The creative use of genetic algorithms. Computers evolve into theartistic realm

Electrical engineers play an important role in developing new tools to enhance the creative process. One of the most creative tools ever developed was the computer. Anyone can create art, music, or literature using a computer and the many software tools on the market. Of course, not all creations are equal. Just because the computer spits out the creation doesn't mean it's good. Spelling and grammar checkers make many documents more readable but these tools certainly don't transform them into works of art. Can a computer actually improve a work of art? Improving is synonymous with optimizing. Optimization implies that some inputs to an experiment, model or mathematical function can be varied so that the outcome or result is the best it can be. What better optimization tool to use for the creative process than one that is based on natural selection-the genetic algorithm (GA). Genetic algorithms mimic nature by combining genetics and natural selection on a computer to find optimum solutions. They have proven useful in areas ranging from stock market analysis to satellite design. These algorithms are relatively easy to understand. To demonstrate their power and versatility for enhancing creativity, we use a genetic algorithm to create art and music with the help of human input     

The performance specification of transmission line protection using a knowledge-based approach

This paper introduces an automated approach to transmission line protection design for implementation in the form of a performance specification. The need for automation is the result of the increased complexity of interconnected power systems and despite numerous proprietary computer programs, the analysis of power system behavior requires significant engineering time and effort. Many scenarios have to be investigated before selecting and setting a protective relay and its equipment. By automating the running of the various computer programs and analyzing the results in a specific manner, the design scenarios can be investigated relatively quickly, cover all possible cases, remove protection design redundancy, preserve protection design methods, and assure consistency in protection system design. Additionally, by changing the system loading to some future anticipated value, it can be determined if specified relays and their equipment can be adjusted or will have to be replaced. It is also clear that such a design tool is useful in training system protection design engineers.     

Required: Three Hours in Technical Communications-Paradigm for a Paradox

It seems paradoxical that industry indicates that engineers need communications skills, and universities appear to agree, but that universities allocate very little time in the curriculum to train engineers in written communications. This paper identifies that paradox and stresses that in response to limitations of time, the technical communications teacher must design an introductory course which reflects current research in communications and teaching methodology. The course must serve the engineering student efficiently and effectively. One such design for the beginning course is presented. Centering the introductory course on the feasibility report and shorter accompanying reports serves the engineer by permitting the design of a report which serves the reader. Such design demonstrates the writing process and dramatizes the relationship between the student-writer and the reader-client.     

The Reading Habits of Engineers a Preliminary Survey

According to the results of a preliminary survey, about half of the engineers in the aerospace and avionics industry read a professional society journal, about half read at least one of the review journals, about two-thirds read the more serious technical magazines, and about one-quarter read technical contract reports issued by firms or agencies other than their own. The 1765 returns obtained from 2200 questionnaires distributed (2000 in the Military Products Group of Honeywell, Inc., and 200 in three divisions of the Martin Company) indicate that certain groups, such as supervisors, authors of signed articles or symposium papers, and engineers holding advanced degrees, read much more than engineers in general do. Supervisors depend more on technical magazines than other groups do, and authors and advanced degree holders depend more on professional journals and review journals than others do. On the whole, nonsupervisory engineers who have won awards for exceptional creativity read much more than the average. The encouragement of the reading of at least certain classes of periodicals should advance the cause of continuing education, but a number of questions remain to be answered.     

Engineering Design and Social Value

Because of the exponential growth of science and technology, the engineering student cannot hope to take more than a small sub-set of the many engineering courses available to him. The question often arises about the degree to which engineering students should find room in their cramped study schedule for work in the humanities, the social sciences, and other nonengineering topics. The engineer is faced with making value decisions in the realistic practice of his profession. In this paper, it is shown that making value decisions is inherent in the design process itself. It is also shown that the engineer's position in modem society is often at the right hand of major decision makers. Since many engineers are in a position where they cannot avoid sharing responsibility for decisions affecting social, political, and economic change, serious training in these areas appears desirable.     

An innovative industry-university partnership to enhance university training and industry recruiting in power engineering

Many universities have in the late 1990s reduced the number of courses in power engineering, preferring to devote their resources to other areas such as information technologies. This comes at a time when it is predicted that a significant number of engineers will be retiring in the next decade, in some utilities, more than a third. A leading utility in generation, transmission, and distribution, has therefore taken the initiative, with the help of six local universities and the support of local industry, to create and finance an Institute of Electrical Power Engineering to train and recruit students, and allow universities to offer comprehensive programs in this discipline. Innovative aspects include the development of a specialized program of courses and laboratories common to participating universities, the active involvement of industry in program development, and instruction and the introduction of incentives such as scholarships, industrial projects, and internships.     

Microprocessor Education in Industrial and Systems Engineering

The microprocessor represents one of the most important technological advances of the past decade. The engineer who understands the microprocessor and knows how to use it in industrial applications will be a leader in his firm. Many industries are installing microprocessors for automating plant production functions such as assembly, production control, inventory accounting, and quality control. Since most industrial and systems engineers will be working in environments where such systems are designed, sold, or installed, it is extremely important that they have a working knowledge of microprocessor oriented systems. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of an introductory course on applications of microprocessors offered by the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department at the University of Florida. Substantial effort was required to develop teaching materials and laboratory equipment to support the course. The authors hope that the information presented in this paper will aid other faculty and schools in developing their own courses in this area.     

The Education and Professional Development of Engineering Faculties

The goal of engineering education is to train students to enter the practice of engineering. To accomplish this, there must be a faculty which is itself well-educated and adept at the practice of engineering, as well as a sympathetic environment, adequately equipped with appropriate facilities. Today's rapid technological progress renders earlier developments obsolete. The engineer, therefore, must be alert to adapt to his purposes the latest and most powerful advances of scientific knowledge. The failure of the faculty to keep up this pace has resulted in an inability to cope with the implication of scientific advances and a lack of communication between the educator and his counterpart in industry and development laboratories. By default, the scientist has had to step in to assume engineering responsibilities; thus the training of our engineers all too often has become a function of industry and development centers. If industry and science continue to take over this responsibility, we need a searching examination to determine the cause of our inadequacy. Our faculties and institutions must maintain an adequate and identifiable program of engineering education, or our role will become precarious and ambiguous. At the heart of the problem are the opportunities, or lack of them, provided for engineering faculties to continue their educational and professional development. A total program of faculty education and professional development will include: 1) research and development investigations, 2) consulting, 3) internal educational activities, and 4) external educational activities.     

The Development of Design Capability in Young Engineers

The design of an educational system to develop design capabilities in young graduate engineers is described. The system emphasizes the concepts of design, the application of engineering theory, interdisciplinary fundamentals, design problems, and an actual finished design project. The effectiveness of the system was evaluated using creativity tests, self-administered attitude questionnaires, and peer ratings. A control group of peers was matched with the system group to provide a measure of relative improvement. Exposure to the system developed factors in the students that are exhibited by experienced design engineers.     

Bhopal, Asbestos, and Love Canal . . . How They Should Affect Engineering Education

Over the past 15 years, society has come to expect that engineers, as practitioners and managers, be aware of those activities over which they have control, that could adversely affect the public's well-being. Specifically, due to incidents such as Love Canal, Times Beach, Bhopal, and Chernobyl, and the pollution of groundwater, the public now recognizes that technology which is within the control of others can, if mishandled, jeopardize the health and well-being of thousands of innocent people. This realization will undoubtedly place increasing pressures on engineers to be more aware of the potential adverse consequences of their work. This paper suggests that schools of engineering have a responsibility to prepare engineers to meet these expectations and it recommends an approach to meet this challenge.     

Turbidity sensing as a building block for smart appliances

The US Department of Energy standards for laundry and dishwashers are expected to be announced soon for appliances built after Jan. 1, 1999. To meet these high-efficiency targets, the OEM designers are searching for practical solutions to improve the efficiency of these appliances. The availability of turbidity sensing on appliances will provide design engineers with a way to determine how soiled a particular load of clothes or dishes may be so engineers can then create a control system that adapts the operation of the machine to save water, time, and energy, while providing superior cleaning performance. Because of this capability, the turbidity sensor is emerging as a key building block developing the next generation of energy-efficient “smart” appliances. This article is intended to provide some insight to the origin of turbidity sensing, improvements to the technology since its introduction, and its relative importance to the appliance industry today. Different turbidity sensor configurations are discussed, along with practical design issues the engineer will need to address     

软件体系结构的思想在VEE编程中的应用

随着自动测试系统的发展和应用,自动测试系统为企业和研发机构的测试节省了大量的时间和资源,而由于测试项目的复杂和需求的不断变化,快速构建一个令人满意的测试系统,提高工作效率成为众多测试系统编程人员的梦想。通过实际工作经验结合软件体系结构的思想,提出了在使用VEE进行编程时使用软件体系结构的各种体系结构,通过使用清晰合理的结构,提高构件的可替代性和可移植性,加快测试系统的编程效率,使编程工作更有条理性、便于调试和减少重复工作等。     

Electrical heat tracing: international harmonization-now and in thefuture

In the past, electrical heat tracing has been thought of as a minor addition to plant utilities. Today, it is recognized as a critical subsystem to be monitored and controlled. A marriage between process, mechanical, and electrical engineers must take place to ensure that optimum economic results are produced. The Internet, expert systems, and falling costs of instrumentation will all contribute to more reliable control systems and improved monitoring systems. There is a harmonization between Europe and North America that should facilitate design and installation using common components. The future holds many opportunities to optimize the design     

How to develop an effective training program

This article will address some of the basic concepts for developing a training program that would be needed for qualifying electrical maintenance employees. The typical method utilized for developing such an effective training program is the systematic approach to training (SAT) and instructional systems design (ISD) methodology. The analysis phase of the ISD will be the primary focus of this article and will address several key elements which include the requirements for a qualified person, as well as conducting a needs assessment, job/task analysis (JTA), and job hazards analysis to develop and maintain an effective and safe work force.     

Designing industrial systems with a weak utility supply

A number of issues related to successful power system design practices for maximum harmony between industrial energy users, their utility suppliers and the local community are discussed in this article. In many cases, industrial power system engineers concentrate on “the plant side of the meter” and utility engineers concentrate on “the utility side of the meter“. The authors show, however, that it is important for the industrial power engineer to be aware of the utility perspective and vice verse. If not, design flaws may not appear until production begins. Problems occurring at startup that were not anticipated will require significant investments, not necessarily monetary, by all parties involved     

Minority Women in Engineering Schools

A decade ago the general public had a very nebulous concept of an engineer. It ranged from one who drove a train to one who collected garbage-a sanitation engineer. Those who were more knowledgeable about engineers still looked upon them as people doing a highly specialized job but who had little other talent. Although engineering has gained prestige and made fantastic contributions to technology during the last decade, there still exist some very great inequities. One of the most significant of these is engineering education as it relates to the black female and to other minority groups studying both for an undergraduate and a graduate degree in some field of engineering.     

Biomedical engineering: the career of choice

In the author's opinion, the biomedical engineer is ideally trained to work at the intersection of science, medicine, and mathematics to solve biological and medical problems, so that a university degree in biomedical engineering will prepare you for many professions. The following questions are explored: What do biomedical engineers do? How do biomedical engineers differ from other engineers? How much education does a biomedical engineer require? How can a high school education prepare me for studies in biomedical engineering? What types of university courses will prepare me to be a biomedical engineer? What kind of practical experience can I expect to gain while training? Where do I get more information?.     

Engineering strategies for drug delivery

A drug is a molecule that changes physiological functions when absorbed into the cells or tissues of a living organism. It can be used to treat, cure, prevent, or diagnose diseases or to enhance physical or mental health. However, the discovery of a drug is an expensive, long, and challenging process. It can take 15 years for a big pharmaceutical company to spend more than US$500 million for developing a new drug. Despite the high cost, many drugs themselves can only provide the human being with modest desired effects. Moreover, almost all drugs can cause side effects when they act in the body. Therefore, there is a clear need to maximize the efficacy of a drug and simultaneously reduce its side effects. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to find a way to help drugs to primarily reach the target area of the body (e.g., solid tumors). Drug delivery is the right discipline for studying methods for administering drugs in a safe and efficient manner. The success of this discipline relies on different expertises from chemists, biologists, and engineers. In this special issue of IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, we will particularly illustrate the significance of engineering knowledge in drug delivery through a collection of six articles from experts in the field.     

Ethical considerations in engineering design processes

Engineering ethics involves a broad range of (ethical) issues. In this article, we focus on the specific area of engineering ethics pertaining to engineering design. We believe that engineering design constitutes an interesting starting point for ethical issues in engineering, both for educational and research purposes. So far, there has not been much systematic research on ethical aspects in engineering design and on how engineers deal with such aspects. Engineering design is also an interesting topic to research from the point of view of engineering ethics because design is one of the main activities in which engineers are involved. Moreover, technology has social and ethical implications, mainly because of the kinds of products produced, which are the eventual outcomes of design processes. We focus on two ethical aspects of design processes: the formulation of design requirements and criteria, and the acceptance of tradeoffs between different design criteria. When calling an aspect of the design process “ethical”, we have used the following criteria: the aspect of the design process is connected to, or brings about possible negative consequences, for people other than the designers involved; more or less generally accepted values or norms are at stake; and the norms and values of the different engineers involved in the design clash with each other