Academic supervisor:

Íñigo Adín

CEIT Division:

ICT Division

Thematic area:

IoT, communications, low power, Bluetooth.

Description and objectives:

This project proposes the evaluation of Bluetooth 5.1 technology in its Long Range mode for use in industrial environments. The aim is to see the possibilities of this longer range version to compete in IoT technologies to be installed in production plants or in remote sensors, with range for the admissible meters in this case.

The aim is to evaluate this technology using evaluation boards and configuring the elements at FW and SW level to measure the signal quality in parameters potentially useful in industrial applications (time of flight, data rate, packet error rate, etc.). To do this, a search for these evaluation boards will be proposed and programming will be required using the admissible interfaces in each case.

Academic supervisor:

Enrique Castaño

CEIT Division:

Materials and Manufacturing. Advanced Manufacturing in Powder Metallurgy and Laser Group.

Description and objectives:

Fiber-reinforced composites are essential for the manufacture of components where inertia and weight are key to their performance. Thus, they have been used for decades for the manufacture of components in the aeronautical or aerogeneration industries. The machining of these components is a challenge for carbide tool manufacturers, as the reinforcing fibers are very abrasive (especially carbon fibers) and drastically reduce the life of milling cutters and drills.

This TFG will address the development of new methods of micromachining and tension control of cutting tool edges using ultrashort pulse lasers. These processes include the generation of micro chamfers and radii of agreement in cutting edges with dimensions below 50 microns, using femtosecond lasers for machining.

Academic supervisor:

Ainara Rodríguez - Isabel Ayerdi

CEIT Division:

Materials and Manufacturing. Advanced Manufacturing in Powder Metallurgy and Laser Group.

Description and objectives:

Laser functionalization of surfaces is an approach widely used in a wide variety of applications and sectors, since it allows providing final products with finishes with added functionalities, among which are, among others, decorative effects, the ability to repel liquids or the improvement of adhesion of coatings. Ceit is currently developing an international R&D project in this last field, whose objective is to improve the adhesion of antibacterial and antiviral coatings to high traffic objects such as handles, switches or push buttons.

Within the framework of this cooperative project, a TFG is proposed whose objective is the design and implementation of a test bench for the characterization of the surface properties of the manufactured samples, among which are the improvement of adhesion, hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity characteristics or optical properties, among others. In addition to the above, it will be necessary to implement an intelligent processing system for the data obtained by the measuring elements.

Academic supervisor:

Mikel Gomez

CEIT Division:

Materials and Manufacturing. Advanced Manufacturing in Powder Metallurgy and Laser Group.

Description and objectives:

Laser process to include riblets in hydro turbines and industrial fans to improve their efficiency by reducing friction.

Surface functionalization is present in a wide range of industries, improving the performance of multiple components and systems in many applications, but the difficulty of reaching all surfaces of complex 3D parts is significant, especially those of considerable size and weight. In addition, the creation of functional surfaces has traditionally relied on processes such as chemical reactions and/or complete coating of native surfaces (e.g. airfoils). By their very nature, these processes generate unwanted by-products, thus leaving a significant environmental footprint, which goes against the "no significant harm" principle of the European Green Pact. To avoid these setbacks, a European consortium led by CEIT is going to develop a new process for functionalizing complex 3D parts in which the environmental footprint is reduced and new guidelines are generated to complement the manufacturing standards of the target sectors.

The role of this PFG will be to participate in the laser processes developed at CEIT (assist in the processes, perform measurements, analyze data). These processes will seek to reproduce "riblets" on the surface of the samples. These elements allow to reduce friction, and their efficiency has been amply demonstrated in different applications. A good example is racing boats, where their use has been banned in the recent La Concha flag. In order to perform their tasks, it will be ensured that the student acquires the necessary knowledge of the equipment with which they have to perform their work.

Academic supervisor:

Yago Olaizola

CEIT Division:

Materials and Manufacturing. Advanced Manufacturing in Powder Metallurgy and Laser Group.

Description and objectives:

Transparent materials are currently used in a multitude of applications in which their optical properties are particularly relevant: lenses, devices for optical communications, smart glasses or optical sensors, among others. In this context, the characterization of optical properties is a key point in the development of devices.

The objective of this project will be to design and implement an optical microscopy system, based on different optical and mechanical elements, for the analysis of certain properties of transparent materials. After the validation of the equipment, we will proceed to study the optical behavior of this type of substrates after different laser engraving processes. In parallel, it will be necessary to implement an intelligent processing system for the data obtained by the measurement devices.

Academic supervisor:

Gemma García Mandayo

CEIT Division:

Materials and Manufacturing. Advanced Manufacturing in Powder Metallurgy and Laser Group.

Description and objectives:

The project is framed within the development of an innovative system for the measurement of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and coagulation, for application in clinical diagnosis. The main purpose of the system is to provide results of ESR and/or blood coagulation in a minimum time, with a minimum amount of sample and using sustainable materials, offering significantly higher performance than the devices currently available in the market, and thus allowing a faster and earlier diagnosis of pathologies such as infections, tumors or autoimmune diseases.

The objective of the project is to optimize the sample characterization processes, developing a test bench and performing tests to improve the performance of the device.

Academic supervisor:

Ion Irizar

CEIT Division:

Data Analysis and Information Management

Thematic area:

Artificial Intelligence

Description and objectives:

Natural language processing (NLP) is a very promising technology for facilitating interaction between people and industrial processes. Currently, such interaction takes place through conventional methods based on screens and keyboards. However, in recent years there has been a growing interest in exploring the potential of NLP techniques in industry.

The task of this GFP will be to perform a literature review of the state of the art on NLP-based industrial applications and available free platforms. Once this review has been carried out, the second objective will be to develop an NLP-based algorithm to interact with a virtual water treatment plant.

Academic supervisor:

Ion Irizar

CEIT Division:

Data Analysis and Information Management

Thematic area:

Control

Description and objectives:

In many industrial processes there are variables that, being of great interest for decision making, cannot be measured directly by sensors. However, sometimes these variables can be observed indirectly by relating them to other measurable variables. The Kalman filter is precisely an observer that allows observing non-measurable variables using dynamic mathematical models involving measurable and non-measurable variables.

The task of this GFP will be to use a simulator of a water treatment plant to develop an observer capable of estimating in real time the concentration of ammonium and nitrate in the plant. Matlab/Simulink and/or Python will be used to carry out the project.

Academic supervisor:

Ion Irizar

CEIT Division:

Data Analysis and Information Management

Thematic area:

Artificial Intelligence

Description and objectives:

Classical automatic control is giving way to new, more sophisticated control techniques based on artificial intelligence, such as Reinforcement Learning techniques.

The task of this GFP will be to use a water treatment plant simulator and apply Reinforcement Learning techniques to design an automatic control strategy that adjusts the oxygen level to keep the ammonium level close to a reference setpoint. Matlab/Simulink and/or Python will be used to carry out the project.

Academic supervisor:

Ion Irizar

CEIT Division:

Data Analysis and Information Management

Thematic area:

Artificial Intelligence

Description and objectives:

Many real industrial processes can be mathematically formulated using complex mechanistic models composed of nonlinear differential equations. Although these models are very useful for carrying out design and operation studies, their handicap is their high computational cost which makes them unfeasible for use in real time decision making.

With the advent of Deep Learning techniques, proposals have emerged to reduce the complexity of these models and thus the computational cost. The task of this PFG will be to use the technique known as "physics informed neural networks" to obtain a reduced model of a water treatment plant. The Python environment will be used to carry out the project.

Academic supervisor:

Ion Irizar

CEIT Division:

Data Analysis and Information Management

Thematic area:

Artificial Intelligence

Description and objectives:

Water treatment plants are subject to increasingly demanding operational requirements. It is no longer sufficient to comply with the quality of the treated water, but it is also necessary to do so with the minimum energy consumption. To achieve this, the operators of these processes need to have adequate information to enable them to make better decisions.

The task of this PFG would be to use an already developed WWTP simulator to generate data sets that collect its historical operation. These data sets will then be used to evaluate different Machine Learning classification algorithms with the objective of being able to predict the operational state of the process. The algorithms will be programmed in Python.

Academic supervisor:

José Sebastián Gutiérrez Calderón

Department:

Control and Robotics Group of the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Tecnun

Thematic area:

Automation and Electronic Systems Engineering

Description and objectives:

Industry 4.0 is currently revolutionizing the way companies manufacture, improve and distribute their products. These smart factories are now integrating a large number of sensors and actuators, and with the help of the Internet of Things (IoT), cyber-physical systems and cloud computing, are making it possible to collect and analyze data for decision making.

The objective of this PFG would be the automation of a monitored bench, simulating an industrial equipment through a PLC and obtaining data from sensors and actuators through the Internet of Things for further processing.

Academic supervisor:

Ion Irizar

CEIT Division:

Data Analysis and Information Management

Thematic area:

Artificial Intelligence

Description and objectives:

The detection of rare events in industrial processes is a topic that, with Industry 4.0, has become particularly relevant. Industrial processes are becoming increasingly digitized which brings significant benefits in terms of improved efficiency, but on the other hand makes these systems more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. This is a particularly relevant issue in the case of critical infrastructures such as water treatment facilities.

The aim is to improve the design of a thermoelectric cooler (based on Peltier cells) used to maintain the temperature in a bioreactor. A model of the operation of the thermoelectric cooler will be developed and improvements in its design will be proposed in order to achieve the target temperatures to be reached inside the bioreactor. The project is carried out together with the company that manufactures the bioreactor. For more information contact Juan Carlos Ramos(jcramos@tecnun.es).

Profile/Graduate: Industrial Technologies, Mechanics, Electricity, Industrial Electronics.

Academic Supervisor: Juan Carlos Ramos.

Department/Area: Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering / Area of Thermal and Fluids Engineering.

Academic supervisor:

Íñigo Adín

CEIT Division:

ICT

Thematic area:

NDT, RF, Transport

Description and objectives:

This project aims to design a system for detecting cracks in railway rails. In terms of the basic principle of detection, it is proposed here that this should be carried out by means of a radar technique using radiofrequency technologies with the capacity to illuminate the rail in movement. The reflections received must be processed to determine the presence of cracks smaller than those specified in the regulations before grinding the rail. The aim of this project is to make progress in specifying the basic principle of detection, and to investigate the needs for mounting on a moving element.

Academic supervisor:

Íñigo Adín

CEIT Division:

ICT

Thematic area:

IoT, Energy Harvesting, low energy consumption

Description and objectives:

This project proposes the acquisition and implementation of novel platforms for the transformation of motion, radio frequency, sound or wind into energy usable by autonomous IoT systems. There are currently more integrated and more efficient platforms that promise to provide power to electronic data collection and remote connectivity systems, and it is important to understand the real scope of their capabilities. This refers to testing and merging the possibilities of harnessing unusual physical elements/events for these applications to replace the usual solar panels.

Academic supervisor:

Leticia Zamora Cadenas - Iker Aguinaga Hoyos.

CEIT Division:

Information and Communication Technologies. Intelligent Systems for Industry 4.0 Group.

Thematic area:

Telecommunication/Industrial Engineering

Description and objectives:

Indoor location systems have been on the rise in recent years. Whether using radio frequency technologies, inertial sensors or artificial vision systems, the location of objects or people in indoor spaces is a key element in many applications (tracking of parts, access to security areas, tracking of people, augmented reality, etc.).

To determine and evaluate the accuracy of a location system, it is most common to use manual measurement of control points or tests in a controlled environment to determine the accuracy of the system. However, this type of measurement is always subject to measurement errors, human error, and the impossibility of tracking a moving element in real time. Another widespread option, especially when it comes to assessing dynamic accuracy, is to resort to cost-effective systems that allow the creation of ground truth, such as, for example, vision tracking systems. However, it is not always possible to deploy such systems, or the financial means to do so are not always available. Therefore, being able to assess the accuracy of indoor positioning systems at low cost is still a problem that researchers and companies are trying to solve.

Ceit currently has a line of research associated with positioning systems for indoor spaces, in which it works with various companies to provide solutions to their needs. This is why there is a need for a ground truth system that is easy to install and not too expensive.

The task of this GFP would be to develop a ground truth system, using virtual/augmented reality systems, for subsequent use in the evaluation of the accuracy of Ceit's proprietary indoor location system. HTC Vice, Oculus Quest and Hololens 2 hardware are available for the development of this system using the Unity3D programming platform. The candidate should have programming skills in C# or similar languages such as C++ or Java.

Academic supervisor:

Emilio Sánchez Tapia

CEIT Division:

Information and communications technologies. Intelligent Systems for Industry 4.0 Group. Vision and Robotics Subgroup

Thematic area:

Robotics Engineering

Description and objectives:

Industry 4.0 has paved the way for multiple forms of automation that aim to improve productivity and optimise work processes. In this context, the aim is to develop an intelligent mobile manipulator: a new type of robot that integrates the technology of an autonomous mobile robot and a highly efficient collaborative robotic arm capable of performing various operations.

The idea of the project is to develop a robot that can move, detect and avoid obstacles, explore its environment to recognise objects through artificial vision and carry out part handling tasks, being able to interact with operators. With the idea of implementing a digital transformation model, required today in real factory environments, the robots, control elements, sensors and the rest of the on-board elements will be connected to each other through a digital platform to control the process in real time and from anywhere.

CEIT has already developed a first working prototype (see figure below).

The task of this GFP would be the programming under ROS-2 of a sequence of tasks for the robot to interact with a classic robotic cell. The specific case to be developed will be for the robot to go to a repository of parts to be processed, bring them to the cell, wait for them to be processed and take them to another warehouse of parts already classified.

Under this simple task, the concepts of:

• Collaborative mobile robotics
• Machine tending
• Control in force
• Problem of synchronisation of two automatic devices

Programming skills in C/C++, Python or java-script are required.

Academic Supervisor: Borja Prieto.

CEIT Division: Electric Vehicle and Smart Grids.

Subject area: Electrical Engineering.

Description and objectives: ELMER is an open source multiphysics simulation software. It allows to simulate the behaviour of a multitude of physical processes such as: the operation of electrical and magnetic components, the heating of solids, mechanical vibration and resistance, fluid movement and snow melting, etc.

The aim of this project is to familiarise the student with ELMER and to learn how to simulate the multiphysics behaviour of a coupled system, e.g. heat generated in a part through the application of magnetic fields and the temperatures at which this heating occurs.

Academic Supervisor: Jesús Paredes.

CEIT Division: Electric Vehicle and Smart Grids.

Subject area: Electrical Engineering.

Description and objectives: During the last decade, many of the aircraft auxiliary systems (pneumatic, hydraulic and mechanical) have been replaced by electric or hybrid actuators, due to incentives for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the reduction of operation and maintenance costs. This has led to a considerable increase in the electrical power installed in aircraft.

Traditionally, the turbines were started by a pneumatic system and the energy needed to power the aircraft's electrical systems was produced by generators coupled to the turbines. Today, the two systems have converged into a single electrical machine capable of working as both an engine and a generator. These systems include aircraft turbine starter/generators. The increasing demand for electrical energy and the limited space for starter/generators make it necessary to increase the power density of these machines.

The size, and therefore the weight and cost, of an electrical machine is primarily determined by the heat extraction and temperature limit of the materials used in its manufacture. Oil cooling systems have promising characteristics. Of all the oil cooling systems (spray, oil-dripping, etc.), the aim of this project is to deal with oil-flooded stator systems.

The aim of this project is for the student to become familiar with fluid and cooling system simulation tools and to draw conclusions with a view to optimising aircraft engine oil cooling systems.

Academic Supervisor: Gurutz Artetxe.

CEIT Division: Electric Vehicle and Smart Grids.

Subject area: Electrical Engineering.

Description and objectives: Induction heating is an efficient and fast method of generating heat. It can be used in a variety of applications where tempering, brazing or melting of metals is required. CEIT is interested in developing calculation tools (based on a set of previously developed tools) for use in the design of induction heating systems for formwork. The objective of this project is to model the electromagnetic behaviour and heating of a formwork heating system and to use these to perform optimisation studies for the design of a practical case.

• Profile/Graduate: Industrial Technologies, Mechanics, Electricity, Industrial Electronics.
• Academic Supervisor: Juan Carlos Ramos.
• Department/Area: Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering / Area of Thermal and Fluids Engineering.
• Description: The aim is to solve by means of the Finite Difference Method a thermal model of the generation and conduction of heat in the core and coils inside a transformer. The equations of the model and the solution by the iterative Gauss-Seidel method will be implemented in Matlab. Heat transfer issues will be applied. For further information, please contact the teacher.

Academic supervisor:

Andoni Irizar

Department Tecnun/CEIT Division:

CEIT. Materials and Manufacturing Division

Thematic area:

Electronic systems

Description and objectives:

In today's industrial processes it is increasingly necessary to monitor the manufacturing process and the quality of the components resulting from the process. There are a variety of methods that allow such monitoring in real time, that do not require parts to be separated from each other for analysis and that do not damage the parts in the process. The most commonly used inspection techniques are those using electromagnetic fields, ultrasonic signals and machine vision. This project deals with ultrasonic techniques. Ceit has its own ultrasonic signal test bench that allows ultrasonic signals to be generated and captured easily from a PC. The aim of the project is to make a proposal for the design of a miniaturised test bench (e.g. the size of a Raspberry). By comparison, the current design is the size of a desktop computer. It would involve making a block diagram of the system, making a selection of components including the processing platform to be used and the power supply components. Finally, it will be necessary to estimate the consumption and cost of the final equipment.

Academic supervisor:

Diego Borro

Department Tecnun/CEIT Division:

CEIT. Intelligent Systems for Industry 4.0 Group.

Thematic area:

Machine vision for industry

Description and objectives:

An application is available that allows testing a multitude of artificial vision algorithms on images. The project will consist of increasing the capabilities of the current tool by adding algorithms, improving the GUI, providing more functionalities, etc.

Academic supervisor:

Diego Borro

Department Tecnun/CEIT Division:

Intelligent Systems for Industry 4.0 Group of CEIT

Thematic area:

Machine vision for industry

Description and objectives:

The project consists of using Deep Learning techniques for object detection and classification. Specifically, the focus will be on detecting parts with and without defects.

Academic supervisor:

Jorge Juan Gil.

Department Tecnun/CEIT Division:

CEIT. Intelligent Systems for Industry 4.0 Group.

Thematic area:

Systems and Control Engineering

Description and objectives:

Up to now, control concepts have been demonstrated on the blackboard, by means of simulations or videos. For the Control Engineering course, we want to build a mechanical control system (two pendulums coupled with springs) for teaching purposes: to show in class the different behaviour of the system in front of various controllers. To ensure portability, the system will be controllable via USB through an ARDUINO board. In a previous project the mechanical system has been built. In the proposed project, several controllers will be programmed in C, especially a proportional-integral (PI) controller that allows "teleoperation" (the user moves one of the pendulums and the other follows its movement without error in a permanent regime).

Academic supervisor:

Íñigo Adín.

Department Tecnun/CEIT Division:

CEIT. ICT Division

Thematic area:

Positioning and communications

Description and objectives:

This project aims to propose novel techniques to achieve indoor and outdoor positioning by means of signals of opportunity, in combination with GNSS satellite signals (GPS, Galileo, etc.). The current trend is to fuse the GNSS signal with inertial sensors and vision and radar based sensors for precise guidance. However, there are less expensive techniques using signals already present in the spectrum and in the application environment that can be useful. Wifi and Bluetooth beacons can be used as anchors and fingerprinting techniques based on received power can achieve accuracies in the order of a few metres. However, the new 5G, with higher frequency spectra and smaller cells, can be useful for positioning by signal arrival time. There are also constellations of commercial satellites in low orbits that emit signals that can also be used for this purpose.

The aim is to establish the techniques used in each case and to arrive at an estimate of the achievable accuracies.