Sondipon Adhikari · Glasgow

Teaching

Present and Past Teaching

Courses taught at Glasgow and previously, with materials.

Teaching is where the subject comes alive in someone else's hands. Over two decades I have taught structural mechanics, dynamics and computational methods at Cambridge, Bristol, Swansea and Glasgow, to classes of ten and to classes of three hundred, and the pleasure is the same in both: the moment a student connects a principle to something they can picture. I build that connection deliberately, starting from core ideas explained with precision, often through their history, since meeting Euler as a person doing mechanics makes the mathematics feel like something people made. My exam problems ask for understanding applied creatively, and my lectures use whatever helps: polling, capture, a pen on a touch screen. Beyond the university, I have taken this teaching to industry and research centres on four continents, twelve invited advanced courses so far, from railway engineers in China to aircraft designers in Brazil. The courses below carry their materials, for anyone to use.

    University of Glasgow (2021 - )

  1. Dynamics 5 (ENG5299, 2024-)
  2. Civil Design Project M (ENG5283, 2021-2024)

    3. Swansea University (2008 - 2021)

  3. Level M Group design project (EG-M62, 2014-2020)
  4. Dynamics 1 (EG-260, 2011-2015)
  5. Flight Dynamics & Control (EG-M81, 2017-2021)
  6. Aerospace Control Systems (EGA-228, 2008-2021)

    7. University of Bristol (2003 - 2008)

  7. Engineering Design for Wind and Marine Power (AENG M3102, 2008)
  8. Advanced Vibration Engineering (AENG M2300, 2004-2006)
  9. Mechanism part of Design 2 (AENG 21350, 2003-2005)

Dynamics 5 (ENG5299)

Module Aims:

This course will introduce further concepts of nonlinear and parametric vibration, building upon the introductory material taught in Vibration 4. It will be shown that in some cases of vibration, analytical solutions are possible for weakly nonlinear systems and also for the assessment of stability in nonlinear and parametrically excited systems in structural and machine dynamics.

Objectives

  • To be able to identify sources and categories of nonlinearity in models of vibrating systems.
  • To be able to set up reduced order models which lend themselves to analysis and then to be able to perform such analysis, and finally, to assess critically the results obtained.
  • To be able to appreciate issues of stability analysis in certain vibrating systems encountered in mechanical engineering.

Civil Design Project M (ENG5283)

Description

This course involves a design project or feasibility study performed in small groups, currently based around an options appraisal exercise for a Severn Tidal Barrage. The aims of this course are to: (1) set students the challenge of tackling a feasibility study and optimisation exercise for a large multi-disciplinary project; (2) require students to apply knowledge and techniques from their civil engineering courses but also to seek out and apply new knowledge; (3) encourage initiative and a professional approach to problem-solving and reporting.

Intended Learning Outcomes

    By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  • work in a group to tackle open-ended problems;
  • plan and undertake a design or feasibility study of a large multi-disciplinary project involving a wide range of technical issues and also broader environmental, economic and socio-political issues;
  • undertake critical appraisal of alternative options;
  • undertake calculations of discounted cash and energy flows and hence determine unit cost of energy, including sensitivity to discount rate;
  • present the outcomes of their work both orally and in writing in a professional manner.

Level M Group design project (EG-M62)

Module Aims:

This 30 credit point Level M module enables students to participate in a group activity involving a multi-disciplinary approach to achieve a solution to a specific design problem. In most instances it will involve either direct interaction with industry or will be an industrially-related project. Issues other than providing a purely technical solution to the problem will have to be considered in order to achieve a satisfactory outcome to the project.

Learning Outcomes

Upon Completion of this module, students will be able to:
  • Demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of the 'total design' process and management skills in relation to decision-making and business development in a typical group environment.
  • Demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level
  • Deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly;
  • Plan for effective project implementation. This includes an ability to:
    • Identify the factors affecting the project implementation
    • Lead on preparing and agreeing implementation plans and method statements
  • Plan, budget, organise, direct and control tasks, people and resources to deliver a project. This includes an ability to:
    • Agree quality standards, programme and budget
    • Organise and lead work teams, coordinating project activities
    • Ensure that variations from quality standards, programme and budgets are identified, and that corrective action is taken

Dynamics 1 (EG-260)

Elements of vibrating systems; simple harmonic motion; use of complex exponential representation. One-degree-of-freedom systems; natural frequency; effect of damping; harmonic excitation; rotating out-of-balance; vibration isolation and transmission. Undamped mutli-degree-of-freedom systems; eigenvalues and eigenvectors; vibration absorbers. Experimental testing. Lagrange's equation and its physical interpretation.

Learning Outcomes

Upon Completion of this module, students will be able to:
  • A knowledge and understanding of: the importance of natural frequencies and resonance. The role of damping. The analysis of single and two degree of freedom systems.
  • An ability to: estimate resonances of simple systems. To derive the equations of motions of systems using Lagrange's equation.
  • An ability to: apply the methods presented in the course to develop simple models of real structures. Analyse these models to calculate natural frequencies and evaluate the response to harmonic forces
  • An ability to: use a personal computer. Study independently and use library resources. Manage working time.

Flight Dynamics & Control (EG-M81)

The course introduces the students to aircraft dynamics simulation and control by giving the necessary background about the flight dynamics, controller design and basic autopilot, and by using several commercial/educational/open source softwares/codes and the in-house flight simulator to provide practical experience.

Learning Objectives

Upon Completion of this module, students will be able to:
  • Understand the mathematical modelling of flight dynamics and control
  • Implement the simulation of aircraft dynamics
  • Design the controllers for various modes of flight
  • Program the in-house flight simulator

Aerospace Control Systems (EGA-228)

On successful completion of this unit students will be expected, at the threshold level, to be able to demonstrate knowledge of, comprehension of and the ability to apply the following topics to relevant problems (all evaluated through the exam):
  • The influence of feedback on dynamic systems;
  • The characteristic equation and its importance in feedback systems
  • The link between open-loop and closed-loop transfer functions;
  • Stability criteria;
  • Time and frequency responses;
  • Steady-state accuracy.

Engineering Design for Wind and Marine Power (AENG M3102)

See the link in the University of Bristol for the details of this module.

Teaching Materials

Advanced Vibration Engineering (AENG M2300)

Learning Objectives

On successful completion of this part the students will:
  • appreciate the importance of the "orthogonality" of modes in dynamic calculations
  • be able to calculate the dynamic response of structures with damping using analytical and computational (Matlab) methods

Contents

  • Dynamics of Damped Systems: Viscous damping models, proportional damping, non-proportional damping, complex mode shapes
  • Forced Vibration of Damped Dynamic Systems: steady-state response, transient response, response due to initial conditions, transfer functions

Teaching Materials

Mechanism part of Design 2 (AENG 21350)

Learning Objectives

On successful completion of this part the students will:
  • be able to understand the function of various types of mechanisms within mechanical and aeronautical systems and be able to apply analytical and graphical methods to kinematics of planar mechanisms and calculate idealised load transfers across complex mechanisms, including aircraft control systems using the principle of virtual work.

Contents

  • Definitions, types of mechanism, linkage diagrams, motion transformation, degrees of freedom. Analysis of linkages: relative velocity, method of instantaneous centres, velocity diagrams. Application to four-bar linkages: straight line mechanisms, Ackerman's steering linkage, differential aileron mechanisms, landing gear retraction mechanisms.
  • Method of virtual work: application to aircraft control systems and landing gear retraction. Gears: kinematics of gear trains, applications in aircraft (including torque tube control systems). Toggle mechanisms.

Teaching Materials

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