INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION PROGRAMME (ENGINEERING)

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr T Thevar

Pre-requisites

Higher Mathematics

Overview

The aim of the course is to introduce basic concepts of electronics within a context of general engineering. The topics covered are kept at levels 1 and 2. A further aim of the course is to illustrate applications of the concepts discussed that are of interest to all students. It will adopt the philosophy of application oriented teaching. During each topic the students will be provided with examples of day-to-day devices that they will understand by the end of that topic. The theoretical aspects of the course are placed in an illustrative practical context.

The course includes atomic theory and the concept of current flow. The basic principles of electrical circuits are introduced. Ohm's law is applied to simple dc circuits. The origin of electronics is introduced through the concept of "black box" amplifiers and their application. Operational amplifier circuits and some applications are discussed and analysed. Logic gates, Boolean algebra, and logic design illustrate that application of digital electronics. Practical examples of digital circuit implementation are provided. The course also provides an overview of wave theory and propagation with emphasis on electronic communication. Finally an introduction to ac concepts is provided.

Structure

The course will consist of 30 one-hour lectures, 6 one-hour tutorials and 5 two-hour laboratory/design sessions. Detailed schedules are provided separately.

Assessment

1st Attempt: One written examination of three-hours duration (80%) and continuous assessment based on the laboratory/design exercises (20%).

Resit: One written examination of three-hours duration (80%), with previous coursework marks used to make up the remaining (20%).

Formative Assessment

Students will have their log book and lab reports assessed on several occasions during the half session, and these will be returned to them with markers' comments. There will also be opportunities for informal formative assessment and feedback in the weekly tutorial sessions.

Feedback

The return of marked coursework (log books and lab reports) will provide formal feedback to the students. Informal feedback will be provided during weekly tutorial sessions.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr M Kashtalyan

Pre-requisites

None

Overview

• Introduction. Materials, processes and choice: a historical prospective. Overview of material properties – physical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic, optical, chemical – with examples of where these properties are important. (2 lectures)


• Organising materials and processes. Classification of materials and its hierarchical structure. Overview of the main classes of materials: metals, ceramics, polymers, hybrids. Material property charts. Classification of processes and its hierarchical structure. Computer-aided information management for materials and processes using CES Edupack. Materials and processes in the context of design. Case studies. (4 lectures)


• Physical properties. density and how it is measured. Relevance to engineering applications. Underpinning principles: atomic structure. Exploring density chart with CES Edupack. (1 lecture)


• Mechanical properties: stiffness. Modes of loading. Engineering stress and strain. Stress-strain curve. Elastic deformation, Hooke’s law and elastic moduli. Young’s modulus and its measurement. Underpinning principles: atomic packing and bonding. Bonding and packing in metals. Important crystallographic structures: hpc, fcc, bcc. Atom packing in ceramics, glasses and polymers. Exploring the modulus-density and modulus-cost charts with CES Edupack. (7 lectures)


• Mechanical properties: yield and tensile strengths. Ductility. Definitions and measurement. Hardness test. Underpinning principles: crystalline imperfections. Exploring the yield strength-density and modulus-yield strength charts with CES Edupack. (3 lectures)


• Thermal properties of materials. Melting temperature, glass temperature, thermal expansion, thermal conduction, heat capacity. Exploiting thermal properties. Using materials at high temperatures. Temperature dependence of material properties. (3 lectures)


• Processing of materials. Shaping, joining and surface treatment and their attributes. Exploring material-process compatibility with CES Edupack. Shaping processes for metals (sand, investment and die casting). Microstructure evolution in processing. Underpinning principles: phase diagrams and the solidification of alloys. Shaping processes for polymers (injection, blow and rotational moulding). Deformation processes: rolling, forging, extrusion, drawing. Underpinning principles: Annealing of metals. Powder methods. Underpinning principles: diffusion. Joining processes (adhesive bonding, mechanical fastening, soldering and welding). (8 lectures)


• Materials, processes and the environment. Material consumption and its growth. The material life cycle. Criteria for life cycle assessment: embodied energy, process energy and end of life potential. Exploring charts for embodied energy with CES Edupack. Selecting materials for eco-design. (2 lectures)

Structure

The course will consist of 30 one-hour lectures, 6 tutorials and 5 two-hour laboratory sessions. Detailed schedules are provided separately.

Assessment

1st Attempt: One written examination of two-hours duration (80%) and continuous assessment based on the laboratory/design exercises (20%).

Resit: One written examination of two-hours duration (80%), with previous coursework marks used to make up the remaining (20%).

Formative Assessment

Students will have their log book and lab reports assessed on several occasions during the half session, and these will be returned to them with markers' comments. There will also be opportunities for informal formative assessment and feedback in the weekly tutorial sessions.

Feedback

The return of marked coursework (log books and lab reports) will provide formal feedback to the students. Informal feedback will be provided during weekly tutorial sessions.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr H Sun

Pre-requisites

None

Overview

1. Oral Presentation: Preparing oral presentation using different and appropriate formats; best practice in oral presentation; use Microsoft PowerPoint as an effective presentation tool; importing of data from other sources into MS PowerPoint.
2. Written Presentation: Devise and follow a standard format of report writing; style and structure of reports; use Microsoft (MS) Word and the facilities for correcting grammar and spelling; importing data from other sources into MS Word; use MS Excel spreadsheets for solving engineering problems and for producing graphs; use the library and the internet website as information resource for written and oral presentations.
3. Ethics, Environment and Personal Development: Introduce plagiarism, copyright and intellectual property, and different standard referencing styles; knowledge of all work is carried out within the confines of plagiarism and copyright laws; an exercise on Famous Engineer leading to a formal report essay for marking; review of engineering events with environmental issues, personal development planning, and CV writing.
4. Introduction to CAD: Standards for engineering drawings including what a 'standard' is and why it exists; interpreting engineering drawing; use of SolidWorks for 3D sketching and producing 3D objects and simple assemblies from a series of 3D objects; converting 3D drawings of objects and assemblies into first and third angle engineering drawings; enhancement of engineering drawings using sections and break outs.

Structure

19 one-hour lectures; 11 two-hour CAD practical sessions, 8 two-hour Workshop sessions for other parts of the course

Assessment

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment (100%)

Resit: Students who 'No Paper' any element of assessment will not be given resubmission opportunity and will be required to re-register for this course or its equivalent at the next available opportunity. All other students should be referred to the course coordinator for resubmission.

Formative Assessment

Due to continuous assessment and progressive nature of this course together with the student numbers and the volume of submitted work the feedback provided will be of a generic nature. This feedback will take the form of a 15 minute feedback session at the start of each lecture where typical assignment specific problems will be demonstrated and explained in order that students will be aware of any errors in their own assignment submissions. Students who are still unclear about their assignments can contact the course contributor and arrange a meeting to discuss their issues.

Feedback

Due to continuous assessment and progressive nature of this course together with the student numbers and the volume of submitted work the feedback provided will be of a generic nature. This feedback will take the form of a 15 minute feedback session at the start of each lecture where typical assignment specific problems will be demonstrated and explained in order that students will be aware of any errors in their own assignment submissions. Students who are still unclear about their assignments can contact the course contributor and arrange a meeting to discuss their issues.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr Henry Tan

Pre-requisites

Higher Mathematics (Grade C).

Overview

• Algebra, geometry, trigonometry, exponentials and logarithms. Powers, laws of indices.


• Co-ordinate geometry: Cartesian co-ordinates, equations of straight line and circle.


• Parametric representation of curves. Trigonometry: circular function, identities.


• Recurrence relations (the limit of the sequence resulting from a recurrence relation) Factor/Remainder Theorem and quadratic theory.


• Vectors in three dimensions: Scalar multiple, position vector, unit vector, component. Vector addition and multiplication by a scalar. Scalar product. Determine the distance between two points in three dimensional space.


• Basic differentiation: Introduction to the derivative. Slopes. Newton Quotient. Rate of change and velocity. Derivatives of elementary functions. Differentiable at a point. Differentiable over an interval. The derived function (terms rate of change, average gradient, strictly increasing, strictly decreasing, stationary point (value), maximum turning point (value), minimum turning point (value), point of inflexion, the chain rule, basic trigonometric functions. Higher derivatives.


• Basic integration: Introduction to integration: Integral, integrate, constant of integration, definite integral, limits of integration, indefinite integral. Area under a curve. Integration of elementary functions. Evaluate definite integrals. Determine the area bounded by two curves. Application of integration to finding areas, volumes of revolution, lengths of paths, first moments of area and centres of gravity of uniform laminae.

Structure

2½ one-hour lectures, and 1 one-hour tutorial per week. 5 two-hour lab or problem-solving sessions.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour written examination (80%) and continuous assessment (20%).

Resit: 1 three-hour written examination (80%) and continuous assessment (20%).

Formative Assessment

Students will have their continuous assessment work returned to them with markers' comments. There will also be informal formative assessment and feedback in the weekly tutorial sessions.

Feedback

Feedback will be provided by the return of marked coursework, and informal feedback at weekly tutorial sessions.

Credit Points

Course Coordinator

Dr D Hendry

Pre-requisites

EG 1008

Co-requisites

EG 1503

Overview

• Charges, charge per unit length, area and volume, dimensional analysis, forces on charges, Coulomb’s law, Millikan’s experiment, electric field and its units, work on a charged particle, voltage and its relation to electric field. Voltages and electric fields at the surface of a conductor. The parallel plate capacitor, Q=CV, forces on parallel plates; Electrostatic energy; dielectrics; Capacitors as circuit components, ac impedance. The electrostatic loudspeaker. (5 lectures)


• Magnetic fields, magnets and compasses; Magnetic field due to a current carrying conductor; Visualising magnetic fields; Forces on a current carrying conductor; simple DC electric motors; The Earth’s magnetic field; Magnetostatic energy; simple magnetic materials; the inductor, ac impedance the solenoid; the transformer . (7 lectures)


• Semiconductor devices: semiconductors, dopants, p-type, n-type, the p-n junction and the diode equation; the photodiode, camera sensors, opto-isolator; the bipolar transistor and its circuit behaviour; the common emitter amplifier; FETs and the MOSFET, simple logic circuits (inverter, NAND, NOR); the Thyristor and the Triac. (8 lectures)


• The SPICE circuit simulator; entering a simple circuit; types of analyses; (3 lectures)


• Circuit theory: Kirchoff’s laws and examples of their application; Thevenin and a better common emitter amp; Norton; Applications to operational amplifier circuits; Differentiating circuits, integrating circuits. (5 lectures)


• The light shield design example, use of a photodiode to detect incoming light as a means of protecting a “priceless artefact” using a solenoid and mechanical slotted device. (2 lectures)

Structure

30 one-hour lectures, 12 one-hour tutorials and 5 two-hour laboratory/design sessions. Detailed schedules are provided separately.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour written examination (80%) and continuous assessment based on laboratory/design exercises (20%).

Resit: 1 three-hour written examination (80%) and continuous assessment based on laboratory/design exercises (20%).

Formative Assessment

Students will have their log book and lab reports assessed on several occasions during the half session, and these will be returned to them with markers' comments. There will also be opportunities for informal formative assessment and feedback in the weekly tutorial sessions.

Feedback

The return of marked coursework (log books and lab reports) will provide formal feedback to the students. Informal feedback will be provided during weekly tutorial sessions.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr P C Davidson

Pre-requisites

None

Overview

1. Coordinate Systems, Newton’s Second and Third Laws, Static Equilibrium and Equations of Motion

Structure

The course will consist of 30 one-hour lectures, 12 one-hour tutorials and 5 two-hour laboratory/design sessions. Detailed schedules are provided separately.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 written examination of two hours duration (80%) and continuous assessment based on the laboratory/design exercises (20%).

Resit: 1 written examination of three hours duration (80%), with previous coursework marks used to make up the remaining (20%).

Formative Assessment

Students will have their log book and lab reports assessed on several occasions during the half session, and these will be returned to them with markers' comments. There will also be opportunities for informal formative assessment and feedback in the weekly tutorial sessions.

Feedback

The return of marked coursework (log books and lab reports) will provide formal feedback to the students. Informal feedback will be provided during weekly tutorial sessions.

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

To Be Confirmed

Pre-requisites

Higher Mathematics (Grade B)

Overview

• Revision: Basic differentiation & Integration: Rules of differentiation - sum, product rule. Higher derivatives. Maxima & Minima: The idea and the basic tests, including 2nd derivative tests. Higher derivatives.


• Differential calculus: Chain and quotient rule. The inverse trig functions arcsin, arccos, arctan and their derivatives. Log and exp. Properties and derivatives. Sinh, cosh & tanh.


• Integral Calculus: Basic techniques: substitution, parts, partial fractions. Reduction formulae. Definite integrals. Definite integrals and applications of integration to finding areas, volumes of revolution, lengths of paths, first moments of area and centres of gravity of uniform laminae.


• Complex Numbers: The arithmetic of complex numbers. Argand plane. Modulus, conjugate, argument etc. Polar form and de Moivre's theorem. Solution of zn = 1. Theory of equations: Roots and factors of polynomials. Multiple roots. Fundamental theorem of Algebra. Complex roots of real polynomials occur in conjugate pairs. The Fourier matrix and applications.


• Matrices: Basic definition and notation (m x n). Algebra of matrices: multiplication by scalar, addition & subtraction, multiplication. Zero matrix, identity matrix, transpose, symmetric & anti- symmetric matrices. The meaning of matrix inversion. Inverse of 2x2 matrix. Determinants, with some work on row & column operations together with general expansion formula. Systems of linear equations. Geometrical interpretation. Discussion of various possibilities: unique solution, no solution, infinitely many solutions. Gaussian reduction: Solution of systems of linear equations by formal Gaussian reduction with partial pivoting down to upper triangular form followed by backsubstitution.

Structure

30 one-hour lectures, 1 one-hour tutorial per week and 5 two-hour problem solving sessions.

Assessment

1st Attempt: 1 three-hour written examination (80%) and continuous assessment (20%).

Resit: 1 three-hour written examination (80%) and continuous assessment (20%).

Formative Assessment

Students will have their continuous assessment work returned to them with markers' comments. There will also be informal formative assessment and feedback in the weekly tutorial sessions.

Feedback

Feedback will be provided by the return of marked coursework, and informal feedback at weekly tutorial sessions.