Interactive and Visualized Online Experimentation System for Engineering Education and Research

Our protocol realizes remote and virtual experiments in online laboratories for teaching, learning, and also research. Theoretical knowledge and experimentation practice are combined to enhance the teaching and learning through our protocol. It provides a unified framework that enables theory-guided implementation, web-based algorithm design, customizable monitoring interface, and three-dimensional virtual and remote experimentation.

Zijie Wie and Shengwang Ye will help to demonstrate the procedure. Wei is working towards her master degree and Ye is working towards his PhD degree. To begin with, open a mainstream web browser and enter the URL www.powersim.whu.edu.cn/react.

Click on the start experiment button and write W-H-U-T-E-S-T as username and password to log into the system. Enter the WHU lab in the left side sub-laboratory list and choose WHU typical links for the experimentation, then enter the algorithm design sub-interface. Click on the create new model button and enter the web-based algorithm interface.

Build a circuit diagram using the provided blocks. Double click on the corresponding blocks to set the parameters, then click on the start simulation button. The simulation result will be provided in the interface.

Click on the start compilation button and wait until the design block diagram is generated into an executable control algorithm. This control algorithm can be downloaded and executed into the remote controller deployed at the task rig side to implement control algorithms. Click on the request control button to apply for the control of the circuit system.

Then click on the return button to the algorithm design sub-interface. Find the executable control algorithm under the private algorithm models panel. Click on the conduct an experiment button to download the design control algorithm to a remote controller.

Enter the configuration sub-interface and click on the create new monitor button to configure a monitoring interface. Include four text boxes for parameter tuning and one curve chart for signal monitoring. Link the signals and parameters with the selected widgets and set the x-axis range of the chart to 8S.

Click on the start button to start the experiment. Set the input voltage to zero volts and tune the capacitor C to five microfarads, Then set the input voltage to one volt. Log into the NCSLab system and enter the process control sub-laboratory.

Choose the double tank test rig and enter the algorithm design sub-interface. Design a proportional integral derivative or PID control algorithm following the steps described in example one. Double click on the PID controller and set proportional equals 1.12, integral equals 0.008 and derivative equals 6.6.

Then click on the start simulation button. Click on the configuration parameters button and enter the compile config panel to set the solver to ODE4. Generate the executable control algorithm and download the control algorithm to the remote controller.

Configure a monitoring interface with four text boxes for set point, P, I, and D.Include a chart for monitoring the water level and the corresponding set point. Set the x-axis range of the chart to 200S. Choose a 3D widget which can provide all angles of the test rigs and animations of water level connected with the real-time data.

Then click on the start button. Set the set point from 10 centimeters to five centimeters and then set I equals 0.1 when the height of the water level in the controlled tank reaches and stabilizes at five centimeters. Reset the set point from five centimeters to 15 centimeters.

Tune I from 0.1 to 0.01 and reset the set point from 15 centimeters to 25 centimeters. The overshoot gets eliminated and the water level stabilizes at the set point value of 20 centimeters. Log into the NCSLab system and choose fan speed control in the remote laboratory sub-laboratory.

Enter the algorithm design sub-interface and drag the blocks to construct the IMC control algorithm diagram. Then generate the executable control algorithm. Employ the fan speed control system to verify the designed IMC algorithm.

Configure a monitoring interface and link two text boxes with set point and lander for tuning. Then link a real-time chart with the set point and speed for monitoring. Select the 3D model widget of the fan and the camera widget and click on the start button to activate the real-time experimentation.

Reset the set point from 2, 000 RPM to 1, 500 RPM. And then finally, reset it from 1, 500 RPM to 2, 500 RPM. The real-time experiment of the first order system with the design control algorithm is shown here.

The parameters are tuneable and the signals can be monitored with the provided widgets. The representative images show real-time experimentation with the dual tank system after tuning the integral term from 0.1 to 0.01. The set point is reset from 15 centimeters to 25 centimeters.

The overshoot has been eliminated here. Real-time control can be achieved and the fan speed can be monitored using the fan speed control remote laboratory combined with a 3D virtual fan system. The physical fan system is located at Wuhan University and provides remote laboratory services to users worldwide.

coordinated control experiment for multi-agent can also be done, which can demonstrate the coordinated control performance agents in the remote laboratory. This technology realize the online sharing of experimental equipment and diversify the development of experimental teaching providing a good demonstration for the development of remote and three-dimensional virtual combined laboratories.