What is Engineering?

An overview

Michael KarweitDept. Chemical Engineering

Johns Hopkins University

What is Engineering?

According to Webster’s II New Riverside Dictionary:

Engineering is “the application of mathematical andscientific principles to practical ends, as the design,construction, and operation of economical and efficientstructures, equipment, and systems.”

But is there more. . .?

Engineering is art. Aesthetics as well as function counts

The Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, SpainFrank Gehry, architect

The Ironbridge, Coalbrookdale,England 1779

More art . . .

Pont du Gard, France, 100AD

Maillart bridge, Switzerland

Engineering is approximation. The mathematics of engineeringsystems are often too complicated to solve analytically.

Engineering is measurement and estimation. River flow,noise in a communication system, scatter in a laser beam,earthquake characteristics--all require measurement

Engineering is modeling and simulation. Often the only efficient means to confirm that an idea or design will work is to experiment with a scale model or computer simulation.

Model of the X-33 being testedin the NASA Langley Mach 20helium wind tunnel

Engineering is communication. Making presentations,producing technical manuals, coordinating teams for largescale projects are all fundamental to engineering practice.

Richard Feynmanduring the Challengerdisaster hearings.

$125M communication error

Engineering is politics. The best functional solutionis not necessarily the best practical solution.

Three-mile island

NIMBY

Alaskan pipeline

Engineering is finance. Design, construction, operation,and maintenance costs determine the viability ofprojects.

The Big Dig: Boston’s $14.2 billion construction project

Engineering is invention. New devices, materials, and processes are developed by engineers to meet needs that existing technologies do not address.

Engineering is ethics.

Engineering is safety.

Engineering is public service.

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.This list is not exhaustive, but it does suggest a far broaderscope than Webster’s II definition

What is Engineering? The course.

From a substantive point of view:

1) Strength/behavior of materials2) Statics/structures3) Uncertainty, statistics, measurment4) Robotics5) Digital logic/circuitry6) Separation processes7) Diffusion, heat transfer

From a “process” point of view, i.e., what an engineerdoes

1) Communicationa) proposal presentationb) development of assembly/construction plansc) reporting and interpreting of laboratory resultsd) research synthesis (written)

2) Project managementa) time/team managementb) designc) constructiond) testing

“process” (cont.)

3) Experimentationa) measurementb) application of principlesc) application of data

4) Toolsa) approximationb) statisticsc) computer software

i) simulationii) spreadsheet/presentationiii) graphics/drawing

Expose yourself to engineering!