Introduction to Engineering Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University EGR 101 9th Edition i Table of Contents Page Preface iii PART I – Succeeding as an Engineering Student Chapter 1 Transition from High School to College 1 M. Towhidnejad, Ph.D. Professor, ECSSE Department Chapter 2 Time Management 6 S. Lehr, M.S. Chapter 3 Communication Skills 16 T. Yang, Ph.D. Professor, ECSSE Department L. Davids, M.S., E.I. Professor, Engineering Fundamentals Department Chapter 4 Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 24 C. Eastlake, M.S., P.E. Professor Emeritus, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Chapter 5 Math Essentials 29 L. Davids, M.S., E.I. Professor, Engineering Fundamentals Department T. Yang, Ph.D. Professor, ECSSE Department Chapter 6 Excel 60 L. Davids, M.S., E.I. Professor, Engineering Fundamentals Department S. Lehr, M.S. Chapter 7 Engineering Measurement 71 L. Davids, M.S., E.I. Professor, Engineering Fundamentals Department i PART II – Engineering, Professionalism and the Industry Chapter 8 Project Management and Teamwork 79 H. Steinhauer, Ph.D. Professor and Chair, Engineering Fundamentals Department M. Towhidnejad, Ph.D. Professor, ECSSE Department Chapter 9 Ethics and Professional Responsibility 92 J. Weavil, M.S., P.E. Chapter 10 Professional Preparation 107 S. Lehr, M.S. Chapter 11 Engineering Disciplines at ERAU 116 PART III – Design Projects Chapter 12 The Engineering Design Process 133 L. Davids, M.S., E.I Professor, Engineering Fundamentals Department Chapter 13 Class Team Design Projects Satellite System Design 139 J. Ladesic, Ph.D., P.E. T. Wilson, Ph.D. Launch Vehicle Design 157 Launch Vehicle: C. Eastlake, M.S., P.E. and L. Davids, M.S, E.I. Appendix I: M. Hirsh, M.S. Appendix II and III: L. Davids, M.S, E.I. Appendix V: M. Fugler, Ph.D., P.E. Aircraft Design 207 C. Eastlake, M.S., P.E. Edited by: L. Davids, Professor, Engineering Fundamentals G. Cullum, Former Assistant Professor, Aerospace Career Academy ii Preface “Introduction to Engineering” is about making our students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University successful in academia and responsible engineering professionals. The collective knowledge of several authors representing all departments within the College of Engineering went into its making. Topics were chosen especially for students in the engineering programs at ERAU to specifically address their needs and tailored to assure their success. Your path to a career in engineering begins now. Whether you succeed or not, is up to you. One of the most important philosophies that you can adopt that will make you successful in your academic years and professional career is to take responsibility for your own learning. Knowledge is expanding rapidly. Learning must be a lifelong goal of all in the engineering profession. The hard work and dedication of the authors of this text is for naught if it is not read. If this book helps you to achieve your goal of becoming an engineer, then that will be the greatest reward you can give the authors. iii Chapter 1 Transition from High School to College M. Towhidnejad, Ph.D. Professor, Electrical, Computer, Software and Systems Engineering Department After years of hard work (or maybe not) you are finally in college and out of your parents’ house. All your hard work now seems well worth it. The decisions you make during the next couple of months may have a long lasting effect in your future. These decisions fall into a number of categories such as life style, academics, health, etc. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) provides a variety of services which you can use in order to help you with these decisions. As part of your orientation activities and during the course of this semester, you will be introduced to a number of services. We suggest you take advantage of them and if you have any questions, please contact one of your advisors, instructors, or mentors in order to find answers to your questions. The concept is simple; the services are provided to you as part of your tuition fees. You have already paid for them, so why not take advantage of them? It is like going to a car dealership, paying $40,000 for a fully loaded vehicle, only to get a plain factory model instead. Wouldn’t you ask where all the extras you paid for went? Likewise, take advantage of all the services available to you. Trust us, you will not regret it. The additional services that you find at ERAU are some of the many differences between high school and college. The remainder of this chapter discusses some of these differences. In general, high school is a TEACHING ENVIRONMENT where you acquire facts and skills, which you will use to solve simple problems. College is a LEARNING ENVIRONMENT in which you take responsibility for thinking through and applying what you have learned throughout your education. This means that you will need to demonstrate mastery in all the skills you learned from elementary school all the way up to the university level in order to solve complex problems. As you get closer to your graduation, these problems will become more complex, and you will be expected to solve more difficult problems with less direction. For example, it is not unusual to get a simple, yet vague, problem statement at the beginning of your senior design project requiring you to solve the problem for the rest of the semester or two with almost minimal guidance from your instructor. The main reason behind this is that we are preparing you for the job you hope to acquire post-graduation and that is how it works out there. For example, no one would hire an engineer right out of the college with his/her bachelor degree and pay them a fifty or sixty thousand dollar salary knowing they will have to spend a lot of time teaching them how to solve a problem. It is expected that you can find a logical, working solution on your own. Don’t get scared. This does not mean from here on out you are on your own. What it means is that in order to get you ready for your job, or graduate work, we have to teach you differently when compared to what you have become used to in high school. Understanding some of these important differences between high school and college may help you achieve a smoother transition, and make you more successful at the university level. But, always remember, as we mentioned earlier, there are plenty of services that are available for you, for which you have already paid, so make sure you take advantage of them! 1 Point-by-Point Comparison between High School and College1 Table 1.1a Personal Freedom in High School vs. Personal Freedom in College High school is mandatory & free (unless College is voluntary and expensive. you choose other options). Your time is usually structured by others. You manage your own time. You are not responsible for knowing what Graduation requirements are complex, and differ from year to it takes to graduate. year. You are expected to know those that apply to you. You will usually be told what to do and You are expected to take responsibility for what you do and corrected if your behavior is out of line. don't do, as well as for the consequences of your decisions You're old enough to take responsibility for what you do and You can count on parents and teachers to don't do, as well as for the consequences of your decisions. remind you of your responsibilities and to You will face moral and ethical decisions you have never guide you in setting priorities. faced before. Students’ values are often strongly Students have opportunities to question previously held values influenced by parents, teachers, peers and and to develop their own perspectives, opinions, and values. the community. Since a student’s environment is often More choices are available to students and the students control controlled by parents and teachers, whether or not these choices become distractions. Managing distractions and choices are usually kept time and setting priorities are left completely to the individual in check. student. Most of your classes are arranged for you. You arrange your own schedule in consultation with your advisor. Schedules tend to look lighter than they really are. Each day you proceed from one class You often have hours between classes; class times vary directly to another, spending 6 hours each throughout the day and evening and you spend only 12 to 16 day--30 hours a week--in class. hours each week in class You need permission to participate in You decide whether or not to participate in extracurricular extracurricular activities activities. You need money for special purchases or You need money to meet basic necessities events. Motivation to complete work and succeed Students must find motivation within themselves to become often comes from teachers and parents. involved in the university life and to excel academically. Table 1.1b High School Classes vs. University Classes The school year is 36 weeks long; some The academic year is divided into two separate 15-week classes extend over both semesters and semesters, plus a week after each semester for exams some don't Classes generally have no more than 35 Classes may number 100 students or more (although rare at students. ERAU) You may study outside class as little as 0 You need to study at least 2 to 3 hours outside of class for to 2 hours a week, and this may be mostly each hour in class. last-minute test preparation. You seldom need to read anything more than once, and sometimes listening in You need to review class notes and text material regularly. class is enough. You are expected to read short You are assigned substantial amounts of reading and writing assignments that are then discussed, and which may not all be directly addressed in class, but on which often re-taught, in class. you will still be tested. It's up to you to read and understand the assigned material; You will usually be told in class what you lectures and assignments proceed from the assumption that need to learn from assigned readings. you've already done so. 2 Table 1.1c High School Teachers vs. College Professors Teachers check your completed Professors may not always check completed homework, but homework. they will assume you can perform the same tasks on tests. Teachers remind you of your incomplete Professors may not remind you of incomplete work. work. Teachers approach you if they believe you Professors are usually open and helpful, but most expect you need assistance. to initiate contact if you need assistance. Teachers are often available for Professors expect and want you to attend their scheduled conversation before, during or after class. office hours. Teachers have been trained in teaching Professors have been trained as experts in their profession methods to assist in imparting knowledge and/or particular areas of research, but not necessarily trained to students. in education. Teachers carefully monitor class Professors may not formally take roll, but they are still likely attendance. to know whether or not you attended. College is a learning environment in which you take High school is a teaching environment in responsibility for thinking through and applying what you which you acquire facts and skills. have learned. Higher level thought is required. Teachers provide you with information Professors expect you to check the course webpage for you missed when you were absent. information and to get any notes you missed from classmates. Professors may not follow the textbook. Instead, to amplify the text, they may give illustrations, provide background Teachers present material to help you information, or discuss research about the topic you are understand the material in the textbook. studying. Or, they may expect you to relate the classes to the textbook readings. Professors may lecture nonstop, expecting you to identify the Teachers often write information on the important points in your notes. When professors write on the board to be copied in your notes board, it may be to amplify the lecture, not to summarize it. Good notes are a must. Teachers impart knowledge and facts, sometimes drawing direct connections Professors expect you to think about and synthesize seemingly and leading you through the thinking unrelated topics. process. Professors expect you to read, save, and consult the course syllabus; the syllabus spells out exactly what is expected of Teachers often take time to remind you of you, when it is due, and how you will be graded. Many will assignments and due dates. expect you to check your email and the course webpage for information pertaining to class assignments, exams, etc. Table 1.1d Tests in High School vs. Tests in College Testing is usually infrequent and may be cumulative, covering Testing is frequent and covers small large amounts of material. You, not the Professor, need to amounts of material. organize the material to prepare for the test. A particular course may have only 2 or 3 tests in a semester. Makeup tests are seldom an option; if they are, you need to Makeup tests are often available. request them. Teachers frequently rearrange test dates to Professors in different courses usually schedule tests without avoid conflict with school events. regard to the demands of other courses or outside activities. Teachers frequently conduct review Professors rarely offer review sessions, and when they do, sessions, pointing out the most important they expect you to be an active participant, one who comes concepts. prepared with questions. Mastery is usually seen as the ability to reproduce what you were taught in the Mastery is often seen as the ability to apply what you've form in which it was presented to you, or learned to new situations or to solve new kinds of problems, to solve the kinds of problems you were or solving a problem using a combination of techniques. shown how to solve. 3 Table 1.1e Grades in High School vs. Grades in College Grades are given for most assigned work Grades may not be provided for all assigned work. Consistently good homework grades may Grades on tests and major papers usually provide most of the help raise your overall grade when test course grade. grades are low. Watch out for your first tests. These are usually "wake-up Initial test grades, especially when they calls" to let you know what is expected-but they also may are low, may not have an adverse effect account for a substantial part of your course grade. You may on your final grade. be shocked when you get your grades. You may graduate as long as you have You may graduate only if your average in classes meets the passed all required courses with a grade departmental standard-typically a 2.0 or C. of D or higher. "Results count." Though "good-faith effort" is important in "Effort counts." Courses are usually regard to the professor's willingness to help you achieve good structured to reward a "good-faith effort." results, it will not substitute for results in the grading process. Extra credit projects are often available to Extra credit projects cannot, generally speaking, be used to help you raise your grade. raise a grade in a college course. After completing high school, you have a choice to go to college or just start working. The fact that you chose to go to college, indicates that you are hoping to gain the education you need to reach one of your goals, and understand that post-secondary education is very different from K-12 education. In addition to the above, there are some more issues that need to be discussed which hopefully will help with this transition. Class Syllabus The first day of class, you received a course syllabus which is, in essence, your road map for the course. Use the syllabus to plan your semester, note important dates (exam and paper due dates) on your personal calendar. By doing so -- you may find that you have several items due in each of your classes in a single week, or even worse in a single day. This means that you will need to plan ahead to complete them on time. Think with a Positive Attitude Over the next four years, you will have some good days and some bad days. Always keep a positive attitude; remind yourself that you must be good enough to have already gotten to where you are. On the days that you feel bad, remind yourself that you can do better, by making good decisions, and asking help from your support group (family, friends, mentors, instructors, etc). And on the days you are doing very well, don’t lose your concentration, and don’t forget about your goals. Maintain a sense of balance Your studies are important but they shouldn't make your life miserable! In order to be an effective student, you need a healthy, balanced lifestyle. To do this, you need to be aware of your different needs. For example, make sure that your diet contains enough fresh, healthy foods (fruit and vegetables in particular) without too many fast foods and coffee or energy drinks. Stay away from alcohol, tobacco, or recreational drugs. Also, it is important to exercise regularly in order to ensure that you maintain a healthy body. Even 30 minutes of alternating 4 between a light jog and walk is good for your circulation and your general health, and it also helps to combat lethargy and depression. Make sure you get enough sleep and maintain an organized schedule, which does not require you to cram all night in order to prepare for an exam or an assignment. Finally, program some relaxation into your daily and weekly routine. This is crucial. Make time to do something you enjoy doing to help you to unwind. Look forward to pleasant events in your life! Dorms & Roommates Many of you will start your college experience living in a dorm where you are assigned a roommate. This is a new experience and challenge. Take some time and get to know your new roommate. Try to identify your expectations from each other in this new living arrangement and set some ground rules. Remain flexible and approach any problems honestly and directly. To sum it up, you are starting a new chapter of your life which could shape the rest of your life. Be wise, make the right decisions, look for help from your support group, and enjoy your time at the college. You will never get these years back; make the most of them by taking the right approach and you won’t find yourself saying “I wish I would have done it differently.” Finally, we (the EGR 101 Instructors and peer mentors) are here to help you to make this transition as smooth as possible, so if you are in need of anything, please contact one of us. Exercises 1. List 5 differences between high school and college with respect to class and learning expectations. 2. What document do you receive the first day in each of your classes (in college) that is essentially the course road-map? 3. How many hours outside of class should be dedicated to study/homework time for each hour in class? 4. List your professors, their office locations and office hours in a table format. Make a photocopy and turn it in. Even if your professors give their office hours on their syllabi, go to their office and get the hours posted outside their office door; many times these are the most up-to-date office hours. References ______________ 1 Created by Old Dominion University with funding from the Virginia Department of Education. Revised by the Southern Methodist University with collaboration with colleagues in the Dedman College Advising Center and faculty from the Provost's Commission on Teaching and Learning and the English Department's First- YearWriting Program. Further adaptations made by Office of Academic Support Programs, Baylor University and the Engineering Fundamentals Department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. 5 Chapter 2 Time Management S. Lehr, M.S. Former Associate Professor Introduction Time cannot be saved or stopped; the only thing we can do to maximize our time is to budget and plan the way we spend our time. We each have 168 hours a week to get all the things done that we need to get done. The primary goal of this chapter is to discuss the importance of time management as it applies to freshmen students studying Engineering. In addition, we will produce a preliminary weekly plan for the semester; and provide you with some tools and techniques to managing your time and commitments. Time Management Time management is a crucial skill to all professionals. Having a firm grip on what you can accomplish in a given amount of time is a skill that can only be obtained by planning what needs to be done, tracking your time, and comparing your measured results to your initial plan. “Management … I thought I was studying Engineering,” right? Yes, you are – but it’s amazing how much easier and less stressful life can be as an engineer if you learn and practice a few management skills: planning, budgeting, prioritizing, tracking, and making changes when the results are not matching the plan. Why are we talking about time management? Quite simply you are coming into a completely new environment and you are going to have to take responsibility for getting the following things done:  wake up on time  get to class on time  finish your homework on time  read and study 2-3 hours out of class for each hour in class  make it to meetings on time  eating regularly  get proper sleep  keep yourself healthy  manage your extra time and personal activities You are going to need multiple tools to help you track your time: Weekly schedule: identify class times, meeting times, work times Calendar: mark tests, major project due dates and milestones Daily schedule: to do lists, appointments, homework assignments Time logs: tracking where you spend your time Phone book: record phone numbers and email addresses of friends and classmates 6