Engineering Institute of Technology

The objective of this unit is to provide students with broad knowledge of the many ways the majority of generated electricity is utilised in day-to-day activities. Areas of utilisation covered in this unit include: lighting (illumination engineering); heating (heating appliances and furnaces); electrical welding; electroplating; climate control applications; and, electric traction. Each of these areas includes discussions of several types of devices, their characteristics, and advantages and disadvantages. Students will also undertake a project to design the illumination and heating of a facility in an industrial context. At the completion of this unit, students will have be given the requisite information to work with systems that utilise electrical energy in day-to-day living, and in industrial and transportation operations.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this Unit, students are expected to be able to:

1. Explain the different types of electrical illumination sources, their control-gear, and compare the relative merits of different sources.

2. Design a general illumination system based on the accepted principles of aesthetics and visual comfort, and a control system to optimise power usage.

3. Analyse available electrical heating methods and use simple computations to assess their applications.

4. Evaluate the different industrial operations using electricity, such as welding and plating.

5. Analyse using numerical computations the use of electricity in industrial refrigeration and climate control applications.

6. Explain and compare the different types of electrical traction systems and their applications using appropriate numerical calculations.

   Completing this unit may add to students professional development/competencies by:

   1. Fostering personal and professional skills and attributes in order to:

      1. Conduct work in a professionally diligent, accountable and ethical manner.

      2. Effectively use oral and written communication in personal and professional domains.

      3. Foster applicable creative thinking, critical thinking and problem solving skills.

      4. Develop initiative and engagement in lifelong learning and professional development.

      5. Enhance collaboration outcomes and performance in dynamic team roles.

      6. Effectively plan, organise, self-manage and manage others.

      7. Professionally utilise and manage information.

      8. Enhance technologist literacy and apply contextualised technologist skills.

   2. Enhance investigatory and research capabilities in order to:

      1. Develop an understanding of systematic, fundamental scientific, mathematic principles, numerical analysis techniques and statistics applicable to technologists.

      2. Access, evaluate and analyse information on technologist processes, procedures, investigations and the discernment of technologist knowledge development.

      3. Foster an in-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge, computer science, engineering design practice and contextual factors applicable to technologists.

      4. Solve basic and open-ended engineering technologist problems.

      5. Understand the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds associated with sustainable engineering practice.

   3. Develop engineering application abilities in order to:

      1. Apply established engineering methods to broadly-defined technologist problem solving.

      2. Apply engineering technologist techniques, tool and resources.

      3. Apply systematic technologist synthesis and design processes.

      4. Systematically conduct and manage technologist projects, work assignments, testing and experimentation.

The Australian Engineering Stage 1 Competency Standards for Engineering Technologists, approved as of 2013. This table is referenced in the mapping of graduate attributes to learning outcomes and via the learning outcomes to student assessment.

Successfully completing this Unit will contribute to the recognition of attainment of the following graduate attributes aligned to the AQF Level 7 criteria, Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standards for Engineering Technologists and the Sydney Accord:

This table details the mapping of the unit graduate attributes to the unit learning outcomes and the Australian Engineering Stage 1 Competency Standards for the Engineering Technologist.

Student Assessment

Prescribed and Recommended Readings

Required textbook(s)

Taylor, EO , (SI Edition) 2006, Utilisation of Electric Energy , Orient Longmans, ISBN 81 250 1640 6

Reference Materials

‘Light, Photometry and Illumination’ by Barrows, William Edward. McGraw Hill

References from the Internet - an example of a document on power supply arrangements for railway traction can be found in:

http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/ACTraction-II-P- I/ACTractionIIPartICh1_data.htm: Chapter I: Power Supply for Traction.

Unit Content

One topic is delivered per contact week, with the exception of part-time 24-week units, where one topic is delivered every two weeks.

Topics 1 and 2

Fundamentals of illumination

1. Nature of light. Light as electromagnetic radiation

2. Visible and invisible parts of the spectrum; colour and its relation to the radiation frequency

3. Definitions

4. Traditional light sources, their construction, and working principles:

   1. Incandescent

   2. Fluorescent and compact fluorescent

   3. Low pressure discharge lamps and their applications

   4. High pressure discharge lamps and sodium vapour lamps

5. Solid state light sources (LED)

6. Control of light sources and starting methods

7. Luminaires and their function

8. Lighting level measurements using photometers

9. Lightning for architectural enhancement

10. Comparison of light sources

11. Light output variation during lamp life

12. Lighting for energy efficiency

Topics 3 and 4

Lighting design fundamentals and lighting system control

1. Basic approach to design of lighting based on the lamp output

2. Glare and glare index

3. Interior general lighting design by average lumens method

4. Effect of room dimensions, wall and ceiling reflectivity factors, and coefficient of illumination

5. Task lighting to supplement general lighting

6. Outdoor area lighting using point to point method

7. Design output in graphical representation (equi-lux plots)

8. Street lighting design fundamentals and luminaires overview

9. Lighting masts for public areas and for sports venues

10. Use of daylight to supplement electrical lighting

11. Lightning power distribution

12. Lightning controls in offices to minimise power usage

13. Street lighting-automatic switching methods

Topics 5 and 6

Electrical heating and furnaces

1. Heat equivalent of electricity

2. Resistance heating and resistive heating elements

3. Control of resistance heating of switching/voltage control

4. Use of solid state controls

5. Induction heating fundamentals/heating calculations

6. Induction furnaces and their applications

   1. Core type furnace

   2. Coreless induction furnace

7. Dielectric heating principles

8. Calculation of heat output and industrial applications

9. Electrical heating in domestic applications (resistance, induction, and dielectric methods)

10. Comparison of the heating methods

11. Electric arc as a source of heat

12. Arc furnaces – general principles

13. AC and DC electric arc furnaces

14. Typical application of AC 3 phase arc furnace for smelting of steel

15. Control of arc furnace by electrode position and transformer voltage control

Topics 7 and 8

Welding and electro-plating/refining applications

1. Types of welding used in industry based on heat sources

2. Type of welding based on weld piece positioning (butt-welds, lap) and weld piece shaping

3. Electric arc welding

4. Resistance welding

5. Spot welders and seam welders

6. AC and DC welding sources and comparison

7. Electrodes used in arc welding

8. Special welding processes used for electrical components (aluminium) using inert-gas environment

9. Welding transformers and welding generators

10. Reactor control and voltage control for welding

11. Solid state welding controls

12. Typical industrial applications

Topic 9

Electrolysis, metal-refining based on electrolysis and electro-plating

1. Electrolysis fundamentals/definitions

2. Faraday’s laws on electrolysis

3. Calculation of the mass of a substance release in electrolysis

4. Industrial application: hydrogen through electrolysis

5. Electro-refining: extraction of metals using electrolysis principles

6. Aluminium production process

7. Zinc refining

8. Electro-plating and its uses in industry

9. Choice of electrolyte and its throwing power

Topic 10

Refrigeration and climate control

1. Need for refrigeration and climate control

2. Compression systems and absorption cycles of refrigeration

3. Typical equipment used in vapour compression systems with specific reference to

   1. Air-conditioners

   2. Refrigerators

   3. Water coolers

4. Space cooling applications using air-conditioners, heaters and de-humidifiers

5. Types of air-conditioning equipment

6. Refrigerants used in vapour compression systems (possible environmental issues)

7. Vapour absorption equipment for industrial applications

8. Ventilation systems in industry as a means of heat removal

9. Dust extraction and other negative pressure systems for a healthy work environment

Topic 11

Electric traction

1. Electric traction types: DC, AC (single and 3 phase), diesel electric

2. Traction service types: main line, suburban, and urban transportation

3. Speed-time curves of different systems

4. Typical block diagram of an electric locomotive

5. Track electrification and current collector systems

6. Speed control and reversal

7. Braking methods (with particular reference to regenerative braking)

8. Power supply for traction systems and a typical traction substation scheme

Topic 12

Unit Review

In the final week students will have an opportunity to review the contents covered so far. Opportunity will be provided for a review of student work and to clarify any outstanding issues. Instructors/facilitators may choose to cover a specialized topic if applicable to that cohort.