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ES9ZB-15 Electrical Power Engineering Design Group Project

Department
School of Engineering
Level
Taught Postgraduate Level
Module leader
Jose Ortiz Gonzalez
Credit value
15
Module duration
10 weeks
Assessment
100% coursework
Study location
University of Warwick main campus, Coventry
Introductory description

Electrical Power Engineering Group Design Project

Module aims

The Electrical Power Engineering design project is a group project aiming to give students experience of working within a team, and parallel the way engineers often work in industry. Students will integrate their knowledge and understanding in order to specify and solve an Electrical Power Engineering problem (or user need), through the creation and development of a product, process or system.

The project also allows students to develop their understanding of project management, time management, ethics, sustainability, health and safety, risk management and intellectual property rights. Students will develop effective communication and leadership skills, for both technical and non-technical audiences.

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Projects will vary in nature: Some may be ‘design and make’ type projects; in this case small unit manufacture of prototype solutions may be possible and if required will be specified as part of the project briefing. Other projects may be more focused on design and proof of concept stage, and might include no realisation of the design in a physical form but can include evaluation exercises using proprietary software.

In each case the project will normally involve small groups (the aim is to have around 6 students). Projects will have industrial backing where possible or at least be able to demonstrate industrial applicability.

Students will be encouraged to assume different roles within the team including that of project manager. A member of staff appointed as Project Director, will provide guidance on technical and organisational matters. Regular meetings will take place with formal minutes to provide a record of decisions.

Teaching support is provided by means of specially oriented technical seminars. These seminars will have the objective of strengthen the skills required for the successful completion of the project and can include electrical/electronic design, sensors, computer interfacing, signal processing, control software, customer needs, scheduling, programming, manufacturing and promotion of the work to a wider public audience. Invited industrial/entrepreneur academic lectures will provide the students the ability to understand the challenges of working in industry and developing innovative solutions.

Supervised laboratory/workshop time is provided, to guide the students in their experimental work, ranging from simulation verification, verification of conceptual design, prototype design and testing.

The project be communicated via an academic poster, testing the students’ ability to rapidly communicate complicated ideas, systems, or processes. Furthermore, it will require a formal write-up describing its delivery in detail, from conception to testing. Including health and safety, risk management and a reasoned financial cost-benefit analysis. The individual technical contribution of each student will conform a technical appendix, which will be assessed. A group oral presentation will take place at the start of term 3, where the whole team will describe the project to an academic audience and answer question on its delivery.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

  • Create and develop a product, process or system to solve a complex Electrical Power Engineering problem and overcome technical challenges by integrating existing and new technical knowledge and experience to produce an innovative solution to the satisfaction of a customer/end user.
  • Critically evaluate relevant data (including incomplete and uncertain data) so as to apply engineering analysis and advanced problem solving skills in order to quantify the impact of these findings on the solution and, using theory or research, to mitigate deficiencies.
  • Evaluate environmental and societal impact of design solutions (to include the entire life cycle of the product or process) and minimise adverse affects.
  • Consider the wider context of the project, including risk, health and safety, ethics, environmental and sustainability limitations, intellectual property rights, codes of practice and standards, product safety and liability(as appropriate), to inform the project solution
  • Plan and manage a project from the design process to a deliverable outcome, including managing a budget and costs, and understand the commercial, economic and social environment of the project.
  • Demonstrate effective communication, both verbal and written, to a technical and non-technical audience
  • Demonstrate the ability to work as a member of a team to achieve shared objectives and project management goals within the scope of the project, then monitor and adjust a personal programme of work on an on-going basis.
Indicative reading list

Ramana M. Pidaparti, Design Engineering Journey, Morgan & Claypool, 2018

Further reading material will be advised based on the nature of the group project.

Subject specific skills

Ability to conceive, make and realise a component, product, system or process

Ability to be pragmatic, taking a systematic approach and the logical and practical steps necessary for, often complex, concepts to become reality

Ability to be risk, cost and value-conscious, and aware of their ethical, social, cultural, environmental, health and safety, and wider professional engineering responsibilities

Ability to seek to achieve sustainable solutions to problems and have strategies for being creative and innovative

Transferable skills

Exercise initiative and personal responsibility, including time management, which may be as a team member or leader

Be professional in their outlook, be capable of team working, be effective communicators, and be able to exercise responsibility and sound management approaches.

Communicate (written and oral; to technical and non-technical audiences) and work with others

Overcome difficulties by employing skills, knowledge and understanding in a flexible manner

Ability to formulate and operate within appropriate codes of conduct, when faced with an ethical issue

Study time

Type Required
Seminars 14 sessions of 1 hour (9%)
Project supervision 5 sessions of 1 hour (3%)
Supervised practical classes 9 sessions of 3 hours (18%)
Private study 104 hours (69%)
Total 150 hours
Private study description

Students are expected to contribute a total of 104 hours to the project in addition to the 46 hours specified above, leading to a total of 150 hours work per student.

The estimated time for each assessment task is described below:

Group report (55 hours/student , including work on the group tests and writing the group executive report)
Logbook (5 hours/student)
Group presentation (5 hours/student)
Group Poster (4 hours/student)

Individual technical appendix (35 hours, including work on the individual part and writing the technical report)

Costs

No further costs have been identified for this module.

You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.

Assessment group A
Weighting Study time
Group Presentation 10%

Group Presentation - A group oral presentation where the whole team will describe the project to an academic audience and answer question on its delivery.

Group Report 50%

A formal write-up of the project, describing its delivery in detail, from conception to testing. Including health and safety, risk management and a reasoned financial cost-benefit analysis.

This executive report has a maximum length of 36 pages.

Group Poster Presentation 10%

The preliminary approach/design will be communicated via an academic poster, testing the students’ ability to rapidly communicate complicated ideas, systems, or processes.

Individual Contribution Technical Appendix 20%

The individual technical contribution of each student will conform a technical appendix to the group project report, The individual technical contribution is described, including and how it relates to the work plan.

The maximum length of the individual technical appendix is 10 pages.

Project Logbook 10%

A project logbook showing evidence of project management, gantt charts, recording changes to the original plan, highlight individual contributions and minutes from the project supervision meetings.

The maximum length is 8 pages.

Feedback on assessment

Verbal formative feedback during group meetings with Project Director

Written feedback on the poster presentation

Written feedback on the log-book
Written feedback on the group presentation
Written feedback on individual and group report

Courses

This module is Core for:

  • Year 1 of TESA-H643 Postgraduate Taught Electrical Power Engineering
  • Year 1 of TESA-H642 Postgraduate Taught Energy and Power Engineering