What Is Engineering? - SKengineers
WHAT IS ENGINEERING?
Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design
and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels,
roads, vehicles, and buildings.[1] The discipline of engineering encompasses a
broad range of more specialized fields of engineering, each with a more
specific emphasis on particular areas of applied mathematics, applied science,
and types of application. See glossary of engineering.
Engineering is the application of science and maths to solve
problems. While scientists and inventors come up with innovations, it is
engineers who apply these discoveries to the real world.
Engineering is part of STEM education, which aims to engage
students with science, technology, engineering and mathematics yet, as a
discipline, it has been practiced for thousands of years.
You can see examples of engineering in the Pyramids of Giza,
at Stonehenge, the Parthenon and elsewhere. Yet, today’s engineers operate in
many different areas as well as building structures.
Engineers work on everything from cell membranes to
construction and prosthetics to improving engine and transport efficiencies and
developing renewable energy resources.
While engineering dates right back to the invention of the
wheel (and beyond), the term itself comes from the word engineer, which goes
back to the 14th century, when an ‘engine’er’ meant someone who constructed
military engines like catapults and other ‘siege engines.’ This military
meaning can still be seen in use today with the Corps of Royal Engineers and
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The word ‘engine’ itself comes from the Latin word
‘ingenium’ (c. 1250), which means ‘innate quality, especially mental power,
hence a clever invention.’
engineering developed beyond military applications and began
to be applied to civilian structures like bridges and buildings, leading to the
creation of the term civil engineering, to differentiate it from the original
military engineering field.
The term engineering is derived from the Latin ingenium,
meaning "cleverness" and ingeniare, meaning "to contrive,
devise".
What Does
an Engineer Do?
Engineers are involved in the design, evaluation,
development, testing, modification, inspection and maintaining of a wide range
of products, structures and systems. This involves everything from the
recommending of materials and processes, overseeing manufacturing and
construction processes, and conducting failure analysis and investigation, to
providing consultancy services and teaching engineering to students and
trainees.
Contents
1 Definition
2 History
2.1 Ancient era
2.2 Middle Ages
2.3 Modern era
3 Main branches of engineering
3.1 Chemical engineering
3.2 Civil engineering
3.3 Electrical engineering
3.4 Mechanical engineering
3.5 Bioengineering
4 Interdisciplinary engineering
5 Other branches of engineering
5.1 Aerospace engineering
5.2 Marine engineering
5.3 Computer engineering
6 Practice
7 Methodology
7.1 Problem solving
7.2 Computer use
8 Social context
8.1 Code of ethics
9 Relationships with other disciplines
9.1 Science
9.2 Medicine and biology
9.3 Art
9.4 Business
9.5 Other fields
10 See also
11 References
12 Further reading
13 External links
Definition
-
The American Engineers' Council for Professional Development
(ECPD, the predecessor of ABET) has defined "engineering" as:
The creative application of scientific principles to design
or develop structures, machines, apparatus, or manufacturing processes, or
works utilizing them singly or in combination; or to construct or operate the
same with full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their behaviour under
specific operating conditions; all as respects an intended function, economics
of operation and safety to life and property.
History -
Engineering has existed since ancient times, when humans
devised inventions such as the wedge, lever, wheel and pulley, etc.
The term engineering is derived from the word engineer,
which itself dates back to the 14th century when an engineer (literally, one
who builds or operates a siege engine) referred to "a constructor of
military engines. In this context, now obsolete, an "engine" referred
to a military machine, i.e., a mechanical contraption used in war (for example,
a catapult). Notable examples of the obsolete usage which have survived to the
present day are military engineering corps, e.g., the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers.
The word "engine" itself is of even older origin,
ultimately deriving from the Latin ingenium (c. 1250), meaning "innate quality,
especially mental power, hence a clever invention.
Later, as the design of civilian structures, such as bridges
and buildings, matured as a technical discipline, the term civil engineering entered
the lexicon as a way to distinguish between those specializing in the
construction of such non-military projects and those involved in the discipline
of military engineering.
Ancient
era -
The Ancient Romans built aqueducts to bring a steady supply
of clean and fresh water to cities and towns in the empire.
The pyramids in ancient Egypt, ziggurats of Mesopotamia, the
Acropolis and Parthenon in Greece, the Roman aqueducts, Via Appia and
Colosseum, Teotihuacán, and the Briha deshwar Temple of Thanjavur, among many
others, stand as a testament to the ingenuity and skill of ancient civil and
military engineers. Other monuments, no longer standing, such as the Hanging
Gardens of Babylon and the Pharos of Alexandria, were important engineering
achievements of their time and were considered among the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World.
The six classic simple machines were known in the ancient
Near East. The wedge and the inclined plane (ramp) were known since prehistoric
times. The wheel, along with the wheel and axle mechanism, was invented in
Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) during the 5th millennium BC. The lever mechanism
first appeared around 5,000 years ago in the Near East, where it was used in a
simple balance scale and to move large objects in ancient Egyptian technology.
The lever was also used in the shadoof water-lifting device, the first crane
machine, which appeared in Mesopotamia circa 3000 BC and then in ancient
Egyptian technology circa 2000 BC. The earliest evidence of pulleys date back
to Mesopotamia in the early 2nd millennium BC, and ancient Egypt during the
Twelfth Dynasty (1991-1802 BC). The screw, the last of the simple machines to
be invented, first appeared in Mesopotamia during the Neo-Assyrian period
(911-609) BC. The Egyptian pyramids were built using three of the six simple
machines, the inclined plane, the wedge, and the lever, to create structures
like the Great Pyramid of Giza.
The earliest civil engineer known by name is Imhotep. As one
of the officials of the Pharaoh, Djosèr, he probably designed and supervised
the construction of the Pyramid of Djoser (the Step Pyramid) at Saqqara in
Egypt around 2630–2611 BC. The earliest practical water-powered machines, the
water wheel and watermill, first appeared in the Persian Empire, in what are
now Iraq and Iran, by the early 4th century BC.
Kush developed the Sakia during the 4th century BC, which
relied on animal power instead of human energy. Hafirs were developed as a type
of reservoir in Kush to store and contain water as well as boost irrigation.
Sappers were employed to build causeways during military campaigns. Kushite
ancestors built speos during the Bronze Age between 3700 and 3250 BC. Bloomeries
and blast furnaces were also created during the 7th centuries BC in Kush.
Ancient Greece developed machines in both civilian and
military domains. The Antikythera mechanism, an early known mechanical analog
computer, and the mechanical inventions of Archimedes, are examples of Greek
mechanical engineering. Some of Archimedes' inventions as well as the
Antikythera mechanism required sophisticated knowledge of differential gearing
or epicyclic gearing, two key principles in machine theory that helped design
the gear trains of the Industrial Revolution, and are still widely used today
in diverse fields such as robotics and automotive engineering.
Ancient Chinese, Greek, Roman and Hunnic armies employed
military machines and inventions such as artillery which was developed by the
Greeks around the 4th century BC, the trireme, the ballista and the catapult.
In the Middle Ages, the trebuchet was developed.
Middle
Ages -
The earliest practical wind-powered machines, the windmill
and wind pump, first appeared in the Muslim world during the Islamic Golden
Age, in what are now Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, by the 9th century AD.
The earliest practical steam-powered machine was a steam jack driven by a steam
turbine, described in 1551 by Taqi al-Din Muhammad ibn Ma'ruf in Ottoman Egypt.
The cotton gin was invented in India by the 6th century AD,
and the spinning wheel was invented in the Islamic world by the early 11th
century, both of which were fundamental to the growth of the cotton industry.
The spinning wheel was also a precursor to the spinning jenny, which was a key
development during the early Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. The
crankshaft and camshaft were invented by Al-Jazari in Northern Mesopotamia
circa 1206 and they later became central to modern machinery such as the steam
engine, internal combustion engine and automatic controls.
The earliest programmable machines were developed in the
Muslim world. A music sequencer, a programmable musical instrument, was the
earliest type of programmable machine. The first music sequencer was an
automated flute player invented by the Banu Musa brothers, described in their
Book of Ingenious Devices, in the 9th century. In 1206, Al-Jazari invented
programmable automata/robots. He described four automaton musicians, including
drummers operated by a programmable drum machine, where they could be made to
play different rhythms and different drum patterns. The castle clock, a
hydropowered mechanical astronomical clock invented by Al-Jazari, was the first
programmable analog computer.
A water-powered mine hoist used for raising ore, ca. 1556
Before the development of modern engineering, mathematics
was used by artisans and craftsmen, such as millwrights, clockmakers,
instrument makers and surveyors. Aside from these professions, universities
were not believed to have had much practical significance to technology.
A standard reference for the state of mechanical arts during
the Renaissance is given in the mining engineering treatise De re metallica
(1556), which also contains sections on geology, mining, and chemistry. De re
metallica was the standard chemistry reference for the next 180 years.
Modern
era -
The application of the steam engine allowed coke to be
substituted for charcoal in iron making, lowering the cost of iron, which
provided engineers with a new material for building bridges. This bridge was
made of cast iron, which was soon displaced by less brittle wrought iron as a
structural material
The science of classical mechanics, sometimes called
Newtonian mechanics, formed the scientific basis of much of modern engineering.
With the rise of engineering as a profession in the 18th century, the term
became more narrowly applied to fields in which mathematics and science were
applied to these ends. Similarly, in addition to military and civil
engineering, the fields then known as the mechanic arts became incorporated
into engineering.
Canal building was an important engineering work during the
early phases of the Industrial Revolution.
John Smeaton was the first self-proclaimed civil engineer
and is often regarded as the "father" of civil engineering. He was an
English civil engineer responsible for the design of bridges, canals, harbors,
and lighthouses. He was also a capable mechanical engineer and an eminent
physicist. Using a model water wheel, Smeaton conducted experiments for seven
years, determining ways to increase efficiency. Smeaton introduced iron axles
and gears to water wheels. Smeaton also made mechanical improvements to the
Newcomen steam engine. Smeaton designed the third Eddystone Lighthouse
(1755–59) where he pioneered the use of 'hydraulic lime' (a form of mortar
which will set under water) and developed a technique involving dovetailed
blocks of granite in the building of the lighthouse. He is important in the
history, rediscovery of, and development of modern cement, because he
identified the compositional requirements needed to obtain
"hydraulicity" in lime; work which led ultimately to the invention of
Portland cement.
Applied science lead to the development of the steam engine.
The sequence of events began with the invention of the barometer and the
measurement of atmospheric pressure by Evangelista Torricelli in 1643,
demonstration of the force of atmospheric pressure by Otto von Guericke using
the Magdeburg hemispheres in 1656, laboratory experiments by Denis Papin, who
built experimental model steam engines and demonstrated the use of a piston,
which he published in 1707. Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Worcester
published a book of 100 inventions containing a method for raising waters
similar to a coffee percolator. Samuel Morland, a mathematician and inventor
who worked on pumps, left notes at the Vauxhall Ordinance Office on a steam
pump design that Thomas Savery read. In 1698 Savery built a steam pump called
"The Miner's Friend." It employed both vacuum and pressure. Iron
merchant Thomas Newcomen, who built the first commercial piston steam engine in
1712, was not known to have any scientific training.
Jumbo Jet
-
The application of steam-powered cast iron blowing cylinders
for providing pressurized air for blast furnaces lead to a large increase in
iron production in the late 18th century. The higher furnace temperatures made
possible with steam-powered blast allowed for the use of more lime in blast
furnaces, which enabled the transition from charcoal to coke. These innovations
lowered the cost of iron, making horse railways and iron bridges practical. The
puddling process, patented by Henry Cort in 1784 produced large scale
quantities of wrought iron. Hot blast, patented by James Beaumont Neilson in
1828, greatly lowered the amount of fuel needed to smelt iron. With the
development of the high pressure steam engine, the power to weight ratio of
steam engines made practical steamboats and locomotives possible. New steel
making processes, such as the Bessemer process and the open hearth furnace,
ushered in an area of heavy engineering in the late 19th century.
One of the most famous engineers of the mid 19th century was
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who built railroads, dockyards and steamships.
The Industrial Revolution created a demand for machinery
with metal parts, which led to the development of several machine tools. Boring
cast iron cylinders with precision was not possible until John Wilkinson
invented his boring machine, which is considered the first machine tool. Other
machine tools included the screw cutting lathe, milling machine, turret lathe
and the metal planer. Precision machining techniques were developed in the
first half of the 19th century. These included the use of gigs to guide the
machining tool over the work and fixtures to hold the work in the proper
position. Machine tools and machining techniques capable of
producing interchangeable parts lead to large scale factory production by the
late 19th century.
The United States census of 1850 listed the occupation of
"engineer" for the first time with a count of 2,000. There were fewer
than 50 engineering graduates in the U.S. before 1865. In 1870 there were a
dozen U.S. mechanical engineering graduates, with that number increasing to 43
per year in 1875. In 1890, there were 6,000 engineers in civil, mining,
mechanical and electrical.
There was no chair of applied mechanism and applied
mechanics at Cambridge until 1875, and no chair of engineering at Oxford until
1907. Germany established technical universities earlier.
The foundations of electrical engineering in the 1800s
included the experiments of Alessandro Volta, Michael Faraday, Georg Ohm and
others and the invention of the electric telegraph in 1816 and the electric
motor in 1872. The theoretical work of James Maxwell (see: Maxwell's equations)
and Heinrich Hertz in the late 19th century gave rise to the field of
electronics. The later inventions of the vacuum tube and the transistor further
accelerated the development of electronics to such an extent that electrical
and electronics engineers currently outnumber their colleagues of any other
engineering specialty. Chemical engineering developed in the late nineteenth
century. Early Career Development program Industrial scale manufacturing
demanded new materials and new processes and by 1880 the need for large scale
production of chemicals was such that a new industry was created, dedicated to
the development and large scale manufacturing of chemicals in new industrial
plants. The role of the chemical engineer was the design of these chemical
plants and processes.
The solar furnace at Odeillo in the Pyrénées-Orientales in
France can reach temperatures up to 3,500 °C (6,330 °F)
Aeronautical engineering deals with aircraft design process
design while aerospace engineering is a more modern term that expands the reach
of the discipline by including spacecraft design. Its origins can be traced
back to the aviation pioneers around the start of the 20th century although the
work of Sir George Cayley has recently been dated as being from the last decade
of the 18th century. Early knowledge of aeronautical engineering was largely
empirical with some concepts and skills imported from other branches of
engineering.
The first PhD in engineering (technically, applied science
and engineering) awarded in the United States went to Josiah Willard Gibbs at
Yale University in 1863; it was also the second PhD awarded in science in the
U.S.
Only a decade after the successful flights by the Wright
brothers, there was extensive development of aeronautical engineering through
development of military aircraft that were used in World War I. Meanwhile,
research to provide fundamental background science continued by combining
theoretical physics with experiments.
Main
branches of engineering -
Types -
There are many different types of engineering, often divided
into areas in which the engineer operates. For example, engineers working
within the oil and gas industry could be petroleum engineers, while those
working in farming-related applications could be called agricultural engineers.
While there are some traditional areas of engineering, such
as mechanical and civil engineering, other engineering fields require an
overlapping of different specialities. So, for example, a civil engineer may
also need an understanding of structural engineering or an aerospace engineer
may need to understand aspects of electrical or computer engineering too.
These types of engineering are commonly known as
interdisciplinary engineering and include manufacturing engineering, acoustic
engineering, corrosion engineering, aerospace, automotive, computer, textiles,
geological, materials and nuclear engineering, among others. These areas of
engineering are all among the branches of engineering that are represented by
the 36 licensed member institutions of the UK Engineering Council.
Here are some of the traditional and more common
interdisciplinary engineering fields:
1. Mechanical Engineering -
Mechanical engineers are involved in the design,
manufacture, inspection and maintenance of machinery, equipment and components
such as vehicles, engines, aerospace products, weapon systems, robotics,
turbines, construction and farm machinery, as well as a wide range of tools and
devices. This type of engineering is also associated with the management of
control systems and instruments for measuring the performance and status of
machinery.
2. Electrical Engineering -
Electrical engineers work on the design, testing,
manufacture, construction, control, monitoring and inspection of electrical and
electronic devices, components, machines and systems. These range in size from
the smallest microchips to large transmission and power generation systems.
This includes everything from broadcast engineering to electromagnetic devices,
computer systems, telecommunications and more.
3. Civil Engineering -
Civil engineers are involved in the design, construction,
maintenance and inspection of large civil infrastructure projects, including
roads, railways, bridges, tunnels and dams.
Working on both public and private projects, civil engineers
traditionally work in sub-disciplines such as environmental engineering,
structural engineering or surveying.
As mentioned above, civil engineering was originally created
to differentiate it from military engineering.
4. Aerospace Engineering -
As a specialised branch of mechanical and electrical
engineering, aerospace engineering focuses on the design, manufacture and
testing of aircraft and spacecraft, including all parts and components.
Covering everything from vehicle aerodynamics and efficiencies to electrical
control and navigation systems, much of the expertise is also used for other
vehicles, such as cars.
5. Nuclear Engineering –
Nuclear engineers work on the design, manufacture,
construction, operation, and testing of the equipment, systems and processes
for the production and control of nuclear power. From nuclear power plant
reactors to particle accelerators, nuclear engineers also work on factors such
as monitoring and the storage of nuclear waste in order to protect people from
potentially harmful situations.
6. Biomedical Engineering -
Biomedical engineers are concerned with the design of
systems, equipment and devices for use in healthcare and medicine. By working
with medical specialists such as doctors, therapists and researchers,
biomedical engineers are able to meet the requirements of healthcare
professionals.
7. Chemical Engineering -
Chemical engineers use physics, chemistry, biology and
engineering principles for the design of equipment, systems and processes for
refining raw materials for mixing, compounding and processing chemicals for a
variety of products. Carrying out processes on a commercial scale, chemical
engineers are involved in processes ranging from petroleum refining to
fermentation and the production of biomolecules.
8. Computer Engineering -
9. Industrial Engineering -
Industrial engineers design and optimise facilities,
equipment and systems for manufacturing, materials processing and other
industrial applications.
10. Environmental Engineering -
11. Marine Engineering -
Marine engineering is related to any engineering tasks on or
near the oceans. This includes design and development for shipping, submarines,
oil rigs, on-board, harbours, plants and more. This specialised area of
engineering combines other types of engineering, including mechanical
engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, and programming.
Chemical
engineering –
Chemical engineering is the application of physics,
chemistry, biology, and engineering principles in order to carry out chemical
processes on a commercial scale, such as the manufacture of commodity
chemicals, specialty chemicals, petroleum refining, microfabrication, fermentation,
and biomolecule production.
Civil
engineering -
Civil engineering is the design and construction of public
and private works, such as infrastructure (airports, roads, railways, water
supply, and treatment etc.), bridges, tunnels, dams, and buildings. Civil
engineering is traditionally broken into a number of sub-disciplines, including
structural engineering, environmental engineering, and surveying. It is
traditionally considered to be separate from military engineering.
Electrical
engineering -
Electric
motor
Electrical engineering is the design, study, and manufacture
of various electrical and electronic systems, such as broadcast engineering,
electrical circuits, generators, motors, electromagnetic/electromechanical
devices, electronic devices, electronic circuits, optical fibers,
optoelectronic devices, computer systems, telecommunications, instrumentation,
control systems, and electronics.
Mechanical
engineering -
Mechanical engineering is the design and manufacture of physical
or mechanical systems, such as power and energy systems, aerospace/aircraft
products, weapon systems, transportation products, engines, compressors,
powertrains, kinematic chains, vacuum technology, vibration isolation
equipment, manufacturing, robotics, turbines, audio equipments, and
mechatronics.
Bioengineering
-
Bioengineering is the engineering of biological systems for
a useful purpose. Examples of bioengineering research include bacteria
engineered to produce chemicals, new medical imaging technology, portable and
rapid disease diagnostic devices, prosthetics, biopharmaceuticals, and
tissue-engineered organs.
Interdisciplinary
engineering -
Interdisciplinary engineering draws from more than one of
the principle branches of the practice. Historically, naval engineering and
mining engineering were major branches. Other engineering fields are
manufacturing engineering, acoustical engineering, corrosion engineering, instrumentation
and control, aerospace, automotive, computer, electronic, information
engineering, petroleum, environmental, systems, audio, software, architectural,
agricultural, biosystems, biomedical, geological, textile, industrial,
materials, and nuclear engineering. These and other branches of engineering are
represented in the 36 licensed member institutions of the UK Engineering
Council.
New specialties sometimes combine with the traditional
fields and form new branches – for example, Earth systems engineering and
management involves a wide range of subject areas including engineering
studies, environmental science, engineering ethics and philosophy of
engineering.
Other
branches of engineering -
Aerospace
engineering -
Aerospace engineering studies design, manufacture aircraft,
satellites, rockets, helicopters, and so on. It closely studies the pressure
difference and aerodynamics of a vehicle to ensure safety and efficiency. Since
most of the studies are related to fluids, it is applied to any moving vehicle,
such as cars.
Marine
engineering -
Marine engineering is associated with anything on or near
the ocean. Examples are, but not limited to, ships, submarines, oil rigs,
structure, watercraft propulsion, on-board design and development, plants,
harbors, and so on. It requires a combined knowledge in mechanical engineering,
electrical engineering, civil engineering, and some programming abilities.
Computer
engineering -
Computer engineering (CE) is a branch of engineering that
integrates several fields of computer science and electronic engineering
required to develop computer hardware and software. Computer engineers usually
have training in electronic engineering (or electrical engineering), software
design, and hardware-software integration instead of only software engineering
or electronic engineering.
Why
Engineering is Important?
Engineering has been a part of human history, in one form or
another, for thousands of years. Of course, as our knowledge and understanding
of science and mathematics grew, so our engineering expertise and competence
also improved.
Today’s engineers use the most advanced technologies,
alongside established scientific principles, to apply cutting-edge solutions
and innovation to real world challenges.
It is hard to over-emphasise the importance of engineering
on human history, from designing transportation systems to powering our homes,
engineering is all around us, right down to the device you are using to read
this.
As our scientific knowledge continues to advance, so
engineering will find ways to take this new information and apply it to the
world around us.
Practice
-
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One who practices engineering is called an engineer, and
those licensed to do so may have more formal designations such as Professional
Engineer, Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer, Ingenieur, European
Engineer, or Designated Engineering Representative.
Methodology
-
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Design of a turbine requires collaboration of engineers from
many fields, as the system involves mechanical, electro-magnetic and chemical
processes. The blades, rotor and stator as well as the steam cycle all need to
be carefully designed and optimized.
In the engineering design process, engineers apply
mathematics and sciences such as physics to find novel solutions to problems or
to improve existing solutions. Engineers need proficient knowledge of relevant
sciences for their design projects. As a result, many engineers continue to
learn new material throughout their careers.
If multiple solutions exist, engineers weigh each design
choice based on their merit and choose the solution that best matches the
requirements. The task of the engineer is to identify, understand, and
interpret the constraints on a design in order to yield a successful result. It
is generally insufficient to build a technically successful product, rather, it
must also meet further requirements.
Constraints may include available resources, physical,
imaginative or technical limitations, flexibility for future modifications and
additions, and other factors, such as requirements for cost, safety,
marketability, productivity, and serviceability. By understanding the
constraints, engineers derive specifications for the limits within which a
viable object or system may be produced and operated.
Problem
solving -
A drawing for a booster engine for steam locomotives.
Engineering is applied to design, with emphasis on function and the utilization
of mathematics and science.
Engineers use their knowledge of science, mathematics,
logic, economics, and appropriate experience or tacit knowledge to find
suitable solutions to a particular problem. Creating an appropriate
mathematical model of a problem often allows them to analyze it (sometimes
definitively), and to test potential solutions.
Usually, multiple reasonable solutions exist, so engineers
must evaluate the different design choices on their merits and choose the
solution that best meets their requirements. Genrich Altshuller, after
gathering statistics on a large number of patents, suggested that compromises
are at the heart of "low-level" engineering designs, while at a
higher level the best design is one which eliminates the core contradiction
causing the problem.
Engineers typically attempt to predict how well their
designs will perform to their specifications prior to full-scale production.
They use, among other things: prototypes, scale models, simulations,
destructive tests, nondestructive tests, and stress tests. Testing ensures that
products will perform as expected.
Engineers take on the responsibility of producing designs
that will perform as well as expected and will not cause unintended harm to the
public at large. Engineers typically include a factor of safety in their
designs to reduce the risk of unexpected failure.
The study of failed products is known as forensic
engineering and can help the product designer in evaluating his or her design
in the light of real conditions. The discipline is of greatest value after
disasters, such as bridge collapses, when careful analysis is needed to
establish the cause or causes of the failure.
Computer
use -
A computer simulation of high velocity air flow around a
Space Shuttle orbiter during re-entry. Solutions to the flow require modelling
of the combined effects of fluid flow and the heat equations.
As with all modern scientific and technological endeavors,
computers and software play an increasingly important role. As well as the
typical business application software there are a number of computer aided
applications (computer-aided technologies) specifically for engineering.
Computers can be used to generate models of fundamental physical processes,
which can be solved using numerical methods.
One of the most widely used design tools in the profession
is computer-aided design (CAD) software. It enables engineers to create 3D
models, 2D drawings, and schematics of their designs. CAD together with digital
mockup (DMU) and CAE software such as finite element method analysis or
analytic element method allows engineers to create models of designs that can
be analyzed without having to make expensive and time-consuming physical
prototypes.
These allow products and components to be checked for flaws;
assess fit and assembly; study ergonomics; and to analyze static and dynamic
characteristics of systems such as stresses, temperatures, electromagnetic
emissions, electrical currents and voltages, digital logic levels, fluid flows,
and kinematics. Access and distribution of all this information is generally
organized with the use of product data management software.
There are also many tools to support specific engineering
tasks such as computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software to generate CNC
machining instructions; manufacturing process management software for
production engineering; EDA for printed circuit board (PCB) and circuit
schematics for electronic engineers; MRO applications for maintenance
management; and Architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) software for
civil engineering.
In recent years the use of computer software to aid the
development of goods has collectively come to be known as product lifecycle
management (PLM).
Social
context -
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Robotic Kismet can produce a range of facial expressions.
The engineering profession engages in a wide range of
activities, from large collaboration at the societal level, and also smaller
individual projects. Almost all engineering projects are obligated to some sort
of financing agency: a company, a set of investors, or a government. The few
types of engineering that are minimally constrained by such issues are pro bono
engineering and open-design engineering.
By its very nature engineering has interconnections with
society, culture and human behavior. Every product or construction used by
modern society is influenced by engineering. The results of engineering
activity influence changes to the environment, society and economies, and its
application brings with it a responsibility and public safety.
Engineering projects can be subject to controversy. Examples
from different engineering disciplines include the development of nuclear
weapons, the Three Gorges Dam, the design and use of sport utility vehicles and
the extraction of oil. In response, some western engineering companies have
enacted serious corporate and social responsibility policies.
Engineering is a key driver of innovation and human
development. Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, has a very small engineering
capacity which results in many African nations being unable to develop crucial
infrastructure without outside aid.[citation needed] The attainment of many of
the Millennium Development Goals requires the achievement of sufficient
engineering capacity to develop infrastructure and sustainable technological
development.
Radar, GPS, lidar, ... are all combined to provide proper
navigation and obstacle avoidance (vehicle developed for 2007 DARPA Urban
Challenge)
All overseas development and relief NGOs make considerable
use of engineers to apply solutions in disaster and development scenarios. A
number of charitable organizations aim to use engineering directly for the good
of mankind:
Engineers Without Borders
Engineers Against Poverty
Registered Engineers for Disaster Relief
Engineers for a Sustainable World
Engineering for Change
Engineering Ministries International
Engineering companies in many established economies are
facing significant challenges with regard to the number of professional
engineers being trained, compared with the number retiring. This problem is very
prominent in the UK where engineering has a poor image and low status. There
are many negative economic and political issues that this can cause, as well as
ethical issues.] It is widely agreed that the engineering profession faces an
"image crisis"rather than it being fundamentally an unattractive
career. Much work is needed to avoid huge problems in the UK and other western
economies. Still, the UK holds most engineering companies compared to other
European countries, together with the United States.
Code of
ethics –
Many engineering societies have established codes of
practice and codes of ethics to guide members and inform the public at large.
The National Society of Professional Engineers code of ethics states:
Engineering is an important and learned profession. As
members of this profession, engineers are expected to exhibit the highest
standards of honesty and integrity. Engineering has a direct and vital impact
on the quality of life for all people. Accordingly, the services provided by
engineers require honesty, impartiality, fairness, and equity, and must be
dedicated to the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare.
Engineers must perform under a standard of professional behavior that requires
adherence to the highest principles of ethical conduct.
In Canada, many engineers wear the Iron Ring as a symbol and
reminder of the obligations and ethics associated with their profession.
Relationships with other disciplines
Science
Scientists study the world as it is; engineers create the
world that has never been.
Engineers, scientists and technicians at work on target
positioner inside National Ignition Facility (NIF) target chamber
There exists an overlap between the sciences and engineering
practice; in engineering, one applies science. Both areas of endeavor rely on
accurate observation of materials and phenomena. Both use mathematics and
classification criteria to analyze and communicate observations.[citation
needed]
Scientists may also have to complete engineering tasks, such
as designing experimental apparatus or building prototypes. Conversely, in the
process of developing technology, engineers sometimes find themselves exploring
new phenomena, thus becoming, for the moment, scientists or more precisely
"engineering scientists".[citation needed]
The International Space Station is used to conduct science
experiments of outer space
In the book What Engineers Know and How They Know It, Walter
Vincenti asserts that engineering research has a character different from that
of scientific research. First, it often deals with areas in which the basic
physics or chemistry are well understood, but the problems themselves are too
complex to solve in an exact manner.
There is a "real and important" difference between
engineering and physics as similar to any science field has to do with
technology. Physics is an exploratory science that seeks knowledge of
principles while engineering uses knowledge for practical applications of
principles. The former equates an understanding into a mathematical principle
while the latter measures variables involved and creates technology. For
technology, physics is an auxiliary and in a way technology is considered as
applied physics. Though physics and engineering are interrelated, it does not
mean that a physicist is trained to do an engineer's job. A physicist would
typically require additional and relevant training. Physicists and engineers
engage in different lines of work. But PhD physicists who specialize in sectors
of engineering physics and applied physics are titled as Technology officer,
R&D Engineers and System Engineers.
An example of this is the use of numerical approximations to
the Navier–Stokes equations to describe aerodynamic flow over an aircraft, or
the use of the Finite element method to calculate the stresses in complex
components. Second, engineering research employs many semi-empirical
methods that are foreign to pure scientific research, one
example being the method of parameter variation.[citation needed]
As stated by Fung et al. in the revision to the classic
engineering text Foundations of Solid Mechanics:
Engineering is quite different from science. Scientists try
to understand nature. Engineers try to make things that do not exist in nature.
Engineers stress innovation and invention. To embody an invention the engineer
must put his idea in concrete terms, and design something that people can use.
That something can be a complex system, device, a gadget, a material, a method,
a computing program, an innovative experiment, a new solution to a problem, or
an improvement on what already exists. Since a design has to be realistic and
functional, it must have its geometry, dimensions, and characteristics data
defined. In the past engineers working on new designs found that they did not
have all the required information to make design decisions. Most often, they
were limited by insufficient scientific knowledge. Thus they studied mathematics,
physics, chemistry, biology and mechanics. Often they had to add to the
sciences relevant to their profession. Thus engineering sciences were born.
Although engineering solutions make use of scientific
principles, engineers must also take into account safety, efficiency, economy,
reliability, and constructability or ease of fabrication as well as the
environment, ethical and legal considerations such as patent infringement or
liability in the case of failure of the solution.
Medicine
and biology –
A 3 tesla clinical MRI scanner.
The study of the human body, albeit from different
directions and for different purposes, is an important common link between
medicine and some engineering disciplines. Medicine aims to sustain, repair,
enhance and even replace functions of the human body, if necessary, through the
use of technology.
Genetically engineered mice expressing green fluorescent
protein, which glows green under blue light. The central mouse is wild-type.
Modern medicine can replace several of the body's functions
through the use of artificial organs and can significantly alter the function
of the human body through artificial devices such as, for example, brain
implants and pacemakers. The fields of bionics and medical bionics are dedicated
to the study of synthetic implants pertaining to natural systems.
Conversely, some engineering disciplines view the human body
as a biological machine worth studying and are dedicated to emulating many of
its functions by replacing biology with technology. This has led to fields such
as artificial intelligence, neural networks, fuzzy logic, and robotics. There
are also substantial interdisciplinary interactions between engineering and
medicine.
Both fields provide solutions to real world problems. This
often requires moving forward before phenomena are completely understood in a
more rigorous scientific sense and therefore experimentation and empirical
knowledge is an integral part of both.
Medicine, in part, studies the function of the human body.
The human body, as a biological machine, has many functions that can be modeled
using engineering methods.
The heart for example functions much like a pump, the
skeleton is like a linked structure with levers, the brain produces electrical
signals etc. These similarities as well as the increasing importance and
application of engineering principles in medicine, led to the development of
the field of biomedical engineering that uses concepts developed in both
disciplines.
Newly emerging branches of science, such as systems biology,
are adapting analytical tools traditionally used for engineering, such as
systems modeling and computational analysis, to the description of biological
systems.
Art -
Leonardo da Vinci, seen here in a self-portrait, has been
described as the epitome of the artist/engineer. He is also known for his
studies on human anatomy and physiology.
There are connections between engineering and art, for example,
architecture, landscape architecture and industrial design (even to the extent
that these disciplines may sometimes be included in a university's Faculty of
Engineering).
The Art Institute of Chicago, for instance, held an
exhibition about the art of NASA's aerospace design. Robert Maillart's bridge
design is perceived by some to have been deliberately artistic. At the
University of South Florida, an engineering professor, through a grant with the
National Science Foundation, has developed a course that connects art and
engineering.
Among famous historical figures, Leonardo da Vinci is a
well-known Renaissance artist and engineer, and a prime example of the nexus
between art and engineering.
Business
-
Business Engineering deals with the relationship between
professional engineering, IT systems, business administration and change
management. Engineering management or "Management engineering" is a
specialized field of management concerned with engineering practice or the
engineering industry sector. The demand for management-focused engineers (or
from the opposite perspective, managers with an understanding of engineering),
has resulted in the development of specialized engineering management degrees
that develop the knowledge and skills needed for these roles. During an
engineering management course, students will develop industrial engineering
skills, knowledge, and expertise, alongside knowledge of business
administration, management techniques, and strategic thinking. Engineers
specializing in change management must have in-depth knowledge of the
application of industrial and organizational psychology principles and methods.
Professional engineers often train as certified management consultants in the
very specialized field of management consulting applied to engineering practice
or the engineering sector. This work often deals with large scale complex
business transformation or Business process management initiatives in aerospace
and defence, automotive, oil and gas, machinery, pharmaceutical, food and
beverage, electrical & electronics, power distribution & generation,
utilities and transportation systems. This combination of technical engineering
practice, management consulting practice, industry sector knowledge, and change
management expertise enables professional engineers who are also qualified as
management consultants to lead major business transformation initiatives. These
initiatives are typically sponsored by C-level executives.
Other
fields -
In political science, the term engineering has been borrowed
for the study of the subjects of social engineering and political engineering,
which deal with forming political and social structures using engineering
methodology coupled with political science principles. Marketing engineering
and Financial engineering have similarly borrowed the term.
Conclusion
-
Engineering is all around us and is an integral part of our
everyday lives. It is something that many people take for granted, but it is
engineering that allows you to make a coffee in the morning, heats or cools
your home, allows you to travel, communicate on your mobile device, and so much
more besides.
As James A. Michener wrote in his 1983 novel, Space,
"Scientists dream about doing great things. Engineers do them."
TWI’s engineering expertise covers a range of industrial
applications, from automotive to power generation and aerospace to marine, as
we work to offer support and solutions to our Industrial Members.
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