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UNIT 1.1-What is Engineering?

Lesson 1.1.A-Interesting Quotes

Mens et Manus (Latin: mind and hand) reflects the ideal of cooperation between knowledge and practical science. - MIT Seal 1864

Engineering is the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences, gained by study, experience , and practice, is applied with judgment, to develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind. - ABET Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology - a non-profit organization that serves

the public by accrediting U.S. postsecondary degree programs in applied science, computing,

engineering, and technology. Accreditation assures the quality of these programs.

If a builder builds a house for a man and does not make its construction firm and the house collapses and causes the death of the owner of the house - that builder shall be put to death. If it destroys property, he shall restore whatever it destroyed, and because he did not make the house firm he shall rebuild the house which collapsed at his own expense. If a builder builds a house for a man and does not make its construction meet the requirement and a wall falls - that builder shall strengthen the wall at his own expense. - The Code of Hammurabi, c. 2250 BC

No village or man shall be forced to build bridges at river banks, except those who ought to do so by custom and law. -Chapter 23 of Magna Carta

We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us. - Winston Churchill, Time 1960

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We were shepherded in for our first lecture on engineering drawing in a studio on the top floor of a building in Shakespeare Street. There we were confronted by the lecturer, a Mr Rawlinson, an elderly gentleman with a nicotine stained moustache. He looked around the room at us and then said, "I know your lot. Your parents said, 'Our Jim's not very bright in the head but he's good with his hands, so we'll make him an engineer'." - Frank Vann, on his First Day at University

College Nottingham, 1941

"Mach 2 travel feels no different." a passenger commented on an early Concorde flight. "Yes," Sir George replied. "That was the difficult bit." - Sir George Edwards, co-director of Concorde

development, Quoted in Kenneth Owen, "Concorde, New Shape in the Sky"

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools. - Douglas Adams, Mostly Harmless

Architects and engineers are among the most fortunate of men since they build their own monuments with public consent, public approval and often public money. - John Prebble, The

High Girders

Engineering is the art of modeling materials we do not wholly understand, into shapes we cannot precisely analyse so as to withstand forces we cannot properly assess, in such a way that the public has no reason to suspect the extent of our ignorance. - Dr AR Dykes , British

Institution of Structural Engineers, 1976.

Boring - see Civil Engineers - UK Yellow Pages (this reference has been removed from new

editions of the Yellow Pages)

One has to watch out for engineers - they begin with the sewing machine and end up with the atomic bomb. - Marcel Pagnol, Critiques des Critiques

That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. - Neil Armstrong

“…your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should… God help us; we're in the hands of engineers.” - Dr. Ian Malcolm, Jurassic

Park

Dr. Naimie: “I want you to analyze the physics behind a spinning and sliding hula-hoop”BHS Student: “Do you want me to Google it?”Dr. Naimie: “NO … I want you to {BHS Student’s Name} it” – Transcript of discussion regarding

the application of physics principles to a problem that was totally new to the student

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Lesson 1.1B-Engineering Fields: The US Government recognizes 17 engineering specialties. ABET

accredited majors exist at colleges and universities for each of these fields, along with many sub-

specialties.

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On the website for the University of Washington’s Mechanical Engineering Department, there is a tremendous overview of the field of engineering around which the content of this course is designed.

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Historically, all engineers were classified as practicing one of three original fields (Civil, Electrical,

Mechanical). Over time, specialization resulted in new fields spinning off from one of these three or at the

intersection of them. Create an illustration that demonstrates these relationships between the 17

engineering specialties on the prior pages.

Lesson 1.1C-Engineering Career Paths: The schematic below provides a visual model for the

spectrum of typical professional roles for individuals employed in the areas of Engineering and

Engineering Technology. Every role is critical to the success of companies and organizations that are

involved in engineering.

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Lesson 1.1D-Engineering Teams: The schematic below summarizes the level of education (level of mathematical/theoretical) and types of

activities (hands-on and practical) most commonly associated with each group. Information from Introduction to Engineering ,Wright.

MORE

MATH

&

THEORETI CAL

E S S

ENGINEEREXTEND TECHNOLOGY

PLANNER, LEADER

Conceptual Design

Research

Project Planning

Product Innovation

System Development

ENGINEERINGTECHNOLOGIST

ASSIST ENGINEER

LINKING ENGINEERS TO

TECHNICIANS & CRAFTSMEN

Routine Product Development

Construction Supervision

Technical Sales

Hardware Design/Development

Coordinate Projects

Supervision of Craftsmen &

TechniciansTRADESPEOPLE

SKILLED WORKERS

Produce Materials, Products,

and Facilities

ENGINEERINGTECHNICIANPRACTICAL

SPECIALISTS

Perform specialized

practical support tasks.

LESS HANDS-ON & PRACTICAL MORE

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UNIT 1.2-Problem SolvingLesson 1.2.A: The Marshmallow Challange

THE MATERIALS:

THE INSTRUCTIONS

✦Build the Tallest Freestanding Structure: The winning team is the one that has the tallest structure measured from the table top surface to the top of the marshmallow. That means the structure cannot be suspended from a higher structure, like a chair, ceiling or chandelier.

✦The Entire Marshmallow Must be on Top: The entire marshmallow needs to be on the top of the structure. Cutting or eating part of the marshmallow disqualifies the team. 

✦Use as Much or as Little of the Kit: The team can use as many or as few of the 20 spaghetti sticks, as much or as little of the string or tape. The team cannot use the paper bag as part of their structure.

✦Break up the Spaghetti, String or Tape: Teams are free to break the spaghetti, cut up the tape and string to create new structures.

✦The Challenge Lasts 18 minutes: Teams cannot hold on to the structure when the time runs out. Those touching or supporting the structure at the end of the exercise will be disqualified.

✦Verify that you understand the instructions!

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THE RESULTS:

Record the heights for the groups (place a star beside the group you were in):Group Numbers: Height of Free-Standing Structure (cm):

Group#1Group#2Group#3Group#4Group#5Group#6

Sketch your structure and another noteworthy structure:

Respond to the following prompts after watching the TED Talk on the Marshmallow Challenge website: http://www.marshmallowchallenge.com

Who typically performs well?

Who typically performs poorly?

What is one of the keys to performing well?

What did you find to be the most worthwhile aspect of completing The Marshmallow Challenge?

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Lesson 1.2B-Factor-Label Method for Converting Units: Engineers often rely on *Engineering

Handbooks* to provide the equations that are necessary to solve problems. It is important that engineers

are able to clearly demonstrate the correct use of those equations and to show that the answers have the

appropriate units. Failure to do so can lead to catastrophic results!

1. Convert 1.5 hours into seconds

2. Convert 65 miles/hour into meters/second

3. Convert 1.0 U.S. gallon into meters cubed

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Lesson 1.2C-Some Famous Unit Conversion Errors (source: http://spacemath.gsfc.nasa.gov/weekly/6Page53.pdf):

Famous Error #1: On September 23, 1999 NASA lost the $125 million Mars Climate Orbiter spacecraft

after a 286-day journey to Mars. Miscalculations due to the use of English units instead of metric units

sent the craft slowly off course – 60 miles in all. Thrusters used to help point the spacecraft had, over the

course of months, been fired incorrectly because data used to control the wheels were calculated with

incorrect units. Lockheed Martin, which was performing the calculations, was sending thruster data in

English units (pounds) to NASA, while NASA’s navigation team was expecting metric units (Newtons).

Lockheed Martin designed the solid rocket boosters to produce a total of 10 million pounds of thrust.

How many Newtons of thrust does that amount correspond to?

Famous Error #2: On January 26, 2004 at Tokyo Disneyland’s Space Mountain, an axle broke on a roller

coaster train mid-ride, causing it to derail. The cause was a bolt being the wrong size due to a conversion

of the master plans from English to Metric units. The bolt was supposed to have a diameter of 1.25

inches, but the order was incorrectly placed for a diameter of 1.25 centimeters.

What was the correct bolt diameter in metric units?

Famous Error #3: On July 23, 1983 Air Canada Flight 143 ran completely out of fuel about halfway

through its flight from Montreal to Edmonton. Fuel loading was miscalculated through a misunderstanding

of the recently adopted metric system. Before take-off, there were 7,682 liters of fuel in the tank. The

total mass of fuel required for the flight was actually 22,300 kilograms. The crew mistakenly thought this

was the number of pounds of fuel that was required for the flight.

Determine the volume of fuel that the crew should have added to the tanks to bring the total mass to

22,300 kilograms. Use the density of jet fuel in metric units (0.803 kilograms/liter).

Determine the volume of fuel that the crew mistakenly added to the tanks, by thinking that the total

mass required was 22,300 pounds. Use the density of jet fuel in English units (1.77 pounds/liter).

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Lesson 1.2D-Engineering Analysis Example: Considering a new energy resource … tapping into the

energy stored in matter according to Albert Einstein.

As we know from our discussion of the Engineering Triad, engineers apply the principles of science, using

the language of mathematics, to safely realize desired outcomes. They often begin by going through a

proof of concept step, whereby they perform initial calculations to determine whether a desired outcome is

theoretically possible.

Physics Principles:

According to a famous equation attributed to Albert Einstein, there is an equation relating energy,

mass, and the speed of light ( E = m c2 ).

From your prior experiences in algebra, you know that the relationship describing how much

energy is required to operate a device for a certain length of time, or how long something can run

given a certain amount of energy, can be expressed as a rate equation ( E = k t ).

Questions: Our goal in this engineering analysis is to determine how much energy is stored in the mass

of a penny. In order to place the answer in a context that will be more meaningful to us … let’s also

determine how long the electrical requirements for a typical household in the United States could be

provided by the amount of energy stored in a single penny.

Useful Information:

Variables:

o E = Energy (Nm=kg m2/sec2)

o m = mass (kg)

o c = speed of light in a vacuum (m/sec)

o t = time (sec … or min, hour, day, or year, depending upon problem)

Constants:

o m = mass of a typical penny = 2.5 grams

o c = speed of light in a vacuum = 3.0 x 108 m/sec

o k = average rate of electrical energy consumption in US households = 30.0 kw hr/day

Solution: (to be completed on Engineering Report pages provided)

a. Conceptually establish how you will solve the problem

o Step#1 - Amount of energy stored in a penny

o Step#2 - Length of time for which a penny could provide power in a typical US household

b. Collect additional information

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c. Solve the problem (be sure to use the unit factor/label method)

Lesson 1.2E-Engineering Design Process: Project Lead The Way, Inc. has adopted this design process from Standards for Technological Literacy Standard 8, Benchmark H. This design process will be used for all courses. The design process includes:

1. Define a Problem

Identify a problem that exists. Determine the root cause. Gather information.

2. Brainstorm

Present ideas in group. Generate and record ideas. Seek quantity, not quality. Keep the mind alert through rapidly paced sessions.

3. Research and Generate Ideas

Analyze the reasons for the need, want, or problem. Investigate who or what is affected, and consider the need, want, or problem from their perspective. Research any existing solutions, and identify why they are not adequate or appropriate. Listen to clients to solve problems that they have discovered. Perform market research to determine if a want or need exists and warrants the development of a

design solution.4. Identify Criteria and Specify Constraints

Identify the end user if it is different than the client. Redefine the problem to the agreement of both client and engineer. Identify what the solution must do, and the degree to which it will be pursued. Identify the limitations within which the engineer must perform his/her duties. Compile the information into a design brief.

5. Explore Possibilities

Initiate further development of brainstorming ideas with constraints and tradeoffs considered. Explore alternative ideas based on further knowledge and technologies.

6. Select an Approach

Create a decision-matrix to compare the attributes of the various ideas and analyze the trade-offs associated with each one.

Verify alignment between the idea selected and the criteria and constraints.7. Develop a Design Proposal

Develop detailed and annotated sketches. Determine the type(s) of material from which the solution will be constructed. Make computer models. Create technical drawings from the computer model(s).

8. Make a Model or Prototype

Make study models (scaled models or mock-ups). Fabricate a functional prototype.

9. Test and Evaluate the Design using Specifications

Test the prototype under controlled conditions. Test the prototype under actual conditions. Record the results. Evaluate results to determine if problems exist and further work is needed.

10. Refine the Design

Reassess the validity of the design criteria and make adjustments to the design brief, if necessary. Work through the design process until the solution satisfies the design criteria. Update the documentation of the final solution.

11. Create or Make Solution

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Determine custom/mass production. Consider packaging.

12. Communicate Processes and Results

Present oral presentations with visual aids (computer-generated slide show, models, prototype). Develop written reports with appropriate graphic documentation (charts, graphs, technical drawings,

renderings, etc.). Market the Product. Distribute.

Create an illustration that organizes the 12 steps in the design process in a manner that will help you apply them in the future.