The Staff Support Committee (SSC) of the Engineering Department (ED) spearheaded an online course on “Simulation Approach and Software Packages for Real Time Problem Solving and Research” for Shinas College of Technology staff from June 28- July 2, 2020.

ED lecturers Dr. Joseph Sekhar, Dr. Binumol Shahulhameed, Mr. Arun Gopinath and Dr. Senthil Ramadoss facilitated the course using the Microsoft Teams application.

On the first day of the course, Dr. Joseph delivered a talk on “An Introduction on the Simulation Approach for Real Time Problem Solving and Research.”  He elucidated the strategies involved in solving Engineering problems and carrying out research with the use of various numerical, analytical and empirical simulation techniques.

Dr. Binumol, on the other hand, discussed the adaptability of excel software in various Engineering specializations as well as the applications related to problem-solving and simulation on the second day of the online course. She also shed light on optimization techniques using excel based add-in tools and simulation procedures used for practical based studies in her presentation “Excel Application for Problem Solving and Simulation in Engineering.”

Titled “Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER),” Mr. Arun Gopinath, the speaker on the third day, presented the application of HOMER-a tool used for conducting feasibility analysis of hybrid system of multiple resources. Using the said tool, he described how HOMER can be utilized for a feasibility analysis for a hybrid system in the region of Khasab, Sultanate of Oman, which currently has a diesel based power generation system.

Dr. Joseph, the resource speaker on the fourth day of the course, presented a talk on “Numerical Approach and CFD Software Packages for Simulation and Research.” Topics on the various salient features of numerical modelling and simulation to solve Engineering problems, and the standard steps used to create a model and analyze the CFD software were discussed.

Finally, on the last day on the online course, Dr. Senthil Ramadoss underscored the importance of artificial intelligence and the role that machine learning and deep learning play in data analysis in his talk dubbed “MATLAB for Artificial Intelligence.”