Engineering Units

Number Prefix
Base Unit Conversions
Derived Units
Angles
Mass
Temperature
MAE 2
Mars Climate Orbiter NA!A "mage#
2
MAE 2
Mars Climate Orbiter (MCO)
T$e MCO Mission ob%e&tive 'as to orbit Mars as t$e first interplanetar( 'eat$er
satellite and provide a &ommuni&ations rela( for a lander) '$i&$ is due to rea&$ Mars
in De&ember *+++,
T$e MCO 'as laun&$ed on De&ember **) *++-) and 'as lost sometime follo'ing t$e
Mars Orbit "nsertion MO"# maneuver,
.T$e MCO M"B $as determined t$at t$e root &ause for t$e loss of t$e
MCO spa&e&raft 'as t$e failure to use metri& units in t$e &oding of a
ground soft'are file) /!mall 0or&es)1 used in tra%e&tor( models,
!pe&ifi&all() t$ruster performan&e data in Englis$ units instead of metri&
units 'as used in t$e soft'are appli&ation &ode titled !M20O3CE! small
for&es#, A file &alled Angular Momentum Desaturation AMD# &ontained t$e
output data from t$e !M20O3CE! soft'are, T$e data in t$e AMD file 'as
re4uired to be in metri& units per existing soft'are interfa&e
do&umentation) and t$e tra%e&tor( modelers assumed t$e data 'as
provided in metri& units per t$e re4uirements,.
Mars Climate Orbiter Mis$ap "nvestigation Board) P$ase " 3eport) *5 NO6 *+++,
7
MAE 2
Prefix
Engineering numbers often use a prefix as a s$ort$and to des&ribing ver( large or
ver( small values,
!(mbol Prefix Order
T Tera *5
*2
8 8iga *5
+
M Mega *5
9
: :ilo *5
7
& &enti *5
;2
m milli *5
;7
mi&ro *5
;9
n nano *5
;+
p pi&o *5
;*2
example< 75 :b(tes = 75 x *5
7
b(tes = 75)555 b(tes
example< >55 m? = >55 x *5
;7
? = 5,>55 litres

@
MAE 2
Unit Conversions
Do not mix units inside a mat$emati&al expressionA
All time variables s$ould use se&onds) minutes) or $ours &$oose onl( oneA#
All lengt$ variables s$ould use meters) in&$es) (ards) ,,, &$oose oneA#
Multipl( b( identit( one# to &onvert units,
60seconds=1minute
60seconds
1minute
=
1minute
1minute
=1
60seconds
1minute
=1
start 'it$ a Bno'n
relations$ip<
divide<
1=
60seconds
60seconds
=
1minute
60seconds
1minute
60seconds
=1
or<
>
MAE 2
Time Unit Examples
Co' man( se&onds are in a 2@;$our da(D
24 hour= 24 hour

60minute
1 hour

60seconds
1minute

=246060seconds=86,400seconds
60seconds=1minute
60seconds
1minute
=1
60 minutes=1hour
60 minutes
1hour
=1
24 hour= 24 hour 11
T$is is true
,,, so t$is must be true as 'ell,
9
MAE 2
Derived Unit Conversions
Unit s(stems t(pi&all( provide definitions for basi& measures su&$ as time) lengt$)
mass) and temperature,
Co' do (ou find a unit &onversion met$od for area lengt$ x lengt$#D
1foot=0.3048meter
1foot
0.3048 meter
=1

1foot
0.3048 meter

1foot
0.3048 meter

=1

1foot
0.3048 meter

1foot
0.3048 meter

=

1foot
2
0.3048
2
meter
2

=1
10.76
foot
2
meter
2
=1
E
MAE 2
Angles
Angles are measured in revolutions) degrees) and radians,
1 revolution=360degrees
1 revolution=2radians
Man( &al&ulators assume angles are expressed in radians,
1=
1revolution
1revolution
=
360degrees
2radians
360degrees
2radians
=
180degrees
radians
=1
-
MAE 2
Angular Rate Example
An airplane propeller is rotating at a rate of 2*55 revFmin 3PM#) '$at is its rotational
rate in units of radiansFse&ondD
2radians=1revolution
1 minute=60seconds
1 min
60sec
=1
2rad
1rev
=1
2100
rev
min
=2100

rev
min

2rad
1rev

1 min
60sec

=2100

2rad
1

1
60sec

=220
rad
sec
+
MAE 2
Mass
Mass units are defined su&$ t$at evaluation of Ne'tonGs 2nd ?a' results in a
&onsistent set of units,
F=ma
F=force
m=mass [kg or slugs]
a=acceleration
!" Unit !(stem<
Englis$ Unit !(stem<
1 neton= 1 kilogram

1meter
second
2

! sec
2
kg m
=1
1 "ound= 1slug

1foot
second
2

l# sec
2
slug ft
=1
.Pound Mass. represents an in&onsistent set of units and H"?? NOT BE U!ED "N
TC"! C?A!!,
Memorize this!
and this!
*5
MAE 2
Temperature
Temperature &onversions are made diffi&ult be&ause t$e( $ave different Iero value
referen&e points,
H$en evaluating an engineering expression) al'a(s use an absolute temperature
unit :elvin or 3anBine#
T [
o
R]=T [
o
F ]4$%.6%
T [ K]=T [
o
C]273.1$
T [
o
R]=
%
$
T [ K]=1.8T [ K]
T =tem"erature
!" Unit !(stem<
Englis$ Unit !(stem<
Conversion<
**
MAE 2
Resoures
A"AA Aerospa&e Design Engineers 8uide) Ameri&an "nstitute of Aeronauti&s and
Astronauti&s) 2557,
EbooB at UC!D ?ibrar(< $ttp<FFroger,u&sd,edu<-5Fre&ord=b97@92->J!+
Unit &onversion tables are listed in !e&tion 2,
?aun&$ of MA3! Climate Orbiter
$ttp<FF''',(outube,&omF'at&$Dv=KD@%PnB@+PE