Unit Synopsis
This project-based unit is about designing fluid power systems for automated and semiautomated industrial plants. This unit deals with exploring fluid power elements and their ISO standard symbols, designing fluid power circuits using actuators, directional control, and other valves, sensors, and control systems. Control technology may include both hydraulic and pneumatic systems integrated with programmable controllers (PLCs and microcontrollers). In small teams, you will undertake project work involving solving real-life industrial problems. There are also several laboratory experiments in the areas of hydraulic and pneumatic operating system design and control circuit design integrated with PLCs for automated machines. You will use simulation software (SimScape and/or FluidSim) for confirming the functionality of designed projects prior to prototyping. You will communicate professionally using discipline-specific terminology to present designs and problem solutions. Students enrolled in online mode must attend a compulsory residential school to facilitate peer collaboration and attainment of the unit learning outcomes.
Details
| Level | Postgraduate |
|---|---|
| Unit Level | 9 |
| Credit Points | 12 |
| Student Contribution Band | SCA Band 2 |
| Fraction of Full-Time Student Load | 0.25 |
| Pre-requisites or Co-requisites |
There are no pre-requisites for the unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework). |
| Class Timetable | View Unit Timetable |
| Residential School |
Compulsory Residential School View Unit Residential School |
Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 12-credit Postgraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 25 hours of study per week, making a total of 300 hours for the unit.
Assessment Tasks
| Assessment Task | Weighting |
|---|---|
| 1. Written Assessment | 20% |
| 2. Written Assessment | 20% |
| 3. Laboratory/Practical | 20% |
| 4. Online Quiz(zes) | 40% |
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).
Past Exams
All University policies are available on the Policy web site, however you may wish to directly view the following policies below.
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of policies are available on the Policy web site .
No previous feedback available
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Source: SUTE
Students are looking for clear scope of the unit.
The unit scope should be delivered in a broader sense and more appropriately in the first lecture.
The clear scope, unit content, assessment items have been delivered in Week 1 lecture with high acceptability.
Source: SUTE
More short videos for each items of the unit content could help better.
Short and quality video recordings relevant to each topic or sub-topic should be provided in the unit Moodle site throughout the Term and existing ones should be replaced by quality ones videos.
Quality short and relevant videos sourced for Fluid Power companies have been provided via the Unit Moodle site and that's for different sections of the unit content.
Source: UC & SUTE
Learner-friendly assessment items may help better learning.
Innovative type assessment method should be introduced while individual student will work on his/her own mini-project of his own interest.
Creative and innovative problems relevant to modern engineering automation industries have been targeted in assignments and in lab exercises.
Source: Students
Students are looking for better conceptual understanding of the projects they do in both Assignment 1 and Assignment 2.
Selection of project topics should be completed in Week 1 and the lecturer should provide clear concept of the selected topics in Week 1 so that the students can start working on their group assessment item from Week 2.
In Progress
Source: Students
Students are preferring to start Lab experiments as early as in Week 3.
There are six lab experiments and these should be spread over the Term starting in Week 3 or 4 instead of all labs concentrated together in week 8 or 9.
In Progress
Source: Students
Pneumatic control integrated with PLCs was a good experience for students.
Recommended to continue delivery of the unit with the developed structure (Hydraulics, Pneumatics and PLCs). This helps students to become job-ready graduates in areas of automation and smart production.
In Progress
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- Design complex fluid drive systems and analyse their performance individually and in teams
- Evaluate advanced applications of drive systems in industrial plants
- Design fluid control circuits integrated with programmable controllers for automated machine systems
- Design and analyse electro-mechanical, fluid power and energy conversion systems
- Design protection and control systems for fluid power machines
- Create professional documentation using appropriate engineering terminology and symbols related to electric and fluid drives.
Learning Outcomes for this unit are linked with the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standards for Professional Engineers in the areas of 1. Knowledge and Skills Base, 2. Engineering Application Ability and 3. Professional and Personal Attributes at the following levels:
Intermediate
1.1 Comprehensive, theory-based understanding of the underpinning natural and physical sciences and the engineering fundamentals applicable to the engineering discipline. (LO: 1I 2I 7I)
1.3 In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline. (LO: 1I 2I 3I 5I 6I)
1.5 Knowledge of engineering design practice and contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline. (LO: 3I 6I)
2.2 Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources. (LO: 1I 3I 4I 5I 6I)
2.3 Application of systematic engineering synthesis and design processes. (LO: 1I 3I 4I 5I)
3.1 Ethical conduct and professional accountability. (LO: 7I)
3.2 Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains. (LO: 6I 7I)
3.3 Creative, innovative and pro-active demeanour. (LO: 3I 4I 6I 7I)
3.6 Effective team membership and team leadership. (LO 1I 2I 4I 6I 7I)
Advanced
1.2 Conceptual understanding of the mathematics, numerical analysis, statistics, and computer and information sciences which underpin the engineering discipline. (LO: 1I 2A 3I 7I))
1.4 Discernment of knowledge development and research directions within the engineering discipline. (LO: 1I 2I 3I 5I 6A)
2.1 Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving. (LO: 1I 2I 3I 5A 6I)
2.4 Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects. (LO: 1A 2A 3A 4I 5I 6I)
3.4 Professional use and management of information. (LO: 1A 2A 3A 4A 6I 7A)
3.5 Orderly management of self, and professional conduct. (LO: 1I 2I 3A 4I 6I 7A)
Note: LO refers to the Learning Outcome number(s) that link to the competency and the levels: N – Introductory, I – Intermediate and A – Advanced.
Refer to the Engineering Postgraduate Units Moodle site for further information on the Engineers Australia’s Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineers and course level mapping information https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=11382
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment | • | • | ||||
| 2 - Written Assessment | • | • | • | • | ||
| 3 - Laboratory/Practical | • | • | • | |||
| 4 - Online Quiz(zes) | • | • | • | |||
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 1 - Knowledge | • | • | • | |||
| 2 - Communication | • | • | ||||
| 3 - Cognitive, technical and creative skills | • | • | • | • | ||
| 4 - Research | • | |||||
| 6 - Ethical and Professional Responsibility | • | |||||
| 7 - Leadership | • | |||||
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 8 | |