Revision Flashcards
Stages of a Project
Design/Planning
Construction/Implementation
Maintenance
Design/Planning stage involves:
Initial stages
Site surveys
Drawing up plans
Source material cost
Use knowledge from previous projects
Construction/Implementation stage involves:
Project is being built
Engineer would check at this stage to make sure the construction matches the specification/plans/drawings.
Maintenance stage involves:
Ongoing regular checks to ensure the finished project is still meeting specifications.
Types of engineering:
Electrically
Civil
Structural
Chemical
Mechanical
Electronic
Electrical engineering:
Although the name suggests that this discipline focuses purely on electrical systems, it involves much more than that. This is a branch of engineering that also includes power generation and distribution, motors and motor control, and the use of electromechanical devices.
Civil engineering:
This branch of engineering deals with infrastructure. A civil engineer will plan, design and oversee the construction and maintenance of ditterent tactitles needed by modern civilisation. Civil engineers are involved in the design and planning of roads, railways, bridges, dams, irrigation projects, power plants and water and sewerage systems, and to do this they will assess the area of planned construction to ensure it is the most suitable location.
Structural engineering:
This branch of engineering is about analysing, designing, planning and researching structures, the materials they will be built from, and the forces that will act upon them to ensure that any given structure is safe and can support the needed loads. A structural engineer will have the knowledge and skills to understand and calculate the stability, strength and rigidity of a structure, ensuring that it will not collapse under different loads, forces or conditions.
Chemical engineering:
This branch of engineering deals with the chemical properties of materials and how these can be changed or altered. This could be a deliberate change, for example galvanising metal or coating a material with a certain paint to resist deterioration or corrosion; or knowing how different materials will act under certain conditions, such as exposure to weather conditions or elements.
Mechanical engineering:
This branch of engineering concerns itself with anything that moves. A mechanical engineer will analyse, design and develop mechanical devices to complete specific Jobs. These can range from small components of a design, to extremely large plants and refineries, to machinery or vehicles.
Environmental engineering:
This is the branch of engineering that concerns itself with protecting all forms of life from adverse environmental effects such as pollution. Environmental engineers will have the knowledge of eco-friendly manufacturing methods to reduce the environmental impact of a project, and work with structural engineers to choose materials that are eco-friendly. They will also integrate low-carbon technologies in a project to reduce carbon footprints, and have the skills to adapt a design to limit its impact on the environment.
They also work on engineering solutions to improve recycling, water and air quality, waste disposal and management, and to improve public health.
Electronic engineering:
Although the name is similar to electrical enzineering, and exam questions may refer to them as comparable disciplines, they have different roles that require different skills and knowledge.
Electronic engineering is about automatic control and the implementation of it. This means that electronic engineers may have the skills to design different electronic sensing circuits, be able to design and plan different programs for different functions, and then be able to write the code needed for it to run. To do this, they would also have the knowledge to understand how complex control systems work. This involves knowledge of components such as Op Amps, MOSIETs, relays and microcontrollers. Once the engineers have the system designed and working effectively, they must also have the skill to do energy audits to test that the system is working efficiently.
Engineering skills!
Design
Test
Calculate
Write
Select
Simulate
Build
Construct
Program
Research
Measure
Analyse
Structural engineer skills and knowledge:
Design the supporting structure for a wind turbine.
Calculate the forces acting on the blades of the wind turbine due to wind.
Select an appropriate material based on calculated stress/strain values.
Apply a factor of safety to ensure that the structure remains within the safe working load.
Civil engineer skills and knowledge:
Analyse existing infrastructure to ensure it is sufficient for the development.
Manage the construction of roads and services to the new development.
Assess the environmental impact of the development.
Oversee all work being carried out to ensure: liaise between engineering teams to ensure that work is progressing efficiently and on time, ensure all regulations are met.
Chemical engineer skills and knowledge:
Develop oils/lubricants to reduce friction in a system.
Testing existing materials to see how they can be improved.
Mechanical engineer skills and knowledge:
Design gearing systems to transfer the motion from….. to …….
Calculate the size of gears to be
used to ensure the correct Velocity Ratio is achieved.
Analyse existing mechanical systems to make them more efficient, reducing energy loss etc.
Electronic engineer skills (deals with smaller circuits and control systems) and knowledge:
Design an electronic circuit /control circuit to solve the problem.
Calculate the values of components to be used in the circuit.
Writing Boolean equations to help design logic circuits.
Simulate/construct prototypes to ensure that a circuit’s final solution works before manufacturing begins.
Programming engineer (deals with control and monitoring systems):
Plan programs/develop flowcharts to solve a required sequence.
Write a program for a microcontroller to operate a control circuit.
Calculate Pulse Width Modulation times/values to achieve the correct motor speed.
Electrical/Power engineer (deals with larger electrical circuits, power generation and supply to homes and buildings, etc) skills and knowledge:
Analyse existing circuits to ensure they are compatible with a new circuit.
Calculate the amount of electricity that is expected to be produced from a generator.
Calculate the power consumed by a circuit to ensure it meets the required needs safely.
Impacts of engineers:
Social
Environmental
Economic
Social impacts:
How a project has an impact on PEOPLE.
Environmental impacts:
Animal habitats displaced?
Water courses having pollution issues
Noise during construction
Carbon emission increase if roads are shut
Economic impacts:
Involving money
Local businesses impacted by closures
Increases in revenue through tourism
Increase the local economy during construction from workers on site
Local jobs available
What are pneumatics?
Pneumatics involves the the controlled use of compressed air.
Advantages of pneumatics:
CLEAN- uses surrounding air, no spills, drips, or mess.
SAFE- provided rules are followed, no sparking.
RELIABLE- lasts for a long time and low maintenance.
ECONOMICAL- cheaper to run compared to other systems.
FLEXIBLE- basic components can be reconfigured easily and don’t need insulation or physical protection.
Disadvantages of pneumatics:
Only small forces produced.
Not energy efficient.
Common causes of structural failure:
Overloading
Material or joint failure
Fatigue
Overloading:
Overloading is when a load is applied to the structure which was not designed for:
-Weather, wind, earthquakes
-Lorries on old bridges designed for cars
Material or joint failure:
Poor quality materials or defects
Working environment degrades material
Fatigue:
Repeated loading and unloading
Properties of materials:
Strength
Elasticity
Plasticity
Ductility
Brittleness
Malleability
Toughness
Hardness
Strength:
The ability of a material to resist force. All materials have some degree of strength- the greater the force the material can resist, the stringer the material.
Elasticity:
The ability of a material to return to its original shape or length once an applied load or force has been removed.
Plasticity:
The ability of a material to change its shape or length under a load and stay deformed even when the load is removed.
Ductility:
The ability of a material to be stretched without fracturing and be formed into shapes such as very thin sheets or very thin wire.
Brittleness:
The property of being easily cracked, snapped or broken.
Malleability:
The ability of a material to be shaped, worked or formed without fracturing. It is closely related to the property of plasticity.
Toughness:
The ability to absorb a sudden sharp load without causing permanent deformation or failure. Tough materials require high elasticity.
Hardness:
The ability to resist erosion or surface wear. Hard materials are used in situations where two surfaces are moving across or over each other.
