openME 55.2

February 2024

“Visionary”

INTERNSHIP HOW IS LIFE IN DENMARK

STUDY PLACE REVIEW

BUILDING A FUTURE EINDHOVEN

JOIN US

On our Education | Career | Leisure

ACTIVITIES

PREFACE Dear reader, As the days get longer and we return from the second academic holiday, we find d ourselves on the doorstep of the second semester. Freshmen have settled in, while seasoned bachelor students start their BFP or contemplate starting a master’s degree. Time to start thinking about the future of your academic career.

Together with the editorial committee, I am delighted to present the new edition of the openME: A testament to the visionary spirit that defines us as mechanical engineers at TU/e. As we navigate the intricate web of signals, materials, and forces, we are driven not only by the pursuit of knowledge but also by the desire to shape the future - truly visionary!

In this edition, you can read about the futuristic concepts of student teams at TU/e, the future of W.S.V. Simon Stevin and the city centre of Eindhoven. Shape your academic future with insights into interdepartmental master’s programs and honors tracks, and discover the ideal study spots through our study-place review!

As you turn the pages of this new edition, we hope you find inspiration, insight, and a renewed thin you and sense of purpose in your journey as a Mechanical Engineer. Embrace the visionary within let these stories propel you forward into the possibilities that lie ahead.

Wishing you an enlightening and visionary reading experience.

With kind regards,

COLOFON

Stefan Geerts Editor-in-Chief

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February 2024, volume 55, issue 2 The ‘openME’ is a publication by the study Association for Mechanical Engineering Simon Stevin of the Eindhoven University of Technology Editor-in-Chief Stefan Geerts Design Maartje Borst, Rik Lubbers, Roelof Mestriner, Joel Peeters, Lex Verberne Layout Jasper Bekkers. Stefan Geerts, Ben Gortemaker, Aditya Shekhar

Editorial committee Aryan Bakermans, Jasper Bekkers. Stefan Geerts, Anastasia Ghlighvashvili, Imke Goofers, Ben Gortemaker, Daniël Kleinjan, Aditya Shekhar, Tom Slangen Illustrations and Pictures Editorial committee, Photo committee, source stated otherwise Printing office Drukkerij Snep Circulation 800 pieces

Contact Eindhoven University of Technology Traverse 0.34 Den Dolech 2 5612AZ Eindhoven Post office box 513 E-mail: redactie@simonstevin.tue.nl Homepage: simonstev.in

FEATURED SOLAR TEAM: TO THE SAHARA

INTERNSHIP: HOW IS LIFE IN DENMARK

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TECH

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Team Energy

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Oldschool greenscreens

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Solar Team: To the Sahara

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The engineering of the Boeing 787

INTERNSHIP: HOW IS LIFE IN DENMARK

Join me in the realm of my internship in Denmark on architectural and civil engineering, where I dove into the intriguing world of wind turbine blade dynamics and stress analysis.

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STUDY PLACE REVIEW

The TU/e campus is an important place to study for those unfortunate enough to live with others. There are many places you can take your laptop and grind on some SSA’s, but how do you choose which ones to go to?

HEPHTIG: BUILDING A FUTURE EINDHOVEN

Eindhoven, our beloved City of Light, is in the midst of a heavy makeover.

Hold on tight because the next five years are going to be off the charts.

Let me take you on a tour of a few projects on the horizon.

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24 EDUCATION

Rail roads: The engineering challenge

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Internship: How is life in Denmark

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PhD: Design of new interferometer

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Quality ME

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Gemini-N | Labs of tomorrow

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Interdepartmental Masters for ME

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TU/e Honors Academy

STUDY PLACE REVIEW

HEPHTIG: BUILDING A FUTURE EINDHOVEN

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Interview: AAE BV

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Shell: Smart brains needed!

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ASSOCIATION

SPONSORED BY

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BAColumn: De Beghinselen der Weeghconst

TU/e Mechanical Engineering

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An Association ready for the future

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Study place review

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Hephtig: Building a future Eindhoven

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BACo borrel review

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Sταυt: The professionals of debating

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The history of the ReAcCie Buoy

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Puzzles

AAE BV Shell ExxonMobil

HOW IS LIFE IN DENMARK WRITTEN BY PERONNE HOPSTAKEN Embark on a journey with me as I explore Aarhus, a hidden gem beyond Copenhagen.

From its historic charm to the modern vibes of Aarhus, this article shares my experiences living in this diverse city—navigating lively nightlife and braving windy bike rides. Join me in the realm of my internship in architectural and civil engineering, where I dove into the intriguing world of wind turbine blade dynamics and stress analysis.

Living in Aarhus

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Everybody knows the capital city of Denmark: Copenhagen, but not many people know the second largest city of Denmark: Aarhus. Aarhus, or in Danish Århus, is a port city on the northeast coast of Jutland, the mainland of Denmark. The port of Aarhus is the largest in Denmark, because of its good location.

This is also the reason why the Vikings settled down on the land and founded the city in the 8th century. In the city, the heritage can still be seen in the architecture and some landmarks, and a lot of museums about the history. But Aarhus is not only an old port city, recently they added a part to the city on the sea (very Dutch-like). It’s called Aarhus ø and it’s a nice place with modern buildings surrounded by sea with a lot of cosy, or as they say in Danish: hygge, coffee and food places and even a harbour bath with sauna. Aarhus also has a big university, with not only technical studies but also faculties in business, health, art and natural sciences.

Education Enough facts about Aarhus, what is it like to live there? In my opinion: great. The city has everything you want. The centre has a big shopping street, a Latin quarter with very cute streets and stores, a concert hall, a lot of bars around the Aarhus river, it’s close to the sea, close to a national park, it has a lot of history, and I could go on for a while. The nightlife is vibrant, even though the alcohol is pretty expensive. I was a bit in shock when looking at my bank account after the first night out, I am not used to those prices here in the Weeghconst and the Peppers.

Of course, there is much more to do than only going out. Since the city is located on the coast, the beaches are very nearby.

During the summertime, these are very nice to go to. A lot of young people are just chilling at the beach during the day or making campfires in the evening. The sea is also very clear, it’s one of the most clean waters in Europe. When you go outside the city, there is also a lot of forest, which is nice to walk or bike in.

Like the Netherlands, Danish people bike a lot. This is because

Denmark is also a flat country, they told me. Well yes, but not Aarhus. I had to bike up the steepest ‘mountain’ of Denmark every day (that’s what they told me, probably not true). The Danish people from my research group told me that I could take my bike on the tram for free, but of course, as a real Dutchie, I went on my bike every day. I have to say that sometimes I regret my choice. Aarhus is namely very windy, because it’s close to the sea, and the wind is also very cold.

Not only Aarhus has a lot to offer, but also Denmark itself. Denmark is about the same size as The Netherlands but has a population of not even 6 million people.

Therefore, Denmark has a lot of nature and national parks. Because of all the islands that Denmark has, a lot of different nature can be found inside the same country, it even has a dessert. The seas also provide some special places like the North and East seas colliding at the Northern point of Denmark, the Wadden Sea National Park in the south-west or the big waves in the north-west which provide a good place for surfing.

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Education But doing all those things on your own is not always fun, so where did I make friends during my stay in Aarhus? My luck was that a new building opened just a week before I went to Denmark. Basecamp Student Housing is a building with rooms for students and the entire level floor was a common area, with a party room, cinema, pingpong table, yoga room, fitness hall and study areas. For me, this was the perfect opportunity to make new friends.

The project

Now let’s talk about what I did for my internship there. Within the department of architectural and civil engineering, I helped to get more insight into the material deflection and stresses of wind turbine blades. For this, I wrote multiple Python scripts from scratch. The first part of my internship was looking into the multi-body dynamics of wind turbine blades. The schematic of the blades is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: schematic of wind turbine multi-body dynamics.

Using KANE’s method, the position of the blade tips is updated for each time step. This eventually gives the blade tip displacement during rotation, which is shown in Figure 2, for blades 2 and 3. For blade 1, a hybrid test is done. This means that the code is connected to an experimental setup. The setup consists of a cantilever beam which is connected to one actuator at the end.

The actuator puts the given displacement from the code on the cantilever beam. Instead of computing the blade stiffness with the code, it comes from the force the actuator feels from the cantilever beam. This results in the displacement shown for blade 1 in Figure 2. In both cases, an oscillation can be seen. This is because the gravity forces have more effect in the horizontal configurations of the blades than in the vertical.

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Figure 2: blade tip displacement during rotation

Education

The main focus of the internship was however on making a digital twin for a 2-DoF test bench, which is shown in Figure 3. This shows a steel square frame with a smaller steel square frame in it. Two actuators are attached to the smaller square. A cantilever beam is with one side attached to the big steel frame and with the other side to the two actuators. A FEM analysis is written in Python, to calculate the resulting stresses and forces in the cantilever beam after deflection. This is done for simple

beam2D elements and for more complex solid2D elements.

The deflection of the cantilever beam for solid2D elements is shown in Figure 4. With the resulting forces, the reaction forces through the actuators on the steel frame can be calculated with the Taghirad jacobian. With this, the stresses in the steel frame can be computed. In Figure 5 the yy values in the steel frame are shown. This gives more insight into the lifetime of the experimental setup.

The goal of these codes is to be able to implement them on the experimental setups of the wind turbine blades and rotors.

Unfortunately, this was not possible to do during this internship because of the short time and the procedures with the wind turbine companies and test companies.

Therefore, the experimental setup that was available at Aarhus University was chosen to work on. Making a code that could later also be implemented for other setups.

Figure 3: schematic of the 2-DoF test bench

Figure 4: Deformation of the cantilever beam with controlled displacement of 0.014 mm, which is gotten from the multi-body dynamics code.

Figure 5: Normalized yy stress in the steel frame

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Tech

TEAM ENERGY

WRITTEN BY ADITYA SHEKHAR AND ANASTASIA GHLIGHVASHVILI

Inform. Inspire. Connect. These are the three principles of team energy, a student team composed of students from the Eindhoven University of Technology. This year, the team is celebrating its 10th anniversary and to commemorate this achievement, we interviewed some of the team’s long-standing members.

About Team Energy

The motivation behind forming the team was to organise events, through which they seek to inform, inspire and connect other students, researchers and professionals to partake in the energy transition. This led to the team developing a vast network of partners and alumni, which provided an environment for team members to develop their professional skills and familiarise themselves with the leading companies in the energy field.

The team has three distinct committees: Energy Bites, Energy Schools, and Energy Now. This allows team members to find a niche they are interested in within the large theme of a sustainable future.

Committees within Team Energy

Energy Bites has gone through a major transition over the years. Initially, it was called “Energy Cafe”. Companies used to host case nights where students could brainstorm and come up with solutions to issues plaguing the company at the time. The

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night was very informal, creating a comforting environment, and combining knowledge and fun. Due to many factors, the number of attendees was low so it was rebranded to Energy Bites. The committee now hosts lunch lectures. The name was inspired by a play on the word bite - bite as in a bite of food or a bite of knowledge. On the 28th of November, the committee hosted a lunch lecture in collaboration with Signify, hosted by Harry Verhaar, with over 40 students attending the event!

Energy Schools: The principle behind Energy Schools is to educate the youth of Eindhoven on the energy transition.

Members of Energy schools visit secondary schools in the Eindhoven region conducting lectures to 12-15-year-olds.

The lectures are conducted in Dutch. The idea is to provide information and interactive games to the pupils to get them actively involved in the lectures, making learning about the climate crisis and energy transition a fun activity. The guest lectures are now frequently referred to as Masterclasses.

Tech Energy Now, an annual sustainable energy congress, is the

biggest event hosted by Team Energy. We conducted a separate interview with the chairman of Energy Now, Robin Van De Hoef.

Established in 2016, the Energy Now Congress has become a key event for professionals, researchers, and students in the field of sustainable energy. While each congress has been successful, the event held at the PSV stadium two years ago stands out as particularly memorable. The unique venue, along with the unconventional use of dressing rooms as spaces to host workshops, left a lasting impression on the attendees.

Robin shares that the workshops are the most detailed and interactive parts which he enjoys. Another congress highlight is the discussion panel, which offers a lot of unique and diverse views, showcasing varying perspectives on major topics. The discussions are at a high level, which is unique in their aspect.

At the core of the Energy Now Congress lies a carefully planned process that brings together individuals and companies. This journey from the conceptualization to the execution highlights the dedication and collaborative spirit of the team. Anticipation builds for the next Energy Now Congress in May 2024. The team is hard at work to host another successful event with innovation, collaboration and inspiration, propelling the energy transition.

Interviews with the team

In an interview with Andy, the Secretary of Team Energy, he shares his motivation for joining the team - his desire to develop soft and communication skills, gain insights into corporate engagement and connect with fellow energy transition enthusiasts while pursuing a Master’s degree in Sustainable Energy Technology. As the team’s secretary, Andy plays a vital role in maintaining meeting records, managing emails, and providing support across the three committees of Team Energy. His degree has provided him with valuable insights into working effectively in multidisciplinary teams. However, beyond the professional aspects of his role, Andy finds joy in collaborating with like-minded individuals who share his enthusiasm for the energy transition towards a sustainable future.

Team Energy was a starting point for a lot of members to join the industry. A primary example is Minke Goes, one of the founders of Team Energy. She now works at Ecofys, a global consultancy which advises companies on how to prepare for and carry out the sustainable energy transition to reach the targets set in the Paris Agreement, as a consultant. In 2016, Ecofys joined forces with Navigant and is now part of the leading global energy consultancy.

The team had trouble recruiting new members as there are many student teams, but only one pool of students. The team fights hard for its existence, frequently taking a stand against the very corporations backing them if their values do not align.

Team Energy is always looking for new initiatives to engage with their members. Currently, they are working on a podcast, focusing on the energy transition and interviewing people in the industry. Their goal will always remain to inform, inspire, and connect. Team Energy offers a starting point for energy enthusiasts looking to break into the industry. You get to learn and develop amongst like-minded people who come from all walks of life, including different studies, countries, and continents!

In an interview with Stylianos, Treasurer for the Energy Now Committee within Team Energy, he describes his motivations for joining the team - expressing the desire to be a part of a community sharing similar ideas about the world and finding a sense of belonging. In his role as Treasurer, Stylianos holds a crucial position in making budget decisions and managing responsibilities such as selecting event locations and more. With a Master’s degree in Sustainable Energy Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, he highlights the valuable connections made through his academic background, especially in understanding the complexities of hosting a successful congress. Beyond the professional side of his role, Stylianos enjoys the free beer, and team evenings which are hosted throughout the year.

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Career

INTERVIEW AAE BV Imagery by AAE BV

WRITTEN BY STEFAN GEERTS

‘Move the world happily forward by providing groundbreaking high-tech solutions’ is the core mission of AAE. Established in 1976, this family-owned business has been at the forefront of high-tech manufacturing solutions. AAE specializes in the development and production of production systems for Ultra Conditioned Precision modules, Advanced OEM Systems, and Printing & Assembly Automation. We were invited to speak with Marc Luijten, Mechanical Engineer in heart and soul, about the possibilities within AAE. Pushing technical boundaries at AAE

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In 1976, AAE (Advanced Automated Equipment), opened its doors in Helmond, the Netherlands. After 15 years, the company moved to the location where the main building is still located today, following the lead of CEO William Pijnenburg. The family company continued to expand both its employee number and production capacity. In 2024, AAE counts 540+ employees spread over 2 locations in Helmond and new intercontinental locations in the USA and Asia.

The second is the Advanced OEM System production branch.

This branch works together with companies ranging from highpotential startups to established high-tech companies looking to scale up by establishing their entire production strategically with their partners. This line focuses on sectors from Medical to Consumer Goods to Life Sciences. In this branch, AAE works together with a client to make their production process scaleable and efficient.

The company is based around 3 different business lines. The first of which is the Ultra Conditioned Precision Modules branch. This branch focuses on Semicon and Life Sciences, with highly specific knowledge of high pressure, temperature, vacuums, material specifications and tolerances. Within this department, the focus lies on the process of creating a module for a production system, contrary to other branches focussing on creating a full production system. This R&D is done for high-tech OEMs. The main building has a large cleanroom in the centre, facilitating this branch.

The last branch joined the company in 1992; Grauel - Printing and Assembly Automation. The unique expertise in both printing and assembly makes the branch focused on the integration of their machinery in larger production lines. With 3 different printing techniques and various pre-and post-processing, machines easily get too complex. To maintain efficiency and reliability, a big factor in this branch is simplicity. From printing faces on plastic toys to printing the markings on medical syringes, the clients for this branch require completely different approaches.

Career

Proud to be part of something great

We were welcomed by Marc Luijten to the main building of AAE in Helmond. The building is filled to the brim with large mechanical production systems being developed, built and tested. The pure enthusiasm of Marc explaining the systems in the building hall and the projects he worked on immediately sparked our interest.

“I started my mechanical engineering career at the HTS (technical college) from which I continued to the TU/e to further develop my mechanical engineering skills”, Marc explained. “That is where I learned all about the classical mechanical engineering skills that I got to use at my first employer developing packaging machine lines.” These skills further developed when Marc joined AAE. “I was always spoiled with the machines I got to draw. Especially at AAE, where the classical, more robust, mechanical engineering skills are combined with high-precision methods. This makes the design of a machine much more complex and challenging for us as system engineers” “The core of the company can be described using the colour metaphor”, Marc explains. “AAE is described as ‘red/yellow,’ symbolizing growth from a young age. ‘Red’ signifies a proactive, action-oriented approach, while ‘yellow’ adds a creative touch.

The incorporation of ‘green’, as in the logo, represents the humane side, an element cherished within the organization.”

Marc Luijten

“This proactive and entrepreneurial spirit allows for learning from mistakes which is extremely important in our field of engineering. AAE emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, particularly from the production process, shaping individuals into professionals.”

"The challenges are limitless" A day at AAE

“At AAE, we have a unique strength in working in a wide variety of industries. It’s something that sets us apart. Our ability to seamlessly switch between different sectors comes from our natural growth as a company and the collective experience within our team”, Marc explains. “Our more experienced team members bring a precise understanding of the mechanical aspects, having been in the field for a while. On the other side, our newer members come up with fresh ideas and perspectives that keep the products innovative.”

“The company’s approach is a blend of science and production capacity. You often need innovative solutions to produce what the client requests but the next step is the efficiency of manufacturing such a machine. We don’t just focus on creating cutting-edge machines but also prioritize making them more reliable. When a machine is deployed, we strive to achieve an OEE above 85%, that is world-class machinery.”

Each team member is assigned to projects based on their strengths and preferences. This ensures that every project receives the right kind of attention. It’s this adaptability that allows us to take on diverse challenges and sectors, showcasing the large amount of opportunities for growth and innovation as an employee within the company.

“For AAE, the pride lies in creating highly specialized machines, making each project a unique challenge. The innovation cycle doesn’t end with the completion of a machine; there’s a constant drive to refine and enhance functionalities. Innovations often originate from real-world challenges, leading to improvements in cost-effectiveness, energy efficiency, and overall performance when the machine is already being deployed.”

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Career Past to the future

“At the beginning of my professional career, everything was done using camshafts. This was reliable but bulky. Nowadays, the use of servos and techniques alike are used almost exclusively in some companies. The classical approach of Mechanical Engineering, emphasizing the effectiveness of traditional solutions, is a distinctive feature retained at AAE.”

“The demands of the medical industry challenge AAE since precision and safety are extremely important in this industry.”

The company’s flexibility to tailor systems to individual preferences sets it apart as a trusted partner in delivering solutions that meet the demanding requirements of various industries.

They believe in the long-lasting value of mechanical solutions, maintaining a balance between traditional approaches and modern innovations, Marc explained.

In response to the evolving landscape, AAE strategically developed its workforce by bringing in specialists across various domains, such as printing, metallurgy, and vacuum technology.

With the wide field of clients that AAE works with, different disciplines within the company can educate each other on new methods that are not commonly used in a specific field.

“These specialists not only contribute technical expertise but also play a crucial role in mentoring and sharing knowledge throughout the production process.”

“The medical industry, in particular, demands a deep dive into specifications and validations, focusing on patient safety. This specialized approach, combined with the flexibility to shape a system to individual preferences, makes AAE a reliable partner for diverse industries.”

The inclusion of these specialists is not only a reactive measure but a proactive strategy aligned with AAE’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements. As mentors, these specialists guide the workforce through the intricacies of their respective domains, catalyzing a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Concluding AAE provides an environment where creativity, innovation, and traditional mechanical engineering come together.

For mechanical engineering students aspiring to work in the robotics/ manufacturing industry, AAE offers a sandbox with continuous learning and a wide variety of industries to work for!

We would like to thank Marc for the enthusiastic tour and interview!

If you want to know more about AAE, make sure to visit their website AAEBV.com

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Education

DESIGN OF XY-STAGE DISPLACEMENT MEASURING INTERFEROMETRY WITH ENLARGED ANGLE ACCEPTANCE

PHD PROJECT Choosing the challenging path of a PhD is a significant milestone for any aspiring researcher, and the experience becomes even more valuable when it involves a seamless integration of academic research with practical industry applications. In this article, we delve deeply into the academic research project of Kevin Looman, a Doctoral Candidate at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Mechatronic Systems Design (MSD) research group. Through his journey, we unravel the relationship between academia and industry, offering interesting insights to Master’s and Bachelor’s students in the field of Mechanical Engineering.

WRITTEN BY STEFAN GEERTS IN COLLABORATION WITH KEVIN LOOMAN

Phd Student Control Systems Technology

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Education Research Focus

Within the large domain of Mechanical Engineering, Kevin Looman has established his expertise within the Control Systems Technology (CST) and Mechatronic Systems Design (MSD) research group at TU/e. His research project, a collaborative effort with Prodrive Technologies, is focused on the development of an "XY-stage displacement measuring interferometry with enlarged angle acceptance." This research aims to increase the flexibility and applicability of existing metrology techniques that currently excel in measurement range and uncertainty. To do this, multiple mechanical engineering practices like highperformance mechanics, mechatronic systems, and design principles for precision engineering are used.

The Collaborative PhD Project

His work at Prodrive Technologies continued during his PhD project, where Kevin started his research in collaboration with Prodrive. “This collaborative spirit between TU/e and Prodrive Technologies is at the heart of my PhD journey”, Kevin explains.

“My project is a good example of the fruitful synergy between academic research and industrial applications. Things

discovered at the university are often implemented and (partly) funded by companies. In Eindhoven, this is often the case with companies in the region like Brainport.”

One notable aspect of Kevin's PhD journey is the symbiotic relationship between the academic and industrial requirements.

“Within the Design for precision engineering group, for example, all PhD projects are collaborations between the TU/e and various companies, just like many graduation projects.”

Kevin sheds light on the delicate dance of collaboration, emphasizing the mutual benefits for both parties involved in the project. “While companies often seek tangible outcomes such as working prototypes and patents, TU/e aims to contribute to the academic knowledge pool through publications. This can be seen back in the set goals of my research for example.”

Kevin’s academic journey began at TU/e, where he earned both his Bachelor’s and a Cum Laude Master’s degree in mechanical engineering. The summary of his academic career before his PhD was showcased in his master’s project, “Design of a hybrid reluctance actuator with stiffness compensation for EUV mirror actuation.” This project accentuated his ability to seamlessly integrate electromagnetic, mechanical, and control analyses to design an actuator with superior mechanical behaviour. Prior to his PhD, Kevin contributed to the industry as an optomechanical designer at Prodrive Technologies, working on a displacement measuring interferometer.

“Scientifically, it is much more interesting to increase the usable angle of the interferometer by 50x or even 100x. This creates the need to think out of the box and use new techniques which are valuable to the research outcome. However, a company often only seeks a smaller increase with a more practical and realistic outcome such as a working prototype or modified version of an already existing concept. This part of the project, identifying the goal, took quite some time due to these different interests.”

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While it may seem like these factors only make the research harder, Kevin also mentioned the large benefits of working together with a company for your PhD. “Most spend one or two days per week at the company site to do their research. This environment gives a completely different vibe compared to the TU offices. This combination is really interesting to have. When working at the company, you can see the practical part of your theoretical research. The practical insights from colleagues can also help improve the outcome of the research.”

“Since I was already working at Prodrive before I started my PhD, this collaboration felt like working with my old colleagues, which made it a fun atmosphere to work in.”

Navigating the PhD Landscape

Kevin provides valuable insights into the process of applying for a PhD project. “You don’t choose a PhD project, you apply for one. The project is often initiated by a professor, sometimes in collaboration with a company. Funding is usually arranged before a PhDer is found. Solicitation for a project is done via a normal application procedure like for a job in industry.” It might seem like the project contents and direction are therefore decided by the professor that initiates the project, however Kevin experienced this differently. “The basics of the project goal will be set by others but it is up to you to find the exact gaps in literature and create the final project goal, which can sometimes be quite different from the initial basic project goal.”

Education “For a BFP, the answer to the project is almost always known to the supervisors. For a Master’s Thesis, only a vague direction for the answer is already known. This already gives a lot more responsibility to the graduating student. For a PhD-project, only the question is known. Finding the direction of your research is thus a big part of your time. Identifying gaps in knowledge and dedicating sufficient time for exploring the topic is essential for a successful PhD journey.”

Connection with Regular Education

Beyond the tasks of his PhD project, Kevin is actively involved in the education at TU/e. “I supervise 2 graduating students with their projects, for example. As a PhDer, you often have questions that are interesting for your research to answer but not possible within your schedule or do not fit within your research question.

These questions can be very interesting for Master graduates to solve.”

Next to this, many PhDers also guide courses that are closely related to their research. “I guide the design principles course in the bachelor ME by making and checking the progress tests

and being present at GSS hours. Next to this, I am also involved in the new master course Optomechatronics where I design the practica and help develop the course.”

Work-Life Balance and Mentorship

Addressing prevalent concerns about overworked PhD candidates, Kevin assures his personal experience is nothing like this. The working atmosphere is collaborative, creating a healthy work-life balance. “A tip from me: do not base your choice for a PhD project purely based on the topic but also think well about your supervisor when applying for a PhD project.

They have a certain way of working which is also expected from you. If this matches, the collaboration is very pleasant and expectations from both sides are matched.”

“Of course, there is a hard deadline for PhD work, you only get a 4-year contract within which you are expected to finish your research. This can be stressful but with a realistic supervisor you can see this deadline coming and base your work on it.”

Image by MECHANICAL DESIGN LAB

The project

Displacement measuring interferometry (DMI) is commonly used to measure displacements of high-precision stages. For an XY-stage, plane mirrors are often used as measurement targets as these allow for displacements orthogonal to the line of sight. In a typical double pass configuration, a plane-mirror DMI system limits the angular range of an XY-stage to <±1.5 mrad. Enlarging the angle acceptance of plane mirror DMI will increase the functionality of stages and can also enable plane mirror DMI for new applications.

Kevins research strives to design a measurement system with an enlarged angle acceptance of ±20 mrad, whilst keeping measurement uncertainty and Measurement Head (MH) size similar to the state-of-the-art systems with low angle acceptance.

Figure 1: Image of a typical stage interferometry setup showing the stage, two

Figure 2: Beam paths h for f a rotated d target, (top) ( ) the h typicall double d bl pass measurement head, (bottom) the proposed beam steering measurement head.

measurement heads and the laser source.

Source: https://www.zygo.com/products/nano-position-sensors

Current plane-mirror DMI systems typically use a double-pass MH since this has a higher angle acceptance than a single-pass HM. Despite its robustness against small angles, a double pass MH is unsuitable for further enlargement of angle acceptance.

Therefore, in this research, a novel application of a beam steering MH is proposed as a more attractive system for enlarging the angle acceptance.

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Education

Figure 3: Proof-of-concept setup as realized in the lab.

The concept of this beam steering measurement head is that the laser beam is steered by an active element, always keeping it orthogonal to the target mirror. This allows for enlarged angle acceptance without the need for an enlarged measurement head.

Furthermore, scaling errors are prevented since the laser beam is always aligned with the measurement direction of the mirror.

Realizing this beam steering measurement head poses some challenges. It brings together optics, (analog) electronics, data processing and precision mechanics. All these fields have to be combined into a working prototype that can measure displacements as small as 0.5 nm over a linear range of 0.5m and a rotational range of +/- 20 mrad.

At this moment in time, the potential of this technique is realised on paper and some very simple proof-of-principle setups have been built. One of which is shown above. Using this setup, I have proved the principle of generating an angular feedback signal using only one photodiode and the steering mirror.

The next step is to design a fully working demonstrator of the beam steering measurement head. At this moment this setup is in the designing phase. After this, the necessary components are ordered, and the experiments can be planned.

16 Image by Bart van Overbeeke

Figure 4: Design of the optical components and beam paths in Siemens NX

Conclusion

Kevin Looman's journey as a PhD candidate at TU/e serves as an insightful case study into the harmonious collaboration between academia and industry. Through his experiences, this article aims to guide and inspire Master's and Bachelor's students in Mechanical Engineering, encouraging them to carefully consider research projects, mentors, and the potential integration of industry collaboration. By doing so, students can pave the way for a rewarding and balanced PhD experience, where theoretical knowledge meets real-world applications in a seamless union.

Tech

OLD SCHOOL GREENSCREENS WRITTEN BY BEN GORTEMAKER

In the digital age of movie making, greenscreens are commonly used to merge reality with the artists’ imagination, be it hand-drawn or computer-generated. The technique of filtering out a certain part and making it opaque to layer an image can nowadays be done with little work by anybody. On top of that, there are even algorithms that can do this work for you as is commonly available in video calling. However, this currently easily achieved feature was quite difficult to do just 50 years ago, and many people were inventing and refining techniques to do so. This led to many creative and odd solutions to achieve the very same thing we do with ease today, and in this article, we’ll take a look at some of them.

1888-1895: First films The first film that was ever made was the Roundhay Garden Scene in 1888. Unfortunately, this first invention did not catch on, due to the poor quality. Other attempts at making films were made, but also lacked quality. It took another 7 years for the Lumiere brothers to release their first film in 1895 called “La Sortie de l’usine Lumière à Lyon”. This film had significantly better quality and it resulted in paying customers for films and it made filmmaking mainstream.

1898: Combined shot

From the first successful film it only took 2 years for people to try new and inventive techniques. In 1898 in the film Santa Claus two shots were combined for the first time. Here a shot of Santa entering the chimney is overlayed on top of a scene where children were put to bed. This was done by filming a second time over a part of a film that was dark in the first exposure. This double exposure then results in the combination of both shots.

Which for the time was revolutionary. This resulted in a floating part on top of the already recorded material. An advantage of this technique is that it allows the first shot to have actors be in the place we later Santa shows up.

painting stayed very popular until the digital age. An example of this is the 1987 film “Who is that girl”. In general, it became commonplace to use painting to create imaginary landscapes up until the advent of computer-generated images.

1917: Williams process

In 1917 the Williams process was patented. It works by filming a subject on a contrasting background. This then was copied and overexposed until there was only a black contour around the subject and a white background. Then using the black silhouette parts of the background are removed during the copying of the film. This is then done again with an inverted mask to the film with the subject. Copying these two together then results in the superimposed shot. However, the photocopiers of the time were not up to the task of creating these films. A 1922 film called “Wild Honey” is supposed to have used this technique, however, this film has never been found to this date.

1903: Masking

Another example of double exposure is in the film The Great Train Robbery from 1903. Here the scene in the studio with the actor is shot with a part covered up. Afterwards, the outside was filmed using the inverse matte resulting in a scene which is on a moving train. However, this limits the area of the screen where the actors can be, if the actors move into the covered-up area the illusion is broken.

1907: Glass shot

The next innovation in filmmaking technology was the glass shot.

This technique added a piece of glass between the subject and the camera and by painting on the piece of glass elements were added to the scene In the 1907 film “Mission of California” this technique was used for the first time. The glass shot and matte

Example of how a glass shot is made

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Tech 1923: Combined Cartoon Next to films rising in popularity, cartoons did too. It is no wonder that there is a desire to combine these two art forms.

The first time that this has been done is in the 1923 film “Alice’s Wonderland”. This film used a similar idea to “Santa Claus” from 1898. But instead of filming a dark background a white background and white parts in the scene were used. On these white parts of the film, cartoons were later drawn. Thereby combining the imaginary and the real world.

1927: Sound, Copying & Mirrors

1927 was a very important year in movie making as two big inventions took place: sound in movies and commercial optical film printing. The addition of sound allowed films to convey more information and emotion than ever before and optical printing made the film more obtainable. The first film that used recorded sounds is the 1927 movie “The Jazz Singer”. Important for the special effects is the fact that the Williams process is actually achievable, instead of theoretically possible Another innovation in filmmaking is the Schüfftan process. This used cleverly placed mirrors to make it seem like actors were occupying the set with miniatures. The first film was used in the German film “Metropolis”.

1930: Rear projection

Rear projection is notoriously known for being used in making cars seem to be moving on the road. This was first used in the film “Liliom”, where it too has been used to make it seem like a vehicle is moving. Next to that, it was used to make it seem like a set was taking place on a theme park location.

1933: Williams process applied

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In the film “The Thief of Bagdad” the usage of the blue screen has been seen for the first time. This technique was similar

to the Williams process. But instead of using exposed and underexposed parts of the film a blue color filter was used. Then by using the same masking technique, one gets the same results but then for color film. On top of that, the lighting of the shot is easier, as a dark background is not necessary.

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1940: First blue screen

Mask used in the invissible man

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After 11 years after the invention, the Williams process had finally been successfully applied and resulted in the film: “The Invisible Man”. Whereas you might have guessed the technique has been used to make a man invisible. This film was a big success and comes closest to the green screens as we know them today.

Tech

Because of the very directional light, the light returned by the retroreflective background is very bright. This means that a dim enough projection can be used, which is not noticeable to the actor. Resulting in an in-camera matte. The first time it was used was in 1963 in the Japanese film “Mantago”, but it is more known for the 1968 film: “2001: A Space Odyssey”.

1961: Sodium vapor process

The sodium vapour lamps produce a yellow light with a very narrow band of the colour spectrum. This meant that only a very small part of the colours in your film had to be filtered out to create a mask. This filtering was done in camera using a prism.

Resulting in two films: one with a colour image of the scene and one mask. Compared to blue screens this resulted in a cleaner image as a colour spill, a problem that is even seen today, is almost nonexistent. The fact that there is almost no colour spill means that this technique dealt with transparent objects very well. The most famous early usage of this technique is in the 1964 film “Mary Poppins” where actors were placed into animated footage. This technique is very relatively expensive, as a custom camera is needed and a sodium vapour light as a back.

1960: Motion control

At this point, we are getting close to the digital age of filmmaking.

The first step into this digital age is the advent of motion control., It allowed the same motion to be repeated accurately over and over again. This results in the fact that a moving camera shot was possible to make and that effects can be layered on top of each other using optical copying.

Front projection patent

1971: Digital compositing

1955: Front projection

In 1971 the first non-linear editor the CMX-600 was released on the market and allowed for the first digital editing of films.

This machine made chroma keying a specific colour accessible to most filmmaking studios. From this point, computers get more and more powerful. As computers got more powerful and powerful the amount of things that one is able to digitally make is ever increasing. The amount of innovations that the computer allowed is almost uncountable.

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Front projection sounds similar to rear projection, but it is something completely different. It works by projecting an image on the actor and a retroreflective background by bouncing it off a one-way mirror. This mirror is placed 45 degrees concerning the camera and the actor and the camera films through the mirror. The path the image takes is as follows: it gets projected and then bounces off the one-way mirror, it hits the actor and after that the retroreflective background, after which he goes through the one-way mirror into the camera.

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Association

BACoLUMN: DE BEGHINSELEN DER WEEGHCONST

WRITTEN BY BEN GORTEMAKER & THOM ENGELENBURG

It’s 1586 on a warm summer day on the Dutch coast near Leiden, where some Belgian man is playing with a thought in his mind. He thinks of triangles and chains of weights, he thinks of land yaughts and mathematics. In his mind, the concepts float around and interact, and then it hits him… could the physics he was taught be wrong?

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Later he would release 3 important books, one of them being Beghinselen der Weeghconst.

Association

The person we are talking about is of course Simon Stevin, the person this Association is named after. In this column, we will give you an insight into the contents of one of the most important books in the history of mechanical engineering (and basically the entire world). In this column, we will guide you through the life and book of Simon to answer two important questions: Why is De Weeghconst called De Weeghconst, and why are these 40 square meters the most beautiful ones in the entire campus?

means that the system should be imbalanced, the part with four balls is heavier than the one with two. This in turn means that the ‘clootcrans’ should start moving to the heavy part.

Simon Stevin was the first mechanical engineer as we know them today, but why is this the case? In his life, he was always seeking the truth, testing the theory on practice, and not taking magic and superstition as explanations. Nothing is to be taken for granted and everything has an explanation;

“Wonder en is gheen wonder” – a miracle is not a miracle In science, we always say that we are standing on the shoulders of giants. Simon Stevin did not have this luxury, as he was standing on the shoulders of some ancient Greek who died 1800 years before his birth. You might know him as the writer of the metaphysica and thereby inventing the field of physics, Aristotle. Famous great minds like Galileo, the inventor of inertia, was merely beginning his academic career. Other important scientists such as Blaise Pascal, Christiaan Huygens and Isaac Newton were not even born at this time but were only able to make their discoveries because of the work done by Simon Stevin.

The book starts by stating the assumptions and prerequisites of the findings that will be shown. Then it starts with proving one of the most basic laws of physics: the law of the lever. One of the first things you learn about physics is something that at that point was not proven. Knowledge of this phenomenon was of course already there, but until 1586 there was no logical explanation behind this phenomenon.

After this, he elaborates further on how this principle works in more complex situations. Answering the question of how his theory would work on a beam with its own mass and the effect of multiple masses. Furthermore, the proof is even extended to multiple supports, which makes it valid for all cases of a lever.

He went on with the proof that most members of Simon Stevin will know, his most important contribution to the world of physics; the proof that force has a direction, or as more commonly today that it is a vector. The proof builds on the balancing laws that have just been proved before, combined with a new concept, the ‘clootkrans’.

The triangle in the middle of the Figure is placed in a space with the ‘clootcrans’ (the chain with little round weights) placed around it. Gravity works on the chain downwards. One side of the triangle bears four balls and the other one two, below the two parts of the triangle on both sides, four balls hang. This

De originall cloothkr l hkk anss ffr from the he b boo ok In real life, of course, this does not happen. That means that the slope of the triangle should have an effect on the balance of the system. From this follows that the weight of the individual balls does not act on the system in the same way, they act in different directions. Hence, force must have both a quantity and a direction.

The metaphysica that Aristoteles described combined with the principles proved by De Beghinselen der Weeghconst built the foundation of what we as static physics, the science of bodies in rest. These fundamental principles of static equilibriums are the basis of our understanding of forces and will lead us to understand more complex systems.

We as mechanical engineers are especially familiar with these fundamental principles of physics. We are taught them day one, hour one of the bachelor mechanical engineering: the course mechanics.

Coming back to the naming of our beloved bar. It is named after the first concept of mechanical engineering, invented by the first mechanical engineer, taught in the first course, in your first year, in the first hour even the bachelor mechanical engineering.

Coming to De Weeghconst is coming back to the beginning. To your home, to your first time learning engineering, to where it all began.

As you can see, everything has a reason and “Wonder en is gheen wonder”.

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Education ati

QUALITY ME Introduction ME and truss structures (4 (4CBLA CBLA00 00))

19%

Mechanics (4 (4RA RA00 00)) 5 ECTS

5 ECTS

28%

6.8

31% 100(90%)

*1

*2

6.8 89(90%)

*3

Feedback: • The students liked the 3 part exam during the quartile instead of the final exam at the end of the quartile.

• The course helped the students to get to know CBL’s.

• According to the students, the guided self-study exercises did not align with the lectures.

Feedback: • The students think the progress tests helped them to understand the material.

• The exam level was very doable according to the students.

• The solutions to the guided self-study were posted very late which made it harder to understand the exercises.

Improvements: • The students would like to have more study material available to practice for the exam.

Improvements: • More workshops to prepare for exams would be preferred by the students.

System theory for control (4CM CM10 10)) Feedback: • The students liked the enthusiasm of the professor.

• The exam was in line with the guided self-study according to the students.

• Due to the large number of homework sets that all contain new theory the students fall behind quickly.

5 ECTS

23%

22 2 2

8.2 120

Improvements: (83%) • The students would prefer to have more examples instead of proof during the lectures.

Education E ca n

*1 = % of student who filled in the survey

Good

*2 = Average grade for the course given by students

Okay

*3 = Average spent time on the course (percentage of sessions attended)

Bad

21%

Engineering design (4WB WB00 00))

Signals and systems (4CB CB00 00))

5 ECTS

5 ECTS

6.6 50(100%)

Feedback: • The students liked the freedom to choose what they wanted to design.

• According to the students, the meetings when there were no mandatory SSAs were not useful since nothing had been done.

• The students think that the budget is very limiting for an original idea

20% 11%

6.2 119(64%)

Feedback: • The students like the setup of the course and like the YouTube videos.

• The direct application of the theory for the video is liked by the students.

• The students don’t understand how their grade for the video Is compiled and would prefer a clear rubric.

• The students find it weird that the grade for the video doesn’t count towards their final grade if they have to do the resit

Model-based systems engineering (4 (4TC TC00 00)) 5 ECTS

12%

7.2

Feedback: • The students liked that there was a midterm to keep them on track with their assignments.

• The professor replies quickly and is open to help, which is appreciated by the students.

• According to the students, the website used instead of canvas makes it hard to find the information they need.

Improvements: The students would prefer a general timeline of what needs to be finished and what week.

111(87%) •

WRITTEN BY ELLE VAN HOUT

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Tech

SOLAR TEAM EINDHOVEN: TO THE SAHARA

Imagery by STE/Rien Boonstoppel & STE/Bart van Overbeeke

WRITTEN BY WOUTER VAN IERSSEL

In September 2022 we started with 16 students as the new group of Solar Team Eindhoven.

The previous team had set a high standard for us as, instead of participating in the race in Australia, they came up with a completely unique concept. They designed and built Stella Vita from scratch. A camper that allows you to travel and live on the power of the sun. We were left with a choice to make, we could participate again in the World Solar Challenge (WSC) in Australia or create another unique concept. After some brainstorming, we decided to go with the latter and the idea of Stella Terra had been born. We were going to spend the year designing and building the first Solar-powered off-road vehicle.

As with any project we started by setting up our requirements.

One of our main objectives was to make the car road legal.

This meant that we had to include all of the regulations of the RDW (Dutch institute for road vehicle legality) next to our requirements.

After the requirements were set we could start with the design of our vehicle. The mechanical engineers were split into different subgroups or modules as we call them. We had two aerodynamic engineers working together with an exterior designer. Their prime objective was to find a balance between an aerodynamic but sleek design for the outer shell. Secondly, there were two vehicle dynamics engineers making the suspension of Stella Terra, balancing the offroad performance, weight and packaging of the suspension.

Two structural engineers were assigned the task of building the frame, keeping the occupants safe and providing the backbone of the vehicle.

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Tech

Furthermore, a thermo fluids engineer was working on the cooling systems of Terra, making sure the motors would stay cool even in the toughest conditions as we took it to Morocco. Lastly, we had an architect, overseeing all the mechanical modules and making sure everything would work together and was finished in time.

Now it was time to test the vehicle in the terrain and conditions it was designed for. It was time to go to Morocco.

It has a wide variety of landscapes. With mountains, gravel roads, loose sand, places with lots of vegetation and large flat planes, this location is perfect for testing the vehicle to the extremes.

But of course, mechanical engineers were not the only part of the team. There were three electrical engineers working on the solar panels, battery, motors and many other systems, three software engineers, writing the code for all those systems, and one interior designer, making sure Terra looks the part. Finally, there were five organisational members, taking care of all other tasks such as finances, partner relations and planning.

We started in the north of Morocco in Tanger and as we travelled south, we traversed the Rif mountains. We wanted to test the vehicle on the roads as well as off the road to see if it could withstand the harsh conditions and load cases on the suspension and the frame of the car.

When we were driving back after a rough offroad track the tie rod (which is the part that connects the steering system to the wheels) had buckled and later collapsed.

This meant that we had to retire the car for the day as we did not have the spare parts ready.

After designing we started the construction phase in March. First up was the outer shell of the car. We fabricated this by applying prepreg glass fibre to large moulds. These then needed to be heated under a vacuum to get to a stiff and lightweight product. At the same time, our frame and roll cage was in production at an external partner. After some time we glued the glass fibre panels to the frame, now it really started to look like a car. Directly after this, we mounted the suspension and the wheels, now we were able to roll Stella Terra for the first time!

In the following months, we integrated all the other parts of the vehicle while testing the functioning parts along the way.

After the construction phase was finished we started testing the car at speeds up to 120 km/h. The test phase ended with a successful visit to the RDW institute in Flevoland, and from then on Stella Terra was road-legal.

The next day (a Sunday) our vehicle dynamics engineer and our guide went on a search for a workshop that could machine the spare part for us. Luckily, the locals were very friendly and they managed to machine it the same day!

With the new part, we continued our challenge and after a total of 1000 km, we ended in the Sahara desert. Here all our hard work paid off as Stella Terra drove through the sandy dunes.

Now that we are back from Morocco our team’s journey has finished. However, as of September 2024, a new fulltime team will take over with once again a blank paper and a year to engineer the next addition to the Solar Team family. If you want to be a part of this feel free to reach out to us via our website!

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Education

by TEAM V ARCHITECTEN

GEMINI-N | LABS OF TOMORROW WRITTEN BY STEFAN GEERTS

In the heart of the TU/e campus, the winds of transformation are sweeping through the Gemini-North building, indicating an exciting renovation project. In this article, the spotlight of this overhaul is directed towards the laboratories, promising a cutting-edge space where innovation and collaboration converge. We got invited to speak with Roderik van Doorn (Senior Projectmanager GEMINI) about the intricacies of the project, exploring the visionary redesign of labs and the enhancements that will shape the future of research and education within the Gemini-North facility.

Revitalizing Laboratories

One of the largest renovation projects on campus to date is currently underway; the subsequent renovation of Gem-N and Gem-Z. Within this project lies the commitment to allocate over 20% of the building’s floor space to state-of-the-art laboratories.

While the overall layout remains very similar to the original, the labs making a return to Gemini-North (Automotive, TFE, Robotics, and DSD) will undergo a rejuvenating transformation.

Together with a new aesthetic, these labs will host cuttingedge facilities, ensuring a harmonious blend of tradition and innovation. The wet labs (ML1 and ML2) will find their place in Zuid, while the dry labs will be strategically situated in the basement. In this interview, the current progress and future steps of this part of the renovation are discussed.

the required facilities for all lab workplaces. “The integration of floor-based facilities and the abundance of floor sockets ensures optimal flexibility in equipment placement”, continues Roderik.

“The P2 norm, dictating square meters per workstation, is used to subdivide the workstations in the Gemini building. For the labs, the original workspace division was also taken into account. This forward-thinking approach encourages adaptability in response to the dynamic needs of the Mechanical Engineering community.”

Efficiency Through Practical Design

“The layout’s foundation remains similar due to the building’s structure”, according to Roderik. “However, the utilization of space is evolving with a focus on practicality. Gemini-North, in particular, is designed for flexibility, allowing versatile configurations and the effortless movement of setups. We think this will future-proof the labs for any shifts in needs from the lab personnel.” The main challenge with providing this flexibility is

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by TEAM V ARCHITECTEN

Education Changing Dynamics and Collaboration

The journey of the renovation started in 2018. “The focus of this project is managing the growth of both Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering for this building.” Roderik explains that together with this departmental growth, there is also a general need for labs on campus. “Next to reconstructing the previously existing labs, we are looking into ways to create more lab space. The most logical option for this is using another floor to fit more lab space. However, this brings new challenges like the distribution.” placement of air treatment facilities and power distribution.

Next to permanent solutions, Roderik explains that a flexible future is essential. “The labs on the 4th floor are designed in such a way that growth in one of the research groups can be redistributed to another where more space is available. This type of design makes the building very future proof.”

While preserving the layouts, the project emphasizes the importance of visibility and accessibility. “Like in the previous labs, it will still be possible to walk through them in the glass walkways and see the researchers work their magic. We hope this environment will keep encouraging collaboration between students and research groups.”

Sustainability and Efficiency

While th the renovation project places a strong emphasis on the over overall sustainability of the building, the labs are not left untouched. unt Initiatives are underway to incorporate sustainab sustainable elements wherever possible. In the North building, a compreh comprehensive reconstruction is in progress, addressing issues of insula insulation and energy efficiency. Sustainability assessment tools, suc such as BREEAM, guide the project, allowing the team to earn cert certification points and align with the project’s commitment to enviro environmentally conscious practices.

Boortoren (DC)

DO+ schematics, changes can still be made

Milestones and Challenges

Key milestones in the renovation project include the planned completion of Beuk 1 to 3 in the last months of 2024 for the North building, with Beuk 4 expected to return in early 2025. For the South building, the focus is currently on determining the scope of lab enhancements, enhancements exploring options for growth, and optimizing space usage.

Conclusion

As Gemini-North undergoes a remarkable transformation, the future labs within the TU/e Mechanical Engineering department are poised to become innovative hubs of research and learning.

With a focus on sustainability, flexibility, and collaboration, the renovated laboratories are set to not only meet the current needs of the department but also anticipate and accommodate future developments in the ever-evolving field of Mechanical Engineering. The journey towards pioneering the future of labs at TU/e is an exciting testament to the commitment to excellence and innovation in engineering education and research.

27

Association

AN ASSOCIATION READY FOR THE FUTURE WRITTEN BY DANNY LIU

This year the 67th Board wants to improve the Association in the long term. For that, they assigned someone to a new function. That someone is me! And the new function which I am proud to have is the Commissioner of Internal Affairs. My goal is to set up a plan for the coming 5 years in which we want to tackle big challenges within the Association, the so-called Multi-Annual Association Plan (MAAP). In this article, I will tell you about why we need a multi-year plan, what it entails and how we are making it!

To start, why would any association want to implement a multi-year plan? Isn’t the only thing important that the beer is cold and flowing from the drafts? Well, there is a lot more going on behind the scenes at a study Association than you may first perceive. Firstly, there is an entire committee which ensures that you get your cold glass of beer. This committee is one of the numerous which organize activities ranging from company visits abroad to the introduction week.

All of these activities, of course, cost money and for that, we have our Treasurer who manages all the in- and outgoing money based on an annual budget. The drinks, the activities and the annual budget are all based on the Association policy which the newly elected Board creates from scratch every year and this is exactly where the problem lies.

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Every year a new Board gets installed with an entirely new idea of what the Association wants and needs. To add to that, the newly elected Board has to write this Association policy without the experience of being a fully functional Board of the Association. This causes the Association policy to vary greatly from year to year. What one year may be extremely important will be entirely disregarded in the next. A multiyear plan would, thus, give the new Board a basis to work from for their Association Policy or even do away with yearly Association policies in general. This will ensure that the Association grows in the same direction in the coming years.

Okay, now that we have stressed the importance of the MAAP; How do we even begin creating it? We will first need to map out what we can improve within the Association. To do this, we should get in contact with former Board members, active members and non-active members. All of them have different views on what the Association needs and it is important to take the opinions of every member into account. Hopefully, after getting in contact with enough of these members, we will have a clear picture of what challenges are ahead for the Association.

Association

In reality, I have already finished this phase of my research. I organized individual and group meetings with members of all categories. Because of that, I had about 2-3 meetings per week regarding the MAAP. Furthermore, I distributed a Microsoft form during lectures and around Traverse. The meetings were great for getting qualitative data on what people wanted and the forms for quantitative data. I also used the forms to get in contact and set up meetings with different members. Finally, I ended this phase by organizing a Vision Discussion evening in which members could give their input on the feedback collected during the meetings.

would go to. To take it even broader, Simon Stevin was considered the place to go across the entire campus if you needed to build something.

Not without reason, we are called the bike makers. However, with the renovations in Gemini and no luck of getting De Werf back, how are we going to keep this culture alive?

One of the most important challenges that was discussed during the meetings and the Vision discussion evening was the internationalization of the Association. With the growing amount of international students in Mechanical Engineering, should that not be reflected in the amount of our active members? Half of our first-year committees are filled with international students, but is that enough?

Now that we have mapped out all the challenges for the Association we should figure out where we want to be with the Association in five years and what it takes to get there. To do this, De Weeghconst will be the centre point of discussion about the vision topics. Each week, two different challenges will be highlighted and members will be encouraged to discuss them with each other throughout the day and come up with solutions.

Hopefully, after this, we will be able to finish the MAAP before the 68th Board gets elected, thereby achieving the biggest goal of my Board year.

A second challenge is the loss of De Werf. Back when Gemini was still our home, we had a basement workplace full of heavy equipment and spare materials. If you wanted to fix your bike or work on a personal project, De Werf was the first place you

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Education

INTERDEPARTMENTAL MASTERS

FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERS

WRITTEN BY STEFAN GEERTS

In the ever-evolving landscape of engineering, the demand for professionals with a broad skillset encompassing multiple disciplines is on the rise. At TU/e, Inter-departmental master’s programs offer a unique opportunity for students to bridge the gap between different engineering specializations. In this article, we discuss the three interdepartmental masters connected to the department of Mechanical Engineering: Automotive Technology (AT), Sustainable Energy Technology (SET), and Systems and Control (S&C). Insights from interviews with Dirk (AT and SET), Kjell (SET), and Tom (S&C) shed light on the distinct features and experiences within these interdisciplinary master’s programs.

Automotive Technology (AT) - Dirk

Dirk, a graduate of HBO Automotive in Rotterdam, embarked on the interdepartmental journey with a practical mindset.

“After completing my premaster in Automotive Technologies, I continued to the AT master. At some point during my first year at AT, I realised I was missing the broad, environmental, overview in my program. After some research, I added the master Sustainable Energy Technology to my current AT progress.” Dirk emphasizes the holistic view the program provides; “It allows students to analyze challenges from various perspectives which you don’t normally get in a single department master. People tend to focus on the sub-question theory, missing out on the helicopter view that provides the complete solution.” His current graduation project involves zero-emission festivals, integrating knowledge from both AT and SET. “The real power of these masters is the extent of customisability. You start with a core of courses covering the basics of each department connected to your master’s. After that, you are free to choose whatever interests you the most. This prepares you perfectly for the last 10 ECTS project that brings back all subjects from each department in one final project.”

not just one of the two, I started looking for an interdepartmental master.” Tom highlights the balance between mechanical and electrical engineering within the program; “When looking at vacancies in industry, a lot of companies are looking for this unique blend between mechanical and electrical engineering, especially in robotics. This master perfectly suits that workfield.”

His current internship at ETH Zurich involves modelling and optimizing the dynamics of two aircraft carrying a shared mass, showcasing the real-world applicability of the knowledge gained within the master.

Sustainable Energy Technology (SET) - Kjell

Challenges include adapting to new mindsets, especially for those transitioning from a pure engineering background to interdisciplinary studies. The future of interdepartmental masters hinges on their practical application, ensuring a holistic approach rather than mere specialization. The interviewees unanimously agree that a careful selection of courses aligning with personal and professional goals is crucial since there is so much to choose from within these interdepartmental masters.

Kjell’s motivation for choosing SET comes from a desire to go beyond traditional engineering boundaries. “Coming from a year with the Solar Team, I was looking for a master’s program that combines both engineering with societal impact. SET provided the perfect blend, focusing on sustainable engineering and responsible entrepreneurship.” Kjell appreciates the flexibility within SET, allowing students to tailor their studies to their interests, whether in engineering or broader sustainability aspects. “I focused more on the economic side, examining the impact of climate problems on societies. However, others might prefer to concentrate on the modelling aspects or immerse themselves in the world of green diesel all day. Whatever your preference, the program accommodates a wide range of interests!”

Systems and Control (S&C) - Tom

Tom’s journey into Systems and Control began with the consideration of an AI master. “However, when I realized the importance of combining AI with mechanical engineering and

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Common Themes and Reflections

Across the interviews, common threads emerge. The interdepartmental masters provide a unique blend of theory and projects, preparing students for diverse challenges. All masters start with a mix of base courses, highlighting the different departments connected to the master. The flexibility to choose electives from different departments allows for a personalized learning experience.

Challenges and Future Perspectives

Conclusion

The interdepartmental masters at TU/e offer a holistic learning experience, producing engineers equipped to tackle multifaceted challenges. The insights from Dirk, Kjell, and Tom highlight the value of these programs in shaping well-rounded professionals ready to make meaningful contributions to the evolving field of engineering. If you consider yourself a generalist, these masters (especially AT and SET) suit your needs. If you have any questions regarding these masters, make sure to speak to students in the program or visit the different master pages on the TU/e site.

Education

Master Automotive ID IE Technology ME EE M&CS

Dirk Vrijenhoek

This master’s teaches you about the components in and around a car and enables you to experience how it functions as one single system. In addition, you gain knowledge about the key functionalities of modern-day vehicles such as dynamics, real-time software, electric drivetrain and human-machine interaction.

You learn to work in multidisciplinary teams from a systems approach.

Master Sustainable Energy AP Technology ME EE CE&C

IE&IS

Kjell Revenberg

This program is part of the strategic research area of Energy. It educates academic engineers who possess scientific knowledge on and insight into the design, behaviour and performance of energy technologies and the integration of these technologies in grids, buildings and society.

Tom Janssen

Master Systems and Control ME EE This program trains you to be an expert in the field of modelling and controlling complex technical systems and processes. To gain this knowledge, you take core courses that teach you the theoretical and mathematical fundamentals of modelling, system analysis and control design. You apply this theory to existing systems, but it is also important in developing and controlling future high-tech systems.

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Education

TU/e Honors Academy What’s the Honors Academy? Why would I join it? Does the association have their own bar? These are all questions that you might be asking if you’ve never heard of an Honors Academy before. In this article, we’ll be going over the general jist of the Honors Academy, my personal experience following the “Nuclear Fusion Power For The Netherlands” track and what the Student Honors Association Confluente is like. If this all sounds interesting, you might even still be able to apply on time!

What do you do in the Honors Academy?

WRITTEN BY MARIJKE VAN DEELEN

The TU/e Honors Academy provides programs tailored for motivated bachelor and master students eager and able to take on an extra challenge on top of their regular study programs.

Honors students lead their own personal development, defining their desired competencies—spanning hard skills, knowledge, and soft skills—via a Personal Development Plan (PDP).

Throughout the program, a dedicated coach or supervisor supports them in achieving their goals. Additionally, Honors students enjoy access to their exclusive Honors Room, fostering collaboration, study sessions, and participation in activities organized by Confluente, the Honors Study Association.

In the Honors Bachelor Program, second year bachelor’s students engage in a two-year journey within one of the 11 offered tracks. These tracks cover diverse areas such as Energy Transition, High Tech Systems, Smart Cities, Smart Mobility, and Nuclear Fusion. Working in multidisciplinary project teams, students tackle real-world societal and scientific challenges, supported by track activities like lectures, workshops, and field trips. General workshops and events, including the annual Demo Day—a festive closure showcasing student achievements to the broader TU/e community, clients, friends, and relatives— are organized by the Honors Academy. At the end of each year, students are assessed on their personal development, honors work content, and team contribution. Successfully completing each year grants students 15 credits, culminating in 30 credits.

Fulfilling all requirements adds the “Honors” distinction to their Bachelor’s degree certificate.

The Honors Master Program, a 1.5-year endeavour for first-year master students, commences twice a year (October and March).

This program offers maximum flexibility, allowing students to curate their own program aligned with their needs and interests.

The journey begins with the Personal Leadership Experience course in the first semester, consisting of eight workshops delving into students’ motivations, talents, and ambitions.

These insights are translated into their Personal Development Plan and year-long professional development program. This individual program offers a context for students to accomplish the personal leadership and professional goals they have set

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in their PDP. It includes challenging activities to broaden horizons and deepen knowledge, such as (external) internships, projects, challenges, or additional courses at other universities.

Geared towards one of three areas—Entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary cooperation, Research leadership, and Engineering professionals—the program must comprise a minimum of 15 credits. At the program’s end, students present and defend their work and how they have integrated personal leadership goals and professional development into their Honors Master Program. Successful completion and fulfilling all requirements earns them the “Honors” distinction on their Master’s degree certificate.

Key to note: While the program has been designed for those able to take on an extra challenge, no minimum GPA is required when applying for an honors program. However, students must balance their regular program with honors work, with an estimated additional workload of approximately 10 hours per week. For the Honors Bachelor Program, an entry requirement is having obtained 60 credits in the first year of the bachelor’s program.

Would you like to know more about our programs? Please visit our website or join us for an information session for the Honors Bachelor Program (March 18, lunchbreak) (start program Sept.

2024) or the Honors Master Program (February 22, lunchbreak) (start program March 2024).

Education

Personal Experience What is it like to work on an honors project?

WRITTEN BY JASPER BEKKERS

My name is Jasper and I’m a second year student of Mechanical Engineering. Since the start of this year I have been part of the Honors Academy and so far I have enjoyed it! The Honors Academy has always been on my radar before I joined, so when I got an invitation after the first half of the year I was already pretty sure I wanted to apply. However, this is not often the case for most honors students. Most find out with this first invitation mail and then go to the first introduction lecture, where you learn about the different tracks you can follow.

In the Honors Academy, there are 13 different tracks you can follow. When I joined, I didn’t see anything that particularly struck me, except for one of the two new tracks: Nuclear Fusion Power for the Netherlands. After a first separate introduction lecture, I was immediately hooked and knew that I wanted to try, and luckily I got in.

Now I am working on a wide variety of topics related to envisioning a power plant. For this specific track, we are looking at making a roadmap for a fusion reactor site in the port of Rotterdam. We do this with a start-up called Rotterdam Reactor, which has a team of dedicated employees working alongside us. Our team covers multiple elements; from supply chains of specific parts to preparing the population of Rotterdam for nuclear fusion power plant. Our final goal for this year would be to show our research to the mayor of Rotterdam and to convince them to help the start-up with realising their idea.

There are also other things to being part of the Honors Academy, like personal development. In the first half year, there were workshops (with free dinner!) where professionals gave lectures on things like problem identification and personal development.

Alongside this, we have to make a Personal Development Plan (PDP), where you have to detail your goals and how you want to reach them. While not my favourite, I do understand the need for personal development as an engineer.

One thing that worried me about the Honors Academy was the workload. Typically, you are expected to work 10 hours a week, but this work can mean many different things in different tracks. Some tracks train for programming contests, and some have to get together to build something. My track is a bit more lame in that regard; we get together every week to discuss our progress and every 2 weeks we meet with the entire track (with free dinner!) to discuss our progress with the team coordinator and stakeholder. Something that helps for me, though, is that the topic really interests me and that we get a lot of freedom to explore our own interests with our goals for the track.

All in all, I must say that the Honors Academy was a good choice for me! I’ve met some really great friends and have been enjoying my time in the association H.S.A. Confluente. While it does add extra hours to the already extensive agenda of the Mechanical Engineering bachelor, I usually find working on my Honors project to be a nice break from my usual activities.

I hope this has given you some insight into being part of the Honors Academy, and maybe I’ll see you next year!

33 Pictures taken from @tue_honorsacademy on instagram

Education

Honors Association What is the Honors Association like?

WRITTEN BY EVY ZANDBELT

Confluente is the Honors study association of the TU/e. We are a laid-back association with a cosy, open and welcoming atmosphere that offers various types of activities to Honors students. The association is free for all Honors students to join.

We organize educational activities, aimed at personal development, such as a pitching workshop, a concert or a trip to a museum. Next to that, we organize fun activities to promote connection between Honors students, like a movie night or a high tea. We also organize a study trip each year. Last year, we went to Austria for a week to explore Salzburg and Vienna. There we visited museums, the University of Vienna and a company and enjoyed our free time exploring the cities! Lastly, we organize career activities, such as a networking event where students can orientate themselves on future career options. Through all these activities, we try to promote personal development and create a community for Honors students.

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We have our own room, the Honors Room, which is a nice place for all Honors students to study, catch up with their peers or relax. They can enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea, make some food using our fridge or microwave or just make use of the cutlery and dishwasher. Next to that, we have a nice couch to take a break (and the occasional nap), together with the life size teddy bear Vicktor Jeroen. The Honors Room is located at the ground floor of Metaforum, next to the Common Room. You may be able to spot it when you’re walking through Markthal!

Association

S TUDY PLACE REVIEW The TU/e campus is an important place to study for those unfortunate enough to live with others. There are many places you can take your laptop and grind on some SSAs, but how do you choose which ones to go to? Based on what we believe to be the 4 most important factors, we have evaluated most study places. Based on your study needs, you can then pick out the perfect place to study, or try out new spaces you did not know of before!

WRITTEN BY JASPER BEKKERS & ARYAN BAKERMANS

Atlas

Atlas has many smaller study places and one main one on the 2nd floor. The location is good for normal lecture days but still a walk away if you have any meetings in traverse. There are many options for coffee and food and the bathrooms are quite average. However, if there is no immediate space on the ground or second floor, you might get very isolated in the huge building.

Quietness -

5/5

Comfort

-

4/5

Facilities -

4/5

Location -

0/5

Comfort

-

3/5

Facilities -

4/5

Location -

4/5

Comfort

-

2/5

Facilities -

5/5

Location -

3/5

Oh Fenix, how everyone despises to see you on their agenda. Far away from everything; eerie and empty. But also accessible and quiet, it is a perverted choice. It has everything you could ever want, from covered bike parking to an abundance of ports. It is the perfect place for people who forgot to book a room for their meeting, but the journey is rarely worth it.

As you may know, temporarily the home base of our study association is located in Traverse. The building that is famous for its yellow sunscreen, a ton of DBL rooms and a shitty location. For study places though, it is not too popular, with only a few tables in the hallway downstairs which are usually filled with the loud members of an association or the renovation guys during their 6th coffee break of the day occupying all of the soft seats. In regard to the utilities, it is a wonderful place, with the Weeghconst and her free coffee being remarkably close by. And after all the coffee, there are toilets on every floor next to the staircase to dispose of your fluids.

1/5

3/5

Fenix

Traverse

Quietness -

Quietness -

Quietness -

3/5

Comfort

-

2/5

Facilities -

2/5

Location -

5/5

Metaforum (1st floor)

Metaforum is probably the most standard space in the whole of the TU/e. There is a coffee corner, restaurant, enough charger holes, and a whole lot of space. On busier days, it can quite easily get full as its accessibility makes it an easy spot to quickly finish your SSA in the last minutes. Standard, but heavily used.

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Association

Auditorium

Most people had the first lecture of their academic career in this building, of course, this is Auditorium. With the subway and a large coffee corner on the main floor, you are unlikely to die of hunger while being here. The amount of study places is quite decent, with nice large windows and tables including six chairs.

The main downside to this building is that every 45-ish minutes there is a spike in how crowded it is due to the lectures.

Quietness -

5/5

Comfort

-

5/5

Facilities -

3/5

Location -

3/5

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Comfort

-

5/5

Facilities -

5/5

Location -

5/5

Comfort

-

2/5

Facilities -

5/5

Location -

3/5

The library, the epitome of studying. Located at the heart of MetaForum, it is a paradox of a location. It is both the most accessible and quietest place on campus but you are going to be needing a lot of luck to find a place here when you most need it. It has everything... but it might be useless if you are on campus after 12.

Matrix might not be your first thought when looking for a study place. It does not have many spots but the few there might be of the highest quality. With a kitchen, quality bathroom and only a minute’s walk away from MetaForum, it is an underrated place to be. Along with some small learning pods and incredibly low traffic, it is ideal to spend some hours on an intricate CAD design.

0/5

1/5

Metaforum (Library)

Matrix

Quietness -

Quietness -

Neuron

Quietness -

4/5

Comfort

-

5/5

Facilities -

3/5

Location -

2/5

Neuron is the dedicated study place to rival MetaForum. Always busy, but very comfortable and with many facilities. Due to Neuron being designed specifically as a place with study facilities, there is nothing bad that can be said about that aspect.

However, its perfection is also its greatest flaw. Like MetaForum, you might not be able to ever study here if you arrive after lunch.

Association

Secret locations

By going through a labyrinth, you will find this secret spot. A science tube, a bubbler, there sure is a lot. Look around and see, you will find it is not a place you should be.

All events here act as a cascade, there are many memories to be made.

Bodybuilding and running, you will find it quite stunning. All that studying can make you blind, train the body, not the mind.

On the highest floor of the monolith, only one elevator shall take you. To study there is not wise, only the view is your prize.

People might argue that brewing coffee is a simple thing, some engineers however took extraction to another level and set up the homebase for their expertise in reactions here. Its cafeteria is where you study and may find some rookies in the art of experimenting.

In principle, no art of weighing is performed here. “Decorated” with its signs, “special” ancient furniture and people in matching sweaters, it is a place like no other. To some, it is referred to as their place to be.

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Association

Hephtig: Building a future

Eindhoven

Eindhoven, our beloved City of Light, is in the midst of a heavy makeover. Picture this: what was once a mishmash of villages has evolved into a buzzing European hotspot.

Abandoned factory spots are giving way to cool coffee joints or those super chic, albeit slightly wallet-wilting, shops. Woensel West? Well, it’s been bulldozed and traded for a neighbourhood that’s literally bursting with colour, both in reality and on your Insta feed. When walking downtown, being addressed in English is no exception and the train station is now rocking the name ‘Eindhoven Central’! Pretty bizarre scenes when looking at Eindhoven’s vibe a decade ago, right?

But hold tight because the next five years are going to be off the charts. Let me take you on a tour of a few projects on the horizon.

WRITTEN BY HARMEN MEIJER

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Association

KnoopXL

So, Eindhoven’s station is located dead centre of the city, but you wouldn’t guess it when strolling around. Rolling in from the north, past Mediamarkt’s loud facade, you’re greeted by some seriously hideous concrete columns. And the east side? A deserted empty plot next to the student hotel. Time for a major overhaul!

Picture this: the entire area up to the Dommel River will eventually be decked out with modern high-rises nestled among lush greenery. In ten years the station area will look like a Brabant version of the Zuidas.

Eindhoven Central is gearing up to be the ‘hub’ for trains in the southern Netherlands. More connections to Amsterdam, The Hague and even Germany and Belgium will be realized. Hence the fancy name: KnoopXL, the international crossroads. The north station’s bus stop is going underground, paving the way for a square and living spaces. A spot where Eindhoveners might actually want to hang out! Plus, four new HOV lines (Hoogwaardig OV) are sprouting up, connecting places like Eindhoven Airport and Veldhoven. Say goodbye to Fellooord’s traffic chaos as it morphs into a green boulevard, surrounded by spankingnew skyscrapers. It will no longer be a place that you want to escape ASAP; it’ll be THE spot to be, work, chill, and chow down, all ready for climate change.

On the south side, things are getting renewed too! The stationsweg is getting a makeover. The ‘Gender’ river, which currently flows underground through the city, is coming back up for some fresh air. The whole area is getting a serious cleanup— think underground bike parking and streamlined and reduced car traffic. This frees up loads of space on the station square for some serious highrise buildings.

The ‘Gender’ river will be shown prominently in the new design for the station square

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Association Stadhuisplein

Now, the Stadhuisplein—a shiny example of Eindhoven’s splendour (not!). Stay with me on this metaphorical journey: it’s like a theatre with the town hall as a podium, and surrounding buildings functioning as stands. These buildings go up to the ‘Eindhoven layer’ (the first 20 meters) with rooftop terraces offering killer views. Bygg Architecture & Design won the tender bid to revamp the square with a green vision. A linden tree was planted right in the centre, representing nature as a city

inhabitant. Less concrete means more room for nature, creating a robust climate-friendly space. A stream from the Dommel River winds around the Stadhuisplein, creating a lush green zone and picturesque waterfront setup, providing more space to celebrate, honour, and maybe even protest. And there’s a central pavilion for hanging out, meeting up, showing off those skateboarding skills, or grabbing the mic.

The proposed new design of the Stadhuisplein

Eindhovense Laag

Part of the city’s vision is the EHV-layer, a typical Eindhoven touch separating low-rise buildings from standout structures above 17.5 meters. Picture a second ‘ground level’ for public mingling and fun times, part of The Loop, sprinkled with lush green spaces.

Nieuw Bergen

Last but not least, Nieuw Bergen: a unique residential area. This is already under construction, opposite the famous Vestide building on Deken van Someren Street, aka the ‘Deksom’.

Designed by the architects at MVRDV, its slanted edges are supposed to give it an airy, open feel. Minimal shadow play from high-rises means maximum daylight flooding the area.

Eindhoven’s changing; it’s shaping up to be a whole new wonderland. Get ready for a city that blends innovation and green living. Who knew our old Philips worker town could strut so stylishly into the future? If you want to take a look yourself, go to openeindhoven.nl. Here you can find loads of images, interactive maps and 3D renders!

Nieuwe Bergen architect render

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Association

BACo BORREL REVIEW Every Thursday de BACo (Extraordinary Activities Committee) organizes a drink in De Weeghconst. Once in a while the BACo organizes a special drink. This drink is one hour longer than the normal drink. There is a special theme and the whole Weeghconst will be decorated. There will be a special beer on draft, and stands will fill De Weeghconst.

WRITTEN BY TOM SLANGEN

Diesney Drink The first special drink that was organized by the BACo was the Diesney drink. This drink is organized for the birthday of the association. Every year there is a different theme. This year the theme was chosen to be Disney, also celebrating Disney’s 100th year anniversary. A special cocktail was made in the theme of Frozen, the blue lagoon. Next to the cocktails, there were special themed shots for Cars. Nozem oil was served to honour Cars.

Another highlight of the evening was the food, which was modified sausage buns fitting the Disney theme. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, “The Little Mermaid”, and “Mufasa” were examples of this, as well as “Simba”, where people could become the signature red stripe on their forehead.

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Association

Saint Nicholas Drink The second special drink was the Sint Nicholas drink. Sinterklaas, commonly known as Saint Nicholas, holds a cherished place in Dutch culture, particularly during the festive season. Celebrated annually on December 5th, Sinterklaas is a legendary figure who arrives in the Netherlands from Spain, accompanied by his loyal helpers, known as “Pieten” or Petes.

During this unique event, the commissioner of extraordinary activities from the previous year transforms into Saint Nicholas, donning the iconic red and white bishop’s attire. Meanwhile, the newly initiated members of the BACo for the current year take on the role of Pieten, dressed up in colourful costumes with painted faces.

In the heart of the festively adorned room stands a grand chair, symbolizing the throne of Saint Nicholas. Once seated, the appointed Saint Nicholas takes centre stage. An integral part of the celebration involves the reading of poems composed by fellow students. These poems, often crafted with humour and creativity, may contain playful jabs or humorous anecdotes about the recipients.

Students are encouraged to write these poems ahead of time, assigning lighthearted punishments or jests to their peers. The BACo members then gather all the poems and take turns reading them aloud to the entire assembly. The atmosphere is filled with laughter and camaraderie as the unique punishments are revealed.

To add to the festive ambience, the Pieten distribute “Pepernoten,” a traditional Sinterklaas candy. These small, spiced cookies are eagerly enjoyed by all participants during the drink, enhancing the overall joyous experience.

As the laughter echoes and the Pepernoten are savoured, the Sint Nicholas drink becomes a memorable occasion, blending tradition, creativity, and the spirit of friendship.

Christmas Drink The final special drink of the year 2023 was the Christmas drink, transforming the entire Weeghconst into a festive Christmas haven. Upon entering, guests were greeted by a charming, self-made cardboard house covering the entrance, setting the tone for the holiday.

Inside De Weeghconst, the ceiling was decorated with the warm glow of lamps, casting a cosy ambience throughout. A special beer, Chouffe n’ice, was on draft.

Complementing the delightful decorations, various stands were set up, offering an array of Christmas delights.

Students who ordered the special draft beer were rewarded with a ticket for the Christmas advent calendar, a delightful surprise waiting to unfold. The advent calendar held an assortment of treats, including candies and La Chouffe Christmas baubles, ensuring that every student was a winner.

Adding to the festive atmosphere were the beautifully handcrafted Christmas trees available for purchase. These trees, a creation of the BACo, were a beloved tradition of the Christmas drink. Each tree was laden with an assortment of shots, ranging from apfelkorn to Smirnoff Ice. No Christmas celebration would be complete without hot chocolate. A simple cup of cocoa was transformed into a customizable experience with toppings available. Guests could enhance their hot chocolate with a sprinkle of cinnamon or add small marshmallows, adding an extra layer of warmth and comfort to the drink. The Christmas drink at De Weeghconst became a fantastic memory, marking the end of the year with a perfect blend of tradition, creativity, and holiday cheer.

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Tech

THE ENGINEERING OF THE BOEING 787

WRITTEN BY ARYAN BAKERMANS & DANIËL KLEINJAN

On December 15 2009, the latest model of the Boeing 7x7 lineup flew its first flight. It is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, that took flying to another level. This plane has many new features that are interesting to us as mechanical engineers; The plane consists of a new type of material, composites, that increases the efficiency due to its reduced weight and allows the plane to move smoother through the air. Additionally, the plane has updated engines that are more efficient and produce less sound. In this article, the features of Boeing’s future idea plane are covered.

Composite materials

The Dreamliner from Boeing was the first plane for which 50% of the body was made out of composites. This type of material refers to small strings like carbon, that have a very strong tensile strength compared to steel at only a portion of its weight. The fibres are put into a plastic resin to form a solid material. The result is a high-performance, light weight and very flexible type of material that can be shaped in almost any form. For the 787, the layers of composite were added per layer by a large machine, where the part could be rotated as the layers were applied. Then, the part is put in an oven, where the resin is hardened under an increased temperature. Note that with a part, an immense section of for example the plane’s fuselage is meant, showing the majority of the production process. However, because sections are made out of a single part, compared to steel plates that are riveted together, no more joints are needed, which decreases the weight of the plane even more.

Thanks to the strength of composites, the fuselage can withstand larger forces, which brings some advantages. One of them has to do with the internal pressure of the plane. On the ground, we experience an air pressure of atmospheric pressure (atm) whereas in the sky, the air pressure is about 70% lower at just below 0.3 atm. Therefore, the internal pressure of the fuselage must be increased for us as humans to be able to breathe and feel comfortable. Due to the stronger fuselage, the internal

pressure can be increased by about 7% which makes the flight comfortable and can reduce the effects of jet lag. Additionally, another advantage of the stronger fuselage has to do with the size of the windows of the 787, which are sized at 47 x 27 cm, which is larger compared to 35.7 x 25.4 cm of the metal based fuselage of the Boeing 737. This is caused by the fuselage being less dependent on fatigue compared to metal, caused by cycles of pressure differences the plane experiences from being in the air and on the ground. For metals, the ‘hole’ of the window causes extra stress built-up in the metal, which can eventually lead to failure and thus shorten the lifetime of the plane as well.

For a composite fuselage, this issue poses less of a threat and therefore, the window size could be increased.

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Tech Aerodynamical advantages

Due to the flexibility of composites, plane parts such as the wings can be more hydrodynamically shaped and thus provide less drag, which reduces fuel consumption and makes the plane more efficient. The middle section of a Boeing 787 wing is made out of composites and due to the higher elastic strain (deformation that will deform back to its original shape after the load is removed), the wing has a higher aspect ratio, which

refers to the ratio between the wing span and the width of the wing. A high aspect ratio can be found on a glider plane, which has a very high wing span but a small width and is able to fly without an engine. This is caused by the fact that due to the high aspect ratio, less drag caused by vortices is formed, increasing the efficiency of the plane. For the 787, this effect occurs in the air, where the wings can bent to increase its aspect ratio.

Jet engines

When aircraft started to show their relevance during the great war, a subconscious battle emerged between participating countries on who could gain the largest aerial advantage. And what better way to gain an advantage than putting your engineers to work! – Plane engines used to consist of a variety of fourstroke piston engines. Which evolution started around the 1st world war with simple inline 4 engines as found in your car, to the massive 27 litre Merlin engine with two-stage supercharger in the year 1945.

Despite piston engines being dominant in aviation until the late 50s, the design for a jet engine originated from 1930 Germany with a fully operational aircraft in 1939. Fast forward a few decades and most planes utilize this jet engine, of which fighter jets even have an afterburner attached to it. But how does this miracle engine as found in the 787 work?

12Y Supercharged 36 liter 1,000 hp class aero-engine

Design

Carnot cycle

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Boeing production facility in Everett

As you may know, in thermodynamics the carnot cycle is an important consideration for every design. It is a model for “the perfect situation” where no losses occur, and with the simple equation of n=1-(T2/T1) where T1 is the highest temperature and T2 is the lowest, you can approximate the efficiency, with a higher efficiency when there is a larger difference in T. When utilizing approximate temperatures as 300K at the air inlet and 2000K at the combustion chamber for this equation, you would get: n= 1-(300/2000) = 85% efficient. This is great, especially if you consider the fact that most piston engines have a carnot efficiency of just 63%. This makes the development of such an engine relevant to pursue.

Tech The design itself is quite “understandable” with a proper schematic as pictured below, being split up into two sections.

Firstly we will take a look at the cold section, which denotes all control volumes prior to combustion. These are the air inlet and the compressor.

Cold section

The air inlet, how simple it may seem, is a complicated design and of great importance to the performance of an aircraft. In the case of a dreamliner, is roughly 954 km/h which equates to Mach 0,85. An intake for this speed has to have a divergent (“pyramid”) shape because of the low pressure zone created behind it. A diverging shape will in this case increase intake pressure and decrease the velocity, thus decelerating the flow.

This results in more air (and more oxygen) going towards the

compressor and hot section of the engine, and simultaneously decreasing turbulence at intake which could otherwise lead to engine malfunction.

The compressor and intake are dependent on each other, the compressor in its place increases the kinetic energy of air as provided by the inlet. Combined with an internal diffusor leading towards the combustion chambers, this kinetic energy gets converted to potential energy in the form of pressure before entering the hot section of the engine. This concept of increasing the energy state of air greatly increases the efficiency of an engine, in the case of a Trent-1000 engine 8 axial compressors are utilized. Combine that with the high-pressure nickel alloy blades and you have a durable, stable and efficient cold section.

Hot section In the hot section of the engine, the magic happens. Firstly, in the combustion chamber, where as you may have guessed, typically JP-8 kerosine is added to the gained air from the cold section.

2 C8H18 + 25 O2 → 16 CO2 +18 H20 From this reaction equation, the enthalpy difference can be calculated for every x this reaction occurs which is: ΔH = ∑(ΔHf(products)) - ∑(ΔHf(reactants)) ≈ 6942kJ. This energy in the gases from combustion reaches temperatures up to 2000*C. To prevent the surrounding metal chamber from melting, the following countermeasures have been thought of: a small duct of “extra” air from the cold section is routed past the combustion chamber to cool the gas down slightly. Secondly, the chamber is a ceramic coated titanium allow, which combined has a sufficiently high melting point and thermal conductivity to keep temperatures safe.

Lastly, the exhaust nozzle. This is where the magic happens of generating thrust which propels the aircraft forward. In the case of our dreamliner this is an astonishing 350kN. There are a few design cues essential here first of which is the convergent duct as opposed to the divergent duct at the intake. This convergent duct is meant to accelerate the exhaust gas to supersonic levels, although this is rather usual for all modern airliners. Where the dreamliner shines is in the design of the afterbody of the engine.

This has jagged edges, since it was discovered that this reduces engine noise at exhaust by improving mixing capabilities between exhaust and surrounding air. This also results in an increase in volume of accelerated air, slightly increasing efficiency in the process.

Once these high-speed gases leave the combustion chamber, they arrive at the turbine section. The blades in this turbine section are accelerated angular by part of the exhaust gases, and transferring this generated power back to the cold section so more power can be produced in the next “combustion cycle”.

This visionary concept of exhaust energy being the driving force for the cold section is essentially the same concept as found in your modern turbocharged car……just a bit bigger.

Jet engine exhaust

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Career

SMART BRAINS NEEDED: TO SEE BEYOND STEAM, OIL AND GAS

WRITTEN BY MARCEL BURGER

Robots, artificial intelligence, and far-reaching digitalisation. Without a doubt, the energy system of tomorrow will see more of these. But like in the days of James Watts, Kate Gleason and Roger Boisjoly, the energy industry – Shell included – has an unsatiable appetite for smart brains that master the art of natural and physical sciences.

Take hydro-processed esters and fatty acids, or HEFA, also simply known as biofuels. Producing them in significant volumes requires more than a chemistry experiment, rather a sizeable factory is needed.

That is exactly what is being done at the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Rotterdam (Pernis). Supported by thousands of concrete piles, a constellation of pipes, tubes, pumps, storage tanks, electronics, cables, and more. Once operational, the HEFA biofuels plant will be able to produce up to 820,000 litres of renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) annually.

How it all works is a task for experts of various disciplines.

The construction alone has been like building a Lego brick set – except this time it’s the PhD edition. The core elements of the factory have been put together in apartment block-sized modules. They reached Shell Pernis’ harbour by boat, travelling the last mile on giant-wheeled trailers. At the end of November, the largest module of the biofuels plant was put into place: a 3,000-tonne installation of 18 metres (60 feet) wide, 30 metres (98 feet) long and 45 metres (148 feet) high. Prefabricated in India and transported for thousands of miles across the globe to serve the sizeable biofuels plant. The flagship plant is clearly visible to whoever whizzes by on the adjacent motorway.

A complete change

Creating the energy system for tomorrow is not a quick takeoff and landing, but a time-consuming puzzle. Multiple biofuels plants, hundreds of wind turbines, and hundreds of thousands of solar panels. To build enough of all to cover demands, and

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to connect it all means a complete change in the way the energy system is scaped. Oil and gas were and are sourced from relatively few but sizeable clusters of deposits, mainly grouped in Southwest Asia, the United States and Russia [1].

100% renewable energy will be sourced from a wide variety of locations, spread over vast areas – from single monopiles at sea and single rooftops on land to entire offshore wind farms and full-scale solar plants both onshore and offshore.

All of this needs great thinking on how it should all be connected.

Parts will be done by logistical engineers, parts will be figured out by electrical engineers, and other parts will be the task of mechanical engineers. Compared to fossil fuels, the moving parts in renewable applications might have to withstand much greater forces. Think about wind turbine blades in stormy weather. Or EV car engines which have much higher rotations than conventional cars. Some challenges will be tackled by lubricants experts, others by engineers.

Research integrity

A lot has been said and written about the cooperation between energy companies like Shell and universities like Eindhoven.

When it comes to collaboration with students and academic researchers, Shell has been very clear. It is based on three important principles: academic integrity (Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity [2] in all research projects; a complete shift into research into sustainable solutions only; and transparency about the cooperation between the energy businesses and the universities.

Career That’s why in February 2023, Shell started its own internal review of all its cooperation agreements with the science institutes of the Netherlands. Because, neither the universities nor the energy industries had a clear overview. After a thorough 6-month investigation and cross-checking of results, Shell’s findings showed that there were 137 collaborations in June 2023.

[3] Of these, two were clearly fossil fuels related: a PhD follow-up on cleaning up of oil sands by one researcher, and the other one about mooring of ships at LNG terminals. When those two end, Shell will have no academic collaborations in fossil matters left with the universities.

Another 36 collaborations were generic – meaning that the research could be used in all parts of the energy business.

The big majority of 99 cooperation agreements lead directly to decarbonisation. Of those, 31 relate to various departments of the TU Eindhoven, either directly or via a group of multiple universities.

Shell and TU Eindhoven

A good example of generic research is the partnership in Digital & Computational R&D, which also involves renowned Dutch research institute TNO/NCW; and the joint partnership with many other universities, Aquaconnect, aimed at reusing wastewater and brackish water in the Netherlands.

Of course, Shell’s involvement in academic sciences is not borne solely out of charity. The company needs smart people to help scape its sustainable future, and with them, devise solutions for the Netherlands’ energy system and beyond. As successive President Directors of Shell Netherlands have said: “The energy transition cannot be done by business alone, and neither can it be done solely by science.”

References

[1] https://www.eia.gov/international/data/world/petroleum-and-other-liquids/ annual-petroleum-and-other-liquids-production [2] https://www.nwo.nl/en/netherlands-code-conduct-research-integrity [3] https://www.shell.nl/over-ons/nieuws/dossiers/dossier-onderwijs/ wetenschappelijke-samenwerkingen.html

This complete, and public insight given by Shell will soon be updated. Current collaborations between Shell and TU Eindhoven include E2Go, whose aim is cost-reduction of EV fast-chargers to enable large-scale electrification of mobility; and a partnership on Carbon Capture. Moreover, Shell cofinances three chairs at TU Eindhoven. These three fundings are all part of the drive for decarbonisation of the energy industry, and society.

Helping to reach climate goals For now, oil and (liquefied) natural gas still make up a large chunk of the world’s energy needs. Some countries, like the Netherlands, are among the fastest growing in renewables.

Including Shell Netherlands, which is the only one in the country actually constructing a green hydrogen plant. It will almost double the world’s current hydrogen capacity. Moreover, Shell Netherlands has built and (co-) owns six solar farms (204.2 MW in total) and four wind farms (1.6 GW in total) – the most recent one is about to be commissioned - helping the Netherlands to reach its climate goals.

Also, the Dutch government selected Shell and Eneco to jointly build the most ecological wind farm to date: Hollandse Kust West IV (Ecowende). Knowledge and experiences gained while constructing these renewable energy assets are shared with the academic and scientific communities. And, with the now almost 30 start-ups, scale-ups and knowledge institutes at the Energy Transition Campus Amsterdam, a former Shell-only lab in the heart of the Dutch capital, Shell looks forward to more to come.

The future of the energy industry will certainly see more digital and automated solutions than the steam era. However, smart brains to figure out all the physical issues of how it all works together are as needed as before. Are you up to the challenge?

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Association

St: The ‘professionals’

of debating

In essence, a parliamentary democracy and its elections should ensure that politics is a representative reflection of society. Everyone’s opinion is considered and taken into account, and thanks to the well-known Dutch ‘polder system’, policies are formulated in such a way that they theoretically benefit everyone to some extent. However, the elections of 2023 were centred around the vote of the angry citizen and the gap between The Hague and your average Joe.

WRITTEN BY JOOST VAN DER KRAAN

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Association

Students are inherently more progressive than the average voter; in most student cities, including Eindhoven, the party of Frans Timmermans, GLPvdA, was the largest among young people. From this, it can be concluded that the average student does not overwhelmingly recognize themselves in the majority of the politicians in the new parliament.

Rhetoricadispuut Tau places significant value on the importance of a good debate where debaters, armed with strong, well-founded arguments, engage each other with great rhetorical skills. Role models are crucial in this context. If the parliament is unable to conduct a debate of high quality, how can one realistically expect that many students will succeed in doing so? How does a student from the TU/e measure up against the ‘cream of the crop’ in the current parliament? To find out, let’s delve into the debating styles of the most prominent party leaders.

Geert Wilders – Partij van de Vrijheid / Party for Freedom

Geert Wilders, who doesn’t know him? Currently, the eldest politician of parliament has been fighting with the PVV since 2004 against immigration, globalization, and especially Islam, advocating for a return of the Netherlands to its former position of prominence. Geert Wilders is the sole member of his party, automatically making him its figurehead.

He describes his debating style in the following way: ‘I believe in conflict as a model for progress.’

Many political scientists would describe Wilders as a classical populist, someone who can simplify complex problems into simple issues to make them more digestible for the public, often by using contrasts that are easy to understand.

It probably won’t surprise you then that Wilders has been prosecuted in the past for certain statements.

In 2014, the bleached-blond politician asked his supporters whether they wanted ‘more or fewer Moroccans,’ leading to a court ruling in 2020 that deemed this an incitement to discrimination. In the same year, Wilders attempted to undermine the climate plans of D66 by listing all the flight movements of the D66 faction leader, Rob Jetten.

His argument was, why should the public fly less if a politician doesn’t do so?

Firm language, that’s how Geert Wilders conducts politics, and it pays off. Thanks in part to this approach, the PVV has gained 37 seats in the last elections. However, a new contrast has emerged: now that the PVV is the largest party, the aggression is quickly being toned down. In fact, the media is already referring to ‘Geert Milders.’ Yet, nothing could be further from the truth when one takes a look at our cat lover’s Twitter, where the same typical Wilders language is still being propagated.

Now, onto the following: conflict as a model can also yield results for a student, take a DBL meeting for instance; how would you act if someone hasn’t completed their SSA adequately?

A. You berate the person as a good-for-nothing student and threaten serious consequences if the work doesn’t improve.

B. You instruct the person to seek help in the future if they struggle, DBL projects are done as a collective after all.

C. You accept that the person was busy and couldn’t get to their work this time; better luck next time, not everyone can always deliver.

D. You take over their work and start solving the problem yourself from now on.

Figure 1: Yesilgüz, Timmermans en Wilders in a debate

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Association Caroline van der Plas – BoerBurgerBeweging / FarmerCitizenMovement

Despite the enormous electoral success of the BBB in the provincial elections in March, the party couldn’t achieve the same impact during the national parliamentary elections, having grown from one to seven seats. Nevertheless, Mrs. Van der Plas has a unique way of debating, drawing a certain comparison to Wilders. She employs a similar simple ‘telling it as it is’ strategy, language that makes complex matters more understandable for the average person.

The difference with Wilders is mainly the aggression of the language; ons Lientje doesn’t seek conflicts, refrains from calling anyone names, and prefers to skip the ad hominem attacks. She was often at her strongest during debates about the Coronavirus, where she appealed to moral superiority by tapping into the dissatisfaction among ordinary, healthy citizens. She often shared anecdotes about depressed youth as a result of the lockdown. This approach yielded results, as she was named the most valuable and transparent parliamentarian in 2021, despite the BBB’s roots in the agro-lobby. One could conclude that Sweet Caroline represents the concerns of citizens who no longer recognize themselves in the complex and technocratic the Hague, whereas, in contrast, Wilders caters to the angry white man.

Now, imagine you’re in a DBL meeting where the discussion unnecessarily delves too deep and goes on for too long about system details. How do you intervene?

A. You cut off the discussion and ask your teammates to return to basics since there are more important things to discuss related to fundamental design choices.

B. You talk over your teammates and tell them what you believe is right; if they disagree, quickly move on to the next point.

C. Instead of ending the discussion, you try to find a compromise.

D. Instead of ending the discussion, you suggest that this could also be looked into in a future SSA.

Frans Timmermans – Groenlinks/Partij van de Arbeid / Greens/Labour

Now that we have discussed our discount Donald Trump and gezellige neighbour Caroline, we delve into Frans Timmermans, one of the most experienced and capable politicians in the new parliament, who made an attempt in the last election to break the Rutte regime and become the largest party in the Netherlands by merging the green progressives and the social democrats.

Despite the 25 seats, his attempt was unsuccessful.

Many analysts attribute this disappointment to Timmermans’ ‘friendly’ debating style; it wasn’t until after the elections that the best of the Limburger’s fiery side emerged a bit. Throughout the campaign, Mr. Timmermans mainly focused on building and finding common ground.

The word ‘agreement’ appeared more often than disagreement’ in the debate with Pieter Omtzigt. Timmermans’ rhetoric focused on knowledge, skill, experience, and calmness, leveraging his administrative experience in the European Union to support this choice.

During the final debates, Timmermans emphasized the green numbers resulting from the party’s program calculations; a true leader always has the best and most substantive plan.

Imagine it becomes quiet in your DBL meeting; how do you, as the chairmen, ensure that the discussion resumes?

A. You take the floor and reiterate a previously drawn conclusion to stretch the time.

B. You ask the quietest group member present if they have any input.

C. You tell the tutor that everything has been discussed and that it’s time to move on to the feedback round.

D. You start talking about your weekend activities, perhaps hoping your groupmates might find you more approachable and open up more easily afterwards.

Figure 2: Ouwehand, van der Plas and Omtzigt in a debate in ‘De Tweede Kamer’ (House of Representatives) (Image: ANP)

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Association Dilan Yesilgüz – Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie – Party for Freedom and Democracy

Pieter Omtzigt – Nieuw Sociaal Contract – New Social Contract

Yet initially, she managed to distance herself from Rutte without throwing him under the bus. With firm, and notably more right-wing language than Rutte, she went in fiercely, aiming to come across as a strong leader bringing vigour to the VVD. For instance, she criticized the watery compromises of past cabinets and strongly criticized Pieter Omtzigt’s indecisiveness regarding the prime minister issue. Overall, she opted for a sharp, often figurative, attack on other parties, touching on classic VVD touchpoints like migration, taxes, and the left-right balance. Projection remains key!

His popularity isn’t solely explained by the childcare allowance scandal; Omtzigt was already a long-standing figure of popularity within the CDA and Dutch politics. His debating style is a true relic from the past: calm, and substantive, with a focus on transparency and compromises. He skipped many debates, claiming these debates wouldn’t have enough time to explain his plans in detail. Additionally, Mr. Omtzigt is a dossiertijger, regardless of the subject. Once he sinks his teeth into a particular theme, he keeps asking questions until the truth comes out. As a former student of econometrics, he often receives criticism for the unnecessarily detailed length of his responses; after all, he remains a bit of a nerd.

Now, the politician is faced with an impossible task: succeeding Mark Rutte. As the new lead candidate of the VVD, Yesilgüz had to turn the dissatisfaction over the past thirteen years of Rutte’s leadership into a new momentum and sell the promises regarding migration, which led to the downfall of Rutte IV, to her supporters. All in all, a tough job, especially when trying to imitate the voice of Minnie Mouse

You’ve objectively submitted a subpar SSA, and your group members confront you about it. How do you react?

A. You apologize without giving a reason and promise to do better next time.

B. You apologize, provide a reason, and then explain why it’s not really your fault.

C. You attack back, as nobody’s perfect, and the best defence is offence.

D. You explain why the SSA is indeed adequate, through a monologue so long that it prolongs the discussion until the feedback round is over.

Over the past year, there hasn’t been a politician more glorified than Pieter Omtzigt. After his exposure on the childcare allowance scandal, this Achterhoek native was promoted to the saviour of the nation. Naturally, a party had to be formed to advocate for his ideals. That became NSC, a social-conservative party like CDA, but without the ‘Christian’ aspect.

How would you, as a true mechanical engineer, react to critical questions from a professor during the final presentation of your DBL project?

A. Not provide a real answer and shift focus onto external factors.

B. Indicate that this question falls under the ‘recommendations’ section and could still be investigated.

C. “No, we didn’t do that.”

D. Provide an excruciatingly long, detailed answer so that it becomes the last question right away.

Decline or progress?

It’s not surprising that the average TU/e student no longer identifies with a politician, potentially resulting in fewer technical students in the second chamber. From personal attacks to brushing off criticism or unnecessarily explaining overly technical solutions, it doesn’t seem to make politics more efficient. Nevertheless, it remains important to follow politics; after all, it concerns us all.

Throughout the exploration of debating styles, several questions were asked, with no wrong answers. Below is an overview of how many points are associated with a particular question and which politician you ultimately align with based on the number of points.

B) 6 B) 10 B) 2 B) 6 B) 6

# of points 40-50 30-40 20-30 10-20 00-10

Figure 3: Posters in The Hague during elections 2023 (Image: ANP)

A) 10 A) 2 A) 6 A) 4 A) 10

C) 8 C) 6 C) 6 C) 10 C) 8

D) 2 D) 4 D) 8 D) 2 D) 2

Politician Geert Wilders Caroline van der Plas Frans Timmermans Dilan Yesilgüz Pieter Omtzigt

1– 2– 3– 4– 5–

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Tech

RAIL ROADS: THE ENGINEERING CHALLENGE Many of us as students use it on a daily basis and some might have a love-hate relationship with them due to the possible delays. However, thanks to the government we are free to use them and they can bring us all over the country, I am talking about trains. Although it might look like it is quite normal, the way how trains are able to operate across thousands of kilometres of track all over the world has been a big engineering challenge over the last centuries. In the old days, around 1550, train tracks were invented to transport raw materials from the mines, where a carriage with wooden wheels would roll over wooden bars. In the later part of the 18th century, iron cast plates were added to the track and during the industrial revolution, the steam locomotive was invented and trains were able to move over larger distances. In current times, it is all about getting the most out of the system by increasing the smoothness of the ride and reducing friction to ensure long-term infrastructure quality. This article will cover some of the clever ways and fundamentals of how a train is able to ride on the railroads.

WRITTEN BY DANIËL KLEINJAN Follow the path

It is obvious that a train can only travel where the rails are, but this comes with some challenges. For example, how can we ensure that the train keeps following the track and does not derail, or what about when the rails make a turn, how is the train ‘forced’ to follow this path and additionally, move smoothly?

These issues are solved using the shape of the wheel of a train.

Let’s start with the first challenge, how to keep the wheels on the track. If the wheels of the train were flat, just like the rails, only a small deviation would cause derailing. This problem can be solved by making use of flanges, a lip that can guide the way along the track. The flanges can be positioned on either the inside or outside of the wheels. Note that if the flanges are on the outside of the wheels and the system experiences a horizontal load such as a hard turn and one of the wheels loses its contact with the rail, the flanges cannot prevent the derailing. On the other hand, if the flanges are located on the inside, this will be possible, because the wheel that is still on the track has a flange on the inside to prevent the full construction from losing its track guidance.

Now it is possible to keep the wheels on the track, but there is another issue; turning. Due to the use of the flanges, the contact area between the wheels and the track has increased, which creates friction and can pose an issue during turning as it can slow down the train but friction causes degradation as well.

There is another problem; the wheels have a solid axle which is required to withstand the large loads on them. However, this means that both wheels will rotate with the same velocity and distance at all times. This causes difficulties when turning. In a turn, the track on the outside has a larger distance than on the inside, which means that the wheel on the outside needs to travel a larger distance than its partner on the inside, creating extra friction but also slipping which are both undesided. To solve this part, the shape of the wheels itself is not flat, but slightly conical.

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Due to this shape, the diameter of the wheels can be varied, which means their distance for a single rotation is different as well. Due to the centrifugal force in a turn, the wheelset is forced slightly to the outside. This will mean that the inner diameter of the wheel will decrease (thus travelling a smaller distance) and the outside wheel will experience the opposite; a larger diameter thus a larger distance travelled for a single rotation. When the turn is completed, the centrifugal force is gone and the wheels will automatically orient back into the standard position.

Conical shaped wheels in a corner help to reduce friction and prevent slipping in a turn on the track.

Tech Rails shape

Next to the design of the wheels of a train, the design of the track is an important aspect to ensure long-term performance. The track needs to be able to withstand the incredible loads of the train, be as cost-efficient as possible in terms of material use and it needs to be operated for as long as possible. Let’s start with the shape of the rails, which has an I-shape, which is a very familiar shape to many mechanical engineers as it has an excellent strength-to-weight (and price!) ratio. The rail consists of three parts. The foot that distributes the loads of the train to the ground, the web that elevates the train from the ground and gives space for the flanges of the wheel. Finally, there is the head, which is the contact with the wheels.

h rails l shape. h Visualization off the Then there is the inevitable component of friction, which causes wear on both the train wheels and the rail’s head. Due to the conical shape of the wheel, the speed along the contact area on the top of the head varies, creating friction and wear which can ultimately lead the wheel and head to conform to each other.

Reduction of wear can be done by using for example harder materials, especially in turns where the wear is more dominant than on straight parts of the track. Additionally, the size of the head can be increased as well so there is more material which will increase the lifetime, as more friction is allowed. Secondly, the shape of the head can be made more curved, which reduces the contact area between the wheel and the head, which helps in reducing friction.

In modern days, this method is replaced by continuous welded rails, where the expansion joints have been left out. However, thermal expansion and contraction will still play a role. This issue is solved in a clever way, by making use of elastic deformation, probably familiar to many of us. Elastic deformation refers to deformation that occurs due to an applied force but is gone after the force is removed. This can be visualized by an elastic band, if you pull on it, it will extend but after you release it, it will return to its original shape. For the rails, the thermal effects can be cancelled out by elastic deformation, in return for stress, allowing the material to remain the same size. This magnitude of this stress does not lead to failure, as metal can withstand quite some stress without failing. Depending on hot or cold days, the track material experiences compressive or tensile stresses.

It needs to be noted that this method is very useful when there are only tension forces, but the truth is that compressive forces can cause serious issues. Due to these types of forces and that rails cannot extend, buckling can occur, which is very undesirable as it can lead to horizontal deformation of the track and can result in derailing. In order to prevent buckling, we can visit the buckling formula below:

Buckling formula relating critical buckling load P and the elastic modulus E, moment of inertia I and the rails lengt L. From the formula, it can be concluded that if the length decreases, the buckling strength will quadratically increase.

Therefore, restraining the rail at more locations will decrease the chances of buckling. Additionally, the temperature at which the rails are installed can also help in preventing buckling. As buckling occurs under higher temperatures, a higher neutral temperature (temperature at which the rail is installed) can help prevent compressive stresses.

Thanks to the continuous welded train rails and the methods to prevent buckling, the maintenance costs have dropped significantly.

Deformed head of a rails track due to friction where on the left parts, material has worn off.

Thermal issues

Almost every material is sensitive to temperature changes, which can cause small but substantial deformations due to thermal expansion on hotter days and contraction on colder ones. Especially in large rail tracks for trains this is an aspect to keep in mind and was solved using expansion joints, which were small openings between pieces of track, which give it space to contract and expand without restriction. The click-clack sound that is created by the train moving over these openings might be familiar to some. However, this method has the drawback that it creates extra friction and thus wear and also produces undesired sounds.

Buckled rails due to compressive forces caused by thermal extension.

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Association

THE HISTORY OF THE ReAcCie

BUOY

WRITTEN BY DYLAN DEN HOED & ILSE BOM & THARMEGAN KATHIRCHELVAN

This is the beginning of a story, an interesting and extraordinary story. It is about an ordinary Buoy. A Buoy that transformed from an ordinary Buoy to the middle of a fantastic friend group and committee named ReAcCie. The ReAcCie is a firstyear committee tasked with holding on to and maintaining this special Buoy.

They also have the privilege to pass the Buoy on to those who are worthy of being the next ReAcCie. Together with the Buoy, we will always stay still afloat. It already saved multiple people from drowning in the Dommel.

You might want to ask, how did this Buoy become ReAcCie’s most precious item? To answer this question, we need to go many years back, some years before it ended up in the hands of ReAcCie. Originally the Buoy was a wedding gift for the parents of one of the members of the AcCie. A few years after the Buoy had been proudly displayed in the bedroom, better use for it was found. The AcCie wanted to give the ReAcCie something amazing. It is a well-deserved reward for the most amazing activities ReAcCie has set in place. They were looking for something fitting the theme of the ReAcCie that year, which was Baywatch when they stumbled upon the Buoy. They fell in love with it and wanted to share it with the ReAcCie, who took full custody.

After a few weeks, the Buoy was supposed to return to the original owners, the (not so) newlyweds. However, a special bond was formed between the committee and the Buoy. It became part of the committee. They could not say goodbye to each other. A new arrangement was formed, and the ReAcCie was allowed to keep the Buoy. Years have gone by, and the Buoy has been transferred through the years of generations of ReAcCie, with new experiences leaving their mark with each year gone by.

May it be a rescue mission or the Buoy itself being rescued from the pond in front of Atlas, a skateboard fiasco while riding a bike, or it being used as a football. The Buoy has been thus far a symbol of resilience. Thus, it is still just as loved as it was when it was first received.

Last year, at the blacklight-themed special drink, the Buoy was reunited with the AcCie generation who blessed us with this amazing Buoy. This is also when the newest ReAcCie of that time was enlightened with this beautiful story.

We learned about the amazing story of the origin of the Buoy, and that is the reason we can share it with you in this article. May we have a lot of beautiful years to come together with the Buoy.

Met drijvende groet & with floating greetings, ReAcCie 2022-2023

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Association

Calcudoku Calcudoku is a logic puzzle played on a grid. It’s a variation of Sudoku. The objective of the puzzle is to fill all the empty squares with the numbers 1 through X (where X is the grid size). Each number must appear once (and only once) in each column and each row. Within the grid are special blocks surrounded by bolder lines, containing a result and math operator. The numbers in the block must total the result using only the given operator.

MADE BY STEFAN GEERTS

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Association

Futoshiki The puzzle is played on a square grid. The objective is to place the numbers such that each row and column contains only one of each digit between 1 and n with n being the number of rows/columns. Some digits may be given at the start. Inequality constraints are initially specified between some of the squares, such that one must be higher or lower than its neighbour. These constraints must be honoured in order to complete the puzzle.

MADE BY STEFAN GEERTS

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Association

CONTEST TIME Submit your answer and win a Polaroid Go 2 Everything Box!

Contest 55.1

Contest 55.2

Many of you clearly had experience in tutoring and CBL material distribution! Several correct answers were sent in with the winner being Jens. Congratiolations!

You’re at a game night playing shut-the-box with friends. For this game, the goal is to close or shut all numbers from 1 to 9, leaving the lowest remainder, by combining the outcome of the 2 dice that you throw in the box, hence the name of the game.

The solution is as follows: Tutor 1 takes all materials, so all compartments are empty.

Tutor 2 changes every second compartment, leaving every other compartment with one bag.

Tutor 3 alters every third compartment, toggling the status of those compartments (empty if there was a bag, and vice versa).

Tutors 4 to 67 follow a similar pattern, each changing the content of compartments based on their respective numbers.

Now, the compartments that will end up empty are those that have an odd number of factors. Factors come in pairs except for perfect squares, which have one factor that is repeated.

This leaves all compartments full, except for the compartments of the group numbers that are a perfect square; 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64.

Due to an unfortunate spill of Bokma in the game box, the dots on the dice have become detached, leaving you with two empty dice with a total of 42 dots.

Protozone agrees to help you repair the dice, but under a unique condition: one die cannot have more than 4 dots on any side. The other die doesn’t have this constraint.

Your challenge is to devise a configuration for each die so that when rolled and summed, every total comes up with the exact same frequency as it would with standard 6-sided dice. Can you find a solution to this perplexing problem?

Submit your answer in De Weeghconst (Traverse 0.34) or via an e-mail to redactie@simonstevin.tue.nl with your name and the solution. The prize will be raffled from the correct submissions and the correct answer will be published in the next winning contest.

Make sure to submit your answer before the 1st of April 2024!

The winner will be notified and announced via the social media channels of Simon Stevin.

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