| Aircraft Electrics |
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ELEC S101
Aircraft Electrics
| Introduction |  |
ELEC S101 Aircraft Electrics is a 5-credit, one-semester foundation-level course in the Certificate in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering programme. This programme aims to provide students with a suitable technical education and competence in trade-related skills necessary to meet the requirements of the HKAR-66 B1 licence issued by the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (CAD) to be a line maintenance certifying engineer (electrical) in Hong Kong.
In ELEC S101, you will become acquainted with the fundamental concepts of electrics and electronics, as well as with digital techniques and electronic instrument systems used in aircraft maintenance engineering. It is expected that a student can finish the course in around 150 hours, or one semester.
This course is for beginners, and is limited to elementary concepts.
| Purpose of this Course Guide | |
This Course Guide gives you an overview of ELEC S101 and helps you to work through the materials. In this guide, you will find out about the resources of information and support provided by OUHK to facilitate your learning, as well as the assessment procedures used to evaluate your performance. Please read through and refer to this Course Guide when needed.
| Course aims | |
This course aims to:
develop your analytical skills for independent study on aircraft maintenance engineering;
provide you with a basic understanding of electrical and electronic principles, as well as the digital techniques and electronic instrument systems relevant to aircraft maintenance engineering;
equip you with the technical knowledge necessary for modules 3, 4 and 5 of Aircraft Maintenance Engineering License HKAR-66 category B1 of the CAD; and
- provide you with essential background knowledge for higher-level courses in the engineering discipline.
| Course learning outcomes | |
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
Apply basic electrical concepts to analyse electrical circuits. (Unit 1)
Extend your knowledge of fundamental electrical concepts to electrical applications such as DC and AC generators / motors.
(Unit 2)Summarize the characteristics of diodes, transistors and integrated circuits and use knowledge of these components in some simple applications. (Unit 3)
Outline the fundamental concepts of number systems, data conversion, data buses, logic circuits, computer structure and fibre optics used in modern aircraft. (Unit 4)
- Elaborate on the basic operating principles and handling precautions of electronic systems used in modern aircraft. (Unit 5)
| Working through this course | |
This course covers a lot of the elementary concepts of electrical and electronic engineering, as well as the digital techniques and electronic instrument systems used in the aircraft maintenance engineering discipline in Hong Kong, through open and flexible learning. The course is split into five print-based units. The content of each unit will be very concise and focus on technical knowledge.
Course materials
Study units
This course contains five units. The first two units introduce electrical fundamentals. The third unit will cover electronic fundamentals. The final two units will be on the digital techniques and electronic instrument systems which are used in modern aircraft.
Unit 1 Electrical fundamentals I
This is the first part of the section related to electrical fundamentals. The unit is made up of four topics. By the end of this unit, you should be able to handle the fundamental concepts of:
electromagnetics;
DC electricity;
major electrical components in a circuit; and
- electrical power and energy.
This unit covers the most fundamental of all electrical theory. It tells you what electricity is and how it can be generated and affected.
Unit 2 Electrical fundamentals II
This is the second part of the section related to electrical fundamentals. Based on the knowledge developed in Unit 1, you should be able to delve more deeply into the basic electrical concepts through the six topics in Unit 2. By the end of this unit, you should be able to handle the fundamental concepts of:
DC generators and motors;
AC theory;
AC circuit theory;
transformers;
filters; and
- AC generators and motors.
The first topic describes the construction and operating principles of DC generators and motors. You should be able to easily grasp this based on what you have learned in Unit 1. The next two topics outline the important concepts used in AC applications, which will be discussed throughout the rest of the unit.
Unit 3 Electronic fundamentals
This unit is divided into five topics. By the end of this unit, you should be able to handle the fundamental concepts of:
diodes;
transistors;
integrated circuits;
printed circuit boards (PCBs); and
- servomechanisms.
Many of the ideas in the first two topics form the basis of all electronics. Building on those concepts you have learned from Units 1 and 2, you should not have difficulty understanding the ideas of integrated circuits and servomechanisms as described in subsequent sections of the unit.
In the final part of this unit, the construction and handling precautions of printed circuit boards (PCBs) will be explained. This is quite straightforward when compared with the other parts of this unit.
Unit 4 Digital techniques / electronic instrument systems I
The section on 'digital techniques / electronic instrument systems' is separated into two units. This is the first of the two units, containing six topics. After completing this unit, you should be able to handle the fundamental concepts of:
numbering systems;
data conversion;
logic circuits;
data buses;
fibre optics; and
- basic computer structure.
This unit provides you with some elementary information about how data is transferred within a network.
Unit 5 Digital techniques / electronic instrument systems II
Digital techniques / electronic instrument systems II is designed to expose you to electronic instrument systems and software management systems used in modern aircraft. The unit is divided into five topics. This unit will explore the following:
electronic displays
electronic instrument systems
electrostatic-sensitive devices
the electromagnetic environment
- a review of software management control.
Set textbook
There is no set textbook for this course.
Assignment File
You are required to complete and submit two computer-marked assignments (CMAs) and one tutor-marked assignment (TMA) for this course. Details of these assignments can be found in the Assignment File.
Presentation Schedule
Details of the number of weeks allocated to each unit of the course, the assignment submission dates and the date of the final examination will be provided in the Presentation Schedule. You must submit all your assignments to your tutor on-time. The TMA extension policy of OUHK applies to the CMAs and TMA in this course.
Equipment requirements
Hardware
You will need access to a computer system suitable for connecting to the Internet. The recommended minimum computing requirements are as follow:
Pentium IV CPU
SVGA display card and monitor
1 GB RAM
500 MB free hard disk space
CD-ROM drive
Broadband Internet access
- Keyboard and mouse
Software
You will need access to a computer running Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7 and a Web browser.
Course schedule
The following table gives a general overview of the course structure.
Unit
Weeks
Assessment
1 Electrical fundamentals I
3
2 Electrical fundamentals II
3
CMA 1
3 Electronic fundamentals
3
TMA 1
4 Digital techniques / electronic instrument systems I
3
5 Digital techniques / electronic instrument systems II
2
CMA 2
Revision
2
Total
16
Course assessment
The formal assessment in this course will comprise two CMAs, one TMA and a final examination. As the examination for Aircraft Maintenance Licence HKAR-66 is mainly based on multiple choice questions, the CMAs will be in the form of multiple choice questions, but the TMA and the final examination will be in the form of short answer questions. This arrangement is designed to cope with both the multiple choice style of the HKAR-66 examination, and the essay style of the OUHK examination.
To pass the course, you are required to obtain a score of at least 40% in each CMA, the TMA and the final examination, which is in line with the examination for Aircraft Maintenance Licence HKAR-66. Course marks shall be expressed as a percentage, rounded up to the nearest integer value.
Tutor-marked assignments and computer-marked assignments
Two CMAs and the TMA serve as the overall continuous assessment score during the study period and account for 50% of the overall course score. You are required to complete and submit two CMAs and one TMA according to the schedule stated in the Assignment File.
Each CMA will count for 15% and the TMA will count for 20% of the total marks in the course. The first CMA will be arranged at the end of the first two units. The TMA will be set at the end of Unit 3 and will cover Units 1 to 3. The second CMA will be given at the end of Unit 5 and will cover Units 4 and 5.
Final examination and grading
A two-hour final examination to be conducted at the end of the course accounts for 50% of the overall course score. You will be tested on all of the materials studied in the course.
Course marking scheme
The assessment items are outlined in the following table.
Assessment
Course area covered
Weighting
CMA 1
Units 1 and 2
15%
TMA 1
Units 1, 2 and 3
20%
CMA 2
Units 4 and 5
15%
Final examination
All units
50%
Total
100%
| How to get the most from this course | |
As mentioned in the course aims, this course is tailor-made for people who want to get acquainted with the fundamental concepts of electrical power and electronics, as well as digital techniques and electronic instrument systems used in the aircraft maintenance engineering discipline in Hong Kong, through open and flexible learning. However, the course materials only cover the elementary concepts. To master the topic of Aircraft Electrics, you are advised to undertake your own continuing professional development in this ever-changing technological world. You may refer to the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE). Continuing professional development (CPD) activities can include, but are not limited to, participation in courses, lectures, seminars, etc.
Tutors and tutorials
This course provides both face-to-face and electronic means of support, including tutorials, surgeries, email support and the Online Learning Environment.
Each student will be assigned a tutor to support him or her throughout the course. The tutor will mark and comment on students' assignments, review students' progress and assist students if they encounter problems during the course. Marked assignments will be returned to the students.
Five tutorial sessions and one surgery session will be allocated for the course. The total time for the tutorial and surgery sessions is about ten hours. In the tutorials, the tutor will organize a number of interactive learning activities to assist students in their learning process. Tutorials will be based on the major course units, and tutors may also provide further explanation, examples and readings. The tutorials will be in small groups of not more than 20 students or so, providing a good opportunity for students to meet other distance learners on the course and get to know the tutor. For the surgery sessions, students can bring along their own questions and the tutor will assist them to find the answers. Attendance at tutorials and surgeries is optional.
Online Learning Environment (OLE)
This course is supported by the OUHK's Online Learning Environment (OLE). You can find course materials and the latest course information from the OLE and use the discussion board to communicate with your tutor, the Course Coordinator and fellow students.
| Summary | |
ELEC S101 Aircraft Electrics introduces you to the fundamental concepts of electrics and electronics, and the digital techniques and electronic instrument systems used in aircraft maintenance engineering. Engineering is the art of applying scientific knowledge in our daily life. We use our knowledge of science to invent something new, in order to improve our living standards or solve the problems we have. By working through the five units in this course, you should acquire a clearer understanding of basic electrical and electronic concepts, and their applications as they relate to aircraft maintenance engineering.
We hope the course can bring some benefits to your career and enrich your life.
| A note about the developers of this course | |
Mr Chow Wing-chuen Qualification:
Chartered Engineer and Member of IEE and HKIE
Academic background:
2005 MSc in Electrical Engineering from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
1999 BEng (Honours) in Electronic Engineering from City University of Hong Kong
1993 Higher Diploma in Electrical Engineering from Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityWorking experience:
Mr Chow has worked in some well-known contracting firms and utility companies for almost 18 years in the electrical and electronic engineering disciplines. During his employment, he took the lead in handling a lot of challenging projects, such as designing and commissioning the communication systems for a transportation system and power transmission substation projects. Mr Chow has also served as the Training Manager of HKIE.
Mr Cheung Wai-kit
Qualification:
HKAR66 B1.1 Licence
Academic background:
2010–Present MSc in Engineering Management
2007–2010 Bachelor's Degree with Honours in Mechatronic Engineering and Engineering Management from City University of Hong Kong
2003–2006 Higher Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering from IVE Tsing YiWorking experience:
Mr Cheung works in an aircraft maintenance organization as a technical trainer. The job responsibilities include handling training courses on various human factors, safety management systems, critical design configuration control limitations and airline procedures.
