Abstract:

The educational model Tec21 is a model that allows the formation of solid and integral skills that help students solve the challenges of the present and the future in a creative and strategic way. Semana Tec (Tec Week) arises as part of the Tec21 Model. It is a training unit in which students can have total immersion in activities or experiences. These experiences allow students to develop transversal skills (such as communication, self-management, social intelligence, etc.) and disciplinary skills.

The students can take distinct types of “Semana Tec” within their professional training. “Semana Tec” helps students in several purposes: Development as a leader with an entrepreneurial spirit, human sense and being international competitive. Live leadership and student training activities. There are also seven skills that Tec21 seeks to develop in all students. Among them, there are two on which this work will focus: Self-knowledge and management, which is building a project of professional and personal well-being throughout life by having a responsible reflection and the integration of emotional and intellectual resources; and Digital transformation, which optimizes solutions to the problems of their professional environment, intelligently and timely incorporating cutting-edge digital technologies. The curricula of all careers include three Semana Tec per semester.

Considering Semana Tec, this work shows the experience lived by the students during the Semana Tec “Connecting the world, cyber physics systems”. Focusing on renewable energy sources. Wind energy has attracted a lot of attention due to its abundance and advancement of supporting technologies among other factors. Wind energy is harnessed by wind turbines which converts wind kinetic energy into mechanical energy and finally into electrical energy. The students carried out research, implementation, and tests on blades for building a micro wind turbine. Also, they executed an analysis for different concepts that are involved in the development of blades for wind turbines, and, in this way, they build three blade. An appropriate profile for air, temperature, and density conditions for the city of Morelia. Subsequently, the blades were made using the information from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and made diverse test to determine the capacity of the wind turbine. Furthermore, also the students used the Qblade program to create the characterization, and the tests was made using a homemade wind tunnel in Tecnológico de Monterrey Campus Morelia.

During the week, the students could understand their aerodynamic and the different factors that occur in the development of blades for wind turbines. Also, the students were able to link SolidWorks with LabVIEW programs. In this way, they were able to develop the skills mentioned above.

Keywords:

Education, skills, technology, development.