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ME10285: Instrumentation, electronics & electrical drives

[Page last updated: 04 August 2021]

Academic Year: 2021/2
Owning Department/School: Department of Mechanical Engineering
Credits: 6 [equivalent to 12 CATS credits]
Notional Study Hours: 120
Level: Certificate (FHEQ level 4)
Period:
Semester 2
Assessment Summary: CW 15%, EX 85%
Assessment Detail:
  • Coursework - Instrumentation Lab (CW 15%)
  • Examination (EX 85%)
Supplementary Assessment:
ME10285 - Re-Assessment Examination (where allowed by programme regulations)
Requisites:
Description: Aims:
To provide an introduction to measurement, instrumentation and signal processing.
To provide an introduction to electromagnetic actuation systems.

Learning Outcomes:
After taking this unit the student should be able to:
Match an indicating instrument or data recorder to a given signal source and estimate the accuracy of the indicated output.
Select a suitable transducer type for a particular measurement application.
Describe the shielding and guarding techniques that are necessary to keep extraneous signals in the environment from affecting the signals in a measurement system.
Understand the basic amplification circuits used for instrumentation.
Understand the basic operation of electromagnetic machines, including DC motors, and three phase induction motors. Select appropriate drives for simple applications.
(i) understand the characteristics of elementary AC circuits and components. (ii) be able to use strain gauges, LVDTs and accelerometers.

Skills:
Problem solving; numeracy; written communication; working independently.

Content:
Transducers, strain gauges: operating principles, characteristics, selection based on application requirements. Measurement of voltage, current and resistance. Use of bridge circuits. Matching of instruments to signal sources. Thevenin's theorem. Explanation of concepts of accuracy, systematic and random errors, noise, linearity and repeatability of measurements. Signal amplification; amplifier types, signal buffers and instrumentation amplifiers.. Brief description of guarding and shielding techniques. A-D conversion, data presentation.
Electromagnetic energy conversion - electromagnetic induction, Faraday's laws. Motor types, with detailed operating characteristics of DC and induction motors. Rated motor data and voltage-speed-torque- relationships.
Elements of AC theory, capacitors and inductors, mutual inductance, transformers. The linearly variable differential transformer (LVDT) application and associated instrumentation. Accelerometers. AC characteristics, basic high pass and low pass filters, band-width, signal-to-noise ratio. Electrical noise reduction by bandwidth control. AC bridges, advantages of narrow bandwidth amplification and detection.

Programme availability:

ME10285 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Mechanical Engineering
  • UEME-AFB26 : BEng(Hons) Aerospace Engineering (Year 1)
  • UEME-AKB26 : BEng(Hons) Aerospace Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 1)
  • UEME-AFB48 : BEng(Hons) Integrated Design Engineering (Year 1)
  • UEME-AKB48 : BEng(Hons) Integrated Design Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 1)
  • UEME-AFB16 : BEng(Hons) Mechanical Engineering (Year 1)
  • UEME-AKB16 : BEng(Hons) Mechanical Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 1)
  • UEME-AFB38 : BEng(Hons) Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing and Management (Year 1)
  • UEME-AKB38 : BEng(Hons) Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing and Management with Year long work placement (Year 1)
  • UEME-AFB47 : BEng(Hons) Mechanical with Automotive Engineering (Year 1)
  • UEME-AKB47 : BEng(Hons) Mechanical with Automotive Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 1)
  • UEME-AFM04 : MEng(Hons) Aerospace Engineering (Year 1)
  • UEME-AKM04 : MEng(Hons) Aerospace Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 1)
  • UEME-AFM48 : MEng(Hons) Integrated Design Engineering (Year 1)
  • UEME-AKM48 : MEng(Hons) Integrated Design Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 1)
  • UEME-AFM16 : MEng(Hons) Mechanical Engineering (Year 1)
  • UEME-AKM16 : MEng(Hons) Mechanical Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 1)
  • UEME-AFM38 : MEng(Hons) Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing and Management (Year 1)
  • UEME-AKM38 : MEng(Hons) Mechanical Engineering with Manufacturing and Management with Year long work placement (Year 1)
  • UEME-AFM47 : MEng(Hons) Mechanical with Automotive Engineering (Year 1)
  • UEME-AKM47 : MEng(Hons) Mechanical with Automotive Engineering with Year long work placement (Year 1)

Notes:

  • This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2021/22 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2022/23 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2021/22.
  • Programmes and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
  • Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
  • Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.