Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

Department of Mechanical Engineering

School of Engineering Technology

 

ME59700

Systems and Specialty Engineering

 

I.       Instructor(s):

 

            Dr. Dan C. Surber, ESEP                                            Mr. Larry Hopp, CPL

            Engineering Fellow                                                      Logistics Manager, Retired

            Raytheon Technical Services Company, LLC            Home email: llhopp@comcast.net

            Home email: docsmurf74@gmail.com

                                                                                               

II.      COURSE DESCRIPTION AND RATIONALE:

 

Course Description:

This course offers an examination of the interaction between the principles of systems engineering and the “design for” specialty engineering areas. The focus of their interactions is viewed across the system life cycle. Special emphasis is given to contributions of the specialties to the essential knowledge development needed for concept exploration, requirements analysis and development, trade offs and decisions with uncertainty, preliminary design ,system integration, verification, and system validation. The students will use the international space station and its support systems for practical application of the principles introduced in this course. This is the second of two courses in systems engineering and is dependent upon successfully completing the GRAD-590 Introduction to Systems Engineering. There is a 15% overlap between these two courses.

 

Course Rationale:

Systems engineering is a multi-disciplinary methodology for solving problems; for developing and delivering cost effective and reliable knowledge, goods, and services (products) that are based upon a total systems view of the customer/user’s stated Wants and. Needs. This introductory course to systems engineering explores the system life cycle, the application of the principles of systems engineering when incorporating the “design for” (specialties), and how the principles of the specialties are applied within the system life cycle. The student will establish a foundational understanding that will be highly useful across engineering disciplines and system domains. The focus of this course is to understand the purpose and principles of each “-ility” and how it contributes to application of systems engineering across the entire system life cycle. Practical in-class exercises, class discussions, mock design reviews, after-class readings, and reuse of the foundational textbook (previously introduced in the GRAD 590 INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEMS ENGINEERING) will enhance student learning and application of the key principles.

 

Prerequisites: Senior or Graduate Standing; and, GRAD590 INTRO TO SE has been completed.

III.     EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES:

Course Outcomes: After completion of this course, the students should be able to:

 

1. Define the specialty engineering disciplines, and how they apply to systems engineering, the system life cycle phases, and the product development life cycle phases.
2. Describe how the specialties contribute to the general phase gates and reviews that comprise a product development life cycle.
3. Describe how the specialty engineering disciplines apply to writing each of the four types of system requirements, how their elicitation is enhanced by integration of the specialties with the systems engineering discipline.
4. Write ‘good’ requirements from the perspective of the specialties, explain the characteristics of a ‘good’ specialties requirement, and their verification.
5. Define how the specialties are applied in systems engineering activities, beginning with concept exploration through the later phases of the product development life cycle to system acceptance and validation: functional analysis, decomposition, interface analysis, performance directly related to the specialties, requirements allocation and traceability, and verification planning.
6. Explain the key principles of each “-ilitie” and essential computations or decision making methods applicable to each discipline.
7. Describe the application of the specialties to the general methodology for trade offs and analysis of alternatives, economic analysis, and life cycle costs.
8. Demonstrate an understanding of how each “-ilitie” contributes to successful design reviews and program phase gate reviews, to effective technical project management, and to effective application of systems engineering principles.

 

IV.     COURSE CONTENT:

1. Course introduction, syllabus, grading, and approach to home work, tests, and class briefings. (1.15 hrs)
2. Introduction of the specialties as defined in the textbook, Part IV, (ch. 12-17 inclusive). (1.15 hrs)
3. Design for Reliability (chapter 12), measures for reliability, application to the system life cycle, analysis methods, and testing reliability. (3.75 hrs)
4. Design for Maintainability (chapter 13), measures for maintainability, application to the system life cycle, analysis methods, and testing maintainability. (3.50 hrs)
5. Design for Usability (Human Factors) (chapter 14), measures for usability, application to the system life cycle, analysis methods, and testing usability. (3.45 hrs)
6. Design for Logistics and Supportability (chapter 15), measures for L&M, application to the system life cycle, analysis methods, and testing L&M. (3.50 hrs)
7. Design for Producibility, Sustainability, and Disposability (chapter 16), measures for PS&D, application to the system life cycle, analysis methods, and testing PS&D. (3.75 hrs)
8. Design for Affordability (chapter 17), measures for affordability, application to the system life cycle, analysis methods, and testing affordability. (3.5 hrs)
9. Applying the specialties to systems engineering planning and organization (chapter 18). (1.15 hrs)
10. Understanding how the specialties contribute to Program Management, Control, and Evaluation (chapter 19). (1.15 hrs)
11. Class project briefings (oral & written work using principles from text book and class lectures, four Critical Design Reviews briefings and written assignment per student). (5 hrs)
12. Two (2) chapter tests are in-class (2.5 hrs).
13.  Six (6) quizzes are in-class (1 hr).

V.      REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED TEXTS:

 

TEXTBOOK:

Benjamin S. Blanchard and Wolter J. Fabrycky, Systems Engineering and Analysis, 5th ed., Prentice Hall International Series in Industrial and Systems Engineering, (Upper Saddle River, NJ), 2006.  ISBN-13: 978-0-13-221735-4

 

References (purchase is NOT REQUIRED):

 

Students may choose to join the International Council on Systems Engineering for the Student Fee of $10.00, and thus gain access to the 3^rd Edition of the INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook, the Primer on Metrics, SE Handbook ver. 4.0, and all of the proceedings from the last 21 years of international symposia on systems engineering. These benefits are good for an entire calendar year. [http://www.incose.org/]

 

Students may choose to download a free copy of the Defense Acquisition University manual on systems engineering, Systems Engineering Fundamentals, Defense Acquisition University Press, January 2001. [http://www.dau.mil/pubs/gdbks/sys_eng_fund.asp]

 

Charles S. Wasson, System Analysis, Design, and Development: Concepts, Principles, and Practices; Wiley-Interscience, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, NJ; 2006. ISBN-13 978-0-471-3933-7. [NOT a required text – highly useful for a career systems engineer, NOT testable]

 

VI.     EVALUATION AND GRADING:

Student briefings/class project reviews, in- class discussions, and homework constitutes 26.4% of the overall grade. Students will be graded on both their written and oral briefings submitted for the class project design reviews. There will be 5 quizzes, three chapter tests (each covering 3-4 chapters), and a final exam covering the full semester. Tests constitute 69.2% of the overall grade. Class participation constitutes 4.4% of the overall grade.

                 

Class Participation           4.85 %           80 points            Determined by the instructor

Homework                      10.91%          180 points            6 assignments @ 30 points each

Quizzes                          18.18 %          300 points           5 quizzes @ 60 points each           

Test 1 (3 chapters)         10.6 %           175 points            35 questions @ 5 points each

Test 2 (3 chapters)         10.6 %           175 points            35 questions @ 5 points each

FINAL EXAM                   30.3 %           500 points           100 questions @ 5 points each

In-class Project               14.6 %           240 points            4 reviews @ 60 points each

TOTAL                      100.0 %        1650 points                     

 

Grading Scale:

 

Grade	Minimum %
A+	97.0
A	93.0
A-	90.9
B+	85.1
B	83.0
B-	80.0
C+	77.0
C	73.0
C-	70.0
D+	67.0
D	63.0
D-	60.0
F	0.0

 

Notes:

• In the event the instructor is out of town on travel a guest lecturer will be arranged and class attendance is required. There is no extra credit. Failure to submit assignments on the date due results in zero (0) points.
• Quizzes and chapter tests will be timed and taken in class. The final exam will be given at the assigned date/time established by the university.
• Students are expected to complete all reading assignments prior to the class meetings to get the most out of lectures.
• There will be 30 class sessions, two per week; each session is of 1.3 hours duration, plus the final exam meeting (2.5 hrs).
• In-class contributions include coming to class prepared, asking good questions, answering questions well, attendance, quizzes, etc. Participation in class discussions is directly related to the class participation points.
• All quizzes, tests and final exam are open book, open notes, but no collaboration between students is allowed. Each quiz, test, and the final are time-limited exams. Time allowed is noted on each test.
• Students may collaborate on homework and class project design reviews but individual submittals from each student are required (since each student will have a different system element assigned to them for the course).
• The class project focuses on the International Space Station and its on-orbit modules. Each student will be assigned one of the modules for the purposes of homework and class project design review assignments.
• The course schedule is subject to change based upon instructor travel requirements. Reading assignments are posted, as well as schedules quizzes, homework, class project briefings, and tests.

 

VII.    BIBLIOGRAPHY:

The primary textbook (Blanchard & Fabrycky) has a bibliography, as well as listings of additional readings that will be used during the semester to broaden the student’s appreciation of the systems engineering domain. Wasson’s book (reference) also has a topical bibliography. In addition, the instructor will use current events from various periodicals such as Aviation Week, Avionics, NASA Tech Briefs, and INCOSE publications to challenge the students in class discussions and critical thinking skills.

 

Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism: Cheating and Plagiarism are Absolutely Not Tolerated at IUPUI.
The IUPUI Code of Ethics is based on the need for trust in an academic community. IUPUI email system is developed by and maintained for the welfare of its students, and all students should make sure that they read and understand the provisions outlined in the Student Handbook.

Any form of cheating on any test or final exam in the course will result in a zero score for the exam and also may result in an automatic "F" grade for the course. The case will be forwarded to the Dean of Students for appropriate disciplinary action.

· Any form of cheating/plagiarism on a homework or lab submission may result in both a zero score for the assignment, and a one-letter grade penalty in the course. The case may be forwarded to the Dean of Students for appropriate disciplinary action.

· Any form of cheating on a quiz will result in a zero score for that quiz. The case may be forwarded to the Dean of Students for appropriate disciplinary action.

· Cheating, or helping another student to cheat, are considered equal cases of academic dishonesty and will be dealt with as noted above.

· Giving another student access to your computer account, or negligently permitting another student to access your computer account constitutes cheating on your part if that other student copies any files that become implicated in a cheating case. Protect your account as if your academic career depends on it!

If you are confused as to the difference between helping each other (which is encouraged) and plagiarism (which will not be tolerated), please see your instructor. Please make sure that you are aware of the results of academic misconduct by reading the information from the Student Code of Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct at IUPUI.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT:

 

Disabilities Policy:
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all qualified students enrolled in this course are entitled to "reasonable accommodations." Please notify the instructor during the first week of class of any accommodations needed for the course. If you need any special accommodations due to a disability, please contact Adaptive Educational Services.

 

Email Responsibilities:

IUPUI considers email the official communication method and it is the student’s responsibility to manage their email account and ensure space is available for time critical communications. Check email frequently, reply promptly and keep the account capacity available for incoming communications. Assignments are to be submitted in class to the instructor. Student name, assignment name, and date are to be on each submittal. Refer to the official email policy on the IUPUI website for complete details.