MEC8029 : Design of Mechanical Power Transmissions
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Module Leader(s): Professor Brian Shaw
- Other Staff: Mr Tom Reavie, Mr Reece Chohan, Mr Robert Lambert
- Owning School: Engineering
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
The module provides the knowledge and skills to design, select production routes and assess the in-service behaviour of mechanical power transmissions and equipment, especially rotary drive systems, across a range of driven loads to a given performance specification.
Alongside design calculations and analysis, knowledge will be given to select manufacturing methods, material and heat treatments, surface treatments and to understand quality assurance requirements and failure modes
Overall, the module provides the breadth of knowledge to design a mechanical power transmission system.
Outline Of Syllabus
Drive systems are integral to many machines and products, providing reliable and efficient energy transfer. This module deals with the systems and the detail engineering to design successful transmissions. The main topics will be:
• An introduction to drive systems and components.
• Principles of drive system and component specification and selection.
• Design approaches for power transmission assemblies using shafts, gears, bearings, and housings, considering the ease of manufacture and assembly.
• A review of gear drives and gear types including their main characteristics, kinematics, geometry, and manufacturing routes.
• Design of spur and helical gears using, including calculations from international standards.
• Design and selection of shafts, splines, and connectors.
• Bearing selection supported by calculation, with a focus on rolling element bearings.
• Understanding and recognition of transmission component failure modes, supported with hands-on practical lab sessions.
• Material selection, manufacturing routes, and the impact of these on failure modes.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured Guided Learning | Lecture materials | 11 | 2:00 | 22:00 | Pre-recorded online video lectures. |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 30:00 | 30:00 | Preparation/completion of Assignment |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | Completion and review of Canvas quizzes. |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 2:30 | 2:30 | Examination |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 35:30 | 35:30 | Revision for exam. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 2 | 1:00 | 2:00 | Industry lectures supporting syllabus content. |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 50:00 | 50:00 | Revision of lecture material, attempting tutorial questions and background reading. Practice with software. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 15 | 2:00 | 30:00 | Lectures |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 3 | 2:00 | 6:00 | Practical sessions and AERH site visit. |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 11 | 1:00 | 11:00 | Tutorial sessions |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 4 | 2:00 | 8:00 | Computer cluster sessions for design software. |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The module uses lectures and course material as an efficient way to introduce the students to new topics and to provide a firm foundation for the subject and to meet the intended knowledge outcomes.
The intended skills outcomes are met through a combination of practical classes, applied software learning and tutorials covering the application of calculation and design methods.
The practicals give a facility tour, demonstrations and exercises that allow students to gain hands-on experience examining many types of drives system designs, component types, experience several drive systems operating and understand failure processes.
The gear software skills learned during the course represent the industry standard transmission design software and allows selection of optimal gear designs (applying knowledge from lectures) required in the gearbox assignment.
The tutorial classes allow students to apply knowledge and consolidate learning.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Examination | 150 | 1 | A | 70 | Inspera invigilated exam. Digital notes provided with the exam paper. Students are not permitted to bring additional notes. (M1, M2, M13). |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | 1 | M | 30 | Design of a gearbox to a specification. Deliverables include a design, technical report, and analysis file.(M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M9, M13, M14, M17). |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
The teaching approach ensures that students have feedback and consolidation of learning through the use of Vevox in-class quizzes as the module progresses. Combined with practical and tutorial sessions, these will assist students to focus their guided independent study.
A complete specimen exam paper is provided to give examples of the question types that will be utilised in the Inspera exam that attracts 70% of the available marks.
The open-book Inspera exam is invigilated, on-campus, allowing the students to demonstrate the application of the knowledge they have been taught. This exam will assess the intended knowledge outcomes using varying question types such as multi-choice, calculations and essay. Numerical questions are not awarded marks for working due to the open-book nature of the exam, but follow-up questions are used to enable students to demonstrate critical analysis and knowledge of results.
The gearbox assignment, attracting 30% of the available module marks, meets the intended skills outcomes. This applies the taught material and leads the students to a greater depth of understanding of the detail design of components and selection and matching of drive systems. The output of the gearbox assignment includes appropriate designs and system diagrams, calculations and evidence of appropriate decision making, all presented in a final professional report. The design work includes the use of commercial design software which is introduced throughout the module. Students require a good understanding of the lecture material to successfully complete the assignment and have opportunity to reference external material and show critical analysis of this in their work.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MEC8029's Timetable