Satesh Narayana Namasivayam

Acoustic Absorption of Natural Fiber Composites

The current study is a bibliographic observation on prevailing tendencies in the development of acoustic absorption by natural fiber composites. Despite having less detrimental environmental effects and thorough availability, natural fibers are still unsuitable for wide implementation in industrial purposes. Some shortcomings such as the presence of moisture contents, thicker diameter, and lower antifungus quality hold up the progress of natural fiber composites in staying competitive with synthetic composites. The review indicates the importance of the pretreatment of fresh natural fiber to overcome these shortcomings. However, the pretreatment of natural fiber causes the removal of moisture contents which results in the decrease of its acoustic absorption performance. Incorporation of granular materials in treated fiber composite is expected to play a significant role as a replacement for moisture contents. This review aims to investigate the acoustic absorption behavior of natural fiber composites due to the incorporation of granular materials. It is intended that this review will provide an overview of the analytical approaches for the modeling of acoustic wave propagation through the natural fiber composites. The possible influential factors of fibers and grains were described in this study for the enhancement of low frequency acoustic absorption of the composites.

Mathematical Modelling and Acoustical Analysis of Classical Guitars and Their Soundboards

Research has shown that the soundboard plays an increasingly important role compared to the sound hole, back plate, and the bridge at high frequencies. The frequency spectrum of investigation can be extended to 5 kHz. Design of bracings and their placements on the soundboard increase its structural stiffness as well as redistributing its deflection to nonbraced regions and affecting its loudness as well as its response at low and high frequencies. This paper attempts to present a review of the current state of the art in guitar research and to propose viable alternatives that will ultimately result in a louder and better sounding instrument. Current research is an attempt to increase the sound level with bracing designs and their placements, control of natural frequencies using scalloped braces, as well as improve the acoustic radiation of this instrument at higher frequencies by deliberately inducing asymmetric modes in the soundboard using the concept of “splitting board.” Various mathematical methods are available for analysing the soundboard based on the theory of thin plates. Discrete models of the instrument up to 4 degrees of freedom are also presented. Results from finite element analysis can be utilized for the evaluation of acoustic radiation.

A case study on the implementation of the conceive – design – implement – operate framework:

The conceive – design – implement – operate educational framework is implemented by educators to generate graduates who are able to tackle complex engineering challenges. A set of 12 standards define this framework and how to implement it. Taylor’s School of Engineering has been part of this framework for the past six years and utilises it in the design of its engineering curriculum. This paper shares the Taylor’s experience in adopting the framework by explaining the aforementioned underlying standards. The article guides the reader to evaluate the compliance to each standard, and the corresponding success in implementation.

Final Year Engineering Project and Its Contribution to Holistic Education

The final year project is a crucial component of engineering undergraduate education that is made a compulsory requirement by engineering accreditation bodies worldwide. This paper documents an approach toward the final year engineering project that is consistent with an outcome-based education methodology as required by accreditation bodies but also incorporates the development of a desirable range of graduate capabilities through its unique approach. The method, implementation, measurement of outcomes, and survey findings on the students taking this module are presented in this paper. For the measurement of outcomes, both qualitative and quantitative approaches were utilized. The quantitative approach consisted of using a Likert scale online survey as well as a software tool to capture the marks from various assessment components of the module to use as a comparison. The software tool links these assessment components to the module learning outcomes and the learning domains of Bloom’s taxonomy. The marks attained were considered to be reflective of the attainment of the outcomes. The qualitative approach utilized a written survey that is part of the online survey. This online survey focused on student perceptions assessed through the Likert scale and written feedback instead of marks. The data obtained from both approaches were analyzed and compared, and the final year project module is evaluated for its effectiveness in delivering holistic education. These different approaches substantiated the findings of one another and helped determine to what extent the holistic education outcomes were achieved.

Utilisation of the conceive-design-implement-operate framework in a mechanical engineering capstone project

The Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate framework was initiated around 20 years ago at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in order to reform engineering education to cope with the latest needs and challenges available in the industry. MIT researchers thought of the set of skills that graduates would need to have upon graduation. Then they developed the framework and syllabus, and then ran it through pilot programmes to monitor and refine its underlying approaches. The framework takes into account students’ ‘Technical Knowledge and Reasoning’, ‘Personal and Professional Skills’, ‘Interpersonal Skills’ and ability to ‘Conceive-Design-Implement and Operate’ engineering system or processes. It is now well established with over 100 universities applying its concepts to enhance engineering education. The framework defines 12 standards, which are implemented to describe the frameworks structure. This framework has been applied to several modules (or courses) within Taylor’s School of Engineering. In particular, the present investigation discusses the application of this framework within the context of a Capstone Project module in the school’s Mechanical Engineering Programme. This module is a yearlong, 3rd year module within a 4-year engineering degree programme where students are tasked to design and build a complex engineering system. This paper discusses how the framework is used to enhance students’ ability to brainstorm and develop suitable and sustainable engineering design solutions for a specified design challenge. The paper will discuss what the students have accomplished in each part of the conceive-design-implement-operate framework stages, as well as how these techniques have enabled them to appropriately design an engineering solution in addition to the rubrics used to assess them in each part of the framework.

An analytical model for computing the sound power of an unbraced irregular-shaped plate of variable thickness

An irregular-shaped plate with dimensions identical to a guitar soundboard is chosen for this study. It is well known that the classical guitar soundboard is a major contributor to acoustic radiation at high frequencies when compared to the bridge and sound hole. This paper focuses on using an analytical model to compute the sound power of an unbraced irregular-shaped plate of variable thickness up to frequencies of 5 kHz. The analytical model is an equivalent thin rectangular plate of variable thickness. Sound power of an irregular-shaped plate of variable thickness and with dimensions of an unbraced Torres’ soundboard is determined from computer analysis using ANSYS. The number of acoustic elements used in ANSYS for accurate simulation is six elements per wavelength. Here we show that the analytical model can be used to compute sound power of an unbraced irregular-shaped plate of variable thickness.

The Journey of TGCSP with Special Attention on Service Learning

Service learning has picked up momentum in the engineering education field over the past decade due to its two pronged benefits to the students’ learning experience as well as to the community. While it is usually embedded within the curriculum in terms of execution, the Taylor’s Grand Challenge Scholars Programme (TGCSP) runs it in parallel with formal curriculum. TGCSP was developed to nurture holistic engineers capable of addressing the grand challenges defined by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), USA, which stand in the way for humankind’s survival of the next century. Service learning is the fifth programme outcome (GCPO5) of TGCSP which scholars must attain in order for them to be able to graduate with TGCSP certification which is endorsed by NAE. This paper outlines the structure of implementation and assessment of GCPO5. In addition, the scholars’ perception on how their journey towards attainment of GCPO5 has impacted their learning experience will also be discoursed.

Correlation Study Between CGPA and PO Attainments: A Case Study for Taylor’s University School of Engineering

Despite the decades-long implementation of outcome-based education (OBE) in engineering education, the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) is still being used by many employers as the sole metric of the graduate’s performance. CGPA indicates the general abilities of a graduate but not specific enough to identify whether the abilities he possessed is fit for the job. Generally, employers want to see what the graduate can do. In the growing competitiveness in the job market, employers are now looking for engineering graduates with the right hard and soft skills that could handle the complexity of the job. This is a major reason why universities offering engineering programmes are employing OBE framework in its quest to prepare graduates to be job-ready upon graduation. In spite of this, recent literature revealed that many employers find it difficult to get the right graduate for a specific engineering job. This reflects the inability of CGPA to show what the graduate knows and is able to do upon graduation. The questions now are “Do graduates with high CGPA possess adequate skills to be job ready?” and “Do graduates with low CGPA possess inadequate skills to be job ready? This paper presents a correlation study between CGPA and programme outcomes (PO) attainments to determine whether they are convergent or divergent. The result of this study can serve as a basis whether CGPA can still be considered as a valid metric of job performance or should it be supplemented by a PO certificate to complement the CGPA.

Novel implementation of natural fibro-granular materials as acoustic absorbers

In this study, a new innovative fibro-granular composite was prepared as a natural acoustic material by combining fibrous and granular materials. Delany–Bazley model and Biot–Allard techniques were utilized to estimate the absorption coefficient of the developed composite material. The predicted values were validated through an analytical outcome employing Johnson–Champoux–Allard technique and an experimentally measured value which were conducted in an impedance tube. The outcomes showed the reflection of the good agreement between the analytical and experimental methods. The current research concluded that the introduction of granular materials provides significant contribution in enhancing the surface area within the composite, thereby achieving a promising acoustic absorption in the low-frequency region which is below 1 kHz. In addition, the current research also reports that, like Johnson–Champoux–Allard model, Delany–Bazley and Biot–Allard models are also two efficient analytical tools for predicting the significant low-frequency acoustic absorption performance of a fibro-granular composite.

Quantitative Assessment of Students’ Cognitive, Psychomotor, and Affective Learning Skills for Taylor’s University Engineering Programs

Local and foreign universities offering engineering programs transform the engineering education from the traditional content-based and input-centered method into an outcome-based education (OBE) and output-centered method. This paradigm shift centers on what is essential for all students to know and be able to do successfully at the end of their learning experiences. Thus, assessment of students’ general graduate attributes such as cognitive, psychomotor, and affective learning skills is of great importance to monitor and gauge the students’ readiness to meet the higher skill requirement of the job market upon graduation. This paper presents a quantitative assessment of students’ cognitive, psychomotor, and affective (CPA) learning skills for Taylor’s University engineering programs. An end-of-semester assessment tool (ESAT) was developed and used to assess the students’ CPA learning skills in the module level and the program level. All modules were used to assess the cohort’s CPA learning skills based on the guidelines set by the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC). The result of this assessment offers valuable information that can be used for continual quality improvement (CQI) action planning and further improvement of the program module delivery.