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This work presents a three-dimensional virtual simulation experiment for material deformation and failure that provides visualized experimental processes. Through a set of experiments, users can become familiar with the equipment and learn the operations in an immersive and interactive learning environment.
This work presents a set of comprehensive virtual experiments to detect material deformation and failure. The most commonly used pieces of equipment in mechanics and material disciplines, such as a metallographic cutting machine and a high-temperature universal creep testing machine, are integrated into a web-based system to provide different experimental services to users in an immersive and interactive learning environment. The protocol in this work is divided into five subsections, namely, the preparation of the materials, molding the specimen, specimen characterization, specimen loading, nanoindenter installation, and SEM in situ experiments, and this protocol aims to provide an opportunity for users regarding the recognition of different equipment and the corresponding operations, as well as the enhancement of laboratory awareness, etc., using a virtual simulation approach. To provide clear guidance for the experiment, the system highlights the equipment/specimen to be used in the next step and marks the pathway that leads to the equipment with a conspicuous arrow. To mimic the hands-on experiment as closely as possible, we designed and developed a three-dimensional laboratory room, equipment, operations, and experimental procedures. Moreover, the virtual system also considers interactive exercises and registration before using chemicals during the experiment. Incorrect operations are also allowed, resulting in a warning message informing the user. The system can provide interactive and visualized experiments to users at different levels.
Mechanics is one of the basic disciplines in engineering, as shown by the emphasis placed on the foundation of mathematical mechanics and theoretical knowledge and the attention given to the cultivation of students' practical abilities. With the rapid advancement of modern science and technology, nanoscience and technology have had a huge impact on human life and the economy. Rita Colwell, the former director of the US National Science Foundation (NSF), declared in 2002 that nanoscale technology would have an impact equal to the Industrial Revolution1 and noted that nanotechnology is truly a portal to a new world2. The mechanical properties of materials at the nanoscale are one of the most fundamental and necessary factors for the development of high-tech applications, such as nano-devices3,4,5. The mechanical behavior of materials at the nanoscale and the structural evolution under stress have become important issues in current nanomechanical research.
In recent years, the development and improvement of nanoindentation technology, electron microscopy technology, scanning probe microscopy, etc., have made "in situ mechanics" experiments an advanced testing technique important in nanomechanics research6,7. Obviously, from the perspective of teaching and scientific research, it is necessary to introduce frontier experimental techniques into the traditional teaching content regarding mechanical experiments.
However, experiments of microscopic mechanics are significantly different from macroscopic basic mechanics experiments. On the one hand, although the relevant instruments and equipment have been popularized in almost all colleges and universities, their number is limited because of the high price and maintenance cost. In the short term, it is impossible to purchase enough equipment for offline teaching. Even if there are financial resources, the management and maintenance costs of offline experiments are too high, since this type of equipment has high-precision characteristics.
On the other hand, in situ mechanics experiments such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are very comprehensive, with high operational requirements and an extremely long experimental period8,9. Offline experiments require students to be highly focused for a long time, and misoperation can damage the instrument. Even with very skilled individuals, a successful experiment requires a few days to complete, from preparing qualified specimens to loading the specimens for in situ mechanics experiments. Therefore, the efficiency of offline experimental teaching is extremely low.
To address the above issues, virtual simulation can be utilized. The development of virtual simulation experiment teaching can address the cost and quantity bottleneck of in situ mechanics experimental equipment and, thus, allow students to easily use various advanced pieces of equipment without damaging high-tech instruments. Simulation experiment teaching also enables students to access the virtual simulation experiment platform via the internet anytime and anywhere. Even for some low-cost instruments, students can use virtual instruments in advance for training and practice, which may improve teaching efficiency.
Considering the accessibility and availability of web-based systems10, in this work, we present a web-based virtual simulation experimentation system that can provide a set of experiments related to fundamental operations in mechanics and materials, with a focus on the in situ mechanics experiment.
In this work, the procedures of the microcantilever beam fracture experiment with cracks are discussed as follows, which is open for free access via http://civ.whu.rofall.net/virexp/clqd. All the steps are conducted in the online system based on the virtual simulation approach. Institutional Review Board approval was not required for this study. Consent was obtained from the student volunteers who took part in this study.
1. Accessing the system and entering the interface
2. Preparation of the materials
3. Molding the specimen
4. Specimen characterization
5. Specimen loading and nanoindenter installation
6. SEM in situ experiment
The system provides clear guidance for the user's operations. First, beginner-level training is integrated when a user enters the system. Second, the equipment and the laboratory room to be used for the next-step operation are highlighted.
The system can be used for several different educational purposes for different levels of students. For example, Figure 1 includes seven of the most commonly used types of equipment in the mechanical and mat...
One of the advantages of virtual simulation experiments is that they allow users to conduct the experiments without concerns regarding damaging the physical system or causing any harm to themselves11. Thus, users can conduct any operations, including either correct or wrong operations. However, the system gives the user a warning message that is integrated into the interactive experiment to guide them to conduct the experiments correctly when a wrong operation is conducted. In this way, users can ...
The authors have nothing to disclose.
This work was supported in part by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under Grant 2042022kf1059; the Nature Science Foundation of Hubei Province under Grant 2022CFB757; the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation under Grant 2022TQ0244; the Wuhan University Experiment Technology Project Funding under Grant WHU-2021-SYJS-11; the Provincial Teaching and Research Projects in Hubei Province's Colleges and Universities in 2021 under Grant 2021038; and the Provincial Laboratory Research Project in Hubei Province's Colleges and Universities under Grant HBSY2021-01.
Name | Company | Catalog Number | Comments |
Virtual interface | None | None | http://civ.whu.rofall.net/virexp/clqd |
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