Posted: February 1st, 2014

Understand principles of modelling and analysis, and hence mitigation of vibration and noise in machines

Programme: BEng/MEng Mechanical Engineering

Module Title: Advanced Manufacturing Processes and Systems

Subject:Manufacturing Systems

Coursework Title: Circular Economy

Due Date: 7/2/14

Feedback Date: 9/3/14

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA:

TARGETED LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Understand principles of modelling and analysis, and hence mitigation of vibration and noise in machines;

2. Analyse complex systems involving multiple machines from fundamental scientific principles, with respect to safety, efficiency and environmental impacts, and identify importance of assumptions made in evaluating these systems;

Important Information – Please Read Before Completing Your Work

All students should submit their work by the date specified using the procedures specified in the Student Handbook. An assessment that has been handed in after this deadline will be marked initially as if it had been handed in on time, but the Board of Examiners will normally apply a lateness penalty.

Your attention is drawn to the Section on Academic Misconduct in the Student’s Handbook.

All work will be considered as individual unless collaboration is specifically requested, in which case this should be explicitly acknowledged by the student within their submitted material.

Any queries that you may have on the requirements of this assessment should be e-mailed. No queries will be answered after respective submission dates.

Coursework Brief:

All students should submit their answers through Turnitin on Blackboard on the hand in date. Multiple hand-ins will be allowed up to the submission date, but only the latest version prior to the deadline will be marked.

An assessment that has been handed in after this deadline will be marked initially as if it had been handed in on time, but the Board of Examiners will normally apply a lateness penalty.

Your attention is drawn to the Section on Academic Misconduct in the Student’s Handbook.

In exceptional circumstances where Turnitin is unavailable, submissions must be posted or handed in to The School Faculty Officer before the submission deadline

Answers must not exceed 1000 words. Excess pages will not be marked. This limit does not include this Question Brief.

Answer All of the Questions

Question 1 (100 marks)

With 1.6 billion mobile phones produced in 2010, more phones are entering the market than there are consumers. As a result, in mature markets (Western Europe, North America, Japan) consumers own 1.1 mobile phones and average usage time is down to less than 2.5 years. In emerging markets, the sector is nevertheless still poised for growth. In 2010, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) volumes in the EU-27 for IT and telecommunications equipment were estimated at 750 thousand tonnes. Over the next four years, total WEEE volumes in the EU-27 are expected to grow cumulatively by more than 10%. Yet looking at volumes of waste generated does not reveal the true value embedded in consumer electronics waste. In Europe alone, for example, 160 million discarded but uncollected devices represent a material loss of up to USD 500 million annually.

a. Identify materials worthy of recovery in a typical mobile telephone. Highlight their importance currently and in the future.

b. Discuss typical methods of recovery, highlighting current European success rates.

c. Suggest ways in which recovery and reuse may be improved.

MARKING CRITERIA:

COURSEWORK WILL BE MARKED ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING UNIVERSITY CRITERIA.

Question 1 (100 marks)

a.

Materials worthy of recovery with justification:

Currently:

in terms of feasibility (5×2 marks)

In terms of value (5×2 marks)

Future:

in terms of feasibility (5×2 marks)

In terms of value (5×2 marks)

b.

Typical methods of recovery description (10 marks)

Current viability in the European theatre (10 marks)

c.

Credible description of recovery improvements:

In design (4×2 marks)

In operation (4×2 marks)

Credible description of reuse improvements:

In design (4×2 marks)

In operation (4×2 marks)

Referencing, layout and style (8 marks)-reference must use IEEE

Answers from tutor

Q1 Do you want it in an essay format with possibly some context/intro before answering the questions or would you prefer the questions sub-headed and answered with more of a clear structure? A1 Both! Definitely a readable format, so an intro and conclusions would be nice, but bearing in mind the word limit, these need to be little more than a sentence. The text should include sub-headings to signpost which aspects of the question you are trying to answer. This can be as simple as using the marking scheme to generate your headings (usually a good idea if you are looking to maximise your marks). Data density is key; we are engineers, so each sentence should be relevant to the question, and add to the answer you are giving (be part of the ‘value stream’). A sentence that sets the scene and a sentence to summarise would not be at odds with this. Q2 For question (b) when talking about methods of recovery are you referring to ways in which the materials are physically extracted for recycling or ways in which the consumer can recycle (cash-for-phone sites, charity, trade-ins/upgrades).

A2 Primarily methods of physical extraction, but part of the viability argument should include their collection. (This may then give you further scope for part c.)

Q3 1000 words seems rather short to get the amount of detail in to answer the question correctly; can we have more?

A3 I will be flexible with the word limit and not penalise below 1500 words.