COURSE B5.

9EH2: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE 8

Summary and teaching schedule for AY 2015-2016
The course is split into two parts: Part 1: Mechanics of materials and Part 2: Dynamics. There is also an
overarching project which is related to both parts of the course.
Part 1, Mechanics of materials, involves 2 main topics, as follows:
Topic 1.1, Engineering with composites: 6 lectures plus tutorials: This topic builds on stress-strain
relationships in isotropic materials (covered in ME Sci. 7) and deals with orthotropic materials. It covers
the mechanics of composite materials, mostly applied to the strength and stiffness design of fibre reinforced
polymers. It involves an individual assignment for which students will require access to a package (e.g.
Matlab) capable of performing matrix arithmetic.
Topic 1.2, Thermal stress, metal plasticity and metallic creep: 6 lectures plus tutorials: This topic builds
on earlier study of the elastic mechanics of materials, introduces loading due to differential thermal effects
and goes on to consider plastic behaviour and creep behaviour of metals. It involves an individual assessed
exercise which is carried out in class.

Part 2, Dynamics, involves 4 topics, as follows:

Topic 2.1: Introduction to control systems: 3 lectures plus tutorials: This topic defines the concept of a
complex system and introduces the basic techniques of modelling mechanical systems. It considers the use
of block diagrams and their application to transfer functions with an emphasis on open and closed loop
models.
Topic 2.2: First order systems: 3 lectures plus tutorials: This topic will analyse the performance of first
order systems through examples drawn from four engineering disciplines. It will examine their response to
impulse, step, ramp and harmonic excitation.

Topic 2.3: Response of control systems to external stimuli: 5 lectures plus tutorials: This topic uses a
second order system as an exemplar to investigate the response of systems to step, ramp and harmonic
excitation. It will include consideration of transient response, steady state error and sensitivity to external
disturbance. Deficiencies in system performance will be identified and the controller modifications required
to improve performance will be investigated. These will include negative velocity feedback, proportional
plus derivative action and proportional plus integral action.
Topic 2.4: System stability: 1 lecture plus tutorials: This topic will examine the concept of absolute
stability by introducing the Routh-Hurwitz stability criterion.
Assessment: The module is examined by continuous assessment (60%) and a final open-book end-ofmodule test (40%) with Parts 1 and 2 receiving equal weighting overall. The formal stages at which marks
can be scored are indicated in bold type in the schedule below. The Part 1 assignments (including a lab in
Week 12), will have a total value of 40 marks, and a mini-project for Part 2 will be worth 20 marks. The
end-of-module test will be weighted accordingly (75/25) in favour of Part 2.
Absence from any component of assessment or failure to meet any deadline must be explained
satisfactorily in writing, otherwise a mark of zero will be returned for that component.

Schedule: The course is lectured by Dr D Yurchenko (Part 2) and Professor R L Reuben (Part 1) according
to the following schedule1:
Wed.9:15-10:15

Wed.
11:15

10:15-

Thur.
10:15

9:15-

Thur.
12:15

11:15-

Week 1

No session

Week 2

DY
T2.1 and project
briefing
DY
T2.2/T2.3

DY
Tutorial

DY
Tutorial
DY
T2.4

DY
T2.4
DY
T2.5

DY
T2.5
DY
T2.6
DY
T2.7
DY
T2.8
DY
Mini-project
hand-in (20%)
T1.2 LAB

DY
Tutorial
DY
Tutorial
DY
Tutorial
DY
Tutorial
DY
OVERVIEW
T1.2 LAB

T1.2 LAB

T1.2 LAB

T1.2 LAB

T1.2 LAB

No session

No session

Week 3
Week 4
Week 5

Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week
10
Week
11
Week
12

No session
DY
T2.1

RLR
Intro. and T1.1
RLR
T1.1 tutorial

RLR
T1.1
RLR
T1.1

RLR
T1.1a Assgt.
Hand-in (5%)
RLR
T1.1 tutorial
RLR
T1.2
T1.1b Assgt.
Hand-in (10%)
RLR
T1.2
RLR
T1.2 tutorial
RLR
T1.2

RLR
T1.1
RLR
T1.2
RLR
T1.2

RLR
T1.2
RLR
T1.2
RLR
T1.2 tutorial

RLR
TOPIC 1.2 In-class AE (15%)
RLR
RLR
T1.2
T1.2 tutorial

VACATION
VACATION
VACATION

Week
13
Week
14
Week
15
Week
16

LAB HAND-IN (10%) PREPARATION FOR FINAL END-OF-MODULE TEST

PREPARATION/FINAL END-OF-MODULE TEST
PREPARATION/FINAL END-OF-MODULE TEST
PREPARATION/FINAL END-OF-MODULE TEST

Feedback: The Communications area, the Assessment area and e-mail will be used via Vision to
communicate throughout the course and the assignments will be assessed rapidly with a view to giving
feedback on student understanding. The assignment results will be posted on Vision against student
matriculation number. During the vacation, the project and lab reports will be marked and each students
overall mark (out of 60) will be calculated and posted on Vision against student matriculation number
1 We will make every attempt to keep to this schedule, but other commitments sometimes make it necessary to introduce changes,
about which you will be given as much notice as possible.

before the test. Tutorial solutions will be posted up on Vision shortly after the relevant session and a past
End-of-Module test paper will be available on Vision in time for the preparation weeks (13-14). The
feedback sheet from last years offering of the module will be shared with the students at the outset of the
module and a feedback sheet will be issued in Week 11 and a summary, with the lecturers response, posted
on Vision along with results.
RLR/DY January 2016