Why you should study this course
-
At Coventry University, we believe that studying engineering should be so much more than just learning theory and passing examinations. Instead, our activity-led learning approach can enable you to develop your skills and knowledge by working on real-life problems and projects, many commissioned by our industry partners.
-
We aim to regularly update course content to reflect emerging trends and knowledge fields to enrich your technical and transferrable skills. For example, power electronics explores the modern-day systems used for electrical power generation, such as smart meters, smart appliances, renewable energy resources and energy efficiency resources.
-
Robotics is another key area, so we will examine the sub-systems that a robot needs, such as sensors to perceive its environment, cognition to make informed decisions, image processing to ‘see’ and detect objects in the real world and the mechanics to enable movement through 3D space.
-
You’ll study in our modern £50m Engineering and Computing building, with access to extensive facilities4 and the latest technologies in the fields of electrical and electronic engineering, such as a new machines and microprocessors laboratory.
-
We currently have extensive industry links with a broad range of commercial collaborators including IBM, Invensys and Jaguar Land Rover to name just a few, enabling you to collaborate on industry-themed research projects.
-
You’ll be taught by current experts in their field, many of whom are active researchers in areas that include but are not limited to control theory and applications, wireless sensors, pervasive computing, embedded micro-electronics and electrical energy. This should not only help to inform your teaching, keeping you abreast of new developments and issues, but may also provide opportunities to partner staff on research projects. (Please note staff may be subject to change)
What you'll study
You will have the opportunity to explore areas such as electrical machines, signal processing, robotics and advanced control engineering and instrumentation. Additionally, there are modules exploring digital system design and communications systems, power systems, smart grid, and consultancy.
Modules
-
FPGA-Based Digital System Design - 15 credits
Aims to provide the capability to apply the VHDL hardware description language for the simulation and synthesis of digital systems. We cover the essential syntax of VHDL and its coding styles for different digital functions. You will apply VHDL to configure a digital system using integrated circuits, also known as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA).
-
Digital Signal and Image Processing - 15 credits
Computer-based systems are increasingly required to detect, analyse and manipulate signals, or data, from a wide range of sources, such as sound, light, temperature or pressure. You’ll have the opportunity to learn to analyse continuous and discrete-time signals and systems, developing higher-level signal processing techniques and filters, together with knowledge of digital image processing and pattern recognition. You will apply these to problems to demonstrate their applications, such as feature extraction, object recognition, noise removal etc.
-
Robotics – Kinematics, Dynamics and Applications - 15 credits
Introduces the science and engineering of mechanical manipulation, an introduction to mobile robotics, some common sensors used in the field, drive mechanisms and their differing configurations and some of their applications.
-
Electrical Machines and Drives - 15 credits
Aims to enhance the understanding of electric motors and their associated drive systems to develop the relationship between the theoretical and practical aspects of the subject.
-
Power Systems - 10 credits
Operation of power systems and the control actions to be implemented on a system during normal and abnormal conditions. We look at the concepts of power system models and analysis techniques to ensure reliability and energy efficiency.
-
Alternative Energy and Smart Grid - 15 credits
Helps to develop a sound understanding of different renewable energy sources and the principle of energy conversion from renewable sources into electricity. We explore specialist areas, such as smart grid systems and power electronics.
-
Digital Communications - 10 credits
Aims to provide the principles of digital communications system applicable to both fixed and mobile data networks to include data transmission, error control, flow control, congestion control and routing strategies.
-
Advanced Control Engineering and Instrumentation - 15 credits
Aims to provide students with exposure to the underlying classical linear control theory and design tools with extensive applications in industrial practice. Additionally, the Instrumentation segment is aimed to impart the knowledge and skills necessary to work in areas involving design, testing and selection of sensors and development of advanced measurement systems.
-
Individual project - 60 credits
You will also be asked to perform a detailed research or design study with the help of an experienced supervisor into a technical aspect from the course. You can choose a topic to suit your interests, research to assist your career aspirations or a practical project. As an example, one former student worked on a project commissioned by a worldwide supplier of retail display solutions to develop a recoiler unit for mobile phone display security in shops.
-
Entrepreneurial Practice – 10 credits
This module aims to provide you with a framework of knowledge and understanding of how to effectively lead and develop people in a strategic and entrepreneurial way. Ultimately, you will be given the opportunity to develop strategic priorities for entrepreneurial leadership.
How you'll learn
This course will be taught using traditional teaching methods, such as lectures, with associated seminars, tutorials and practical laboratory classes. However, we also incorporate a range of innovative teaching methods, including flipped classroom, activity-led learning and peer-based learning which the students will undertake both individually and in groups.
The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model in which the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed. Short video lectures are viewed at home before the lecture, whilst lecture time is devoted to exercises, projects, or discussions. The video lecture is often seen as the key ingredient in the flipped approach, such lectures being either created by the staff and posted online or selected from an online repository. While a prerecorded lecture could certainly be a podcast or other audio format, the ease with which video can be accessed and viewed today has made it so ubiquitous that the flipped model has come to be identified with it.
This course can be offered on a part-time basis. Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary.
