Exploring Engineering
An Introduction to Engineering and Design
- 2nd Edition - September 5, 2009
- Authors: Robert Balmer, William Keat
- Language: English
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 3 8 5 9 1 9 - 8
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 0 8 - 0 8 8 4 4 6 - 2
Exploring Engineering: An Introduction to Engineering and Design, Second Edition, provides an introduction to the engineering profession. It covers both classical engineering and… Read more

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Request a sales quoteExploring Engineering: An Introduction to Engineering and Design, Second Edition, provides an introduction to the engineering profession. It covers both classical engineering and emerging fields, such as bioengineering, nanotechnology, and mechatronics. The book is organized into two parts. Part 1 provides an overview of the engineering discipline. It begins with a discussion of what engineers do and then covers topics such as the key elements of engineering analysis; problems solving and spreadsheet analyses; and the kinds, conversion, and conservation of energy. The book also discusses key concepts drawn from the fields of chemical engineering; mechanical engineering; electrical engineering; electrochemical engineering; materials engineering; civil engineering; engineering kinematics; bioengineering; manufacturing engineering; and engineering economics. Part 2 focuses on the steps in the engineering design process. It provides content for a Design Studio, where students can design and build increasingly complex engineering system. It also presents examples of design competitions and concludes with brief remarks about the importance of design projects.
- Organized in two parts to cover both the concepts and practice of engineering: Part I, Minds On, introduces the fundamental physical, chemical and material bases for all engineering work while Part II, Hands On, provides opportunity to do design projects
- An Engineering Ethics Decision Matrix is introduced in Chapter 1 and used throughout the book to pose ethical challenges and explore ethical decision-making in an engineering context
- Lists of "Top Engineering Achievements" and "Top Engineering Challenges" help put the material in context and show engineering as a vibrant discipline involved in solving societal problemsNew to this edition:
- Additional discussions on what engineers do, and the distinctions between engineers, technicians, and managers (Chapter 1)
- New coverage of Renewable Energy and Environmental Engineering helps emphasize the emerging interest in Sustainable Engineering
- New discussions of Six Sigma in the Design section, and expanded material on writing technical reports
- Re-organized and updated chapters in Part I to more closely align with specific engineering disciplines
new end of chapter excercises throughout the book
* Freshman undergraduate students entering 4-year engineering programs, including those with declared or intended majors in all engineering areas such as mechanical, electrical, chemical, industrial, and civil engineering * Freshman undergraduate students who are taking an Introduction to Engineering Course either as a requirement for a technical degree or as an elective for science and technology requirements for other degree programs in liberal arts, business, life sciences, and so forth
ForewordAcknowledgmentsPart 1: Minds-On Chapter 1: What Engineers do 1.1 Introduction 1.2 What Do Engineers Do? 1.3 What Makes a “Good” Engineer? 1.4 What This Book Covers 1.5 Personal and Professional Ethics 1.6 What Are Professional Ethics? 1.7 Engineering Ethics Decision Matrix 1.8 What You Should Expect from This Book Summary Exercises Chapter 2: Key Elements of Engineering Analysis 2.1 Engineering Analysis 2.2 The SI Unit System 2.3 Force, Weight, and Mass 2.4 Significant Figures Summary Exercises Chapter 3: Solving Problems and Spreadsheet Analyses 3.1 The Need–Know–How–Solve Method 3.2 Spreadsheet Analysis 3.3 Graphing in Spreadsheets Summary Exercises Chapter 4: Energy: Kinds, Conversion, and Conservation 4.1 Using Energy 4.2 Energy Is the Capability to Do Work 4.3 Kinds of Energy 4.4 Energy Conversion 4.5 Conservation of Energy Summary Exercises Chapter 5: Chemical Energy and Chemical Engineering 5.1 Chemical Energy Conversion 5.2 Atoms, Molecules, and Chemical Reactions 5.3 The mol and the kmol 5.4 Stoichiometry 5.5 The Heating Value of Hydrocarbon Fuels 5.6 How Do You Make Chemical Fuels? Summary Exercises Chapter 6: Mechanical Engineering 6.1 The Otto Cycle 6.2 Modeling the Power Output of the Otto Cycle 6.3 The Diesel Cycle 6.4 The Brayton Cycle 6.5 Motion 6.6 Improving the Otto, Diesel, and Brayton Cycles 6.7 Another Vision of the Future Summary Exercises Chapter 7: Electrical Engineering 7.1 Electrical Circuits 7.2 Resistance, Ohm’s Law, and the “Power Law” 7.3 Series and Parallel Circuits 7.4 Kirchhoff’s Laws 7.5 Switches Summary Exercises Chapter 8: Electrochemical Engineering and Alternate Energy Sources 8.1 Electrochemistry 8.2 Principles of Electrochemical Engineering 8.3 Lead-Acid Batteries 8.4 The Ragone Chart 8.5 Electrochemical Series 8.6 Advanced Batteries 8.7 Fuel Cells 8.8 Ultracapacitors Summary Exercises Chapter 9: Logic and Computers 9.1 Moore’s Law 9.2 Analog Computers 9.3 From Analog to Digital Computing 9.4 Binary Logic 9.5 Truth Tables 9.6 Decimal and Binary Numbers 9.7 Binary Arithmetic 9.8 Binary Codes 9.9 How Does a Computer Work? Summary Exercises Chapter 10: Control System Design and Mechatronics 10.1 What Is Mechatronics? 10.2 Modeling the Control System as a Block Diagram 10.3 Selecting a Control Strategy 10.4 Transient Control Theory 10.5 Global Warming and Positive Feedback 10.6 Drive-by-Wire 10.7 Implementing the Chosen Strategy in Hardware Summary Exercises Chapter 11: Materials Engineering 11.1 Choosing the Right Material 11.2 Strength 11.3 Defining Materials Requirements 11.4 Materials Selection 11.5 Properties of Modern Materials Summary Exercises Chapter 12: Civil Engineering: the Art and Engineering of Bridge Design 12.1 The Beauty of Bridges 12.2 Free-Body Diagrams and Static Equilibrium 12.3 Structural Elements 12.4 Efficient Structures 12.5 The Method of Joints 12.6 Solution of Large Problems 12.7 Designing with Factors of Safety Summary Exercises Chapter 13: Engineering Kinematics 13.1 What Is Kinematics? 13.2 Distance, Speed, Time, and Acceleration 13.3 The Speed Versus Time Diagram 13.4 Applying Kinematics to the Highway On-Ramp Problem 13.5 General Equations of Kinematics 13.6 The Highway Capacity Diagram 13.7 The Rotational Kinematics of Gears Summary Exercises Chapter 14: Bioengineering 14.1 What Do Bioengineers Do? 14.2 Biological Implications of Injuries to the Head 14.3 Why Collisions Can Kill 14.4 The Fracture Criterion 14.5 The Stress–Speed–Stopping Distance–Area Criterion 14.6 Criteria for Predicting Effects of Potential Accidents Summary Exercises Chapter 15: Manufacturing Engineering 15.1 What Is Manufacturing? 15.2 Early Manufacturing 15.3 Industrial Revolution 15.4 Manufacturing Processes 15.5 Modern Manufacturing 15.6 Variability, Deming, and Six Sigma Summary Exercises Chapter 16: Engineering Economics 16.1 Why Is Economics Important? 16.2 The Cost of Money 16.3 When Is an Investment Worth It? Summary ExercisesPart 2: Hands-On Chapter 17: Introduction to Engineering Design 17.1 The Nature of Engineering Design 17.2 Design Problems Versus Homework Problems 17.3 Benefits of a Hands-On Design Project 17.4 Qualities of a Good Designer 17.5 How to Manage a Design Project 17.6 Two Ground Rules for Design 17.7 The Need for a Systematic Approach 17.8 Steps in the Engineering Design Process 17.9 Hands-On Design Exercise: The Tower Chapter 18: Design Step 1: Defining the Problem 18.1 Problem Definition 18.2 List of Specifications 18.3 Design Milestone: Clarification of the Task Chapter 19: Design Step 2: Generation of Alternative Concepts 19.1 Brainstorming 19.2 Concept Sketching 19.3 Hands-on Design Exercise: The Tube 19.4 Research-Based Strategies for Promoting Creativity 19.5 Functional Decomposition for Complex Systems 19.6 Design Milestone: Generation of Alternatives Chapter 20: Design Step 3: Evaluation of Alternatives and Selection of a Concept 20.1 Minimize the Information Content of the Design 20.2 Maintain the Independence of Functional Requirements 20.3 Design for Ease of Manufacture 20.4 Design for Robustness 20.5 Design for Adjustability 20.6 Hands-on Design Exercise: Waste Ball 20.7 The Decision Matrix 20.8 Design Milestone: Evaluation of Alternatives Chapter 21: Design Step 4: Detailed Design 21.1 Analysis 21.2 Experiments 21.3 Models 21.4 Detailed Drawings 21.5 Design Milestone: Detailed Design Chapter 22: Design Step 5: Design Defense 22.1 Design Milestone: Oral Design Defense Chapter 23: Design Step 6: Manufacturing and Testing 23.1 Manufacturing and Testing Strategies 23.2 Materials 23.3 Joining Methods 23.4 Useful Hand Tools 23.5 Design Milestone: Design for Manufacture Assessment I 23.6 Design Milestone: Design for Manufacture Assessment II Chapter 24: Design Step 7: Performance Evaluation 24.1 Individual Performance Testing 24.2 The Final Competition 24.3 Design Milestone: Individual Performance Testing Chapter 25: Design Step 8: Design Report 25.1 Organization of the Report 25.2 Writing Guidelines 25.3 Design Milestone: Design Report Chapter 26: Examples of Design Competitions 26.1 Design Competition Example 1: A Bridge Too Far 26.2 Design Milestone Solutions for A Bridge Too Far 26.3 Official Rules for the A Bridge Too Far Design Competition 26.4 Design Competition Example 2: The Mars Meteorite Retriever Challenge 26.5 Some Design Milestones for the Mars Meteorite Retriever Challenge 26.6 Official Rules for the Mars Meteorite Retriever Challenge Design Competition Chapter 27: Closing Remarks on the Important Role of Design ProjectsPostfaceIndex
- No. of pages: 464
- Language: English
- Edition: 2
- Published: September 5, 2009
- Imprint: Academic Press
- eBook ISBN: 9780123859198
- eBook ISBN: 9780080884462
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