AIMS

Many engineering disciplines make use of numerical solutions to computational problems. In this subject students will be introduced to the key elements of programming in a high level language, and will then use that skill to explore methods for solving numerical problems in a range of discipline areas.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Algorithmic problem solving
• Fundamental data types: numbers and characters
• Approximation and errors in numerical computation
• Fundamental program structures: sequencing, selection, repetition, functions
• Simple data storage structures, variables, arrays, and structures
• Roots of equations and of linear algebraic equations
• Curve fitting and splines
• Interpolation and extrapolation
• Numerical differentiation and integration.

AIMS

The aim of this subject is to develop an understanding of fundamental modelling techniques for the analysis of systems that involve electrical phenomena. This includes networks models of “flow-drop” one-port elements in steady state (DC and AC), electrical power systems, simple RC and RL transient analysis, and basic functional models for digital systems consisting of combinational logic. This subject is a core pre-requisite for the four subjects that define the Electrical Systems Major in the Bachelor of Science. The subject is also a core requirement for the Master of Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical and Mechatronics).

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics include:

Electrical phenomena – charge, current, electrical potential, conservation of energy and charge, the generation, storage, transport and dissipation of electrical power.

Network models – networks of “flow-drop” one-port elements, Kirchoff’s laws, standard current-voltage models for one-ports (independent sources, resistors, capacitors, inductors, transducers, diodes), analysis of static networks, properties of linear time-invariant (LTI) one-ports and impedance functions, diodes, transformers, steady-state (DC and AC) analysis of LTI networks via mesh and node techniques, equivalent circuits, and transient analysis of simple circuits;

Electrical power systems – overview of power generation and transmission, analysis of single-phase and balanced three-phase AC power systems.

Digital systems – electrical encoding of information and the digital abstraction, analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion, quantization and resolution, switching algebra, combinational logic networks, and transient timing issues.

This material will be complemented by exposure to software tools for the simulation of electrical and electronic systems and the opportunity to develop basic electrical engineering laboratory skills using a prototyping breadboard, digital multimeter, function generator, DC power supply, and oscilloscope.

The aim of this subject is to provide an introduction to modelling the stresses and deformations that occur when axial, torsional and flexural loads are applied to a body in static equilibrium, as well as the translational and rotational motions that eventuate in a body subject to different load applications. This material will be complemented with laboratory and project based approaches to learning.

The subject provides the basis for all the mechanical engineering subjects that follow. The calculations introduced in this subject are the most common type of calculations performed by professional mechanical engineers in all sectors of the industry.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics to be covered include free-body diagrams; equilibrium; force systems; stresses and strains; coordinate systems; statically indeterminate systems; flexure; bending under combine loads; torsion; power transmission; kinematics; relative motion; particle kinetics; impulse and momentum; vibration; rigid body motion; angular impulse and momentum; work and energy.

This subject introduces important mathematical methods required in engineering such as manipulating vector differential operators, computing multiple integrals and using integral theorems. A range of ordinary and partial differential equations are solved by a variety of methods and their solution behaviour is interpreted. The subject also introduces sequences and series including the concepts of convergence and divergence.

Topics include: Vector calculus, including Gauss’ and Stokes’ Theorems; sequences and series; Fourier series, Laplace transforms; systems of homogeneous ordinary differential equations, including phase plane and linearization for nonlinear systems; second order partial differential equations and separation of variables.

AIMS

Topics covered include: general approach to design problems; invention, analysis, decision making; terminologies such as ‘goal’, ‘objectives’, ‘criteria’ and ‘constraints’; strategies for synthesis and decision making; technical, ergonomic and economic factors; appraisal of benefit and cost; fault and failure analysis; probability, uncertainty, and assessment of risk; and interfacing geometric and mathematical models, sensitivity analyses, combinatorial search, structured approaches to material selection; failure modes for engineering systems, failure predictors for engineering components under multi-axial stress conditions; rational assessment of safety factors and maximum credible accident; integrity of structures and machines, design against failure; modelling of complex load-bearing systems in terms of simple engineering components; design of elements of structures and machines from first principles; and approaches to uncertainty in design problems, including those related to the environment.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Introduction to strategies for creative idea generation in engineering design -

• The design process – specifying problems and generating solutions
• Making decisions – decision-making strategies, cost benefit analysis, economic and human factors
• Fault / failure analysis.

Introduction to engineering graphical communication -

• Sketching
• Orthographic (multiview), layout, assembly and detailed drawings
• Dimensioning.

Introduction to structural integrity in engineering design -

• Structural integrity and the nature of failure
• Structural distillation – decomposition of structural systems into elementary engineering components
• Estimation, units and calculation
• Failure predictors and factors of safety
• Fatigue – What is fatigue? Time-varying stresses, fatigue strength, design against failure. S-N diagram, A-M diagram. Shafts as an example of fatigue-based structural integrity design.

AIMS

This subject consists of three distinct and fundamentally related topics -

• An introduction to the fundamentals of materials science will be given on atomic structure and bonding, crystal structures and defects, elastic and plastic deformation, dislocations and strengthening and failured (fast fracture, fatigue and creep)

• The mechanics of materials section will extend the concepts of material mechanical behaviour by detailing elastic/inelastic behaviour and introducing the concepts of stress and strain analysis. Topics covered may include the definition of principal stresses, plane stress, plane strain, two-dimensional stress and strain analysis, torsion, pure bending, transverse loading, Mohr’s circle, failure criteria, inelastic behaviour, residual stress

• This subject will also provide an introduction to finite element analysis (FEA) and its application for stress-strain analysis. Particular emphasis will be placed on the fundamental mechanisms by which materials fail under loading.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Mechanics: the definition of principal stresses, plane stress, plane strain, two-dimensional stress and strain analysis, torsion, pure bending, transverse loading, Mohr’s circle, failure criteria, inelastic behaviour, residual stress.
• Materials: atomic structure and bonding, crystal structures and defects, elastic and plastic deformation, dislocations and strengthening and failure (fast fracture, fatigue and creep).
• Finite element analysis (FEA): FEA procedure, application of FEA to discrete systems and continuous bodies.

AIMS

This course is an introduction to basic principles of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics. These two subjects are introduced together in a single course, reflecting the large degree of cross-over in applications and basic first principles between the two subjects.

Fluid mechanics is a very important core subject, influencing a diverse range of engineering systems (aircraft, ships, road vehicle design, air conditioning, energy conversion, wind turbines, hydroelectric schemes to name but a few) and also impacts on many biological (blood flow, bird flight etc) and even meteorological studies. As engineers, we are typically concerned with predicting the force required to move a body through a fluid, or the power required to pump fluid through a system. However, before we can achieve this goal, we must start from fundamental principles governing fluid flow.

Thermodynamics could be defined as the science of energy. This subject can be broadly interpreted to include all aspects of energy and energy transformations. Like fluid mechanics, this is a hugely important subject in engineering, underpinning many key engineering systems including power generation, engines, gas turbines, refrigeration, heating etc. This unit again starts from first principles to introduce the basic concepts of thermodynamics, paving the way for later more advanced units

This course aims to develop a fundamental understanding of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, based on first principles and physical arguments. Real world engineering examples will be used to illustrate and develop an intuitive understanding of these subjects.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics include:

Fluid Mechanics - fluid statics, static forces on submerged structures, stability of floating bodies; solid body motion; fluid dynamics; streamlines; pathlines and streaklines; conservation of mass, momentum and energy; Euler's equation and Bernoulli's equation; control volume analysis; dimensional analysis; incompressible flow in pipes and ducts; boundary layers; flow around immersed bodies; and drag and lift.

Thermodynamics - heat and work, ideal non-flow and flow processes; laws of thermodynamics; Carnot's principle; Clausius inequality; direct and reversed heat engines; thermal efficiencies; properties of pure substances; change of phase; representation of properties; steam and air tables; and vapour equation of state, ideal gases.

This subject will cover the modelling of a range of physical systems across multiple domains as ordinary differential equations, and then introduce the mathematical techniques to analyse their open loop behaviour.

Topics include:

• Development of low order models of a range of electrical, thermal, mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic dynamic systems
• Different representations of these systems (time and, frequency domains) and transformations between them (Laplace, Fourier and Z-transforms)
• Representations of systems – transfer functions, Bode plots, state space, block diagrams, etc
• Identification of linear time invariant systems (least squares identification)
• Relation to time domain properties of open loop responses – stability, oscillations, etc.

MATLAB will be used throughout the course to complement the presented concepts.

AIMS

This subject provides an introduction to automatic control systems, with an emphasis on classical techniques for the analysis and design of feedback interconnections. The main challenge in automatic control is to achieve desired performance in the presence of uncertainty about the system dynamics and the operating environment. Feedback control is one way to deal with modelling uncertainty in the design of engineering systems. This subject is a core requirement in the Master of Engineering (Electrical, Electrical with Business, Mechanical, Mechanical with Business and Mechatronics).

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics include:

* Modelling for control, linearization, relationships between time and frequency domain models of linear time-invariant dynamical systems, and the structure, stability, performance, and robustness of feedback interconnections;

* Frequency-domain analysis and design, Nyquist and Bode plots, gain and phase margins, loop-shaping with proportional, integral, lead, and lag compensators, loop delays, and fundamental limitations in design; and

* Actuator constraints and anti-windup compensation.

This material is complemented by the use of software tools (e.g. MATLAB/Simulink) for computation and simulation, and exposure to control system hardware in the laboratory.

AIMS

This subject builds upon previous fluids subjects, providing students with the basic skills necessary to calculate fluid flows around bodies. Broadly speaking the subject is divided into two units; Unit 1: potential flow and Unit 2: compressible flow. These could equally be described as subsonic and supersonic aerodynamics respectively. Fluid flows have broad reaching applications in many engineering systems and examples as broad as building ventilation, mixing, as well as meteorological applications are considered in unit 1. The supersonic course is more firmly concentrated on aeronautical / astronautical applications.

Both units will start from the basic equations of motion governing fluid flow, and build a useable set of tools that enable the students to calculate flow fields in potential and supersonic flows. This approach will give students a clear sense of the origins of the tools that they use, and also a clear sense of the limitations. Such knowledge is necessary since these theories provided much of the backbone to early computational fluid dynamics packages used in industry.

The two units are strongly linked by the same goal. Throughout the potential flow unit, we build slowly from first principles, proving the utility of potential flow solutions, adding building block flows until eventually the course culminates with a demonstration of how these techniques can be used to calculate the flow (and lift coefficient) of subsonic airfoils. The supersonic unit follows a similar approach, building from first principles, until we eventually develop a set of tools that enables the calculation of the flow (and lift coefficient) of supersonic airfoils. In doing so, students will be introduced to many aspects of supersonic aircraft design.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

This subject introduces students to analysis techniques used in subsonic and supersonic flows. Topics covered include (Unit 1) basic introduction to inviscid flow with and without vorticity; concepts and analysis using stream function and velocity potential; incompressible viscous flow past bodies with vortex shedding; magnus effect; complex velocity potential; (Unit 2) speed of sound; aerodynamic heating; normal and oblique shock waves; expansion fans; theories of thin airfoils; shock expansion theory; boundary layer and shock wave interactions; the `sound barrier’; experimental techniques.

AIMS

This subject aims to equip students with the skills to undertake abstract and concrete design tasks at an intermediate level, taking into account the wider engineering environment and the ability to select suitable manufacturing processes to realise their designs. As a result, students will also be able to modify products and processes to improve their performance.

This subject will consider the design of machine elements and introduce the manufacturing processes to produce these elements. It will present concurrent design of systems and products; computer-based techniques for geometric modelling and materials selection. The impact of variability in manufacturing will be accounted for in approaches to uncertainty in design, including tolerance technology. It will provide project-based experience in the use of conceptual design techniques and in the management of larger open-ended, team-based design tasks.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Fundamentals of materials selection, shape efficient structures and Cambridge Materials Selector.
• Design of springs, columns, pressure vessels, contact loading, bolted joints and pinned and welded joints.
• Nature of quality in design, Quality Function Deployment (QFD), Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), tolerance technology, and design for manufacturing, assembly and disassembly.

AIMS

This subject introduces the concept of microstructure and explores its relationship with processing and properties in the context of basic types of engineering materials and their applications. Topics covered include: diffusion, phase equilibrium and diagrams, phase transformation, metallic alloys, ceramics, polymers, composites, surface and other selected non-mechanical properties.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Diffusion, phase equilibrium and diagrams, phase transformation, metallic alloys, ceramics, polymers, composites, surface and other selected non-mechanical properties.

AIMS

There are 2 related, major topics of study in this subject. Each of these topics will analyse aspects of important thermodynamic devices and will then be integrated to analyse their combined effects in selected devices:

• Cycle analysis: gas turbines, refrigeration and steam cycles
• Heat transfer: conduction, convection, radiation and heat exchangers

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Heat transfer: 1-D conduction, external convection, internal convection, heat exchangers and thermal radiation
• Cycle analysis: Brayton cycles, turboject cycles, Rankine cycles, refrigeration cycles

AIMS

This course will build on the fundamental theories defined previously in Mechanics & Materials. Two principal theories in the determination of stress within a structure are energy methods and three-dimensional analysis.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered in this course will include engineering plasticity, design of pressure vessels and pipes, thick-walled cylinders, shrink fitting, duplex pressure vessels, inelastic deformation, residual stresses, membrane theory of shells of revolution, yielding, rotating shells, local bending stresses, stress analysis of rotating discs with and without holes, shrink fitting, initial and ultimate yielding, fracture mechanics and fatigue, and introduction to the finite element method.

This subject continues from Engineering Mechanics to deepen the understanding of (momentum-based) Newtonian Mechanics. It focuses on the study of the motion of rigid bodies in 3D space in kinematics, kinetics and finally the Newton Euler approach of obtaining the equation of motion as well as collision of rigid bodies. Extension to multi-body systems is introduced in each concept. System analysis is introduced by focusing on a case study of gyroscopic motion.

Kinematics of rigid bodies:

• Non inertial coordinate systems
• Rotation representation
• Angular velocity and acceleration in non-inertial frame
• Constraints.

Rigid Body Kinetics

• Kinetics of rigid bodies:
• Inertia tensor, principle axis
• Parallel axis theorem.

Newton-Euler Approach to obtaining equation of motion.

Collision of Rigid Bodies:

• Impulse-momentum principle
• Collision of point masses (particles)
• Collision of unconstrained rigid bodies
• Collision of constrained rigid bodies.

Gyroscopic motion.

The aim of this subject is to give participants both practical experience in, and theoretical insights into, elements of engineering innovation.

The subject is intense, challenging, experiential and requires significant self-direction. Participants will work on an innovation project sponsored by a local organisation.

A key theme is that the individual cannot be separated from the technical processes of engineering innovation. The impact of both individual and team contributions to the engineering and innovation processes will be examined in the context of real world challenges.

All project sponsors will require that students maintain the confidentiality of their proprietary information.  Some project sponsors will require students to assign any Intellectual Property created (other than Copyright in their Assessment Materials) to the University.  The projects may vary in the hours needed for a successful outcome.

This subject introduces students to the nature of engineering work and the engineering profession.  The one activity that professional engineers spend the majority of their work time undertaking is communication, whether in the verbal or written form.  One of the aims of this subject is to develop the critical skills of effective oral and written communications allowing them to learn how to effectively engage with stakeholders and clients.  Students will also learn about how engineers identify problems then formulate solutions.  Engineers need to be able to assimilate information from a range of sources.  In this subject, students will learn effective use of library and information resources, how to share information and to manage knowledge.  As engineers rarely work in isolation, students will develop their teamwork skills and will learn about meeting and group dynamics.  Other professional topics covered include ethics and academic honesty, and the engineering recruitment process.

AIMS

This subject provides presents fundamental numerical techniques relevant to the simulation of fluid flow and heat/mass transfer. It will give students an understanding of common numerical methods operating “under the hood” in Computational Fluid Dynamics software, and will provide students with an introductory basis for writing computer code to implement such numerical procedures.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Ordinary Differential Equations: explicit and implicit methods, stability, systems of ODEs, boundary value problems, MATLAB. Partial Differential Equations: overview, types of equations, boundary conditions, convection-diffusion equations, differencing schemes, finite volume method, stability - von Neumann analysis, error analysis - dispersion, diffusion errors, solving Laplace and Poisson equations, methods for solving Navier-Stokes equations. OpenFoam: fundamentals of OpenFoam - examples, solving simple 2D problems, Laplace and Poisson equations with OpenFoam, solving complex 2D fluid flow problems. C and C++ programming.

AIMS

The study of fluid dynamics is one of the fundamental disciplines in Mechanical Engineering. In the first part of the course, students will learn about boundary-layer theory, which is a key element of aerodynamic design. A guest-lecture series on wind engineering will build on this knowledge to give students a perspective on one of the most important forms of renewable energy in our society today.

In the second part of the course, students will learn about data acquisition and analysis. These skills are required of engineers working with the technology of today and into the future. The course will help students understand the costs, difficulties and possibilities afforded by sensor systems and instrumentation, with applications for, but not limited to, fluid dynamics.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

This subject will cover selected advanced topics in fluid mechanics. Building on previous fluids courses, the subject is broadly split into two units, although content of these will overlap.

Unit 1: Turbulence and boundary layers. Topics covered include Navier-Stokes equations applied to wall-bounded flows, similarity solutions of the boundary-layer equations, Blasius solution, Falkner-Skan solution, separated flows, turbulent boundary layers, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, dimension analysis, pipe friction, Von Karman momentum integral equation, roughness.

Unit 2: Experimental techniques. Through a series of lectures, labs and assignments, students will be introduced to key concepts of experimental (and numerical) techniques related to fluid mechanics. Topics will include: data analysis (to include correlations, discrete Fourier transform, energy spectra); Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV); hot-wire anemometry; advanced potential flow numerical techniques.

This subject introduces performance, stability and control of a range of aerospace vehicles. It will cover the modelling of aerospace physical systems as ordinary differential equations, and then introduce mathematical techniques to analyse and control their behaviour.

 
The topics covered in this subject include:

• The fundamentals of flight dynamics for flight vehicles in the atmosphere. This will describe the flight dynamic models and stability of flight vehicles.
• The fundamentals of spacecraft dynamics for six degree of freedom space vehicles. This will describe basic orbital mechanics and the translation and rotation of rigid bodies.
• Other key topics that will be considered are control and estimation methods to stabilize flight and orbital vehicles, an introduction to inertial navigation systems and vertical take-off and landing aircraft models.

MATLAB will be used throughout the course to complement the presented concepts.

This subject is concerned with the modelling and analysis of vibrating systems. It provides tools to analyse a range of systems in which vibration occurs, including the vibration of systems in which aerodynamic forces are also important (aeroelasticity).

The topics covered in this subject are:

The vibration of a single mass-spring-damper system. This will include the calculation of its natural frequency, its free vibration, and its response to forcing.

The vibration of mass-spring-damper systems with multiple degrees of freedom. This will include calculation of the system’s natural frequencies and mode shapes, its free vibration, and its response to forcing.

The vibration of continuous systems in engineering applications. This will include the vibration of strings and beams (for which there is one spatial dimension); and the vibration of membranes and plates (for which there are two spatial dimensions).

Aeroelasticity and its relevance in aerospace applications. We will consider the simultaneous influences of mass, stiffness and aerodynamic forces and how they can combine to give rise to aeroelastic phenomena. We will look in particular at the conditions under which i) divergence and ii) flutter can occur.

This subject will cover the aerodynamics and thermodynamics of aircraft gas turbines and rockets and provide the tools to design and evaluate the performance of jet engines.

Topics include:

• Understanding the requirements and background of jet engines, in particular how the requirements translate to the design of an engine.
• An overview of the key aerodynamical aspects of aircraft relevant to the propulsion system and how jet engines create thrust.
• Engine performance parameters. These are discussed in the context of thermal, cycle and propulsive efficiencies.
• Principles and layouts of jet engines. Different classes of engines will be looked at, such as turbojets, turbofans, and bypass ratios, turbine inlet temperature will be discussed.
• Fundamentals of compressible flow relevant to jet engines will be discussed, including stagnation quantities and choked nozzles.
• Dimensional analysis and non-dimensional variables of engines.
• How to configure compressors and turbines, with consideration of blade profiles, flow coefficient, cooling and losses.
• Rocket propulsion: what are the performance parameters and what are the benefits of staging?

AIMS

The subject involves undertaking a substantial project requiring an independent investigation on an approved topic in advanced engineering design or research. Students will present their findings in both professional exhibition and conference podium presentation formats.

The emphasis of the project can be associated with either:

• A well-defined project description, often based on a task required by an external, industrial client. Students will be tutored in the synthesis of practical solutions to complex technical problems within a structured working environment, as if they were professional engineering practitioners; or
• A project description that will require an explorative approach, where students will pursue outcomes associated with new knowledge or understanding, within the mechanical science disciplines, often as an adjunct to existing academic research initiatives.

It is expected that the Capstone Project will incorporate findings associated with both well-defined professional practice and research principles.

This subject has been integrated with the Skills Towards Employment Program (STEP) and contains activities that can assist in the completion of the Engineering Practice Hurdle (EPH). EPH is a mandatory requirement for completing the Master of Engineering.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics include: laboratory safety induction, occupational/environmental health & safety, literature searching – for both researcher and engineering practitioner, technical report writing, essay writing, project presentation skills:

• Public speaking – both non-technical, casual (exhibition) and technical (conference)
• Poster presentation (exhibition)

AIMS and INDICATIVE CONTENT

In this subject students should gain an understanding of the structure and function of the skeletal, muscular, and sensory systems of the human body.

Students should also be able to formulate simple, integrative models of the human neuromusculoskeletal system; and to use computational models of the human body to analyse muscle function during activities like standing, walking, running and jumping.

AIMS

This subject aims to develop students’ knowledge and capabilities in experimental and computational biomechanics of cells and soft-tissues. Students will apply fundamental mathematical theory of nonlinear continuum mechanics and computational approaches to solve stress-equilibrium equations. Students will learn fundamentals in cell signalling and how cell- and sub-cellular-level processes affect cell and tissue mechanical properties. These concepts will be put to practice in project-based and examination assessments.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Nonlinear continuum mechanics theory
• Computational techniques for solving nonlinear mechanics problems
• Soft-tissue mechanical properties
• Cytoskeletal networks and mechanics
• Signalling pathtways and systems-biology related to mechanics of cells and tissues

In the past few years, the Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry has observed the evolution of simple 2D drafting programs into integrated Building Information Modelling (BIM) based on 3D spatial technologies. In this subject, students will learn how BIM is used to model, store and visualise architectural, structural, and facilities components of an infrastructure in 3D. Students will also learn how adding time and cost information to BIM allows AEC to foster collaboration in designing infrastructures, minimize the risk of construction errors and optimise the maintenance of them.

The subject is of particular relevance to students wishing to establish a career in civil engineering, property management, surveying, spatial information and urban planning but is also relevant to a range of disciplines where 3D building information should be considered.

AIMS

In undergraduate subjects, students are exposed to some engineering features of transport and traffic engineering. However, these do not fully provide the requisite knowledge and skills for understanding the modelling and planning aspects of transport system engineering. These competencies are of highest importance for those interested in a career in transport engineering. In this subject, students will be provided with the fundamental concept of four-step modelling in depth, including trip generation/attraction, trip distribution, modal split and traffic assignment. The contemporary topics of transport modelling such as choice modelling, car-ownership and uncertainty modelling in the context of transport infrastructure engineering will also be presented. The subject provides real world examples and assignments. The primary emphasis of the subject is on concepts (rather than mathematical details) and getting students ready for the industry.

The subject examines in-depth the observation, analysis and prediction of wind-generated waves in the open ocean, in shelf seas, and in coastal regions. It also provides an introduction to wave and hydrodynamics modelling as a support for engineering applications. It provides a multi-disciplinary overview of problems by combining cutting-edge research in Maritime and Coastal Engineering and industry applications. The subject will provide students with a solid grounding in wave physics that is essential to evaluate the environmental impact on design and operation of marine structures.

Topics include:

• Linear wave theory;
• Second-order wave theory
• Wave Spectrum;
• Tides;
• Wave Measurements;
• Near-shore processes;
• Wave statistics;
• Hydrodynamics and wave modelling;

AIMS

This subject provides an introduction to modern control theory with a particular focus on state-space methods and optimal control. The role of feedback in control will be reinforced within this context, alongside the role of optimisation techniques in control system synthesis. This subject is a core requirement in the Master of Engineering (Mechatronics).

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics include:
State-space models - first-order vector differential/difference equations; Lyapunov stability; linearisation; discretisation; Kalman decomposition (observable, detectable, reachable and stabilisable subspaces); state-feedback and pole placement; output-feedback and observer design in both continuous-time and discrete-time.
Optimal control - dynamic programming; linear quadratic regulation in both continuous-time and discrete-time. Model predictive control in discrete-time; moving-horizon with constraints.

This subject seeks to -

• Build a thorough understanding of the theoretical and conceptual basis upon which the practice of financial project analysis is built and its application to engineering
• Satisfy the practical needs of the engineering manager toward making informed financial decisions when involved in an engineering project
• Incorporate critical decision-making tools that engineering managers can bring to the task of making informed financial decisions.

AIMS

This subject provides presents fundamental numerical techniques relevant to the simulation of fluid flow and heat/mass transfer. It will give students an understanding of common numerical methods operating “under the hood” in Computational Fluid Dynamics software, and will provide students with an introductory basis for writing computer code to implement such numerical procedures.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Ordinary Differential Equations: explicit and implicit methods, stability, systems of ODEs, boundary value problems, MATLAB. Partial Differential Equations: overview, types of equations, boundary conditions, convection-diffusion equations, differencing schemes, finite volume method, stability - von Neumann analysis, error analysis - dispersion, diffusion errors, solving Laplace and Poisson equations, methods for solving Navier-Stokes equations. OpenFoam: fundamentals of OpenFoam - examples, solving simple 2D problems, Laplace and Poisson equations with OpenFoam, solving complex 2D fluid flow problems. C and C++ programming.

AIMS

The aim of this subject is to examine the nature of entrepreneurial behaviour and its role in both small and large organisations within an engineering context. By developing their own enterprise proposal within small groups, students will learn and demonstrate various processes by which successful new ventures are created.

This subject is available as an elective in many of the Melbourne School of Engineering's Masters programs. It is designed to introduce participants to their potential as technical entrepreneurs.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Business planning, financial management, sources of finance, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurial behaviour, successful technical entrepreneurs.

AIMS

This subject provides a general introduction to the many issues that need to be considered when examining the global energy system.

These include -

• A brief history of different forms of energy and energy technologies
• The historical relationship between energy use and industrialisation
• The social, environmental and economic costs and benefits of different forms of energy and energy technology
• An introduction to energy resources and resource economics
• A brief review of the costs of different forms of energy
• Historical, current and projected energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutant emissions
• Opportunities for greenhouse gas mitigation.

AIMS

This subject is intended to give students an overview of the present state-of-the-art in industrial motion control and the likely future trends in control design. Students will be exposed to and have practical experience in the design and implementation of advanced controllers for various motion control problems.

Advanced modelling and control topics will include system identification, modelling and compensation of friction and other disturbances, industrial servo loops, model-based and model-free controller design, and adaptive control. Applications will be drawn from industrial, medical and transport automation (eg robots, machine tools, production machines, laboratory automation, automotive and aerospace by-wire systems).

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Advanced modelling and control topics will include system identification, modelling and compensation of friction and other disturbances, industrial servo loops, model-based and model-free controller design, and adaptive control. Applications will be drawn from industrial, medical and transport automation (eg robots, machine tools, production machines, laboratory automation, automotive and aerospace by-wire systems).

AIMS

The study of fluid dynamics is one of the fundamental disciplines in Mechanical Engineering. In the first part of the course, students will learn about boundary-layer theory, which is a key element of aerodynamic design. A guest-lecture series on wind engineering will build on this knowledge to give students a perspective on one of the most important forms of renewable energy in our society today.

In the second part of the course, students will learn about data acquisition and analysis. These skills are required of engineers working with the technology of today and into the future. The course will help students understand the costs, difficulties and possibilities afforded by sensor systems and instrumentation, with applications for, but not limited to, fluid dynamics.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

This subject will cover selected advanced topics in fluid mechanics. Building on previous fluids courses, the subject is broadly split into two units, although content of these will overlap.

Unit 1: Turbulence and boundary layers. Topics covered include Navier-Stokes equations applied to wall-bounded flows, similarity solutions of the boundary-layer equations, Blasius solution, Falkner-Skan solution, separated flows, turbulent boundary layers, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, dimension analysis, pipe friction, Von Karman momentum integral equation, roughness.

Unit 2: Experimental techniques. Through a series of lectures, labs and assignments, students will be introduced to key concepts of experimental (and numerical) techniques related to fluid mechanics. Topics will include: data analysis (to include correlations, discrete Fourier transform, energy spectra); Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV); hot-wire anemometry; advanced potential flow numerical techniques.

AIMS

This subject is an introduction to combustion theory and applications. In the first part we discuss combustion fundamentals, including thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, conservation equations, and application of these principles to solve simple flames and reacting flows. In the second part we discuss combustion engines and the combustion phenomena in spark-ignition and compression-ignition engines.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

• Chemical thermodynamics and kinetics - flame temperatures, Gibbs free energy and equilibrium, chemical kinetics, combustion mechanisms of common fuels.
• Governing equations - mass, momentum, species and energy conservation for idealized reactors and simplified reacting flows.
• Flames - theoretical analyses of laminar flames, premixed flame (flame speed, quenching, flame stabilization), diffusion jet flame (flame geometry, conserved scalar, soot formation).
• Reciprocating engines - engine cycle analysis, turbulent combustion in spark ignition and diesel engines, cylinder-pressure analysis, pollutant formation and emission control, alternative power-trains and fuels.

AIMS

This subject focuses on advanced materials and their engineering applications. Selected metallic, ceramic and polymer materials and their composites are analysed in the context of applications. When relevant, the topics will be reinforced by introducing the latest development in research.

The selected advanced materials may include light alloys, ferrous alloys, superalloys, intermetallic alloys, ultrafine and nano structured alloys, amorphous alloys, metal matrix composites, structural and functional ceramics, and/or structural and functional polymers.

Students may be required to study engineering cases or research papers and/or conducting experiments in a laboratory.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The selected advanced materials may include light alloys, ferrous alloys, superalloys, intermetallic alloys, ultrafine and nano structured alloys, amorphous alloys, metal matrix composites, structural and functional ceramics, and/or structural and functional polymers.

AIMS

The subject aims to introduce the students to the automation technologies, specifically: robotics and process automation. The use of robots and automated systems in carrying out various tasks will be discussed and the fundamental computational techniques associated with the operation of a robotic manipulator and a general automated system will be introduced. The subject will familiarise the students with the roles, strengths, and capabilities of robotics and automation technologies, as well as how to achieve the said capabilities.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Robotics: manipulator kinematics, including inverse and direct kinematics, manipulator velocity and static forces, trajectory planning, manipulator dynamics, linear control of manipulators and robot designs and robotic programming.

AIMS

This course will expand on the basic principles established previously in Solid Mechanics.

Methods of three-dimensional stress and strain analysis will be extended to allow the student to obtain solutions using analytical and/or numerical methods. These will include the analyses of principal stresses and strains, three dimensional Mohr’s circles, strain gauge experimentation and failure criteria. In addition, this unit will focus on plastic deformation of solids, including the analysis of residual stresses and the collapse load of structures. The responses of materials to fatigue and fracture, as well as their creep and viscoelastic behaviour, will also be explored. Finally, this unit will provide a number of examples of experimental applications of solid mechanics analysis based on modern research techniques.

The goal of Advanced Solid Mechanics is to consolidate the solid mechanics principles presented in the student’s Engineering degree, and the equip students with skills required to solve a range of engineering problems they have not seen before. In addition, this subject seeks to teach a number of modern research methods, techniques and skills by drawing on biomechanical research in the field of solid mechanics, and the major challenges in the field.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

The following topics, delivered through lectures, guest seminars, group problem solving activities, and tutorials, will be assessed:

• Three dimensional stress-strain analysis (weeks 1-2)
• Strength theories and yield criteria (weeks 3-4)
• Plastic behaviour of materials (weeks 5-6)
• Fracture Mechanics(weeks 7-8)
• Contact (weeks 9-10)
• Creep and Viscoelasticity (week 11)
• Biomechanics (week 12)

AIMS

With the ever increasing power of modern computers, the use of computer simulation is becoming more common in engineering practice. This course will introduce topics in high performance computing through a number of applications in science and engineering, including problems in linear algebra, partial differential equations (e.g. computational fluid dynamics), molecular dynamics, and agent based modelling. These applications will necessitate the inclusion of some theory regarding numerical methods for ordinary and partial differential equations (e.g. finite difference and finite element methods), but the key focus of the course will be on how large scale problems can be decomposed onto supercomputing architectures and introducing aspects of large scale visualization.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

This course will include study of various numerical methods used in engineering practice and how these applied to solving computational problems and hence programmed for execution on a supercomputer. The course will include both the higher level mathematics as well as practical issues associated with using a supercomputer.

AIMS

This subject deals with principles of sensing, sensor networking and multiple sensor data fusion. It provides an appreciation of challenges in designing and implementing wired and wireless sensor based solutions in a range of applications.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Topics covered include:

• Sensors (construction and characteristics)
• Filtering of sensor outputs (up to Kalman filtering options)
• Sensor networks (communication between sensors, how to arrange/coordinate large #s of sensors)
• Multisensor data fusion (SLAM, KF or equivalent)
• Case studies.

This subject continues from Dynamics to deepen the students’ understanding of Engineering Mechanics, specifically focusing on Analytical Mechanics:

• Kinematics and Generalised Coordinates.
• Virtual Work and Virtual Displacement, Generalised Force.
• Energies: Kinetic, Potential.
• Lagrange approach: dealing with constraints.
• Lagrange’s Approach to obtaining equation of motion.
• Comparison to Newton-Euler Approach.
• Hamiltonian Mechanics.
• Linearisation of system dynamics about equilibrium points (system stability about equilibrium points.

Electromagnetic components, such as motors, generators, actuators and sensors are critical to many growth industries.  These industries include: Robotics, Automotive, Biomedical, Renewables, Aerospace and Agriculture. Electromagnetic Technologies aims to provide students with the knowledge and skills to design electromagnetic devices from first principles and to utilise such components in the appropriate manner for industrial solutions.

This subject will introduce students to the fundamentals of electromagnetic theory before exposing them to a range of industry focussed design projects.  For these projects, the students will be expected to:

• Understand the context of the component design requirements
• Formulate the design in a way that allows theoretical analysis
• Conduct the analysis
• Utilise the analysis to design or select (and where possible build) the component
• Take measurements to compare the experimental performance against the theory

The subject also provides wider background knowledge of design engineering, exposing students to industry standard methods of information gathering, analysis and selection.

Topics covered include:

• Electromagnetic theory
• Finite-element methods
• Magnetic actuators
• Electric motor design
• Thermal analysis
• Acoustic analysis
• Electromagnetic sensors

Students will develop an understanding of phase equilibria and transformations. Fundamental concepts in crystallography will be covered. Materials characterisation including phase analysis such as XRD and microstructure analysis including electron microscopy will be described. Students will be introduced to topics covering the mechanisms of corrosion and approaches to prevent it. Discussions on materials processing including casting, forging, extrusion, and heat treatment will be covered. Fabrication technologies including joining, welding, machining and additive manufacturing are described. Materials modelling including Integrated Computational Materials Engineering will be taught. Finally, students will be introduced to   materials selection, design and safety.

Students are introduced to ceramics in structural, electronic, magnetic and functional applications. Students are introduced to crystal structures of ceramics, including defects such as vacancies and interstitials. The attributes and features of different classes of ceramics including clays and porcelains, oxides and mixed oxides, carbides, nitrides, borides are presented as well as the attributes and features of glasses, cements and zeolites. The role of flaws in ceramics and brittle materials mechanical behaviour including Weibull statistics and processing defects is explained. Current and developing processing techniques for ceramics including dry pressing, colloidal (wet) powder processing and drying are taught. The science and technology of controlling suspension behaviour such as rheology and particle packing is covered. Sintering, densification and grain growth mechanisms are elucidated. The typical properties of ceramics are presented and explanation is given as to why ceramics have such properties, including, melting temperatures, stiffness, strength, toughness, electrical and magnetic properties and thermal behaviour. How thermal stresses develop is described and why these are important in ceramics is explained. The students are introduced to brittle fracture including Griffith’s approach as well as toughening mechanisms including phase transformation and interlocking grains.