Alejandro Lozano Guzmán

Investigation of a 27-Fatality Road Crash Involving a Double Road Tanker Impacting the Central Barrier

In a context in which a succession of crashes involving double combination vehicles has occurred in Mexico during 2012 and 2013, a catastrophic accident occurred on May 7, 2013, burning-killing 27 people whose homes were located adjacent to the road. In this case, the double combination carried Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in both containers, the second of which exploded as a consequence of its decoupling from the vehicle and roll over. The impact of the tractor against the median barrier due to an excessive evasive maneuver sparked a first conflagration due to a fuel leakage, which supplied the heat for the warming and subsequent explosion of the rolled-over container. The cabin of the tractor-semitrailer caught fire but the driver was able to move the vehicle 500 meters away from the crash spot. The analysis suggests that several characteristics of the vehicle and infrastructure could have mitigated or prevented the catastrophic consequences of this event, along with an appropriate response from the emergency response agencies. In particular, both, a B-train vehicular configuration and a vertical barrier could have prevented the occurrence of the fatal roll over.Copyright

Design of a Counterweight Walker Active Therapeutic Movement Rehabilitation Rig

According to INEGI (National Institute for Statistics and Geography), in 2004 there were around 730,000 people in Mexico with the need of some kind of mechanical aid to regain ability to walk. Support equipment for regaining the ability to walk normally is manufactured outside of Mexico. This equipment is complex and very expensive. In this work, the design of a walking ability rehabilitation aid is presented. This work is carried out applying the modular design concept. This ensures that all client needs are fulfilled by the resultant product, and that these needs are measurable and controllable. Basic idea behind this design is supporting part of patient’s weight and that of an exoskeleton on a mechanical device. Basic kinematics and dynamic calculation are presented, as well as simulations results. This information shows the feasibility of building and operating this rehabilitation walking aid.Copyright

Modular Product Design, Considering Functions and Properties

In traditional machine, equipment and devices design, technical solutions are practically independent, thus increasing designs cost and complexity. Overcoming this situation has been tackled just using designers experience. In this work, a data clustering method which allows this data presentation in a more systematic way using a matrix arrangement, is shown. From this matrix, data can be reorganized in clusters with a hierarchical structure, in such a way that modular design is now more tractable. Proposed method is based on a Euclidean algorithm which allows finding the shortest vectorial distance among technical solutions. Taking product properties as vector dimensions, a recursive method for moving matrix rows and columns is applied. As a result of this procedure, the minimum vector distances are found thus being possible to identify the best technical solutions for the design problem raised. The proposed modular procedure is shown with a 30 inches oven door design.Copyright

Bridging Academia and Industry Gap, Through Global Competencies: Industrial Outreach Program US-Mexico

Global competencies of engineering graduates have been identified as traits that are increasingly necessary for professional competitiveness of graduates, but continue to be elusive and difficult to address in the engineering curricula. Study abroad and experiential learning programs have been invoked to address some of the global competencies with varied degrees of success. In this paper, a faculty-led program model developed by West Virginia University and several institutions in Mexico and the US is presented, in which senior engineering students from the US and Mexico team up to conduct meaningful engineering projects in industry in Mexico. Intermixed teams of students are formed and placed in various industrial sites to work full time under the advice of engineering practitioners and faculty members from both Mexico and USA. Global competencies are addressed in the context of a project that requires students to work with peers of similar disciplines and level across language and cultural barriers.Copyright