Teaching Responsibility
LJMU Schools involved in Delivery:
Engineering
Learning Methods
Online
Practical
Module Offerings
5308MECH-JAN-CTY
Aims
To develop a practical understanding of how sensors and actuators may be used, along with embedded systems, to control and monitor mechanical engineering systems.
Learning Outcomes
1.
Select appropriate sensors for an application and demonstrate an understanding of their characteristics, and practical interfacing requirements.
2.
Select appropriate actuators for an application and demonstrate an understanding of their characteristics, and drive requirements.
3.
Determine an appropriate control system structure for an engineering application and demonstrate an understanding of the characteristic dynamic response of a system.
4.
Demonstrate an applied understanding of microcontroller hardware interfaces and methods of programming them.
Module Content
Outline Syllabus:Sensors:
• Measured Physical Quantity
- Temperature
- Position, Displacement and Velocity
- Acceleration
- Pressure and Force
• Signal Type
- Analogue
- Digital
• Characteristics
- Range and Span
- Sensitivity
- Precision, Accuracy, Repeatability
Actuators and Indicators:
• Electro-mechanical Actuators
- Motors
- Solenoids
• Indicators and Displays
Embedded Systems Hardware:
• Microcontrollers
• Characteristics of I/O
- Analogue voltage (e.g. typical ranges: 0-5v, +/-10v)
- Digital (e.g. typical voltages: 3.3v, 5v, 12v, 24v)
Programming Embedded Systems:
• Common programming design patterns using While loops and conditional statements
• Reading from, and writing to hardware ports.
Control:
• Control Objectives
- Set-point
- Tracking
- Stabilisation
• Closed-loop Control
• Feed-forward control
• ON/OFF (Bang-Bang) Control
Additional Information:Delivery:
This model incorporates elements of flipped delivery in order to encourage engagement. The source of primary knowledge for this module will be via material made available through the VLE, while understanding will be developed through a tutorial and significant practical content.
UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Due to its multidisciplinary nature, this module includes content which relates to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being. This module will consider how drone technology can be used to deliver medicinal supplies in remote areas.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. This module will consider how sensors, actuators and control systems can be used to reduce the energy impact and there increase the sustainability of cities.
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. This module will consider how sensors, actuators and automation can be used to produce more effective production techniques.
SDG 14: Life underwater. This module will consider how unmanned underwater robot can be used to monitor eDNA for example.
SDG 15: Life on land. This module will consider how sensors deployed on drones can been used to monitor wildlife and its habitat on land.