English for Professional and

Academic Communication. ENGLISH I

Worksheet 11-12 (unit 5)

EXERCISES ON CLASSIFICATION, PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND PROCESS

DESCRIPTION (for weeks 11 and 12)

Exercise 1. Classification (for week 11)

Read the text “Antennas” found below.

A. The statements below are based on the information
provided in the text, but there are factual errors in some of
them. Compare each statement with the relevant information
in the text and correct them if needed.
a) Aperture antennas are very useful for buildings and ships.
Aperture antennas are very useful for aircraft or spacecraft
b) Parabolic reflectors are usually built in small dimensions.
c) Loop antennas may take any form.
d) A receiver antenna is used to transport electromagnetic
energy from the transmitting source to the receiver.
e) Lens antennas are classified according to their dimensions
and weight.
f) The construction of a circular antenna is not very
complicated, therefore it is very common.
g) “Array” is a term used not only for an arrangement in which
individual radiators are separate but to describe an
assembly of radiators mounted on a continuous structure.

B. Answer the following questions:

a. ​Which antennas are the most common? Why?
b. ​Which ones have the most sophisticated forms?
c. ​Could you give the definition of “Array Antennas”?
d. ​Which types of antennas have the same application?
e. ​What would an ideal antenna have to do?
f. ​Is there any antenna considered as “ideal”?

C. Identify and highlight in the text the linguistic patterns used

to classify the different types of antennas.
For example: It must then take various forms to meet the
particular need at hand,

Antennas
An antenna is defined by Webster's Dictionary as "a usually metallic device (as a rod or wire) for radiating or receiving
radio waves." The IEEE Standard Definitions of Terms for Antennas (IEEE Std 145-1973) defines the antenna or aerial
as "a means for radiating or receiving radio waves." In other words, the antenna is the transitional structure between
free-space and a guiding device, as shown in Figure 1.1. The guiding device or transmission line may take the form of a
coaxial line or a hollow pipe (waveguide), and it is used to transport electromagnetic energy from the transmitting
source to the antenna, or from the antenna to the receiver. In the former case we have a transmitting antenna and, in
the latter, a receiving antenna.
In addition to receiving or transmitting energy, an antenna is usually required to optimize or accentuate the radiation
energy in some directions and suppress it in others. Thus the antenna must act as a directional device in addition to a
probing device. It must then take various forms to meet the particular need at hand, and it may be a piece of conducting
wire, an aperture, an assembly of elements (array), a reflector, a lens, and so forth. We will now introduce and briefly
discuss some forms of the various antenna types in order to get a glance as to what will be encountered in the
remainder of the book.
Wire antennas are familiar to the layman because they are seen virtually everywhere-on automobiles, buildings, ships,
aircraft, spacecraft, and so on. There are various shapes of wire antennas such as a straight wire (dipole), loop, and
helix which are shown in Figure 1.2. Loop antennas need not only be circular. They may take the form of a rectangle,
square, ellipse, or any other configuration. The circular loop is the most common because of its simplicity in
construction.

Aperture antennas may be more familiar to the layman today than in the past because of the increasing demand for
more sophisticated forms of antennas and the utilization of higher frequencies. Some forms of aperture antennas are
shown in Figure 1.3. Antennas of this type are very useful for aircraft or spacecraft applications because they can be
very conveniently flush-mounted on the skin of the aircraft or spacecraft. In addition, they can be covered with a
dielectric material to protect them from hazardous conditions of the environment.
 ​
Many applications require radiation characteristics that may not be achievable by a single element. It may, however, be
possible that an aggregate of radiating elements in an electrical and geometrical arrangement (an array) will result in
the desired radiation characteristics: The arrangement of the array may be such that the radiation from the elements
adds up to give a radiation maximum in a particular direction or directions, minimum in others, or otherwise as desired.
Typical examples of arrays are shown in Figure 1.4. Usually the term array is reserved for an arrangement in which the
individual radiators are separate as shown in Figures 1.4 (a) and (b). However, the same term is also used to describe
an assembly of radiators mounted on a continuous structure, shown in Figure 1.4(c).
The success in the exploration of outer space has resulted in the advancement of antenna theory. Because of the need
to communicate over great distances, sophisticated forms of antennas had to be used in order to transmit and receive
signals that had to travel millions of miles. A very common antenna form for such an application is a parabolic reflector
shown in Figures 1.5 (a) and (b). Antennas of this type have been built with diameters as large as 305 m. Such large
dimensions are needed to achieve the high gain required to transmit or receive signals after millions of miles of travel.
Another form of a reflector, although not as common as the parabolic, is the comer reflector, shown in Figure 1.5(c).
Lenses are primarily used to collimate incident divergent energy to prevent it from spreading in undesired directions. By
properly shaping the geometrical configuration and choosing the appropriate material of the lenses, they can transform
various forms of divergent energy into plane waves. They can be used in most of the same applications as are the
parabolic reflectors, especially at higher frequencies. Their dimensions and weight become exceedingly large at lower
frequencies. Lens antennas are classified according to the material from which they are constructed, or according to
their geometrical shape. Some forms are shown in Figure 1.6.
 In summary, an ideal antenna is one that will radiate all the power delivered to it from the transmitter in a desired
direction or directions. In practice, however, such ideal performances cannot be achieved but may be closely
approached. Various types of antennas are available, and each type can take different forms in order to achieve the
desired radiation characteristics for the particular application.

Exercise 2. Physical description (for week 11)

Read the text “Photovoltaic cell” available below and apply the
writer’s checklist for physical descriptions explained in the slides.
Provide at least one example of each of the items appearing in the
checklist available in the text.

Item of the checklist Example

1. Does the title or section heading identify the subject and indicate whether the
description is general or particular?
2. Does the introduction to the object description
a) define the material, object, or mechanism?
b) identify its function?
c) describe its appearance?
d) describe its principle of operation?
e) list its main parts?
f) include a graphic identifying all the main parts?
3. Does the part-by-part description
a) answer, for each of the major parts, the questions listed in item 2?
b) describe each part in the sequence in which it was listed in the introduction?
c) include graphics for each of the major parts?
4. Does the conclusion
a) summarize the major points made in the part-by-part description?
b) include a description of the item performing its function?
5. Does the whole description provide appropriate language forms such as
a) simple present tense?
b) prepositions of location (spatial): above, below, at the top?
c) linking devices (sequential): first, then, next, later?
Photovoltaic system
 [1]
Figure 1. A photovoltaic system comprised of a solar panel array, inverter and other electrical hardware.
A photovoltaic (PV) system is composed of one or more solar panels combined with an inverter and other electrical and
mechanical hardware that use energy from the Sun to generate electricity. PV systems can vary greatly in size from small
rooftop or portable systems to massive utility-scale generation plants. Although PV systems can operate by themselves
as off-grid PV systems, this article focuses on systems connected to the utility grid, or grid-tied PV systems.
How do these Systems Work?
The light from the Sun, made up of packets of energy called photons, falls onto a solar panel and creates an electric
current through a process called the photovoltaic effect. Each panel produces a relatively small amount of energy, but can
be linked together with other panels to produce higher amounts of energy as a solar array. The electricity produced from a
solar panel (or array) is in the form of direct current (DC). Although many electronic devices use DC electricity, including
your phone or laptop, they are designed to operate using the electrical utility grid which provides (and requires) alternating
current (AC). Therefore, in order for the solar electricity to be useful it must first be converted from DC to AC using
an inverter. This AC electricity from the inverter can then be used to power electronics locally, or be sent on to
the electrical grid for use elsewhere.

[2]
Figure 2. Residential grid-tied solar PV system diagram.
System Components
In addition to the solar panels, there are other important components of a photovoltaic system which are commonly
[3]
referred to as the "balance of system" or BOS. These components (which typically account for over half of the
system cost and most of the maintenance) can include inverters, racking, wiring, combiners, disconnects, circuit
breakers and electric meters.
Solar Panel

[4]
Figure 3. A solar panel, consisting of many photovoltaic cells.
A solar panel consists of many solar cells with semiconductor properties encapsulated within a material to protect it from
the environment. These properties enable the cell to capture light, or more specifically, the photons from the sun and
convert their energy into useful electricity through a process called the photovoltaic effect. On either side of the
semiconductor is a layer of conducting material which "collects" the electricity produced. The illuminated side of the panel
also contains an anti-reflection coating to minimize the losses due to reflection. The majority of solar panels produced
worldwide are made from crystalline silicon, which has a theoretical efficiency limit of 33% for converting the Sun's energy
into electricity. Many other semiconductor materials and solar cell technologies have been developed that operate at
higher efficiencies, but these come with a higher cost to manufacture.
Inverters
An inverter is an electrical device which accepts electrical current in the form of direct current (DC) and converts it
 to alternating current (AC). For solar energy systems, this means the DC current from the solar array is fed through an
inverter which converts it to AC. This conversion is necessary to operate most electric devices or interface with the
electrical grid. Inverters are important for almost all solar energy systems and are typically the most expensive component
after the solar panels themselves.

Figure 4. A solar inverter (yellow) mounted to the solar racking converts DC electricity from the solar array to
[5]
useful AC electricity.
Most inverters have conversion efficiencies of 90% or higher and contain important safety features including ground fault
[3]
circuit interruption and anti-islanding. These shut down the PV system when there is a loss of grid power.
Racking
Racking refers to the mounting apparatus which fixes the solar array to the ground or rooftop. Typically constructed
from steel or aluminum, these apparatuses mechanically fix the solar panels in place with a high level of precision.
Racking systems should be designed to withstand extreme weather events such as hurricane or tornado level wind
speeds and/or high accumulations of snow. Another important feature of racking systems is to electrically bond
and ground the solar array to prevent electrocution. Rooftop racking systems typically come in two variations including flat
roof systems and pitched roof systems. For flat rooftops it is common for the racking system to include weighted ballast to
hold the array to the roof using gravity. On pitched rooftops, the racking system must be mechanically anchored to the roof
structure. Ground mounted PV systems, as shown in figure 4, can also use either ballast or mechanical anchors to fix the
array to the ground. Some ground mounted racking systems also incorporate tracking systems which use motors and
sensors to track the Sun through the sky, increasing the amount of energy generated at a higher equipment and
maintenance cost.
Other Components
The remaining components of a typical solar PV system include combiners, disconnects, breakers, meters and wiring.
A solar combiner, as the name suggests, combines two or more electrical cables into one larger one. Combiners typically
include fuses for protection and are used on all medium to large and utility-scale solar arrays. Disconnects are electrical
gates or switches which allow for manual disconnection of an electrical wire. Typically used on either side of an inverter,
namely the "DC disconnect" and "AC disconnect" these devices provide electrical isolation when an inverter needs to be
installed or replaced. Circuit breakers or breakers protect electrical systems from over current or surges. Designed to
trigger automatically when the current reaches a predetermined amount, breakers can also be operated manually, acting
as an additional disconnect. An Electric meter measures the amount of energy that passes through it and is commonly
used by electric utility companies to measure and charge customers. For solar PV systems, a special bi-directional electric
meter is used to measure both the incoming energy from the utility, and the outgoing energy from the solar PV system.
Finally, the wiring or electrical cables transport the electrical energy from and between each component and must be
properly sized to carry the current. Wiring exposed to sunlight must have protection against UV exposure, and wires
carrying DC current sometimes require metal sheathing for added protection.
Extracted from: https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Photovoltaic_system

PROCESS DESCRIPTION
Exercise 3. (for week 12)
Watch the video available here that provides some tips for
writing a process description and answer the questions below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvSKygZOJPw
1. ​What should you consider when you are asked to
describe a process?
2. ​What are the main parts of a process description?
3. ​Which verb tense should you use in a man-made
process description?

Exercise 4. USEFUL LINKING WORDS FOR DESCRIBING

PROCESSES (for week 12)
Now watch the beginning of the following video (up to minute
5) describing the linkers (sequencers) you may use in a
process description: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=IeDoRZ9bKgg
Fill in the table below with examples of the linking words you
should use for each part of the process description:
First steps Final steps Middle steps Additional linking
words

Exercise 5. WRITING PRACTICE (optional)

Write a short description (around 150-200 words) of how wi-fi
connection works based on the following diagram, trying to
use the vocabulary provided in the diagram:
Swap your description with a classmate, and review their
performance, paying special attention to the following items:
a) Whole pattern of organization (sequential)
b) Introductory paragraph with the main topic of the
description
c) Paragraph structure: is each step explained in one
 paragraph, starting with a topic sentence? Are all steps
described in the order they occur?
d) Can a parallel structure be implied from the whole
process description?
e) Language use:
i. the passive voice and the present simple tense,
ii. adverbial time clauses (before, after, once, while,
when, etc.)
iii. sequential linking words (first, firstly, second,
secondly, then, next, initially, finally, etc.)
iv. reference elements (pronouns, summary words,
conjunctions, linking words, etc.), substitutions…
Suggest any change you may think is necessary
f) Conclusion explaining the outcome of the whole
process.

Extracted from: https://www.waveswifi.com/how-does-waves-

work
6/6