A Web-based Interactive Real Laboratory for Process Engineering Education

Abstract

An online supervision and control of a laboratory designed for process engineering education was conceived. The principal aim was to minimise the time access of an operator when manipulating laboratory features. Hence, the Time delay due to Internet traffic was overcome by using a Web Embedded Server (WES). A human-computer interactive interface using JAVA Script was developed so as to control multi-user access. The multi-user management was ensured by means of a PHP-based dynamic pages using sessions’ technique, implemented via an APACHE server in the local control system. Approach validation was conducted on a didactic lift considered as an engineering educational process. Online experimentation of the laboratory showed similar behaviour to the local manipulation. Moreover, the access time to laboratory features was significantly reduced and many facilities were offered to students.