Laboratories
The laboratories that provide support for research in the Graduate Program of Automation and System Engineering include laboratories of the Department of Automation and Systems and multidisciplinary laboratories from other academic departments.
1. Research Facilities at the Department of Automation and Systems (DAS)
The main computational facilities for research are provided by the computer network of DAS, which has the following structure and numbers:
- Users: 310 (professors, administrative staff, undergraduate and graduate students).
- Computers: 180 PC: computers, 10 servers, and 6 printers.
- A local 100MB/s network (1GB/s servers) and a 1GB/s backbone, hosted by the UFSC Data Processing Center (NPD) and the National Research Network (RNP).
This equipment is distributed in various laboratories, faculty offices, and students study rooms. Of particular relevance are the following laboratories:
- LCA (Automation and Control Laboratory): This lab occupies two areas:
- The first area has 100 m², dedicated primarily to research involving hardware and electronic/mechanical devices. The lab provides infrastructure for research in control and automation engineering with diverse applications, including oil and gas (separation of oil and gas, multiphase flow measurement), mobile robotics (including robotic soccer), etc. This lab has a number of workbenches with Supervision Software and Programmable Logic Controllers, and 15 computer workstations.
- The second area has 40 m², dedicated primarily to teaching, with diverse processes of laboratorial scale (temperature control, velocity and position, lighting, flow, PH, level, pressure, and a small oil well, among others). This equipment is used mostly for teaching purposes, in the undergraduate and graduate programs, with particular focus on techniques for process control. About 10 computer workstations are available.
- LIN (Instrumentation Laboratory): Occupying an area of 67 m², this lab provides services for teaching and research in the area of instrumentation and industrial networks. The laboratory has a SMAR plant for control of flow, pressure, temperature and other quantities, making use of intelligent sensors and actuators that are all integrated with an Industrial Foundation Fieldbus network. Besides two computers that are connected to the plant, other four computer workstations are available for experimental support.
- LAI (Automation and Industrial Informatics Laboratory): This lab is available for teaching and research, occupying a physical area of 60 m² that includes diverse automated units: four manipulation robots, three assembly lines in laboratory scale, four Programmable Logic Controllers, and fourteen computer workstations.
- LMM (Mechatronics Assembly Laboratory): This supporting lab occupies an area of 40 m², being used for assembly of electronic and mechanical automated systems. It offers support to a range of research, academic and development activities of the department.
- LPR (Project Support Laboratory): Occupying an area of 40 m², this lab is used for teaching and research. It is equipped with ten computer workstations, several LEGO kits, mobile robots and other automated systems for laboratory use. This lab provides support for the teaching of automated systems design.
- LTIC (Information and Communication Technology Laboratory): Occupying an area of 290 m², this lab is used both for teaching and research. The lab serves several research groups with specific equipment for development in the field of Information Technology (Software), including computer networks, distributed systems, urban traffic control systems, computer vision system, among others. LTIC also hosts equipment of the Human Resources Program in Automation, Control, and Instrumentation for the Oil and Gas Industry (PRH34), which is funded by the National Agency of Oil, Gas, and Biofuels (ANP). The lab also provides general facilities for undergraduate and graduate students (master’s and doctoral level) to conduct research. This lab has about seventy computer workstations.
2. Multidisciplinary Laboratories of Other Departments
- ROBOTURB: A 60 m² area is dedicated to the multidisciplinary Roboturb project (developed jointly by the Department of Automation and Systems and the Department of Mechanical Engineering), which designed and built a robot to recover rotors of hydroelectric power plants eroded by cavitation. In addition to the robot prototype, the laboratory is also equipped with an industrial robot (IPSO SP50), robotized soldering supplies, and an INTER robot with open controller and force control developed in the ETH-Zurich Institute of Robotics (IfR). The lab also has seven computer workstations.
- LABMETRO (Metrology and Automation Laboratory): This laboratory is part of the infrastructure of the Mechanical Engineering Department, being dedicated to the development and application of Mechanical Metrology, including research and development of new methods for measurement and other metrological aspects having an impact on the quality of productive processes. It occupies a physical area of 900 m². The main equipment include: an optical system for people recognition from 3D human faces; a sensor for measuring the concentration of gases dissolved in transformer oil; an optical system for measuring residual stresses; workbenches for testing compressors; measurement instruments dedicated to quality control; optical sensors for measuring electrical quantities, etc.
- LASHIP (Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems Laboratory):This lab is part of the infrastructure of the Mechanical Engineering Department, being dedicated to teaching and research on hydraulic and pneumatic components and circuits. It occupies an area of 440 m², including laboratories of hydraulics, pneumatics, and instrumentation. The main lab equipment are: components for pneumatic automation; automatic (computerized) power and hydraulic conditioning unit for tests in hydraulic components and systems; proportional hydraulic and servo-hydraulic components; data acquisition systems; educational workbenches for studies in pneumatics, electro-pneumatics, automation with PLCs, hydraulics and servo hydraulics; measurement systems; test benches for servo valves, proportional valves and position control hydraulic systems; about forty computer workstations and other peripheral equipment for information processing, automation, and control; software for dynamic analysis and simulation; software for mechanical design (CAD); software for analysis of fluid flow (CFD) and library.
- LCP (Process Control Laboratory): This lab is part of the infrastructure of the Chemical Engineering Department, which hosts a distillation column jointly with the Department of Automation and Systems Engineering. The distillation column is for ethanol and water applications, having a distributed heating structure and being equipped with automated instrumentation operated with a Foundation Field-bus network and a supervisory control system based on the OPC technology. The distillation column occupies and area of approximately 60 m², being used for academic training and research in process control.
