7 ECTS credits
190 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 1008072BNR for all students in the 1st semester at a (B) Bachelor - advanced level.

Semester
1st semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Impossible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
Yes
Taught in
Dutch
Faculty
Faculteit Ingenieurswetenschappen
Department
Electricity
Educational team
Yves Rolain (course titular)
Gerd Vandersteen
Activities and contact hours
42 contact hours Lecture
42 contact hours Seminar, Exercises or Practicals
Course Content

In this course we want to teach you a number of insights and skills that will guide you through the electricity. We distinguish 3 important parts in the course, each of which highlights a different aspect of the electricity.

  1. From microscopic to macroscopic electricity
    We start from the local description of the Maxwell relations, and expand it to describe the force with the Lorentz Act.Because this local approach is very general, it is also usually too complicated for a general practical use. We are therefore looking for a macroscopic description, which is less general but turns out to be much easier to use practically. To do this, we introduce the macroscopic quantities of resistance, capacity and self-induction in order to be able to describe circuits consisting of conductors, dielectrica and magnetic materials. For each circuit we define a customized source for the microscopic and macroscopic situation.
     
  2. Introduction to network analysis and theory.
    In this part you will learn to solve electrical networks. These networks contain independent sources (voltage and power sources), controlled sources, resistors, capacities and transformers. For this part, exercises are organized, we will train you to be able to solve a network smoothly. 
     
  3. General introduction to measurement technology.
    In this part you will learn to measure voltages, currents, resistances, impedances, and abilities in an accurate way. You will also learn to analyze and use basic circuits with operational amplifiers to improve your measurements. Labs are organized for this part. 
Course material
Course text (Required) : Toegepaste elektriciteit, Netwerken, Pintelon, VUB, 2220170019970, 2023
Course text (Required) : Toegepaste elektriciteit, Macroscopische Elektriciteit en elektrische metingen, Rolain and Van Biesen, VUB, 2220170019987, 2022
Additional info

The theory course consists of three parts:

  • Macroscopic electricity (Rolain, 16 h)
  • Network analysis (Pintelon, 14 h)
  • Measurement techniques (Rolain, 12 h)

The exercises and labs

  • Exercises for the macroscopic electricity and network analysis (18 h)
  • Labs for the measurement techniques part (24 h) 

Exercises and labs account for the same weight in the final grade

Learning Outcomes

General competencies


Objectives:


In this course, electricity is introduced and treated as part of general physics. It is a basic subject, so that the emphasis is placed on the description of physical principles that were historically proposed by experimental physics. However, the main purpose of the course is to be able to put the theory into practice and apply it. An introduction to instrumental measurement technique is also given and practicals are organized for this purpose.

The general objectives can be summarised as follows:

  • You understand and can apply the principles of macroscopic electricity. You have insight into the link between micro-and macroscopic description of the electricity. You understand the operation of capacitors, coils and resistors and can use these components to understand and analyze the behavior of a system.

  • You can easily solve electrical networks consisting of resistors, capacitors, inductors, and DC / AC sources and calculate voltages and currents in steady-state condition and with transients. 

  • You can calculate the time evolution of the current and the voltage in a circuit. With the help of the complex notation, you can carry out the analysis of circuits.

  • You can reduce an electrical scheme to the equivalents of Norton and Thevenin.

  • You can use analog and digital electrical instruments to measure electrical resistance, current, voltage, power.

  • You can use a digital oscilloscope to measure time-dependent signals.

  • You can build, measure, a simple circuit with opamps and you are able to eliminate any errors from this circuit

  • You can prepare a scientific report on a practical assignment and report the measurement data correctly taking into account measurement uncertainties.


Targets and exam requirements:

Competences:

  • This course contributes to general final competences of the academic Bachelor of Engineering.

Cognitive final competences:

 

  • You have th knowledge of and insight into the most important theories and findings regarding the fundamental electricity and its applications.You know the limits of these theories and knows in what circumstances they can be applied. The bachelor's student has extensive experimental skills and knows a number of important experimental techniques that are used in a research lab. You can use the computer for measurement purposes and are able to conceive measurement setups and independently carry out experiments and report on them.
  • The bachelor student has an insight into the mathematical evidence for electrical problems and can model an electrical problem with spatially distributed sources and analyze this model with techniques of applied electricity. You are able to analyse, interpret and perform operations on datasets (obtained from electrical experiments or observations).
  • The bachelor's student is able to understand and report on the content of scientific articles or standard works on electricity at his level.
  • The bachelor's student is able to independently acquire a basic knowledge of a sub-area of the applied electricity that has not yet been discussed within the programme.

 

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Other Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Examen with a relative weight of 100 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

    Note: In accordance with the semester structure, an exam is organized about the theory and the exercises at the end of the semester. The assessment shall be made as follows:
    The oral exam determines 50% of the final grade
    The Networks, Macroscopic Electricity and Measurements components each gain the same weight
    The written exam on the exercises determines 25% of the final grade
    The permanent evaluation and reports of the laboratories determine 25% of the final score

Additional info regarding evaluation

Organisation of the exam:

  • An oral exam for the theory
  • A written exam for the exercises of macroscopic electricity and network analysis
  • A permanent evaluation for the labs. There is no separate exam for this part of the course

 

Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Bachelor of Engineering: Mechanical and Electrotechnical Engineering (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: Civil Engineering (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: Chemistry and Materials (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: Electronics and Information Technology (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: Electronics and Information Technology Profile Profile Computer Science (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: verkort traject elektronica en informatietechnologie na vooropleiding industriële wetenschappen (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: Startplan (only offered in Dutch)
Bachelor of Engineering: Biomedical Engineering (only offered in Dutch)
Preparatory Programme Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering: Standaard traject
Preparatory Programme Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering: Master industriële wetenschappen
Preparatory Programme Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering: Master industr wet: biochemie
Preparatory Programme Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering: Bachelor en Master IngWet: architectuur
Preparatory Programme Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering: Bachelor en Master geneesk & biomed wet