Electromagnetics and Wave Propagation - 2019 entry

A fundamental knowledge of electomagnetics is critical when pursuing a career in electronic engineering - if, for instance, you are designing an antenna. Beginning with the physical exploration of electromagnetics, you will study the origins of electric and magnetic fields, looking at the historical impact and application of electromagnetism. Furthermore, you will investigate electrostatics and the electric field as well as magnetic forces and magnetostatics, applying this knowledge to real world engineering problems; exploring theories, such as Maxwell's equations, you will develop essential problem-solving tools. Meanwhile, studying communication systems, you will consider elements such as the transmission of mobile phone signals and how radio works, incorporating Hertz's first measurement of radio waves. Case studies will challenge you to examine electrical disturbances travelling in transmission lines and the aspects of antenna design by looking at electricity lines to design and measure, for example, what kind of strength and thickness is needed.

The aim of this module is to introduce you to the fundamental principles of electromagnetics, and to teach you how to apply theory to areas of technological importance, including field computation and communication systems. At the end of this module, you will understand the basic principles of electromagnetics, and have a solid foundation in tackling most electronic engineering problems.

This is a constituent module of one or more degree programmes which are accredited by a professional engineering institution under licence from the Engineering Council. The learning outcomes for this module have been mapped to the output standards required for an accredited programme, as listed in the current version of the Engineering Council’s ‘Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes’ document (AHEP-V3).

This module contributes to learning outcomes: SM1p, SM1m, SM2p, SM2m, SM5m, EA1p, EA1m, EA5m, D2p, D2m, EP2P, EP2m, G1p-G3p, G1m-G3m

A full list of the referenced outcomes is provided online: http://intranet.exeter.ac.uk/emps/subjects/engineering/accreditation/

The AHEP document can be viewed in full on the Engineering Council’s website, at http://www.engc.org.uk/

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge: SM1p, SM1m, SM2p, SM2m, EA1p, EA1m, EA5m, D2p, D2m, EP2p, EP2m
1 describe the physical origins of electric and magnetic fields, the relationships between charge, current and fields in terms of Gauss's law, Ampere's law and Faraday's law and field relationships in dielectric and magnetic materials;

2 explain the relationship with capacitance and inductance, the mathematical form of a 1-D travelling wave and the significance of the 3-D wave equation, the form of electrical disturbances travelling in transmission lines, and the important aspects of antenna design;

3 apply  knowledge about 1 and 2 to the solution of 'real-world' engineering problems.
 

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge: SM5m

4 use mathematical software (Matlab) to model (electromagnetic) phenomena and systems.
 

Personal and Key Transferable/ Employment Skills and  Knowledge: G1p-G3p, G1m-G3m

5 monitor your own progress through tutor-marked assignments (TMA) and self-assessment questions (SAQ);

6 assess the effectiveness of your learning strategies, including time management, and modify appropriately;

7 use a variety of information sources to understand and supplement lecture material.

- hWeek 1: Historical Perspective of Electromagnetism, The Nature of Electromagnetism, Travelling Waves

Week 2: Transmission Lines: Lumped Element Model, Wave propagation in a Transmission Line, Lossless Transmission Line, Impedance.

Week 3: Electrostatics: Coloumb's law, Gauss's Law; Electric Boundary Conditions; Resistive and Capacitive Sensors.

Week 4: Magnetostatics: Magnetic Forces and Torques; the Biot-Savart Law; Gauss's Law for Magnetism; Ampere's Law; Magnetic materials; Inductive Sensors and Electromagents.

Week 5: Maxwell equations for Time-Varying Fields: Faraday's Law; the Electromagentic Generator; EMF Sensors; Displacement Current; Electromagnetic Potentials;

Week 6: Plane Wave Propagation: Wave Equation; Uniform Plane waves; RFID Systems; Wave POlarizarion; LCD; Electromagentic Power Density.

Week 7: Wave Reflection and Transmission: Snell's Law; Brewster Angle; Reflectivity and Transmissivity; Bar code readers; Waveguides; Resonators.

Week 8:  Radiation and Antennas: the Hertzian Dipole; Antenna Radiation Characteristics; Half-wave dipole Antenna; Friis Transmission Formula; Antenna Arrays. 

Week 9: Satellite Communication Systems and Radar Sensors: Satellite Communication Systems;Communication link power budget; Radar Sensors; Antenna Beams.

Week 10: Optical Fibre Communications: Fibre Optic Transmission Systems; Dispersion in Optical Fibres; Optical Fibre Losses; Modes and Wave Equation.

Week 11: Silicon Photonics and Flexible Opto-electronics: Introduction to Electronic-Photonic Integrated Circuits; Dielectric Waveguides; on-chip Resonators and Mach-Zender Interferometers for signal processing; Wearable  Sensors and Optical Wireless Communication Systems on flexible platform. 

If a module is normally assessed entirely by coursework, all referred/deferred assessments will normally be by assignment.

If a module is normally assessed by examination or examination plus coursework, referred and deferred assessment will normally be by examination. For referrals, only the examination will count, a mark of 40% being awarded if the examination is passed. For deferrals, candidates will be awarded the higher of the deferred examination mark or the deferred examination mark combined with the original coursework mark.

ELE – http://vle.exeter.ac.uk

Reading list for this module: