Engineering Disciplines

Chapter 5

Acoustical Engineering

• Deals with properties of sound in a space

• Drawn upon to plan, improve, or perfect an architectural space

• Investigate how different noises and background sounds affect productivity

• Deal with two basic properties of sound: reflection and absorption

• Help design Halls to Speaker Casings

Overture Hall in Madison, WI

http://www.overturecenter.com/overture_hall.htm

Automotive Engineering• Plan, coordinate, and

implement specifications for new vehicles, engineering every part

• Make mechanical aspects of vehicle fit into the automotive designer’s plan

• Usually trained with Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering

Ford’s 2003 Hybrid Escape Prototype

http://www.velocityjrnl.com/jrnl/2003/vmd9419ov.html

Challenges for Auto Engineers• Emissions Laws

▫ Develop engines that burn fuel cleaner• Cost

▫ Making product financially viable and appealing• Shared Platforms

▫ Cars of different brands, same parent company• Performance

▫ More powerful engines without skyrocketing price• Consumer Demands

▫ Must design what consumers want

Aerospace Engineering

• Design, develop, test, and help manufacture aircraft, missiles, and spacecraft

• Can be divided into two fields▫ Aeronautical▫ Astronautical

• Develop new technologies for use in commercial and military

http://www.nasa.gov

NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis

Aeronautical Engineers• Develop technology

for use in aviation, defense systems, and attack projectile weaponry

• Structural design, guidance, navigation and control systems just a few specializations

F-117 Nighthawk and KC-135 Stratotanker

http://xray.sai.msu.ru/~polar/html/what.html

Astronautical Engineering• Develop technology

for use in space exploration

• Develop planes that can operate in space and on earth as well as booster rockets

NASA Rover Project

www.acroname.com/ mars.html

Agricultural Engineering• Traces roots back

thousands of years• Production and processing

of agricultural products is primary concern

• Power machinery, food processing, soils and water, structures, electrical technologies, and bioengineering are specializations

Combine at Harvest Time

http://www.awgfarms.com/

Bioengineering• Application of engineering principles to

biological systems• Encompass biology, chemistry, physics,

technology science, and medicine to solve health care problems

• Work with geneticists in producing genetically manipulated products▫ Bacteria for curing illness▫ Disease-resistant plants

Biomedical Engineering

• Design and development of devices to solve medical challenges

• Devices for more mobility• Chemical processes

necessary for artificial organs to function

• Electrical challenges in pacemaker designs

• Develop non-surgical instruments as well

http://www.tmc.edu/thi/summary.html

AbioCor Artificial Heart

Chemical Engineering• Take what chemists do in a lab and apply

fundamental engineering, chemistry and physics principles, design and develop processes to produce products▫ Detergents▫ Paints▫ Fertilizers▫ Petroleum Products▫ Food Products▫ Electronic Circuit Boards

Civil Engineering

• Designing and supervising construction of roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, bridges and water/sewage systems

• Must keep environment in well-being

• Population shifts, urban planning, zoning laws, and building codes must be followed

www.surrey.ac.uk/ eng/pg/civil/progcivi.htm

Tsing Ma Bridge in Hong Kong

Architectural Engineering

• Concerned with form, function, and appearance of a structure

• Combines structural and functional concerns with aesthetic concerns of architect

Taipei 101Taipei, Taiwan

http://www.brianmicklethwait.com/culture/cat_architecture.shtml

Transportation Engineers

• Concerned with design and construction of highways, railroads and mass transit systems

• Optimization and operation of systems

Bangkok Mass Transit System

http://www.railway-technology.com/contractors/metro/siemens_metro/

Water Resource Engineers• Provide safe and

reliable supplies of water for communities

• Design and operate purification systems and testing

www.ce.utexas.edu/ dept/area/ewre/welcome.html

Surveyors• Locate property lines• Establish alignment

and proper placement of engineering projects

• Use satellite and aerial terrestrial photography data

www.temple.edu/history/ amhist2images.html

Urban Planning Engineers• Incorporate

components of a city to meet the population’s needs▫ Adequate housing▫ Efficient

transportation▫ Open spaces

http://www.dalian-gov.net/chinese/2000qiye/zhu/en/ghshj-e.htm

Computer Engineering• Apply theories of science

and math to design hardware, software, networks, processors and chips

• Improve computer performance with optimization

• Design means of data communication and ways to protect that informationhttp://www.brightonnet.co.jp/products/product03.html

Construction Engineers• Management and

operation of construction projects

• Interested in improving construction methods and materials

• Safer, more reliable, cost effective, and environmentally friendly methods designed and developedPhoto Courtesy of Structural Steel Erectors

-Milwaukee, WI

Electrical Engineering• Responsible for the

design, development, testing, and supervision of the manufacture of electrical equipment▫ Household appliances to

guidance systems• Most populated of

engineering disciplines• Eight Areas of Electrical

Engineering detailed ahead http://www.iit.edu/alumni/updates/yearbook/1920s/

Areas 1 - 4• Computers• Communication

▫ Global Positioning Systems, Fiber Optics and Lasers, and Wireless Technology

• Circuits and Solid State Devices▫ Microelectronics

• Control▫ Digital controllers allow for safer and more efficient

operation of power plants, airplanes, etc.

Areas 5 - 8• Instrumentation

▫ Devices to measure pressure, temperature, flow rate, speed, using telemetry

• Signal Processing▫ Electrical signals from instruments need to be

conditioned before information is used• Bioengineering• Power

▫ Most traditional aspects of Electrical Engineering Production of electrical power

Environmental Engineering

•Application of science in the pursuit of making the world a safer place for humans and animals

•Evolved to to improve and protect the environment while keeping pace with the growth of industry

•Includes air pollution, industrial hygiene, radiation protection, etc

Environment Challenges

•Disposal▫Disposal and processing of industrial and

residential waste•Remediation

▫Cleaning up of contaminated sites•Prevention

▫Reduce or eliminate harmful waste▫Work with manufacturing engineers

Fire Protection Engineers• Design fire sprinkler,

alarm systems, exit and control systems

• Compile risk analyses on major facilities and consult with architects on projects

• Investigates fires and explosions, helping local fire departments solve the cause of a firehttp://www2.hickam.af.mil/pacaf/newsarchive/

2002/2002116a.htm

Food Processing Engineers

•Providing healthier products to consumers who increasingly rely on processed food products

•Design processing, handling, and packaging equipment for the food industry

Genetic Engineering• Specific application of

genetic manipulation techniques to engineering projects

• Sometimes called biotechnologists

• Human, plant, animal, and microorganism can all be associated under Genetic Engineering

http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/bio/engg.htm

Geological Engineering• Involves land and

water• Investigate sites for

dams, bridges, and tunnels

• Build and maintain earth-related power sources as well as work on oil drilling sites

http://www.mtu.edu/environmental/geo/

Industrial Engineering

•Interdisciplinary field that involves integration of technology, mathematical models, and management practices

•Work within many industries▫Production▫Manufacturing▫Human Factors▫Operations Research

Manufacturing Engineering• Everything done is tied to

production of goods• Design a process or a

system to solve a problem• Must know how to use a

variety of resources▫ Machines▫ Robots▫ People▫ Computer-Based

Controls▫ Information Networks

http://www.battelle.org/healthcare/html/ManufacturingEngineering.stm

Marine and Ocean Engineering

• Concerned with the exploration of oceans, transportation of products over water, and utilization of resources in world’s oceans, seas and lakes

http://www.battelle.org/healthcare/html/ManufacturingEngineering.stm

Marine Engineering

•Focus on design, development, and operation of ships and boats▫Subsystems so ship may serve its purpose

Propulsion Navigation Steering

•Work along with naval architects

Ocean Engineers• Involved with interaction of oceans and areas

they come into contact with▫ Wave action on beaches▫ Docks▫ Buoys▫ Moorings▫ Harbors

• Design ways to reduce erosion while protecting the marine environment

Materials Science Engineers• Develop new materials,

improve traditional, and produce materials reliably and economically through synthesis and processing

• Concerned with four areas of materials▫ Structure▫ Properties▫ Processes▫ Performance

Carbon Fiber Composite SMVMadison West H.S., Madison, WI

http://www.imagine101.com/red_ra.htm

Mechanical Engineering

•Involved with design, development, production, control, operation, and service of machines and mechanical devices

•Strength of parts and stresses to which they will be subjected too

•Composed of two main divisions:▫Design and Controls▫Thermal Sciences

Mineral and Mining Engineering

•Maintain the flow of raw materials by discovering, extracting and processing minerals for products

•Design and maintain tunnels used in extracting minerals

•Processing procedures to make raw materials into usable forms

Nuclear Engineering• Use and control of energy

from nuclear sources for electricity production, propulsion systems, waste disposal and radiation applications

• Develop safe and reliable means to dispose of nuclear wastes

Petroleum Engineering

•Work with geologists and geophysicists in exploration, removal, transportation and refining of crude oil

•Designs, develops and operates drilling equipment and facilities needed to transport and refine the oil safely

Robotics and Automated Systems Engineers

• Programs robots to do different tasks and explorations

• Meets with team members to discuss and share ideas

• More efficient and skilled robots are needed to assemble more complex products

• Artificial Intelligence slowly becoming reality

http://www.21stcentury.co.uk/robotics/honda_asimo_robot.asp

Honda ASIMO Robot

Software Engineering• Do the coding for programs on computers• Computer Applications Software Engineers

▫ Program utilities and programs for internal use in an office

• Computer Systems Software Engineer▫ Coordinates technical systems and growth within a

company• Function in many different business areas as

technical supports, program developers, or customer service installing software

Structural Engineering• Most common type of civil

engineer• Concerned with integrity

of the structure of buildings, bridges, dams and highways

• Evaluate loads which structures will be subjected to in their environment

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse

http://www.nwwf.com/profile/piegig01.htm