uses the built-in support in Simulink for prototyping, testing, and running models on LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT. Simulink Support for LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT (SSL) aims to address the growing need for hands-on and project-based learning via low-cost, easy-to-use hardware and software that builds on the widely used MATLAB and Simulink platform.

SSL enables students to develop embedded and autonomous applications that leverage the standard sensors and actuators provided with the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT brick from within Simulink. Faculty who attend will have a chance to work through lab modules with examples of embedded genetic algorithms, motor speed control, and an mobile inverted pendulum.

Attendees will also hear about Simulink support for Arduino, BeagleBoard, and PandaBoard.

Note: This workshop (tutorial) is addressed to faculty, and open to graduate students involved in creating curriculum materials.  Attendees should have a basic knowledge of dynamic modeling and controls, as well as knowledge of MATLAB.

 

MathWorks at MIT IAP 2013

MathWorks is hosting six sessions during MIT's Independent Activities Period (IAP) 2013. Join us to learn how you can use MATLAB and Simulink for technical computing and application development in engineering, math, and science. Attend as many sessions as you like.

  

Please visit the following URL for more information and to register for this session:

http://www.mathworks.com/company/events/seminars/mit_iap13/index.html

Sponsor(s): Office of Educational Innovation and Technology, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Heather Wellman, Heather.Wellman@mathworks.com


MathWorks: Mathematical Modeling with MATLAB

James Cain, Manager Experimental Learning Environments, OEIT

Jan/28 Mon 10:00AM-12:00PM 4-163

Enrollment: Register at link below:
Limited to 85 participants

Mathematical models are critical to understanding and accurately simulating the behavior of complex systems. They enable important tasks such as forecasting system behavior, characterizing system response, and designing control systems. Attend this session to find out how you can use MATLAB and add-on products for your mathematical modeling tasks.

Highlights include:

Fitting surface data using parametric models

Predicting responses using regression trees

Creating models derived from first principles

Identifying parameters that optimize system performance

Simulating models and developing custom postprocessing routines

Generating reports to document model derivation and simulation results

You will also learn about different approaches you can use to develop models. These approaches include leveraging prebuilt graphical tools for specific modeling tasks such as parametric surface fitting, building and optimizing models using the MATLAB language, and deriving system equations using symbolic computation.

 

MathWorks at MIT IAP 2013

MathWorks is hosting six sessions during MIT's Independent Activities Period (IAP) 2013. Join us to learn how you can use MATLAB and Simulink for technical computing and application development in engineering, math, and science. Attend as many sessions as you like.

  

Please visit the following URL for more information and to register for this session:

http://www.mathworks.com/company/events/seminars/mit_iap13/index.html

 

Sponsor(s): Office of Educational Innovation and Technology, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Heather Wellman, Heather.Wellman@mathworks.com


MathWorks: Parallel and GPU Computing with MATLAB

James Cain, Manager - Experimental Learning Environments, OEIT

Jan/29 Tue 10:00AM-12:00PM 4-163

Enrollment: Register at link below
Limited to 85 participants

Parallel Computing Toolbox lets you solve computationally and data-intensive problems using multicore processors, GPUs, and computer clusters. High-level constructs—parallel for-loops, special array types, and parallelized numerical algorithms—let you parallelize MATLAB applications without CUDA or MPI programming.

In this session, you’ll learn how to solve and boost the execution speed of computationally intensive problems using multicore processors, GPUs, and computer clusters. We introduce and demonstrate high-level programming constructs that allow you to create parallel MATLAB applications without low-level programming.

Highlights include:

Exploring toolboxes with built-in algorithms for parallel computing

Creating parallel applications to speed up independent tasks

Scaling up to computer clusters, grid environments, or clouds

Employing GPUs to speed up your computations

 

MathWorks at MIT IAP 2013

MathWorks is hosting six sessions during MIT's Independent Activities Period (IAP) 2013. Join us to learn how you can use MATLAB and Simulink for technical computing and application development in engineering, math, and science. Attend as many sessions as you like.

  

Please visit the following URL for more information and to register for this session:

http://www.mathworks.com/company/events/seminars/mit_iap13/index.html

Sponsor(s): Office of Educational Innovation and Technology, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Heather Wellman, Heather.Wellman@mathworks.com


MathWorks: Programming with MATLAB

James Cain, Manager - Experimental Learning Environments, OEIT

Jan/30 Wed 10:00AM-12:00PM 4-163

Enrollment: Register at link below
Limited to 85 participants
Prereq: Basic knowledge of MATLAB or other programming Language

MATLAB is a high-level language that includes mathematical functions for solving engineering and scientific problems. You can produce immediate results by interactively executing commands one at a time. MATLAB also provides features of traditional programming languages, including flow control, error handling, and object-oriented programming (OOP). Attend this session to learn more about programming capabilities in MATLAB and to learn how to be more productive working with MATLAB.

Topics include:

Basics of the MATLAB programming language

Moving from scripts to functions

Building robust, maintainable functionsTools for efficient program developmentUsing and authoring objects in MATLAB

Note: Attendees should have a rudimentary knowledge of MATLAB or have knowledge of other programming languages.

  

MathWorks at MIT IAP 2013

MathWorks is hosting six sessions during MIT's Independent Activities Period (IAP) 2013. Join us to learn how you can use MATLAB and Simulink for technical computing and application development in engineering, math, and science. Attend as many sessions as you like.

  

Please visit the following URL for more information and to register for this session:

http://www.mathworks.com/company/events/seminars/mit_iap13/index.html

 

Sponsor(s): Office of Educational Innovation and Technology, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Heather Wellman, Heather.Wellman@mathworks.com


MatWorks: Advanced Programming Techniques in MATLAB

James Cain, Manager - Experimental Learning Environments, OEIT

Jan/30 Wed 01:00PM-03:00PM 4-163

Enrollment: Register at link below
Limited to 85 participants

In this session, you will gain an understanding of how different MATLAB data types are stored in memory and how you can program in MATLAB to use memory efficiently. Recent versions of MATLAB introduced several new programming concepts, including new function types. We illustrate and explore the usage and benefits of the various function types under different conditions. You will learn how using the right function type can lead to more robust and maintainable code. Demonstrations show you how to apply these techniques to problems that arise in typical applications.

Highlights include:

Memory handling in MATLAB

Various function types

MathWorks at MIT IAP 2013

MathWorks is hosting six sessions during MIT's Independent Activities Period (IAP) 2013. Join us to learn how you can use MATLAB and Simulink for technical computing and application development in engineering, math, and science. Attend as many sessions as you like.

  

Please visit the following URL for more information and to register for this session:

http://www.mathworks.com/company/events/seminars/mit_iap13/index.html

 

Sponsor(s): Office of Educational Innovation and Technology, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Heather Wellman, Heather.Wellman@mathworks.com


Patent Searching Fundamentals

Howard Silver

Jan/16 Wed 01:00PM-02:00PM 14N-132

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/16
Limited to 40 participants

You won’t come out of this session qualified to be a patent attorney, but you will be able to successfully find patent references from all over the world and know how to obtain patent text and diagrams. The session will be a hands-on practicum that will help de-mystify the patent literature and expose attendees to key resources for finding patents.

Please register for this session.

Sponsor(s): Libraries, Technology Licensing Office
Contact: Howard Silver, 14S-134, 617 253-9319, HSILVER@MIT.EDU


SolidWorks Workshop

Fernando L. Nunez, MIT ASME Co-President

Enrollment: ENROLLMENT CLOSED: CLASS FULL
Sign-up by 01/09
Limited to 32 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

Want to be more prepared for Course 2 classes? What to learn CAD, and how to design awesome parts using Solidworks. Come to ASME IAP SolidWorks Workshop given by experienced members of the MIT Community. 

Here is a link to the form to sign up:

IAP 2013 Form

There are 2 Sections:

Section 1: Jan. 14-Jan. 18
Section 2: Jan. 21-Jan. 25

Time: 

Contact: Fernando Nunez, 787-245-2061, FLNUNEZ@MIT.EDU


Section 2

Jan/14 Mon 05:30PM-07:00PM 3-370, Bring your laptops
Jan/22 Tue 05:30PM-07:00PM 3-370, Bring your laptops
Jan/23 Wed 05:30PM-07:00PM 3-370, Bring your laptops
Jan/24 Thu 05:30PM-07:00PM 3-370, Bring your laptops
Jan/25 Fri 05:30PM-07:00PM 3-370, Bring your laptops

If you could attend the Monday Jan.14 date of the first section, it would be ideal, but not necessary.

TIME AND LOCATION ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE!

Sign Up here

Fernando L. Nunez - MIT ASME Co-President


Section 1

Jan/14 Mon 05:30PM-07:00PM 3-370, Bring your laptop
Jan/15 Tue 05:30PM-07:00PM 3-370, Bring your laptop
Jan/16 Wed 05:30PM-07:00PM 3-370, Bring your laptop
Jan/17 Thu 05:30PM-07:00PM 3-370, Bring your laptop
Jan/18 Fri 05:30PM-07:00PM 3-370, Bring your laptop

TIME AND LOCATION ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE!

Sign Up here

Fernando L. Nunez - MIT ASME Co-President


Technology Addressing the Automotive Paradox: Increased efficiency with increased power for an increasing population

Brian Papke, Senior Tribologist

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: none

Shell’s lubricant R&D group and MAHLE’s piston and ring group are partnering together to offer a two part lecture on technologies that are being used to address some of the demanding objectives in the automotive industry.  A contest will be issued for the participants to apply the information from the lectures.  A prize will be given to the winner(s).  The lecturers will be available for question and answer until 2:00pm.

Part I: Improving efficiency in today's modern world is becoming more important as the population and subsequently energy demand increases.  This trend also applies to the automotive sector where not only efficiency but also durability and clean operation are desired.  Lubricants are a key parameter in the realization of these desires.  The Part I lecture will discuss how lubricants maximize efficiency, durability, and cleanliness using lubricant science techniques to support the automotive industry’s objectives.

Part II: The demand for increased power density with reduced emissions in diesel engines results in high combustion gas temperatures and pressures.  This environment introduces mechanical and thermal design challenges for the power cylinder unit, especially in terms of carbon formation for the piston. The Part II lecture will discuss current thermal conditions for diesel pistons, lubrication cooling strategies of pistons, piston rings, basic design overview, and power cylinder thermal management techniques.   

Sponsor(s): Mechanical Engineering
Contact: Janet Maslow, 31-153, 617 253-4529, JSABIO@MIT.EDU


Lubrication for Next Generation Internal

Jan/08 Tue 09:00AM-02:00PM 5-233

The automotive sector has conflicting objectives to reduce engine emissions yet maintain or even improve power, durability, and clean operation.  Lubricants are a key parameter in the realization of these objectives.  This lecture will discuss how lubricants maximize efficiency, durability, and cleanliness to support the automotive industry.

Dieter Gabriel - Piston Product Expert, Brian Papke - Senior Tribologist, Erich Rabassa - Simulation Engineer, Steve Sytsma - Piston Ring Product Expert, Wei Yuan - Research Engineer


Design&OperationChallengesofDieselPiston

Jan/09 Wed 09:00AM-02:00PM 5-233

The diesel engine¿s high combustion gas temperatures and pressures introduce mechanical and thermal design challenges for the power cylinder unit, especially in terms of carbon formation for the piston. This lecture will discuss current thermal conditions for diesel pistons, lubrication cooling strategies of pistons, piston rings, basic design overview, and power cylinder thermal management techniques. 

Dieter Gabriel - Piston Product Expert, Erich Rabassa - Simulation Engineer, Steve Sytsma - Piston Ring Product Expert


The Mars Homestead Project

Bruce Mackenzie

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: None

Please see each session description. 

Sponsor(s): Aeronautics and Astronautics
Contact: Marie Stuppard, 33-202B, 617 253-2279, MAS@MIT.EDU


MarsFoundationHillsideSettlementDesign

Jan/30 Wed 02:00PM-03:00PM Room 33-422

This Hillside Settlement proposal by the Mars Foundation would build a
permanent settlement on Mars, constructed from local materials such as
fiberglass and masonry.  Preliminary mass and cost estimates show that we
may be able to establish a permanent, growing settlement for the same launch
cost as a program of round-trip exploratory missions.

Casey Steuer, Bruce Mackenzie


DesigningAMinimumMarsSettlementProgram

Jan/31 Thu 11:00AM-12:00PM Room 33-422

The Mars Foundation is in the early stage of designing a  very small,
(relatively) inexpensive manufacturing base for Mars, which can grow into a
permanent human settlement.   Your feedback or participation is welcome.
Help figure out the least expensive way to get off the Earth permanently.

Bruce Mackenzie, Casey Steuer


Send your 3D Printer to Mars

Feb/01 Fri 02:00PM-03:00PM Room 33-422

You can make a salt shaker from thin air on Mars; and many other useful
items.  Don¿t spend the money bringing equipment from Earth.  The Mars
Foundation is planning to use a 3D printer at an analog Mars base (on
Earth).  Help figure out how to use a fabrication lab with 3D printer &
water jet cutter,  to make as much of the Mars base as possible.

Casey Steuer, Bruce Mackenzie


Tour of NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory

Herman Marshall, Ph.D., Principal Research Scientist

Jan/14 Mon 02:00PM-03:30PM , NE-80

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/09
Limited to 20 participants
Prereq: None

The daily science and mission operations for this NASA observatory are performed right here in Cambridge. Since its launch in July 1999, Chandra has been re-writing the textbooks as NASA's flagship mission in X-ray astronomy.  It is used to observe the hottest regions of the Universe, including the remnants of stellar explosions, gas in clusters of galaxies used to find dark matter, the surfaces of neutron stars, and plasma falling into black holes. For more information on Chandra's recent discoveries, go to http://chandra.nasa.gov/ and http://chandra.harvard.edu/.  Co-sponsored by Chandra X-ray Observatory. 

Sponsor(s): Aeronautics and Astronautics
Contact: Marie Stuppard, 33-202B, 617 253-2279, MAS@MIT.EDU


Two 9/11 Truth Documentaries from AE911Truth.org

Dave Slesinger, MIT Alum

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

We will view two movies, made from Architects&Engineers for 911Truth (ae911Truth.org), one each night, about  what really happened on 9/11, and then discuss them.

Learn about the evidence behind this tragedy as presented by professional architects and engineers who will demonstrate that it could not possibly have happened in the way that we've been told.  The films avoid speculation and discuss evidence of what has become the most significant event of our era.

 

Contact: Dave Slesinger, davidslesinger@yahoo.com


9/11 Blueprint for Truth

Jan/08 Tue 07:00PM-10:00PM 56-114

Highly praised multimedia presentation by San Francisco Bay Area architect Richard Gage, AIA.  Presents evidence of explosive controlled demolition of the three World Trade Center high-rise buildings on 9/11.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?visTGualnr9A

 

Dave Slesinger - MIT Alum


9/11 Explosive Evidence -- Experts Speak

Jan/22 Tue 07:00PM-10:00PM 56-114

Experts in high-rise architecture, structural engineering, metallurgy, chemistry, physics, explosives and demolition give you their professional expertise on 9/11. It's not conspiracy, it's forensics.  Most viewed & shared for weeks on PBS nationally.

Eight experts in the workings of the human mind explain why this seems so difficult for so many of us to process.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0isTGualn9A

Dave Slesinger - MIT Alum


Visualization in Science and Engineering Education

Violeta Ivanova, Program Leader and Instructor, ARTEMiS, Betsy Skrip, Lead Illustrator and Animator

Jan/30 Wed 02:00PM-05:00PM 2-147, Refreshments will be served

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Limited to 35 participants

The workshop will present principles and techniques for visual communication and will introduce tools and methods for creating visualizations of high aesthetic quality that accurately represent scientific and engineering concepts for education and research. Effective visualizations, including illustrations, 2D and 3D computer animations, movies, and games, will be analyzed and discussed in terms of visual structure, production workflow, software authoring tools, and media distribution formats. Examples will include visualizations in mathematics, physics, astronautics, biology, earth science, political science, and other fields, with an emphasis on visual media relevant to teaching and learning the MIT core curriculum both in a traditional classroom setting and via online educational platforms such as EdX. Topics will include:

·  Visual structure: composition, color, shape, rhythm, space, movement
·  Still images: illustrations, graphic design for print and web, data plots
·  Moving images: 2D and 3D computer animation, movies, games
·  Creative workflow: story development, production, curriculum integration
·  Technical issues: software, hardware, equipment, media file formats
·  Resources: finding good visualizations, working with artists, visual art training
·  Discussion: the role of visualization for education in the classroom and online

Please contact the ARTEMiS (web.mit.edu/artemis) visualization team (artemis-www@mit.edu) to reserve a spot, space is limited.

Sponsor(s): Office of Educational Innovation and Technology
Contact: Violeta Ivanova, NE48-308, artemis-www@mit.edu


Water, Engineers, and Malaria in Africa

Elfatih Eltahir, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Jan/27 Sun 09:30AM-02:00PM 48-316, Lunch will be provided

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)

Presentations by MIT students and Visiting Speakers will offer presentations of a multi disciplinary ( Engineering, Hydrology,

Entomology, Public Health) perspectives on the complex problem of malaria transmission in Africa, emphasizing recent field experiences from the region.

Sponsor(s): Civil and Environmental Engineering
Contact: Joanne Batziotegos, 48-216, (617) 452-3022, jtegos@mit.edu