MEC3027 : Introduction to Instrumentation and Drive Systems
- Offered for Year: 2022/23
- Module Leader(s): Dr John Hedley
- Lecturer: Dr Francis Franklin, Dr Andrew Smith
- Owning School: Engineering
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
Aims
The module aims to equip students with the knowledge and understanding of the operating characteristics and design of a range of sensors and motors and their integration into appropriate control systems within a specific mechanical design.
Outline Of Syllabus
- Introduction to basic types of sensors and actuators.
- Sensor types for a range of measurands including force, strain, pressure, position, velocity,
acceleration, temperature and luminosity.
- Basis of selection of sensor type to meet application requirements, e.g. analog versus digital,
response, range and resolution.
- Functional static and dynamic characteristics of a range of analog and digital sensors, including
accuracy, sensitivity, and calibration.
- Principle of operation of motors including brushed, brushless, servo and stepper motors.- Introduction
to motor control.
- Introduction to data acquisition systems.
- Selection and integration of sensors and software tools for data capture and analysis, to include signal
conditioning, filtering and sampling.
- Introduction to control system design and integration including PID controllers and tuning strategies.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | 1 introductory PiP lecture. Additional recorded topical lectures (non-synchronous) |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 1:00 | 1:00 | Computer based examination (PiP) |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 24:00 | 24:00 | Completion and submission of assignments |
| Structured Guided Learning | Academic skills activities | 6 | 5:00 | 30:00 | Computer based tutorials and trial exams. |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 5 | 10:00 | 50:00 | Recommended reading for required knowledge of module. |
| Structured Guided Learning | Academic skills activities | 12 | 5:00 | 60:00 | Practical application of material in the form of exercises. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 12 | 2:00 | 24:00 | Synchronous PiP teaching tutorials to support independent study and reinforce skills practice. |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Learning outcomes are addressed by a series of introductory lectures on each topic supplemented by academically supported tutorials. The tutorials address each of the required learning outcomes of the module. Essential reading references are given to direct the students to the required knowledge needed for the module. The required practical
(computer simulation) skills are introduced through the lectures and a series of tutorial exercises. Regularly timetabled academically supported Q&A sessions help students with any areas of difficulty. The assignments support the student learning by giving the opportunity for practical implementation of the material covered in the module whilst helping the student to a focus on what needs to be learnt. Alternative online sessions will be offered to students if present-in-person sessions are not possible to take place due to unforeseen circumstances. In that case, present-in-person tutorial sessions will be replaced by synchronous online sessions.
Students are given a range of NUMBAS based tutorial questions during the teaching aspect of the module to practise on, these give immediate feedback on marking and advice on how to answer the question. The NUMBAS exam is a selection of these tutorial questions. The students are also required to do exercises during the module, advice and feedback is available to any student needing help with these exercises. The assignment for this module is again based on these exercises in which the student needs to piece together different exercises they have done to complete the assignment. Thus all assessment in this module is based on formative practise of the material.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC Examination | 60 | 1 | A | 40 | NUMBAS computer based assessment |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical/lab report | 1 | M | 60 | 10 minute video presentation of solution |
Formative Assessments
| Description | Semester | When Set | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC Examination | 1 | M | Formative practise of the NUMBAS Exam |
| Written exercise | 1 | M | Formative practice of the assignment |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The assignment is based around utilising the knowledge and skills developed throughout the module and a means of assessing how well the students can apply these skills and knowledge. The computer based assessment covers the engineering material learnt over the duration of the course and the skills learnt during completion of the exercises. It assesses a broader range of material than the assignment and under time constraint conditions. If in-person examinations are not possible due to unforeseen universal circumstances (such as a pandemic), the assessment format would remain the same, however, the PC NUMBAS examination would be replaced by a PC NUMBAS assessment (same questions but done remotely rather than on campus)
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MEC3027's Timetable