Unit information: Mechatronics 3 in 2019/20

Unit name	Mechatronics 3
Unit code	MENG30003
Credit points	10
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. J Burn
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	MENG21100 Materials Engineering MENG22200 Dynamics and Control MENG26000 Design and Manufacture
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering
Faculty	Faculty of Engineering

Description including Unit Aims

Mechatronics is an interdisciplinary subject combining software, electrical and electronic and mechanical engineering. The focus of this unit is on design principles for mechatronic systems. Machine theory and control theory, which are typically covered in courses on mechatronics, are prerequisites for this Unit as they are covered elsewhere in the Mechanical Engineering programmes. The aim of the Unit is to develop a methodological approach to designing a mechatronic system. The course is divided into five parts, Fundamentals, Acquiring Information, Processing Information, Generating Action and Supplying Energy. Each part is supported by four lectures covering the specific skills required to transform a specification into a design via appropriate model equations. There is broad/shallow coverage of electrical and electronic subjects rather than narrow/deep coverage which would be of less general value to a Mechanical Engineering cohort. The emphasis is on getting the main abstract design criteria correct through an awareness of key principles.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will

• be able to produce a preliminary design for a simple mechatronic system given a set of requirements or a specification.
• be able correctly to specify and select components for a mechatronic system.
• be able to formulate appropriate mathematical models of a mechatronic system to predict and evaluate its performance.
• be able to analyse simple circuit diagrams and describe their function.
• be able to design analogue and digital circuits to process electronic signals.
• be able to design simple digital controllers using discrete logic or software.

Teaching Information

Course material is delivered using blended learning techniques over twenty 50 minute sessions, two per week.

All students attend one 3-hour lab practical session in mechatronic system design. The lab is not assessed.

Assessment Information

2-hour written exam 100%

Reading and References

• Bolton, W., Mechatronics: A Multidisciplinary Approach: Electronic Control Systems in Mechanical & Electrical Engineering. (2011), 5th ed., Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN-10: 0273742868. ISBN-13: 9780273742869.
• Onwubolu, G.C., Mechatronics Principles & Applications. (2005), Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN-10: 0750663790. ISBN-13: 9780750663793.