| Unit name | Microwave Engineering |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EENGM5021 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Emeritus Professor. Railton |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None. |
| Co-requisites |
None. |
| School/department | Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering |
| Faculty | Faculty of Engineering |
The unit covers the basic theory and practice of microwave circuits and systems, and aims to give students an appreciation of the range of techniques currently used. A treatment of the different microwave components used in systems ranging from handheld radios to industrial microwave heating units is given. These include waveguides, micro-stripline, finline, waveguide junctions and directional couplers. An overview of available computer-aided design techniques will be given in order to give the student sufficient knowledge to choose the best method and tool for a specified purpose. A brief outline of the Finite Difference Time Domain method and the Method of Moments will be given.
Elements:
Microwave Engineering Principles Prof C.J. Railton
Review of Maxwell's equations, plane waves and boundary conditions.
Reflection of plane waves at single and multiple material interfaces.
Waveguides, waveguide modes, microstrip, coplanar line and finline.
Waveguide discontinuities, stored energy in evanescent modes.
Theory and application of the S matrix.
Theory and practice of the directional coupler.
Computational methods for microwave circuit analysis.
Introduction to the Method of Moments.
Introduction to the Finite Difference Time Domain technique
Project Phase
The project contains a research or investigative element which allows you to demonstrate individual talent and intellectual ability. It attempts to mirror a research and/or development project of the type you might encounter upon graduation and as such contains elements of project planning and budgetary control. The project report also provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate report structuring and writing skills.
Teaching takes place over two Semesters, the first lasting for weeks 1-12 and the second for weeks 13-24. Exams normally commence in week 25 and last for approximately three weeks. The remainder of the programme is then dedicated to full-time work on the research project.
Taught phase
The taught units and their associated assessments (including examinations) occur in the first 35 weeks and the research project runs full-time during the latter 15 weeks of the programme. The taught material is presented over 2 Semesters, each 12 weeks in duration; excluding the Christmas and Easter vacations of 8 weeks in total. Further, the examinations are held May/June each year over a 3 week period. During the second Semester you will commence the background reading phase of your research project. The taught material is arranged in units extending over a 12-week period (a Semester), typically with 2 lectures per week, each of 50 minutes duration.
The Laboratory
Laboratory activities are scheduled for two afternoons a week during the first two terms, although you may not have labs scheduled in all sessions. Predominantly, these will take place in the MSc Laboratory. Precise details of activities and a laboratory timetable will be provided separately by the Programme Tutor and will also be available online at: https://www.bris.ac.uk/eeng/intranet/pg/msc
Taught Phase
The assessment of this material is via a combination of continuous assessment (usually laboratory assignments) and formal examination.
Laboratory work
At various times throughout the year you will be asked to write about an aspect of your laboratory. Unless otherwise instructed, you will be asked to submit this either as a Technical Note (TN) or as a Full Report (FR). In either case the report should be written on an individual basis even if the lab was performed in groups. A TN is briefer than an FR: you should refer to The Guidelines on Writing Technical Reports (Section 2.4) for more information on their structure and content. As an approximate guide, we suggest that a TN should be 1000 words plus diagrams etc., whereas a FR should be 3000 words plus diagrams etc. Our time calculations are based on you spending (at most) 12 hours writing a TN and (at most) 24 hours writing a FR. Where appropriate, your laboratory notebook will also be inspected from time to time by a member of staff or a demonstrator. Coursework or laboratory assessments will normally contribute 10-20% of the total unit assessment (see unit breakdown information on the MSc website for specific unit details): http://www.bris.ac.uk/eeng/intranet/units/programmes.html
Project phase assessment
Interim report assessment
The interim report will be independently assessed by both your supervisor and an assessor (these will be notified in advance). The assessment will be based on the following criteria:
Presentation and interview
Poster presentation
This will be performed by two members of staff who will undertake the assessment separately. They will first read through your poster and then ask you a number of questions relating to the work described. You will be given the opportunity to present any demonstrations you have prepared.
Pozar, D.H. Microvave Engineering
