Reference no: EM132878505

Engineering Science

LO1: Examine scientific data using both quantitative and qualitative methods

LO2: Explore the characteristics and properties of engineering materials

Assessment brief

Purpose of this assignment

Assess the ability of trainees to examine scientific data using computational methods.

Scenario

You work as a materials engineer and have been tasked with investigating issues with products manufactured by your company. These products are made from polymer, composite and metal components.

Materials are failing in service, but your manager is not sure of the reason for this and has hypothesised that this could be due to degradation caused by fatigue, creep or other means. It has been suggested that types of hysteresis should be considered and/or that there are issues with the specification of materials being used. A related but equally important issue is the presentation of test results using graphs and calculations with appropriate units. The current assignment will test your skills in these domains.

Part 1

In a routine laboratory exercise, two tensile tests were carried out on a metal and a non metal in order to find some of the characteristics of the materials. The non-metal was high-density polythene (HDPE) and the metal was TITANIUM. The Excel sheet (.xls) attached with the this document has the data for the test tabulated. Go through the data sheet carefully and answer the following questions.

Your site manager expects you to present an analysis and description of the data both quantitatively and qualitatively. Ideally, you should present a formal laboratory report for the above experiments. Sequence your report along the following points :

1. Make a graphical representation of the data and examine the details of the experiments both qualitatively and quantitatively.

2. In your qualitative analysis, include the details and findings of some (at least five) key material quantities that characterise the elastic materials. Make sure that you present your findings using appropriate SI units and prefix notation. Briefly describe those units and prefix notation by mentioning the dimensions of the quantites involved.

3. As part of your quantitative analysis, fit polynomial curves of at least two different orders for the force-extension graph upto the yield point and conclude as to which of the curves is the best on the basis of least error in the last readings. Explain what do you conclude from your finding. For instance, did you expect it?

4. Make use of appropriate graphical software for the tasks above and cite any references that you make use of.

Part 2

As a consequence of items failing at the workplace, your site manager has requested you to make a survey of the structural properties of the materials. These can be ascertained both from experiments carried out as well as data regarding those materials already available. The following are the various points that your report on the problem above should include :

1. A survey of the important forms of degradation that affect metals and non-metals and a brief description of how these affect their performance and appearance.

2. A brief description of the destructive and non-destructive tests that you would carry out along with an explanation on how the application of the scientific method impacts the various test procedures.

3. An account of the structural properties of metals and non-metals with reference to their material properties. Your description should, at least in a few places, make use of the practical test data as you compare and contrast the theoretical material properties of metals and non-metals.

4. A review of elastic and electromagnetic hysteresis that occurs in different materials.

5. Please use SI units and prefix notation throughout and ensure that your description is written in your own words with appropriate citation for any references.

Attachment:- Engineering Science.rar