Exploring Engineering
An Introduction for Freshmen to Engineering and to the Design Process.
- 1st Edition - September 8, 2006
- Imprint: Academic Press
- Authors: Robert Balmer, William Keat
- Language: English
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 5 4 7 1 8 - 3
Winner of the Best New Undergraduate Textbook Award from the Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division of the American Association of Publishers! Exploring Engine… Read more
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Request a sales quoteWinner of the Best New Undergraduate Textbook Award from the Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division of the American Association of Publishers! Exploring Engineering was developed to meet the need for a better way to introduce incoming engineering students to the fundamental concepts at the heart of all engineering disciplines. It was also created to show students in a vivid way the great array of opportunities and possibilities of today's engineering fields-from classical mechanical engineering to bioengineering and mechatronics. This is the first text to introduce nearly all of the major engineering areas, and to do so with a strong interdisciplinary case study approach. This approach better prepares and enables students to draw upon knowledge not only from their own particular field of expertise, but also from related or even distantly related engineering and technical and scientific fields, allowing them to become more versatile within their future employment.
Exploring Engineering is flexible enough to offer a variety of approaches to the introduction of modern engineering for new students, while still providing the most important essentials that hold all engineering disciplines together, particularly the mathematical, quantitative basis of engineering as well as the modern computer tools that make today's engineering design so efficient and accurate.
Exploring Engineering is flexible enough to offer a variety of approaches to the introduction of modern engineering for new students, while still providing the most important essentials that hold all engineering disciplines together, particularly the mathematical, quantitative basis of engineering as well as the modern computer tools that make today's engineering design so efficient and accurate.
- Introduces the fundamental physical, chemical, and material foundations for all engineering work, including motion, force, conservation of energy and matter
- Explains the workings of simple electrical circuits, computer logic, control and mechatronics, stress/strain diagrams, bioengineering, stoichiometry
- Offers applications of engineering ethics—using an extended case study metaphor: the modern automobile
- Provides simple data spreadsheets and other analytical "tools of the trade" to introduce students to the concepts of theoretical and of empirical engineering
- Presents the engineering design process using examples and assignments specifically aimed at helping to guide students and instructor through a hands-on design project
Freshman undergraduate students entering 4-year engineering programs,in all engineering areas;
Freshman undergraduate students who are taking an “Introduction to Engineering Course”;Undergraduate and graduate students in other technical disciplines or physical sciences;Undergraduate Liberal Arts Students interested in entering a technical field
Freshman undergraduate students who are taking an “Introduction to Engineering Course”;Undergraduate and graduate students in other technical disciplines or physical sciences;Undergraduate Liberal Arts Students interested in entering a technical field
Foreword
Part 1: Minds-on
Chapter 1: What Engineers Do
Scope of this text
Context of covered material
Learning Sections
What are personal ethics? (… and what have they to do with engineering?)
The Five Cornerstones of Ethical Behavior
Top Ten Questions You Should Ask Yourself When Making an Ethical Decision
What are Professional ethics?
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Code of Ethics for Engineers
Fundamental Canons
What You Should Expect to Achieve in this Course
Summary
Chapter 2: Key Elements of Engineering Analysis with an Introduction to the Concept of Force
Variables
Units
The SI Unit System
Force, Weight and Mass
Significant Figures
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 3: How to solve problems and spreadsheet analyses
Need-to-know-how-to-solve method of solving problems
Spreadsheet analysis
Cell addressing modes
Types of data that can be in a cell
Input to a spreadsheet
Graphing in Spreadsheets
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 4: Energy: Kinds, Conversion, and Conservation
Energy is the Capability to do Work
Kinds of Energy
Conversion
Conservation of Energy
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 5: Chemical Energy of Fuels
Atoms, Molecules, and Chemical Reactions
The mol and the kmol
Stoichiometry
The Air-to-Fuel Ratio
The Heating Value of Hydrocarbon Fuels
The Heating Value of Fuels: The General Case
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 6: The Automotive Drive Train
Modeling the Power Output of the Otto Cycle
Derivation of Otto cycle power output equation from first principles
Motion
Gearing and Gear Ratios
Improving on the Otto Cycle
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 7: Electrical Circuits
Electrical Circuits
Resistance, Ohm's Law and the “Power Law”
Series and Parallel Circuits
Switches
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 8: Logic and Computers
Analog Computers
From Analog to Digital Computing
Binary Logic
Truth Tables
Binary Arithmetic
Binary Codes
How does a computer work?
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 9: Control Systems Design and Mechatronics
Modeling the control system as a block diagram
Translating the block diagram into a mathematical model
Selecting a control strategy
Implementing the chosen strategy in hardware
Drive-by-wire
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 10: Kinematics and Traffic Flow
Distance, Speed, and Acceleration
The Speed versus Time Diagram
Applying the tool to the on-ramp problem
General Equations of Kinematics
The Highway Capacity Diagram
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 11: Introduction to Materials Engineering
What are the reasons for a particular material’s strength?
Defining Materials Requirements
Materials Selection
Properties of modern materials
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 12: Bioengineering
Biological implications of injuries to the head
The Stress-Speed-Stopping Distance-Area Criterion
Criteria for Predicting Effects of Potential Accidents
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 13: Introduction to Chemical Engineering
Oil Refining
Oil refineries
Process Engineering
Distillation
How refinery output can be improved
Catalytic Conversion
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 14: Cars of the Future - What Will They Be Like?
The Car Culture
Big Changes Ahead: Convergence
Automotive Electronics
Smart Automobile Safety Systems
Smart Tire Systems
Smart Exhaust Systems
Smart Drive-By-Wire Systems
Smart Highway Systems
Smart Traffic Systems
Smart Advanced Power Systems
Variable Displacement and Variable Valve Engines
Fuel Cell Systems
Enjoying the Ride – Smart Vehicle Entertainment Systems
How Do We Get There?
Looking Forward
Part 2: Hands-on
Chapter 15: Introduction to Engineering Design
The Nature of Engineering Design
Hands-on Design Exercise ‘The Tower’
Benefits of a Hands-on Design Project
Qualities of a Good Designer
The Need for a Systematic Approach
The Steps in the Engineering Design Process
Chapter 16: Two Ground Rules for Design
Ground Rule No.1: Use a Design Notebook
Ground Rule No.2: Team Effectively
Chapter 17: Clarification of the Task
Problem Definition
List of Specifications
Design Milestone: Clarification of the Task
Chapter 18: Generation of Alternative Concepts
Brainstorming
Hands-on Design Exercise ‘The Tube’
Research Based Strategies for Promoting Creativity
Functional Decomposition for Complex Systems
Design Milestone: Generation of Alternatives
Chapter 19: Evaluation of Alternatives and Selection of a Concept
Minimize the Information Content of the Design
Maintain the Independence of Functional Requirements
Design for Ease of Manufacture
Design for Robustness
Design for Adjustability
Hands-on Design Exercise ‘Waste Ball’
The Decision Matrix
Design Milestone: Evaluation of Alternatives
Chapter 20: Detailed Design
Analysis
Experiments
Models
Detailed Drawings
Design Milestone: Detailed Design
Chapter 21: Oral Design Defense
Design Milestone: Oral Design Defense
Chapter 22: Manufacturing and Testing
Manufacturing and Testing Strategies
Materials
Joining Methods
Useful Hand Tools
Design Milestone: DFM Assessment I
Design Milestone: DFM Assessment II
Chapter 23: Performance Evaluation
Individual Performance Testing
The Final Competition
Design Milestone: Individual Performance Testing
Chapter 24: Design Report
Organization of the Report
Writing Guidelines
Design Milestone: Design Report
Chapter 25: An Example of a Design Competition: “A Bridge Too Far.”
Design Competition Example: “A Bridge Too Far”
Design Milestone Solutions for “A Bridge Too Far”
DM 1: Clarification of the Task
DM 2: Generation of Alternative Concepts
DM 3: Evaluation of Alternative Concepts
DM 4: Detailed Design
Appendix: Official Rules for the “A Bridge Too Far” Design Competition
Chapter 26: Closing Remarks on the Important Role of Design Projects
Part 1: Minds-on
Chapter 1: What Engineers Do
Scope of this text
Context of covered material
Learning Sections
What are personal ethics? (… and what have they to do with engineering?)
The Five Cornerstones of Ethical Behavior
Top Ten Questions You Should Ask Yourself When Making an Ethical Decision
What are Professional ethics?
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Code of Ethics for Engineers
Fundamental Canons
What You Should Expect to Achieve in this Course
Summary
Chapter 2: Key Elements of Engineering Analysis with an Introduction to the Concept of Force
Variables
Units
The SI Unit System
Force, Weight and Mass
Significant Figures
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 3: How to solve problems and spreadsheet analyses
Need-to-know-how-to-solve method of solving problems
Spreadsheet analysis
Cell addressing modes
Types of data that can be in a cell
Input to a spreadsheet
Graphing in Spreadsheets
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 4: Energy: Kinds, Conversion, and Conservation
Energy is the Capability to do Work
Kinds of Energy
Conversion
Conservation of Energy
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 5: Chemical Energy of Fuels
Atoms, Molecules, and Chemical Reactions
The mol and the kmol
Stoichiometry
The Air-to-Fuel Ratio
The Heating Value of Hydrocarbon Fuels
The Heating Value of Fuels: The General Case
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 6: The Automotive Drive Train
Modeling the Power Output of the Otto Cycle
Derivation of Otto cycle power output equation from first principles
Motion
Gearing and Gear Ratios
Improving on the Otto Cycle
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 7: Electrical Circuits
Electrical Circuits
Resistance, Ohm's Law and the “Power Law”
Series and Parallel Circuits
Switches
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 8: Logic and Computers
Analog Computers
From Analog to Digital Computing
Binary Logic
Truth Tables
Binary Arithmetic
Binary Codes
How does a computer work?
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 9: Control Systems Design and Mechatronics
Modeling the control system as a block diagram
Translating the block diagram into a mathematical model
Selecting a control strategy
Implementing the chosen strategy in hardware
Drive-by-wire
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 10: Kinematics and Traffic Flow
Distance, Speed, and Acceleration
The Speed versus Time Diagram
Applying the tool to the on-ramp problem
General Equations of Kinematics
The Highway Capacity Diagram
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 11: Introduction to Materials Engineering
What are the reasons for a particular material’s strength?
Defining Materials Requirements
Materials Selection
Properties of modern materials
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 12: Bioengineering
Biological implications of injuries to the head
The Stress-Speed-Stopping Distance-Area Criterion
Criteria for Predicting Effects of Potential Accidents
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 13: Introduction to Chemical Engineering
Oil Refining
Oil refineries
Process Engineering
Distillation
How refinery output can be improved
Catalytic Conversion
Summary
Exercises
Chapter 14: Cars of the Future - What Will They Be Like?
The Car Culture
Big Changes Ahead: Convergence
Automotive Electronics
Smart Automobile Safety Systems
Smart Tire Systems
Smart Exhaust Systems
Smart Drive-By-Wire Systems
Smart Highway Systems
Smart Traffic Systems
Smart Advanced Power Systems
Variable Displacement and Variable Valve Engines
Fuel Cell Systems
Enjoying the Ride – Smart Vehicle Entertainment Systems
How Do We Get There?
Looking Forward
Part 2: Hands-on
Chapter 15: Introduction to Engineering Design
The Nature of Engineering Design
Hands-on Design Exercise ‘The Tower’
Benefits of a Hands-on Design Project
Qualities of a Good Designer
The Need for a Systematic Approach
The Steps in the Engineering Design Process
Chapter 16: Two Ground Rules for Design
Ground Rule No.1: Use a Design Notebook
Ground Rule No.2: Team Effectively
Chapter 17: Clarification of the Task
Problem Definition
List of Specifications
Design Milestone: Clarification of the Task
Chapter 18: Generation of Alternative Concepts
Brainstorming
Hands-on Design Exercise ‘The Tube’
Research Based Strategies for Promoting Creativity
Functional Decomposition for Complex Systems
Design Milestone: Generation of Alternatives
Chapter 19: Evaluation of Alternatives and Selection of a Concept
Minimize the Information Content of the Design
Maintain the Independence of Functional Requirements
Design for Ease of Manufacture
Design for Robustness
Design for Adjustability
Hands-on Design Exercise ‘Waste Ball’
The Decision Matrix
Design Milestone: Evaluation of Alternatives
Chapter 20: Detailed Design
Analysis
Experiments
Models
Detailed Drawings
Design Milestone: Detailed Design
Chapter 21: Oral Design Defense
Design Milestone: Oral Design Defense
Chapter 22: Manufacturing and Testing
Manufacturing and Testing Strategies
Materials
Joining Methods
Useful Hand Tools
Design Milestone: DFM Assessment I
Design Milestone: DFM Assessment II
Chapter 23: Performance Evaluation
Individual Performance Testing
The Final Competition
Design Milestone: Individual Performance Testing
Chapter 24: Design Report
Organization of the Report
Writing Guidelines
Design Milestone: Design Report
Chapter 25: An Example of a Design Competition: “A Bridge Too Far.”
Design Competition Example: “A Bridge Too Far”
Design Milestone Solutions for “A Bridge Too Far”
DM 1: Clarification of the Task
DM 2: Generation of Alternative Concepts
DM 3: Evaluation of Alternative Concepts
DM 4: Detailed Design
Appendix: Official Rules for the “A Bridge Too Far” Design Competition
Chapter 26: Closing Remarks on the Important Role of Design Projects
- Edition: 1
- Published: September 8, 2006
- No. of pages (eBook): 400
- Imprint: Academic Press
- Language: English
- eBook ISBN: 9780080547183
RB
Robert Balmer
Dr. Robert Balmer has worked as an engineer at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory and at various DuPont facilities. He has over 40 years of engineering teaching experience and has authored 70 technical publications and the Elsevier undergraduate engineering textbook Modern Engineering Thermodynamics.
Affiliations and expertise
Mechanical Engineering Professor Emeritus, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Dean Emeritus, Engineering and Computer Science, Union College, Schenectady NY, USAWK
William Keat
Dr. William Keat has been teaching design for 20 years, in courses ranging from freshman engineering to a graduate course in design methodology. Has been awarded two Pi Tau Sigma Outstanding Teacher Awards and two first place finishes at the Mini-Baja East Competition while serving as an advisor.
Affiliations and expertise
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Union College, Mechanical Engineering Department, Schenectady, USA