On completion of the course, students should:

Inman, D.J., Engineering Vibration, Prentice Hall, Second Edition, 2001; or Thompson W.T., 1993, Theory of Vibration with Applications, Fourth Edition, Stanley-Thornes.

Dorf and Bishop “Modern Control Systems”, Chapt 3; Franklin, Powell and Emami-Naeini Feedback Control of Dynamic Systems”, Chapt 2.2, Chapt 7.1-7.2; Nise “Control Systems Engineering”, Chapt 3.

As per university recommendations, it is expected that students spend 48hrs/week during teaching periods, and that a 3 unit course has a minimum workload of 156 hours regardless of the length of the course. Additional time may need to be spent acquiring assumed knowledge, working on assessment during non-teaching periods, and preparing for and attending examinations.

Below is a breakdown of the scheduled learning activities for this course:

• Free vibration of single degree-of-freedom systems (2 lectures)
• Forced vibrations (3 lectures)
• Damped vibrations (2 lectures)
• Vibration isolation (3 lectures)
• Multi-degree of freedom systems (4 lectures)
• Vibration of continuous systems (2 lectures)
• Determination of natural frequencies and mode shapes (5 lectures)
• Two laboratories: Balancing machinery and Vibrating beam

• Introduction to State Space Modelling (1 lecture)
• Construction of State Space Models (1 lecture)
• Modelling Multiple DOF Systems (1 lecture)
• Modelling Distributed Parameter Systems (1 lecture)
• Conversion between SS to TF and back again: Control canonical, observer canonical, Jordan form (1 lecture)
• Solution to state equations, poles, zeros and stability (1 lecture)
• Controllability and Observability (1 lecture)
• Feedback Control & Pole Placement (1 lecture)
• Optimal Control (LQR) (1 lecture) (1 lecture)
• Observers (Estimators) (1 lecture)
• Optimal Observers (Kalman-Bucy Filters, LQG) (1 lecture)
• Reduced Order Observers (1 lecture)
• Compensators (1 lecture)
• Reference Input & Command Tracking (1 lecture)
• Summary (1 lecture)
• Optional course content includes Linearisation of Non-linear Differential Equations & Lagrangian Mechanics
• Tutorials using MATLAB (10 tutorials)
• State Control of a MIMO Aerospace System and at least one other unstable MIMO plant (topic covered via assignments)

Assignments and tutorials 20%, laboratories 10%, final exam 70%.

Assessment Rationale: Assignments are provided as part of the learning experience. Students are expected to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the subject matter through completing the assignments, so they are regarded as formative rather than summative.

Controls

It should be noted that all assignments for the control part of the course (only) are optional. If a student chooses to undertake an assignment, then this will contribute to their overall summative assessment, otherwise, the proportion of the mark will be added onto the final exam. The rationale behind this approach is it gives the students the responsibility to direct their learning, and in doing so hopefully lead to the situation in which the continuing assessment is seen as enhancing learning rather than simply providing summative assessment.

An assignment will be set approximately every three weeks. Solutions are provided on MyUni within 1 week of the submission date and relevant issues will be discussed in the lectures. Assignments are also used to help assess whether the required graduate attributes are being developed.

The computer tutorials are designed to provide instruction of Matlab and Simulink while simultaneously developing the understanding of the students’ control knowledge through simulation.

The examination is a summative assessment and is intended to assess the student’s knowledge and understanding of the course material and how it fits into the global engineering context.

Vibrations

‘Vibrations’ comprises a 50% component of the overall course. The Vibrations component is split into assignments (20%), laboratories (10%) and final examination (70%).

Note that the laboratory experiments are compulsory and it is a requirement to pass the laboratory experiments to pass the course.

Controls

Four optional assignments spaced approximately 3 weeks apart, each worth 2.5% of overall assessment. 13 computer tutorials, each worth 0.25% of overall assessment. One optional discussion board entry worth 0.25%.

Vibrations

Four (assessed) assignments provide 20% of the overall Vibrations mark, with each assignment equally weighted. These assignments are set during the semester, each one released at least 2 weeks in advance of the submission deadline. The turnaround time for the return of marked assignments is weeks after the submission deadline. Late assignments are NOT accepted. Extensions are not granted, although exemptions to individual assignments may be granted on medical or compassionate grounds.

Two equally weighted laboratory classes through the semester provide 10% of the overall mark. Students must achieve 35% of the maximum possible Vibrations laboratory mark in order to be eligible to pass the course. Students who have successfully completed the labs in a previous attempt at the course are exempt.

The final, open book examination provides 70% of the overall Vibrations mark.

Variations in the assessment scheme are negotiable on medical and compassionate grounds.

All assignments and practical report must be submitted as a hard copy in the labelled box in the Mechanical Engineering submission area on Level 2 of Engineering South Building. Any assessment submitted as a hard copy must be accompanied by an assessment cover sheet available on the window ledge of room S116. Late assignments and reports will be penalised 10% per day. Extensions for assignments will only be given in exceptional circumstances and a case for this with supporting documentation can be made in writing after a lecture or via email to the lecturer. Hard copy assignments will be assessed and returned in 2 weeks of the due date. There will be no opportunities for re-submission of work of unacceptable standard. Due to the large size of the class feedback on assignments will be limited to in-class discussion resulting from questions from students.

All tutorials are submitted online using MyUni. Late tutorials and extensions for numbers 2 and 3 cannot be accepted as they are submitted electronically via MyUni which automatically prevents submission after the due time on the due date.