Unit information: Electromagnetic Methods and Radiography in 2028/29

Please note: Programme and unit information may change as the relevant academic field develops. We may also make changes to the structure of programmes and assessments to improve the student experience.

Unit name Electromagnetic Methods and Radiography
Unit code EEMEM0021
Credit points 20
Level of study M/7
Teaching block(s) Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director Professor. Croxford
Open unit status Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)

None

Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)

None

Units you may not take alongside this one

None

School/department School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Faculty of Engineering

Unit Information

Why is this unit important?

Electromagnetic methods and Radiography are among the most important tools for Non-Destructive testing (NDT). They are widely employed industrially and even if a practitioner is not using them, they need to understand their capabilities and where they should be applied. This unit covers the fundamental science of electromagnetic inspection methods and Radiography and the application of this science to NDT. It gives students the experience of applying this knowledge to real world inspection problems in the area. This leaves students well equipped to understand two of the most common NDT techniques and their application.

How does this unit fit into your programme of study?

There are 6 widely employed fundamental NDT techniques that all practitioners in the field must be familiar with. This unit gives that grounding in two of the 6. The experience of applying them in the assessed exercises is also directly relevant to industrial practise leaving them well placed for a career in the field.

Your learning on this unit

An overview of content

This unit will provide you with the knowledge and application experience to understand Electromagnetic wave propagation in real world systems for inspection, how experimental eddy current systems are designed, simulation approaches for such systems, and the application and development of novel new methods in the field. It will explore why radiography is employed, how it may be optimised for inspections and the challenges and limitations inherent to it as an NDT technique.

How will students, personally be different as a result of the unit?

Students will know a range of EM and Radiographic techniques and how they are applied in practise. They will understand how signal processing may be used to improve measurements and how data may be used to quantify the state of real world structures..

They will be able to design inspections from briefing documents and select appropriate methodologies to yield the desired performance..

They will have developed programming skills directly applicable to NDT EM and Radiography problems.

Learning outcomes

Having completed this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Apply the fundamentals of EM and Radiographic systems for NDT
  2. Explain and select the most appropriate techniques for inspections
  3. Evaluate the performance of different techniques
  4. Report using industry-relevant methods

How you will learn

The unit is delivered by our partners at the University of Manchester.

The unit is delivered through a combination of 10 x 1 hour lectures on EM techniques, 10 x 1 hour lectures on Radiography and computer classes. These are delivered over two intensive teaching weeks. Lectures include demonstrations of both the experimental state of the art and current industrial best practise.

The structured exercises lead the students from no knowledge of the field to the final assessments in a gradual escalation. These exercise are designed to encourage the students to explore different approaches and learn through problem based methods that are directly industrially relevant.

How you will be assessed

Tasks which help you learn and prepare for summative tasks

The unit is assessed through a series of computing exercises of increasing complexity. These provide a clear path from initial ability to the final summative assessment. These are supported by formative assessment through informal discussions during completion to ensure students understand the end goal and how they will get there. There is a formal formative assessment half way through the course to give students explicit feedback on how they are performing towards the end goal.

Tasks which count towards your unit mark

There are two summative assessments, both to be submitted individually:

  • A report on the design and specification of an electromagnetic Eddy Current inspection, demonstrating its performance (50%, LOs 1,2,3).
  • A report on the design of a radiographic inspection and its processing approach to image an industrial part (50%, Los, 1,3,4).

These are both in the form of short reports designed to mimic those typically produced in industry.

When assessment does not go to plan

Re-assessment takes the same form as the original summative assessment.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EEMEM0021).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.

The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.