/r/LearnEngineering

Photograph via snooOG

Have a simple or even complex question about engineering? Ask it here! Did you learn something new about engineering you didn’t know before? Share it with everyone here!

This is a place for anyone wanting to know more about an engineering concept, anyone to ask for help, or to maybe post a cool new concept you just learned that you think others may enjoy.

RULES

  • Rule 1: Posts must be engineering related This one is self-explanatory
  • Rule 2: No career related posts This is exactly the problem with r/AskEngineers. If you do have a post that is somewhat career related but you think is still a necessary question that belongs here, message the mods!

If you want to initiate an AMA, or post a question that technically breaks rule 2 but you think it's a necessary question, ask the mods!

Most engineering students need a little bit of help when it comes to suggested problem sets and almost all of the problems can be found on two expensive websites: CourseHero and Chegg. For a cheaper service, we recommend CourseHeroUnlocker.com

/r/LearnEngineering

5,777 Subscribers

1

Need help on project involving purely Mechanical Mechanism for Matching “Keys” to Unlock a Multi-Stage Safe

Hi everyone, I’m working on a project that involves designing a purely mechanical system for a unique locking mechanism. The system would require inserting a set of “keys” (pegs, pins, or similar objects) into a panel to match against a predefined “code” within the lock. I’m not a formally educated engineer, it’s more of a hobby of mine. There are a lot more details on the project that I don’t wanna reveal here that I would love some more input/suggestions on so please PM me if you’d like to help. Thanks!

0 Comments
2024/11/30
05:19 UTC

1

Need help on prosthetic hand project

Hey, im 16 y old, and Ive been given a project at school to design a prosthetic hand (functional), and build and program it to clench and do other basic motions, for an engineering competition. Ive started designing it using fusion 360 at a very basic level, and im learning about it as I go. However, apart from the designing, I was wondering if anyone could help me with the actual buiding of the model- for example what materials are good, what parts are needed, or good ideas to move the fingers and hand itsel (using fishing wire/motors or using motorized joints...) in order to help me get a clearer idea of how to move on with the project. Thanks!

0 Comments
2024/11/06
22:22 UTC

2

My small team and I are working on an app called Edvancium, designed to make learning truly personalized, tailored to your needs, background, and interests

In Edvancium, you can choose and learn any topic you’re interested in. We’re actively developing right now and really need feedback from users across different fields, as we want to be sure we’re creating a great product that meets the needs of learners from various areas. Because of this, I’d love to reach out specifically to the engineering community for your insights and input!

We’re still in the early stages and would be incredibly grateful for any feedback to help us keep improving. If this sounds like something you’d enjoy, we’d love for you to give it a try!

If this sounds like something you’d like to explore, Edvancium is live on both the App Store and Google Play.

Thanks so much in advance – your input really means the world to our team!

4 Comments
2024/10/29
15:10 UTC

3

How do I find evening classes or online school that teaches mechanical engineering?

I graduated in 2008 so I'm far from being a student, but now I need to know the following topics for my job, and I don't know what classes to take and where:

  • Lagrangian mechanics and dynamic equations
  • Coriolis force
  • Baumgarte's stabilization technique
  • Gauss's principle of least constraint
  • Optimization
  • d'Alembert's principle
  • Phase diagram of a feedback controlled system
  • State-space diagram of a feedback controlled system
  • Linear Quadratic Regulator theory
  • Linearizing non-linear models about a fixed point
  • Eigenvalues
  • Partial Feedback linearization

Traditional classes are in session during the time I'm working so I need online/remote/private tutoring, or something like that.

Does anyone have suggestions on what to do? I emailed a few tutors and the math department of my local community college, but they were not familiar with this material.

0 Comments
2024/10/24
23:42 UTC

5

First Vid!

Hey guys first post on this sub - am really interested in learning engineering, and so thought it would be cool to share a video that I made - I'd really appreciate any feedback as I am trying to refine how I approach engineering as a whole! Thanks! https://youtu.be/mbV3OxvB0GE?si=ePMa8L54ouMwf6Qe

0 Comments
2024/10/05
09:37 UTC

1

Transforming Engineering Education: VR Labs Now at Lincoln College International!

0 Comments
2024/09/11
06:48 UTC

1

Minor in AI from IIT ropar real??

has anyone heard about this minor in AI from IIT ropar course? is it really ?

2 Comments
2024/07/24
16:44 UTC

13

Platforms for learning mechanics of engineering?

I wanted to know if there was any platform that would help me learn mechanics of materials as shown in the photo in some interactive way. Please let me know if you are aware of any. thanks

3 Comments
2024/07/22
05:40 UTC

1

Visual Explanation of a Multiplexer With Logic Gate Diagram (Digital Logic Part 15)

0 Comments
2024/07/14
13:15 UTC

1

Digital Logic - Convert Decimal Numbers To Binary Using Logic Gate Encoder

0 Comments
2024/07/12
17:00 UTC

2

What's a good scratch resistant transparent plastic?

There is a project that I'm lightly involved in attempting to make a replica of the type 66 Hoon from cyberpunk 2077. The project is currently attempting to find a way to make a windshield that can hold up to scratches from wipers and air pressure from highway driving. We've looked into using polycarbonate but we think it might scratch too easily and may bend from the pressure of high speed driving. Is there a solution here we're missing (aside from using glass that would likely be too expensive)

1 Comment
2024/06/16
21:34 UTC

3

Where do I start?

I’ve been wanting to learn various different types of engineering, like Structural, Mechanical, Chemical, Automotive, etc

Where would I go to start learning? I can’t really afford college tuition, so I was wondering if there was any online resources to learn the basics so I can take it from there

2 Comments
2024/05/30
17:36 UTC

6

Is it possible to do hand calcs to find the reaction forces on rivets in a complex liquid storage tank?

Hello

I am currently doing an internship with a structural engineering company over the summer.

I have been tasked with performing "hand calcs" to determine the reaction forces on the rivets in a liquid storage tank.

The tank has asymmetrical complex geometry, internal pressure, thermal loading, and remote loading acting on it.

When I try to use methods I have learnt in material science/Statics/mechanics of materials, I have to make too many assumptions that yield clearly inaccurate and incorrect results. When trying to incorporate the complexities, I seem to have to use FEA.

Is it even possible to do this kind of calculation without software? Or am I overcomplicating the task? I have been studying/researching/attempting for the past week and cannot come up with a proper solution.

Any advice on how to proceed/how this works would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

1 Comment
2024/05/21
14:46 UTC

1

Need help understanding how to encode SPDIF / IEC958 frame synchronization preambles

I'm trying to make a Raspberry Pi transmit audio through HDMI from bare metal, and apparently its hardware only accepts data in the form of IEC958 subframes. After two days reading about the subject from various sources including ChatGPT and the source code of the Linux kernel, I believe that I have wrapped my head around how to craft most of a subframe except for one aspect: the 4-bit field for the synchronization preamble.

What I don't understand specifically is how to encode the 8 bit synchronization preamble in a field that is just 4 bit wide. Wikipedia states that it's not Biphase Mark Coded, but it doesn't seem to explain how to interpret it. A stackOverflow answer seems to mention that it's Manchester Coded, but it doesn't seem to be because, as I understand it, it is not possible to transmit more than 2 highs or lows in a row using the Manchester Code, and the 8 bit preambles have 3 in some cases

To test my generated frames without having to deal with other potential issues from going straight to bare metal, I'm using aplay on a Raspberry Pi 4 running Linux to which I'm piping a stream with two synthesized square waves with different pitches each one of them mapped to one of two channels. This works and sound comes out, but both tones are played simultaneously on both channels at half the pitch, which is why I believe that I need to encode the synchronization preamble.

The following is my code that synthesizes audio encapsulated in IEC958 frames (the synchronization preamble is set to 0x0 in all subframes):

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <stdint.h>
#include <unistd.h>

// Channel status values taken from https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux/blob/rpi-6.6.y/include/sound/asoundef.h
uint8_t cs[24] = {
    0x4, // Consumer, PCM audio, no copyright, no emphasis.
    0x50, // Software original source.
    0x0, // Channel (filled in later).
    0x22, // 48khz, 50ppm clock.
    0xd2, // 16 bit word length, 48khz original sample rate.
    0x0, // Copying always allowed.
};

int compute_parity(uint32_t val);

int main(void) {
    for (uint64_t count = 0; 1; ++ count) {
        int frame =count % 192;
        uint32_t val0 = ((count / 120) & 0x1) ? 0x3fff << 12 : 0xc000 << 12;
        uint32_t val1 = ((count / 80) & 0x1) ? 0x3fff << 12 : 0xc000 << 12;
        size_t byte =frame >> 3;
        size_t bit = count & 0x7;
        uint32_t csbit = (cs[byte] >> bit) & 0x1;
        val0 |= csbit << 30;
        val1 |= csbit << 30;
        // Fill in the channel information for channel 1.
        if (frame == 20) val1 |= 0x1 << 30;
        val0 |= compute_parity(val0) << 31;
        val1 |= compute_parity(val1) << 31;
        write(STDOUT_FILENO, &val0, sizeof val0);
        write(STDOUT_FILENO, &val1, sizeof val1);
    }
    return EXIT_SUCCESS;
}

int compute_parity(uint32_t val) {
    int parity = 0;
    for (int i = 4; i < 31; ++ i)
        parity += (val >> i) & 0x1;
    return parity & 0x1;
}

And this is how I run it on a Raspberry Pi 4 with Linux:

./wa | aplay -r 48000 -c 2 -f iec958_subframe_le -D hw:CARD=vc4hdmi0

Turns out that the problem is actually in the receiver, a Mac with an HDMI capture dongle. For reasons that I don't understand, MacOS is registering the dongle as having a single audio input whereas it actually has two, but is still mixing the audio coming from both channels which is weird. The same dongle on Linux works correctly and I get stereo audio from it without filling in the .synchronization preamble, so I guess that the hardware does that.

0 Comments
2024/04/18
21:10 UTC

1

What lock system do I use for my foldable basket self-project?

I am not an engineer but I want to make this basket that I could fold when I want to. It's gonna be made of several panels that could be folded. But I don't know what system I would use to make it lock or how to make them not slide against one another.

For more context, the idea is kinda like the pangolin bag

1 Comment
2024/03/31
12:54 UTC

2

Jet Set Go: Nicole Gui Explores VR Field Trips in Engineering Education

0 Comments
2024/03/19
12:17 UTC

1

Simulating Inverting Amplifier circuit in Multisim simulation software (Free Online sowtware)

0 Comments
2024/02/24
23:55 UTC

5

Multi-Dimensional Calculator... bring accuracy, efficiency and ease to your unitised calculations.

1 Comment
2024/02/23
08:38 UTC

1

Seeking Peer Input: What do YOU Need in Excel Templates for Energy, Sustainability, and Healthy Spaces for buildings?

Hello! I am an Engineer and small business owner looking to give back to the community through my business. While I have my own experience and assumptions, I'd like to get more data on Excel templates I am creating and the process improvement service I provide. I am looking to hear from professionals in Energy, Sustainability, and Healthy Spaces for buildings, ranging in knowledge from learning to expert.

If you are wondering who I am...The name of my company is itty bit Better. Our slogan is "If you make buildings better, we make you an itty bit Better." which we do through education and process improvement. (https://ittybitbetter.com/).

These questions will help me better understand what my target audience is looking for and if there are any gaps in the research I've done so far.

Below are 12 questions I came up with but please feel free to go off-script here. Anything and everything is helpful.

Thanks in advance!

  • How often do you use Excel templates in your work? What are their main purposes?
  • Have you tried creating your own Excel templates for building audits or sustainability reports? How time-consuming is this process for you?
  • Are there specific calculations, analyses, or data management tasks within energy, sustainability, and healthy spaces that you think are lacking effective Excel tools?
  • When you create your own Excel templates, what challenges do you face in making them user-friendly and shareable with others in your team or organization?
  • Given the choice between dedicating time to create standardized templates and focusing on other core engineering tasks, how do you prioritize? What factors influence this decision?
  • Are there specific calculations or analyses related to energy and sustainability in buildings that you find challenging to perform in Excel?
  • What value do you see in using a professionally designed Excel template for energy and sustainability projects, as opposed to creating one yourself?
  • Under what circumstances would you consider paying for an Excel template? What factors (like complexity, customization, support) would justify a purchase for you?
  • What are your main concerns when evaluating the cost versus the perceived benefits of paying for a process improvement service in Excel and Power BI?
  • What doubts do you have about the quality and effectiveness of external Excel and Power BI solutions compared to in-house developed tools?
  • Do you worry that externally developed tools might not be adequately customizable to meet your specific engineering needs?
  • Would you be interested in participating in the development of these tools, such as through beta testing or providing feedback on prototypes?
0 Comments
2024/01/16
00:59 UTC

0

Engineering 101 video series, thoughts on the format?

0 Comments
2024/01/13
21:07 UTC

1

It is worth pursing?

My question isn't if it is worth it for me to pursue engineering in terms of my interest, I know I have to answer that for myself.

My question is if it is worth pursuing engineering in terms of things like job security, practicality of obtaining a job, the demand for engineers, etc.

Would like to hear from everyone (college students all the way from people who have been in the field for many decades)

Top 3 disciplines for me are: Aerospace, Mechanical, and Electrical, if that helps with giving any good advice.

Also, what are some colleges with good engineering programs. Not limited on location

3 Comments
2024/01/03
00:33 UTC

21

Engineering-based YouTubers with good, educational content?

So, I'm imaging kind of a channel like Sam Sulek, where I can just listen to someone ramble on and teach me about the different things that come with engineering. Since that's kind of specific, though, I'm open to finding just other engineering channels in general.

Thank you!

9 Comments
2023/12/23
07:01 UTC

4

Recent Computer Engineering Graduate

Hi everyone! I have just graduated with an undergraduate degree in Computer Engineering. I had a relatively good GPA and a passion for engineering and programming. Now that I have graduated I am looking for opportunities in the field.

Given the fact that I love all the science involved in this field, I would love to get into tutoring. There are a lot of courses I can be of help. The courses are:

  1. Linear Algebra
  2. Calculus I
  3. Calculus II
  4. General Physics I
  5. General Physics II
  6. Discrete Mathematics
  7. Electric and Electronic Circuit
  8. Fundamentals of Probability
  9. Digital Design
  10. Numerical Analysis

This is just the list of science courses I am comfortable teaching. Then there are the course that are related to programming:

  1. C/C++ Programming
  2. Java Programming
  3. Object Oriented Programming
  4. Computer Organization
  5. Database Management Systems
  6. Data Structures
  7. Computer Networks
  8. Web Technologies and Programming
  9. Parallel Programming
  10. Data Mining
  11. Software Engineering
  12. Operating Systems
  13. Artificial Intelligence
  14. Digital Multimedia

Considering the projects I have developed and the papers I have been part of, I can get into more details privetaly if you are interested in anything I am offering.

I have also several projects and course notes I would like to sell. Do not get me wrong, I want to get a masters degree and I am saving to avoid debt and student loans. I would really appreciate it if you can at least read this post and maybe recommend this to someone who needs help in university.

0 Comments
2023/12/11
02:36 UTC

2

How do I look at a differential equation and then transform it into something 3D software can approximate?

I'm interested in running simple simulations of reaction-diffusions on various, often simple smooth surfaces like spheres or cubes to model corrosion or accretion. So I googled reaction diffusion-equations and found this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reaction%E2%80%93diffusion_system .

Then I found a youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COMvgTLTw6g

which gives me two sets of time-step looking equations or iterative-looking equations which allegedly approximate reaction-diffusion behavior.

This leaves me with a big conundrum: how am I supposed to look at the reaction-diffusion equations, then come up with a plan for how a 3D software program can simulate them? How did the person in that video know or come up with that approximation method, starting from the differential equations?

0 Comments
2023/11/16
20:26 UTC

1

Rubber band stretching based on length, how to approximate or model?

I don't know much about the engineering or physics of strain and rubber-ness, I'm wondering is someone might offer insights, starting with a basic scenario.

Let's say I have a rubber band, or rubber rope, and it's rest length is 7 centimeters, and let's assume it's incapable of breaking if you stretch it too much.

Now, let's then say by some mechanism, it gets stretched to 15 centimeters.

1.) What then is the math behind calculating how much force that it tries to pull back with along each point of the band? Does the force pull uniformly across each point? Or, is the pullback force greater at the very end, where your hand would be pulling it from? What are the input parameters based on the type of rubber material?

2.) To an outside observer, let's say after it's stretched 15 centimeters, you attach a rock or something to the end of it just for fun, or if you're a masochist or something like that. Well, how much is that rock going to accelerate as the band contracts? Is the added mass of the rock going to slow down the speed the rubber band contracts? By how much?

2 Comments
2023/11/14
00:27 UTC

7

A 3-year journey to develop a robotics learning tool for everyone

I'm a PhD student in robotics. For the past 3 years, I've been pursuing the journey of developing a learning kit that makes robotics a less frightening and easy field to get started. Throughout this journey, my colleagues and I have been talking to hundreds of students and Professors while continuously iterating the kit design and learning materials. Now that it's finally coming together, I'm thrilled to introduce this project to you.

https://preview.redd.it/54c8skamdnxb1.png?width=1834&format=png&auto=webp&s=00006f5318e9cecd2c85e2cad3c79f38c5b639c7

The kit is a quadruped robot, that can shape-shift to humanoid and other forms. It has most peripherals commonly found in robotic projects, and enough for beginner to advanced-scale applications: WiFi, Bluetooth, motor controller, battery charger, speaker, microphone, inertial measurement unit, RGB LED matrix display, micro SD card, etc.

Some other advantages of this robot includes:

🔩 Modular Design: Easy to assemble and modify, easy to extend electronically and mechanically while still looking awesome (source all included).

📚 Educational Resources: Tutorials, docs, and online support for a smooth learning journey. We are targeting 200 lessons, and already at 20%. We also provide different engineering tracks to choose from: (1) robot kinematics and dynamics, (2) machine learning/AI and (3) Internet of Things.

🤖 Convenience: The bot comes with a coding portal embedded, simply connect via WiFi and the portal will load up on any device, any browser. You can then go ahead and code your application (in Python or block programming).

With the vision to make STEM education more accessible, we decided to open-source (OSHWA certified) the entire design, including blueprints, design source files, source code and example learning materials. If you're excited, check out the GitHub repository here for more details.

In addition, we also decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign for this robot to put in a bulk order for the electronics, making it even more affordable for students and educators. Your support means the world to us, and I hope that we can continue this journey through your help.

Thank you and I hope that robotics will gradually become a field that's not too hard to get started for everyone! 🤖🚀

https://preview.redd.it/y0xknfrndnxb1.png?width=3138&format=png&auto=webp&s=f1da5b73607d24b82d18d9f1b04506e2b4a3c17f

https://preview.redd.it/a2pct0ipdnxb1.jpg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=70a4e4eb6430fa597b6b9f6851c4d0e9cf06cc64

7 Comments
2023/11/01
02:29 UTC

4

What would you recommend for a "MacGyver" reading list/curriculum?

I'm not an engineer, don't think I'll ever be one, either. I do like the idea of being MacGyver-esque, though - knowing how things work, being the kinda guy who'd be able to pull off stuff like what Frank Morris did in that Alcatraz film, etc. Think "handy, but a level up." I'm well aware that I'll need to do a lot of hands-on tinkering & messing around, but there's two issues there:

  1. Costs money to mess around - you need tools, things to mess around on, etc. I'm real low on funds right now, so while like I said, I realize hands-on tinkering is a necessity for my goal, some "directed" tinkering would be in order.
  2. From googling for similar reddit posts to to this one before asking, I've learned two things everyone seems to agree on:
  3. Welders/fab guys can make pretty much whatever they want.
  4. The fundamentals of engineering are there for a reason - they help you make sense of the on-the-job learning you'll do. So with that in mind, and remembering that I probably won't need quite as much theory & math as real engineers - although feel free to correct me if I'm wrong there - what kinda theory/meta stuff should I look at?

In an effort to be proactive, I've included some books that I think might be good for my purposes. Note I have no criteria past a gut feeling when it comes to selecting this stuff, and I also don't know what order I should read anything in. So, here we go:

That's all I got, so far. I look forward to any and all help you guys can give me, I kinda doubt this sorta "teach me how to be a capable protagonist like in L'Île mystérieuse" thing isn't what the sub is for.

3 Comments
2023/09/29
16:46 UTC

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