This module introduces you to the fundamentals of fluid mechanics and engineering science. Taught to mechanical, aerospace and civil engineering students, it will use this broad audience to enhance a collaborative learning environment. The fluid mechanics section will cover the fundamental properties of fluids and the main basic conservation equations used and their engineering applications. It also introduces the concept of dimensions and the SI units of measurement. The engineering science section will consider subject areas relevant to each discipline. For mechanical and aerospace engineering students it will introduce thermodynamics and electrical engineering and for civil engineering students it will consider soil mechanics. The thermodynamics topic covers the key concepts of system, work, heat and the main thermodynamics laws with special reference to their engineering applications. The electrical engineering section covers the basic concepts and electrical quantities such as charge, current, resistance, voltage, power and energy before looking at fundamental electrical components and how they can be incorporated into both AC and DC circuits. The soil mechanics topic will introduce the fundamental properties of soils and their essential aspects.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
Common (TB1)
Mechanical and Aerospace (TB2):
Civil (TB2)
The learning outcomes will be achieved through a combination of interactive lectures, tutorials, laboratory exercises and independent study. A total of 300 hours of learning time is allocated to this module, consisting of 100 hours of scheduled contact time and 200 hours of independent study. Teaching notes, guided reading, problem solving case studies and other supplementary materials will be made available on the VLE platform. These will be used to support the independent study.
Formal lectures will be delivered to develop major topics of the module and will be interlinked with guided tutorial and laboratory sessions where students will work in smaller groups. The teaching team will make extensive use of some interactive and engaging techniques such as clickers, and the VLE site Canvas will provide additional learning support materials to students.
In the tutorial sessions, students will work in smaller and discipline-diverse groups to solve a wide range of multidisciplinary engineering problems and develop interpersonal, interdisciplinary and problem solving skills.
The practical laboratory sessions are designed to provide students with the basic 'hands-on' skills required for experimentation and to support the lecture materials and assist students in developing interpersonal skills through group working and the production of group reports. Constructive feedback will be provided to students throughout the lectures, tutorials and laboratory activities. Guidance and support materials and references for independent study will be provided on the VLE platform.
The common fluid mechanics section will be delivered in TB1 and the different engineering science content will be delivered in TB2. This will enable students to easily change disciplines up to the end of TB1. Students can also choose to change discipline at the end of TB2, but they would need to demonstrate they had adequate understanding of the relevant engineering science content before this change would be agreed.
A substantial portion of the learning hours assigned to this module are guided independent study. A rough breakdown of how this will be spent is given in the table below.
Students will be provided with sets of structured practice problems for the analytical techniques discussed in the module. Answers to the problems will be provided, which will help students build confidence in applying the techniques and also provide feedback on their progress. The problem sets will also include more challenging problems which show how the techniques can be applied in engineering practice. These problems that go beyond the minimum requirements will be identified in the problem sets and will give students an opportunity to deepen their understanding.
A detailed schedule of when students are expected to complete each problem set will be provided and progress against this schedule will be discussed in the personal tutoring sessions. It will enable tutors to help students determine whether they need additional support through the SEC Academic Skills Centre. The tutorials will also be used to encourage students to form informal study sets to help work through the problems.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Interactive lectures Large group flipped classroom activities Tutorials Laboratories | 40 10 38 12 |
| Guided independent study | Prep/review lectures Prep for tutorials Prep for labs Writing lab reports Canvas quizzes Prep for final exam Additional supported learning | 66 22 10 20 22 25 35 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 300 | |
The module is summatively assessed by a combination of examination and coursework. The end of module examination (50% module weight) is of two hours duration made up of questions involving problem-solving and interpretation. Students will be provided with a standard formulae sheet to support them in the examination.
The summative coursework consists of two extensive laboratory reports (25% each). The first full laboratory report covers fluid mechanics while the second one will be based on engineering science. Formative assessment and feedback will be provided by tutors during the weekly tutorial and laboratory sessions, where students will be working in smaller interactive groups.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| 1) Discuss the basic principles of fluid mechanics and other areas of engineering science relevant to their discipline | Formatively by tutorial exercises & laboratory sessions. Summatively by laboratory reports & end of module examination. |
| 2) Solve problems in engineering fluid mechanics and other areas of engineering science relevant to their discipline | Formatively by tutorial exercises Summatively by end of module examination. |
| 3) Present clear and coherent solutions to engineering problems | Formatively by tutorial exercises Summatively by end of module examination. |
| 4) Conduct experimental investigations and report on the results | Summatively by laboratory reports Formatively by in-session feedback from tutors |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Written exam | Written exam | 50% |
| Full laboratory report 1 | Coursework | 25% |
| Full laboratory report 2 | Coursework | 25% |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS NOT a requirement that any element of assessment is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
White F.M. (2011) Fluid Mechanics, 7th Edition, McGraw-Hill Education, ISBN 9780071311212.
Chadwick A., Morfett J. and Borthwick M. (2013) Hydraulics in Civil and Environmental engineering, 5th Edition, CRC Press, ISBN 9780415672450.
Cengel Y. and Boles M. (2015) Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach, 8th Edition, McGraw-Hill, ISBN 9789814595292
Knappett J. and Craig R.F. (2012) Craig's Soil Mechanics, 8th Edition, Spon Press, ISBN 9780415561259.
Bird J.O. (2014) Electrical Circuit Theory and Technology, 5th Edition, Routledge, ISBN9780415662864
BS1377 Methods of Testing Soils for Civil Engineering Purposes.
Potter M.C. (2009) Thermodynamics demystified, McGraw-Hill, ISBN9780071606004.
Hamill L. (2011) Understanding Hydraulics, 3rd Edition, Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN9780230242753.
Bird J. (2013) Electrical and Electronic Principles and Technology, Routledge, ISBN-13:978-0750685566.