GE 101 : Technology Museum Lab

Electrical Engineering

Lab Report

Electrical engineering is a branch

of engineering that deals with the
study and application of electricity,
electronics, and electromagnetism.

Electrical engineers design, develop, and maintain electrical

systems and components that are used in various industries
such as telecommunications, power generation,
transportation, and information technology.

Credit:
Devraj 2022CSB1077
History:

Electricity has been a subject of scientific interest since at least the

early 17th century. William Gilbert is credited with establishing the
term "electricity," and in 1762, Swedish professor Johan Wilcke
invented the electrophorus that produced a
static electric charge. By 1800, Alessandro
Volta had developed the voltaic pile, a
forerunner of the electric battery.

The 19th century saw significant

developments in the field of electricity,
with notable contributions from Hans
Christian Ørsted, William Sturgeon, Joseph Henry, Edward Davy,
Georg Ohm, Michael Faraday, and James Clerk Maxwell. The first
electrical engineering degree program in the United States was
started at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the physics
department. During the same period, electrical engineering became
a profession, and practitioners created a global electric telegraph
network.

The study of electricity was largely considered a subfield of physics

since early electrical technology was electromechanical in nature.
Significant Instances:

★ In 1814, Faraday travelled

throughout Europe with Davy for
18 months, meeting many
scientists and developing his
scientific knowledge along the
way. Upon his return, he worked
on chemical experiments with
Davy for several years before he published his research on
electromagnetic rotation, which is the principle behind the
electric motor, in 1821. This moment, perhaps, was the birth
of the electrical engineering discipline.

★ Thomas Edison and the development of the light bulb:

One of the most significant events
in the history of electrical
engineering was the invention of
the light bulb by Thomas Edison in
1879. This invention made it
possible for people to have access
to electric lighting in their homes
and businesses, and it was a
major milestone in the development of the electrical
industry.
★ The development
of the electric power
grid: In the early
20th century,
electrical engineers
began working on
the development of
the electric power grid.
This involved the creation of power plants that generated
electricity, transmission lines that carried the electricity over
long distances, and distribution networks that delivered the
electricity to homes and businesses. The electric power grid
revolutionized the way we live and work, and it remains a
critical part of our modern infrastructure.

★ The development of transistors: In the 1940s and 1950s,

electrical engineers began working on the development of
transistors, which replaced vacuum tubes as the primary
components in
electronic circuits.
Transistors were smaller,
more reliable, and
more efficient than
vacuum tubes, and they
revolutionized the electronics industry. They made it possible
to develop smaller and more complex electronic devices,
which laid the foundation for the modern digital age.
Various Disciplines

↪ Electronics: concerned with the design and development of

electronic devices, circuits, and systems, including microprocessors,
integrated circuits, and sensors.
↪ Power engineering: deals with the generation, transmission, and
distribution of electrical power, including renewable energy sources
like wind and solar power.
↪ Digital signal processing: deals with the processing of digital
signals using mathematical algorithms. It involves the analysis,
manipulation, and synthesis of signals that have been digitized.
↪ Telecommunications: deals with the transmission and reception
of information over long distances using electrical and electronic
systems.
↪ Computer engineering: focuses on the design and development
of computer hardware and software systems, including
microprocessors, memory devices, and computer networks.
↪ Signal processing: This field is concerned with the analysis,
synthesis, and manipulation of signals, including audio, video, and
other types of data.
↪ Autonomous systems: machines that can operate without
human intervention. These systems use advanced sensors,
algorithms, and control systems to perceive their environment and
take actions based on that information.
↪ Photonics: deals with the science of generating, detecting, and
controlling photons. It encompasses the study of the properties of
light and its interactions with matter, as well as the design and
development of devices and systems that use light.
Career Opportunities
Electrical engineering is a core engineering discipline, offering
a great count of below stated career opportunities both in
terms of jobs and higher studies.

★ Chief Electrical Engineer

★ System developer & analyst
★ A Power Engineer
★ Electrical Machinery Designing Engineer
★ Electrical Equipment testing engineer
★ Power-Distribution Engineer
★ Power-Transmission Engineer
★ Electrolysis-and-Corrosion-Control Engineer
★ Electrical Cable Engineer
★ Transmission-and-Protection Engineer
★ Plant designing and planning officer
★ Purchase and Quality Control Executive