Undergraduate laboratory experiences using uncertainty analysis to validate engineering models with experimental data

• Autores: W. G. Steele, J. A. Schneider
• Localización: The International journal of engineering education, ISSN-e 0949-149X, Vol. 23, no. 2, 2007, págs. 387-393
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Traditionally, the goals of engineering laboratory instruction have been to introduce students to various measurement devices along with associated methods of interpreting results in the context of experimental uncertainties. There is usually an emphasis on the demonstration of fundamental engineering principles in applications-oriented projects. Often, theoretical engineering models are used to compare predicted outcomes with the experimental results in order to demonstrate the appropriateness and/or limitations of the theoretical model. When making these comparisons, the uncertainty associated with an experiment's measurements is usually included; however, there is seldom consideration of the uncertainty associated with the theoretical model calculations. Students in the Mechanical Engineering (ME) program at Mississippi State University (MSU) are applying the concept of engineering model validation using uncertainty analysis. In this paper, their experiences are used to illustrate how this approach has been implemented in the undergraduate laboratory classes. The methodology is developed for model validation, and a case study from our senior mechanical engineering laboratory is presented which illustrates how the uncertainty of the model is combined with that from the experimental result to provide a quantification of the model's validity.