Materials Science and Engineering
The purpose of this module is to enable students to deepen their understanding of the key engineering materials with respect to material characteristics, their internal aspects, mechanical as well as the physical properties. This module would consolidate the students learning from other modules within the areas of engineering science, materials, manufacturing technology and manufacturing processes.
This module is assessed by 25% coursework and 75% exam.
Combustion, Fuels and Energy
The aim of this module is to provide students with a background in combustion theory. Students will also be introduced to traditional and renewable fuels, their combustion and utilisation and the resulting environmental impacts. Combustion applications for energy production will also be introduced along with the politics revolving around these energy applications. The module will also consider energy policy in terms of usage.
The Politics of Energy:
The programme introduces students to the wider context within which energy production and usage operates. It first examines the drivers of energy policy looking primarily, but not exclusively, at the UK. Within this it examines climate change and current debate surrounding the related issues and how these impact on energy policy. It then introduces students to a range of sustainable energy sources such as fracked gas, solar and marine and examines the socio-political context within which they operate. It finally focuses on energy in terms of everyday usage, examining areas such as alternative transport solutions (ATSs) and electric and hydrogen powered vehicles and examines why take-up of these has been so low. Students are invited to attend a number of guest lectures given by external speakers in relation to this programme to aid understanding.
Combustion and Fuels:
The use of fuels as the major source of energy production is then examined in some detail, with particular emphasis on combustion mechanisms and emissions formation processes from a fundamental standpoint. Thermochemistry and combustion mechanisms of different fuels including solids, liquids and gasses is explored.
The barriers and opportunities to alternative fuel utilization within power generation applications is considered along with environmental implications.
This module is assessed by 60% coursework and 40% exam.
Power Generation and Transmission
The purpose of this module is to analyse electrical machines, switched mode power-electronic convertors and design power systems for medium to high power applications. Students will examine the operation characteristics and capabilities of commonly used systems and their control methods.
In addition, students will examine the methods and issues surrounding transmission of electrical power, including insight and understanding of power system protection applications and the effects of system design on power quality.
This module is assessed by 25% coursework and 75% exam.
Electrical Machine Design
This module introduces the students for fundamental concepts and principles of operation of various types of electrical machines. It equips the students with basic experimental and modelling skills for handling problems associated with electrical machines. To give the students an appreciation of design and operational problems in the electrical power industry. Students are also introduced to modern CAD environment in relation to design of electromechanical devices.
This module is assessed by 25% coursework and 75% exam.
Industrial Automation
The aim of this module is to introduce students to modern industrial automation architectures. The module is composed by three parts:
i) Sensors and actuators;
ii) Industrial networks;
iii) Programmable logic controllers.
In the first part students will learn the main technological aspects of sensors and actuators used in industrial automation.
The second part aims at presenting how distributed architecture works, with an in-depth overview of the most common fieldbus and industrial Ethernet HW/SW protocols.
The third part deals with Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) focusing both on the HW/SW architecture and on the main programming languages according to the IEEE61131-3 standard. Finally, students will also gain hands-on experience by working on industrial automation test beds.
This module is assessed by 100% coursework.
Building Automation Systems
The aim of this module is to introduce students to modern Building Automation Systems. In particular, Heat, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems will be presented as a crucial element of a BAS. The topic will be discussed considering energy efficiency as a key requirement and will be presented by means of wide range of real scenarios and case studies. Students will also have the chance to work on a real BAS experimental setup.
This module is assessed by 100% coursework.
Finite Element Analysis
The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the theory and practice of the finite element method, with applications in stress analysis, heat transfer and general field problems in order to complement other modules in these subjects. Students will become aware of the capabilities and limitations of the finite element method and the practical problems involved in successfully modelling engineering structures and components.
This module is assessed by 100% coursework.
Computational Fluid Dynamics
The purpose of this module is to introduce the full Navier-Stokes equations and give the physical significance of each term in the equations. Students will be introduced to CFD techniques appropriate for practical engineering applications, (the finite volume method), and they will gain practical, hands-on experience of commercial CFD packages. This module will give students the opportunity to model industrial fluid dynamics and heat transfer problems.
This module is assessed by 100% coursework.
Energy Systems and Conversion
The aim of this module is to provide the students with an understanding of the machines used in power generation applications, with a main focus on the principles of operation of machines used in base load power generation (gas turbines), but all rotating machines in power generation are considered. Students are then able to develop a methodology for measuring the impact of machines from energy and materials usage, standpoints, and to better understand where opportunities exist to increase the efficiency of energy machines, systems and devices. Students will build models of mass and energy flow through existing and proposed machines. These models are then used to pinpoint the most efficient and least efficient steps of device operation. This syllabus can be divided into two topics.
Fundamentals of Machines in Power and Energy
The module begins with the theory of gas turbines, based on fundamental thermodynamic and fluid mechanic analyses and introduces methods for improving efficiencies and increasing specific work outputs.
Energy Systems Analysis
Students will strengthen and expand their fundamental knowledge of thermodynamics and apply this to develop a better understanding of energy systems and machine systems.
This module is assessed by 25% coursework and 75% exam.
Communication Systems
The module enables students to gain knowledge and understanding of the principles and other key elements in communication systems and the theory involved in their design. Students are introduced to analogue and digital communication systems, as well as to the use of information theory in the framework of communication systems and their performance. An important aspect of the module is studying the topics of random processes and noise, sampling and quantization, and introducing students to key issues of filter design and modulation. Laboratory work will be carried out in MATLAB/Simulink or equivalent software tool.
This module is assessed by 25% coursework and 75% exam.
Power Electronics
The aim of this module is to provide students with a thorough understanding of power electronics and electrical drives. The first part of the module begins with an overview of the main concepts behind electrical power processing and control. Power semiconductor switches are then introduced and their use as basic components in power electronics systems is deeply investigated. Subsequently, the main power converters architectures are defined and systematically analysed. The second part of the module enables students to gain knowledge and understanding of classical electric machines and drives.
This module is assessed by 25% coursework and 75% exam.
Robotics and Automation
The aim of this module is to enable students gain knowledge and understanding of the principles and other key elements in robotics its interdisciplinary nature and its role and applications in automation. The module starts with history and definition of robotics and its role in automation with examples. Then a number of issues related to classifying, modelling and operating robots are studied, followed by an important aspect of the robotics interdisciplinary nature i.e. its control and use of sensors and interpretation of sensory information as well as vision systems. Students will also be introduced to the topics of networked operation and teleoperation, as well as robot programming.
This module is assessed by 25% coursework and 75% exam.
Signal Processing and System Identification
The aim of this module is to introduce students to theory and methodology of advanced techniques relevant to engineering systems, in order to design and implement filters and systems.
System identification is a general term to describe mathematical tools and algorithms that build dynamic models from measured data. A dynamic model in this context is a mathematical description of the dynamic behaviour of a system or process in either the time or frequency domain. Students will also investigate methods by which they can perform useful operations on signals in either discrete or time-varying measurement.
This module is assessed by 25% coursework and 75% exam.
Advanced Manufacturing Processes and Systems
The selection of materials and manufacturing method is an integral part of the design and manufacturing procedure for producing parts and products. The purpose of this module is to provide students with the ability to select appropriate materials, processing methods and manufacturing systems to produce components and products, both existing and novel. The module will deepen the student’s knowledge of the properties of engineering materials and the means for processing such materials to produce components. The student will then be introduced to contemporary manufacturing processes and systems so that he/she is able to select effective and efficient manufacturing processes and systems.
This module is assessed by 25% coursework and 75% exam.
State-Space Control
The aim of this module is to introduce students to theory and methodology of advanced control techniques relevant to engineering systems, in order to design and implement filters and systems.
In control engineering, a state-space representation is a mathematical model of a physical system as a set of input, output and state variables. Students will explore different methods of resolving the control variables in order to analyse systems in a compact and relevant way.
This module is assessed by 50% coursework and 50% exam.
New and Sustainable Product Design
The aim of this module is to give each student the experience of a real engineering design situation as part of a group. Students will gain an understanding of strategic, operational, environmental and ethical issues related to new product design and development through a series of lectures covering an appreciation of market and societal dynamics and its effect on the design of new products. This module will provide students with an understanding of the tools and techniques available to facilitate sustainable product design and provide knowledge of the product design processes that can reduce environmental impacts and promote sustainable practices.
This module is assessed by 25% coursework and 75% exam.
Smart Electronics
This module is intended to introduce the students into the fast growing area of Internet of Things (IoT) and consumer electronics design. It challenges students to design an IoT prototype product within a tightly-constrained set of software tools and hardware components. The major objective is for students to develop proficiency with a contemporary programming language and use it to programme a state-of-the-art micro-controller to interface with sensors/actuators, a display, and IoT platforms, as required. Apart from interface and size issues, IoT consumer electronics present some of the toughest design and engineering challenges in all of the technology. This module breaks the complex design process down into its component parts, detailing every crucial issue from interface design to chip packaging, focusing upon the key design parameters of convenience, utility and size.
An important feature of the module is that students must practice good log-book keeping and develop their project planning, presentation skills, and academic paper writing.
This module is assessed by 100% coursework.