Electrical Engineering

Year I

ELECTRICAL
A Electrical engineering deals with the practical application of the theory of
electricity to the construction and manufacturing of systems, devices and assemblies
that use electric power and signals.

Electrical engineering can be divided into four main branches:

|Electric power and machinery |electronics

|communication and control |computers

Electric applications are used in many industrial areas including:

 Electric power and machinery  Medical imaging systems
 Electronic circuits  Robotics
 Control systems  Lasers
 Computer design  Radar
 Superconductors  Consumer electronics
 Solid-state electronics  Fibre optics

In recent years, the electronic computer has emerged as the largest application of
electrical engineering. However, another very large field is concerned with electric light
and power and their applications. Specialities within the field include the design,
manufacture, and use of turbines, generators, transmission lines, transformers,
motors, lighting systems and appliances.

B Electrical problems can be avoided by always using the right devices and taking
appropriate measures for electrical protection.

Electrical problems

ground fault |overcurrent |overload |short circuit

Electrical protection

dustproof – explosion proof – rainproof – raintight – watertight - weatherproof

Electrical devices

branch circuit - (circuit) breaker – cable – circuit – feeder – fixture – fuse – ground -
junction (electrical) box - panel board - service panel – switch - switch board

Question: How can electrical problems be avoided?

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Translate paragraph 1 into Portuguese.

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C Compounds are short ways of giving information. They are used to express the
complex ideas economically:

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 noun + noun. e.g. panel board (or panelboard) = a board consisting of a
number of panels.
 noun + adjective; e.g. explosion proof = material which cannot be
damaged by explosions.
 adverb + noun; e.g. overload = current which is greater than the load for
which the system or mechanism was intended.

TASKS
1 Express each of these ideas as a compound.
1 a board consisting of a number of panels.
2 material that does not (doesn’t) allow water to get into it.
3 material that doesn’t allow rain to get into it.
4 a board consisting of a number of electrical switches.
5 conductors which are perfect, conducting a current without a battery.
6 material that will not be damaged in an explosion.
7 Current which is greater than the load for which the system or mechanism was intended.
8 Material that doesn’t allow dust to get into it.

2 What is being described? Find a word or phrase from the page

opposite.

1 it produces a narrow beam of light and can be used to read barcodes in a supermarket,
play compact discs, etc.
2 a word to describe any piece of equipment made for a specific purpose.
3 A pulse of light, current or sound that is used to convey information.
4 A device that uses electromagnetic waves to calculate the distance of an object.
5 Glass fibres that are used for data transmission.
6 The study of how robots are made and used.
7 A circuit where the current has a choice of paths.
8 A situation where the electrical current takes an easier path than the one intended.
9 A piece of equipment that stops an electrical current if it becomes dangerous.
10 A connection point where several cables are connected.

ELECTRONICS
A Electronics is a branch of engineering and physics. It deals with the emission, behaviour,
and effects of electrons for the generation, transmission, reception, and storage of
information. This information can be audio signals in a radio, images (video signals) on a
television screen, or numbers and other data in a computer. Electronic systems are important
in communication, entertainment and control systems.

Electronic circuits consist of interconnections of electronic components, at the heart of which

are semiconductors. Transistors, which are made of silicon or germanium, are made from
semiconductors. Commercial products range from cellular radiotelephone systems and video
cassette recorders to high performance supercomputers and sophisticated weapons systems.
In industry, electronic devices have led to dramatic improvements in productivity and quality.
For example, computer-aided-design (CAD) tools facilitate the design of complex parts, such
as aircraft wings, or intricate structure, such as integrated circuits.

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B The development of microelectronics has had a major impact on the electronics industry.
Electronic components are expected to deliver ever higher performance, while electronic circuits
continue to benefit from miniaturization.

Function of electronic circuits

amplification – demodulation – electronic processing – generation – information extraction –

modulation – radio wave – recovery (of audio signal)

Electronic components

absorb – active – battery – capacitor – diode – energy – generator – inductor – resistor –

transducer – transistor – vacuum tube (AmE) – valve (BrE)
Impacts

device size – digitization – fidelity – high speed – increasing reliability – manufacturing cost –
storage capacity – storage system – ultrahigh image definition

C One way of increasing your vocabulary is to learn the associated words from a key word.
Look at the word table below, which shows words related to the key words presented above:

Noun Verb Adjective

activation activate active
amplification amplify amplified
emission emit emitted
entertainment entertain entertaining
extraction extract extracted
generation generate generative
integration integrate integrated/integrative
reception receive receptive
recovery recover recovered
reliability rely reliable
storage store stored
transmission transmit transmittable/transmissible
TASKS

1. Translate into Portuguese the concept of electronics.

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2. Choose the correct word in the following sentences.

a. Transistors/inductors are the key component in electronics.
b. They consist of three layers of silicon semiconductor/superconductor.
c. All electronic/electrical systems consist of input, a processor and output, and usually
memory.
d. The input receives/resists and converts information while the output converts and
supplies electronically processed information.
e. The memory may not be present in simple systems, but its function is the
storage/transmission of information for the processor.
f. Continue developments in electronics give us increased reliability/recovery in
electronic devices.
g. Electronic equipment controls microprocessors/microwaves in, for example, weapons
systems, cellular radiotelephone systems and domestic appliances.

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h. Electronic devices have improved our lives by providing high quality
communication/combination and entertainment.
3. Use the word in brackets to form a word which fits in the sentence.
a. The weak audio signal entering a radio is ________________ by the _______________ thus
making it audible. (amplify)
b. Computer games are just one example of electronic systems being used for
_______________. (entertain)
c. Due to developments in mobile telecommunications systems, a new ________________ of
mobile phone is now available. (generate)
d. IC stands for ______________ circuit. (integrate)
e. Computer software is ______________ if it does what the manual says it should. (rely)
f. One area of electronics is concerned with the ________________ of information. (store)
g. The _________________ of signals to satellites is made by microwaves. (transmit)
h. A computer chip is capable of holding vast amount of _____________ information. (store)
i. ___________________ of speech was first carried out through _________________ of the
amplitude of a radio signal. (transmit, modulate)
j. In a laser, energy is released in the form of ______________ light. (emit)

ENERGY
A. The UK´s energy system has changed dramatically over the last century.

In the first half of the twentieth century:

 Coal was the dominant fuel in industry and electricity power plants, and in
houses and businesses.
 Town-gas networks existed in larger towns, with the gas derived from coal.

In the second half of the 20th century:

 Coal continued to be of central importance for electricity generation, although

its importance elsewhere fell substantially.
 Nuclear power plants began to be commissioned from the mid- 1950s
 the electricity industry was combined into state-owned monopolies, during the
1950s
 the high voltage electricity transmission network was created in order to
transport electricity over long distances from big power plants.
 Electricity distribution networks shrank in importance and activity
 During the 1960s and 70s there was a move to an extensive natural gas network
for heating (industry, commerce and domestic)
 Demand for transport fuel increased dramatically.
 Gas-fired central heating largely replaced open coal fires in homes
 The use of electrical appliances in commerce and the domestic sector increased
hugely
B. Today we are seeing increasing interest in those renewable sources of energy which
can deliver clean and cheap types of energy, using environmentally-friendly
processes and equipment.

Sources of energy
renewable non-renewable
sun – water fossil fuels: coal, oil, natural gas, petroleum
wave – wind biofuel – plutonium – uranium

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Types of energy

electrical energy – fire – fossil fuels – gas power – geothermal energy – greenhouse effect –
hydraulically power – hydroelectric energy – kinetic energy – magnetic energy – nuclear energy
– solar energy – steam power – tidal power – water power – wave power – wind power

Equipment to produce energy

atomic energy plant – gas station – gasworks – generating station – generator – heat exchanger
– hydroelectric scheme – motor – nuclear plant – power station – power house – solar cell – solar
panel – tidal barrage – tide mill – turbine – waterfall – waterworks – wind farm – windmill

Study the sentences below.

In 1950, the energy system for both industry and domestic demand was fueled by coal.
Today, domestic natural gas is the UK´s largest source of energy.
Developments in technology are gradually lowering the costs of generating electricity from
alternative and renewable sources.
The increasing and fluctuating prices of natural gas are contributing to making biomass and
wind energy competitive.
TASKS
1. What type of energy can you see in the pictures below?

A B C

F
D

2. Rearrange the letters to name six sources of energy.

1 uns 2 fbielou 3 dwni 4 piumutoln 5 weva 6 peumroetl

3. Translate the following words and then use them to make up your own sentences.
barrage – gas – non-renewable – produce – water – wave – fossil fuels – power
stations – generators – renewable – tidal – coal – turbines
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