Systems Engineering Study Notes

Students explore the operation and control of integrated systems, including mechanical and electrotechnological components, and apply engineering principles to the design and prototyping of systems.

Students investigate energy sources, energy conversion, and efficiency in engineered systems, and apply this knowledge to the design and evaluation of integrated systems.

Students examine the principles and methods of controlling integrated systems, including feedback, coding, and the use of microcontrollers.

Students investigate the impact of new and emerging technologies on engineering practice, society, and the environment.

This area of study focuses on engineering knowledge associated with the integration, calibration and control of mechanical and electrotechnological systems, including their operation, adjustment and diagrammatic representation. Students use fundamental physics and applied mathematics to respond to systems engineering problems while considering ethical design, applying theoretical concepts and principles of mechanics and electrotechnology to design, plan and commence production of an integrated and controlled system. Outcome 1: On completion of this unit the student should be able to investigate, analyse and apply concepts and principles, and use components to design, plan and commence production of an integrated and controlled mechanical and electrotechnological system that considers ethical design using the systems engineering process.

This area of study examines various energy sources and the application of technologies to convert these energy sources into work for engineered systems. Students assess the importance of designing systems that are beneficial to the economy, environment and society, using cradle to cradle (C2C) analysis to compare the benefits, limitations and impacts of using different energy sources. They investigate and evaluate the technologies used to harness, generate and store renewable and non-renewable energy sources, including advancements that improve the sustainability of non-renewables. Outcome 2: On completion of this unit the student should be able to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of renewable and non-renewable energy sources, and analyse and critique technologies used to harness, generate and store renewable and non-renewable energy.

This area of study focuses on the development of the integrated and controlled system that considers ethical design, which students researched, designed and planned in Unit 3 Area of Study 1. They implement the plan to continue production, supporting the production, testing, diagnosis and evaluation of their systems, subsystems and use of components with appropriate documentation and reference to technical data. Students refer to the systems engineering process and the factors that have influenced the creation and use of the system, and consider improvements to both the system and their application of the process. Outcome 1: On completion of this unit the student should be able to evaluate and critique their production, test and diagnose processes and justify a mechanical and electrotechnological integrated and controlled system that considers ethical design using the systems engineering process, and manage, document and evaluate the system and the process, as well as their use of it.

This area of study focuses on new and emerging systems engineering technologies and processes developed within the last eight years preceding the year of study, or that are in developmental stages and may not yet be commercially available. Students consider scientific, technological, environmental, economic, societal and human factors that led to the development of these technologies, develop an understanding of how they operate and are used, and speculate on the likely impacts and resulting advantages and disadvantages in relation to social, economic, environmental and other ethical factors and worldviews. The new and emerging technology must not be the same as that studied in Unit 3 Area of Study 2. Outcome 2: On completion of this unit the student should be able to evaluate a range of new and emerging systems engineering technologies and analyse and critique likely impacts of these selected technologies.