What Can You Really Do As An Electrical Engineer?

Zach Star
23 Mar 201713:27
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe transcript discusses the diverse subfields within Electrical Engineering, highlighting Power Engineering, Electronics, RF/Telecommunications, and Control Systems. It emphasizes how graduates can pursue varied career paths and explores specific elective courses, senior projects, and potential job roles. The importance of understanding the basics before delving into specialized areas is stressed, with examples of projects showcasing the practical applications of each subfield.

Takeaways
  • 🌐 Electrical Engineering is a broad field with various subfields such as power electronics, RF/telecommunications, and control systems.
  • 🔌 Power Engineering focuses on the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power, with applications in renewable energy and electric vehicles.
  • 🔋 Power Electronics is a subfield involving the study of electronic devices for control and conversion of electric power, such as AC to DC converters.
  • 🎓 Elective courses in power engineering may include power electronics and electric energy conversion, focusing on solar and wind energy systems.
  • 🔍 Senior projects in power subfield can range from energy harvesting bikes to solar panel trackers and wind-powered phone chargers.
  • 📱 Electronics involves designing devices using electrical components, which includes a wide range of consumer electronics and medical devices.
  • 🔄 Filter Design is an example of an elective class where students learn to create circuits that filter out unwanted signals from a mix of frequencies.
  • 🚀 RF or Telecommunications is a math-intensive subfield dealing with wireless communications and high-frequency systems, with applications in satellite and radar systems.
  • 📊 Control Systems are math-intensive and involve using sensors and feedback to make corrections, such as in cruise control or flight control systems.
  • 💻 Computer and Optics are additional subfields within electrical engineering, focusing on computer systems and light-based data transfer or sensing, respectively.
  • 🌟 Digital Signal Processing involves using computers for signal processing operations, offering more power and flexibility than traditional circuit-based filtering.
Q & A

  • What are the common subfields in electrical engineering?

    -The common subfields in electrical engineering include power engineering, electronics, RF or telecommunications, and control systems.

  • What is the focus of power engineering?

    -Power engineering focuses on the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power. It involves working with electric power plants, solar energy, wind energy, and the power electronics and batteries of electric vehicles.

  • What types of devices or systems would an electronics engineer design and improve?

    -An electronics engineer would design and improve various devices such as computers, phones, radios, TVs, robotics, audio players, medical devices, and more.

  • What is the significance of filter design in the context of electronics?

    -Filter design is crucial in electronics as it allows for the removal of unwanted signals by blocking or filtering certain frequencies while allowing others to pass through, which is essential in applications like radio antennas and other communication systems.

  • What are the key areas of study in RF or telecommunications engineering?

    -RF or telecommunications engineering involves studying wireless communications and high-frequency systems. This includes working on satellite communications, radar systems, high-frequency electronics, and even quantum computers.

  • Control systems function by using sensors to monitor output, and then feeding those measurements back into the system to make corrections. Examples include cruise control in cars, automatic driving systems, flight control, and temperature regulation in air conditioning units.

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  • What is an example of a senior project in the power subfield?

    -An example of a senior project in the power subfield is an energy harvesting bike that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.

  • What is the difference between low-frequency and high-frequency circuits?

    -High-frequency circuits are more complex than low-frequency circuits because they involve fast-changing voltages that cause reflections in the wires, leading to complicated current and voltage equations. These reflections need to be accounted for when designing amplifiers or filters.

  • What is digital signal processing?

    -Digital signal processing involves using computers to perform signal processing operations like filtering and amplifying on sampled signals, as opposed to using analog circuits for these tasks.

  • How does an RFID home lock project relate to the telecommunications subfield?

    -An RFID home lock project relates to the telecommunications subfield as it involves using wireless communication technology (RFID) for a practical application, which is a key aspect of telecommunications engineering.

  • Why is mathematics important in the subfield of RF or telecommunications engineering?

    -Mathematics is important in the subfield of RF or telecommunications engineering because it involves the study of electromagnetic waves, complex calculations involving frequencies, and the design of high-frequency systems that require advanced mathematical concepts.

Outlines
00:00
🔌 Power Engineering and Electronics

This paragraph discusses the subfield of electrical engineering known as Power Engineering, which focuses on the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power. It mentions potential career paths for electrical engineering graduates in this area, such as working at electric power plants, on solar or wind energy, or with the power electronics and batteries in electric vehicles. The paragraph also introduces the concept of power electronics, explaining the conversion of AC to DC and the importance of this technology in devices like laptop chargers. Additionally, it touches on elective classes like power electronics and electric energy conversion, and highlights senior projects related to energy harvesting, solar tracking, and wind-powered phone chargers.

05:01
📶 Electronics and Telecommunications

The second paragraph delves into the subfields of Electronics and RF (Radio Frequency) or Telecommunications. It describes the role of electrical engineers in designing and improving electronic devices, including common household items and medical devices. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of filter design, explaining how filters are used to block unwanted signals and allow specific frequencies to pass through. It also mentions advanced analog circuit classes and projects such as analog audio amplifiers, car alarm systems, and heart rate monitoring control systems. The paragraph further explores the math-intensive nature of RF engineering, including satellite communications, radar systems, and high-frequency electronics, and outlines relevant courses like digital communications and antenna design.

10:01
🚀 Controls and Advanced Subfields

This paragraph covers the subfield of Controls, which involves the use of sensors and feedback mechanisms to make corrections in systems. It provides examples of control systems in everyday life, such as cruise control in cars and air-conditioning temperature regulation. The paragraph also briefly touches on other subfields like computer engineering, optics, and digital signal processing. It describes how electrical engineers can specialize in these areas, taking specific elective courses and working on related projects. The summary highlights the diversity of interests and career paths within electrical engineering, emphasizing that students can focus on the areas that align with their interests and strengths.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering is a broad field that encompasses the study, design, and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. In the context of the video, it is emphasized that this field is not a monolithic discipline but is composed of various subfields, each with its own career paths and areas of focus. The video outlines several subfields such as Power Engineering, Electronics, RF or Telecommunications, and Control Systems, highlighting the diversity of roles and projects an electrical engineer might undertake.
💡Power Electronics
Power Electronics is a subfield of electrical engineering that deals with the conversion and control of electric power using electronic devices. It is crucial for managing and optimizing the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power. The video explains that power electronics play a significant role in technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, and the power systems of electric vehicles, including the charge controllers and converters that enable efficient energy use.
💡RF or Telecommunications
RF or Telecommunications is a specialized area within electrical engineering that focuses on the transmission of information over long distances via radio waves or other forms of wireless communication. This field is highly math-intensive and involves the design and analysis of high-frequency systems, such as satellite communications, radar systems, and quantum computing. The video emphasizes the importance of a strong foundation in calculus, vectors, and physics, particularly in understanding electromagnetic waves.
💡Control Systems
Control Systems are a part of electrical engineering that involves the design and application of technologies that monitor and regulate the operation of machines and processes. These systems use sensors and feedback loops to make adjustments based on input and desired output. The video explains that control systems are prevalent in various applications, from car cruise control to aircraft flight control and temperature regulation in air conditioning. The field is math-intensive and requires a deep understanding of how to make precise corrections based on sensor data.
💡Electronics
Electronics is a core aspect of electrical engineering that involves the use of electrical components, such as resistors, capacitors, and transistors, to design and improve a wide range of electronic devices. This includes computers, phones, radios, TVs, and medical devices. The video highlights the importance of understanding the underlying circuits, like amplifier, filter, and oscillator circuits, which are essential for the functioning of electronic devices.
💡Elective Classes
Elective classes are specialized courses within an educational curriculum that allow students to choose subjects based on their interests and career goals. In the context of electrical engineering, these classes enable students to delve deeper into specific subfields, such as power electronics, telecommunications, or control systems. The video emphasizes that these electives cater to the diverse interests and future career paths of electrical engineering students.
💡Senior Projects
Senior Projects are capstone assignments or research works that students typically complete in the final year of their undergraduate studies. These projects allow students to apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired throughout their education to real-world problems or to explore cutting-edge research in their field. In electrical engineering, senior projects often reflect the specific subfield the student has chosen to focus on and can include innovative designs and technologies.
💡Career Paths
Career Paths refer to the possible routes an individual's professional life can take within a particular field or industry. In electrical engineering, the diverse subfields such as power electronics, telecommunications, and control systems offer a variety of career paths. The video underscores that electrical engineering graduates can work in different sectors, from power generation and distribution to designing electronic devices and systems, depending on their chosen specialization.
💡Electromagnetic Waves
Electromagnetic waves are a fundamental concept in physics and are crucial in the field of telecommunications and high-frequency electronics. They are waves that consist of electric and magnetic fields and can propagate through a vacuum, like space, or through a medium, like air. In the context of the video, understanding electromagnetic waves is essential for RF engineers working on wireless communications and high-frequency systems, as these waves are the basis for transmitting information wirelessly.
💡Digital Signal Processing
Digital Signal Processing (DSP) is a technique that involves the use of digital computing to improve and analyze analog signals. It involves converting analog signals to digital form and then applying various algorithms to process, filter, or enhance the signal. In the video, DSP is presented as a subfield of electrical engineering that requires computer-based operations to manipulate signals, which is particularly useful for noise reduction and other signal enhancement tasks.
💡Optics
Optics is a branch of physics that deals with the behavior and properties of light, including its generation, manipulation, and detection. In electrical engineering, optics is relevant in the context of fiber-optic communication, where light is used to transmit data, and in sensing technologies that measure physical quantities like temperature or pressure. The video positions optics as a unique subfield that overlaps with telecommunications but also has its distinct applications and projects.
Highlights

Electrical Engineering is a broad field with many subfields and concentrations, offering diverse career paths.

Power Engineering focuses on the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power, with potential careers at electric power plants or working on renewable energy sources like solar and wind energy.

Power Electronics is a subfield where engineers work on control and conversion of electric power through electronics, such as AC to DC converters.

Electronics involves using electrical components to design various devices, including computers, phones, radios, TVs, and medical devices.

Filter Design is an elective class where students learn to create circuits that filter out unwanted signals, allowing specific frequencies to pass through.

RF or Telecommunications is a math-intensive subfield dealing with wireless communications and high-frequency systems, including satellite communications and radar systems.

Digital Communications is an elective course teaching how to encode digital signals into waves for wireless transmission and defend against signal jamming.

Antennas course covers the principles of how antennas send signals and the physics of electromagnetic waves, crucial for understanding high-frequency circuits.

Controls is a subfield that involves the use of sensors and feedback mechanisms to make corrections, such as in cruise control systems or automatic driving.

Senior projects in the power subfield include energy harvesting bikes, solar panel trackers, and wind energy-powered phone chargers.

Electronics projects may involve creating analogue audio amplifiers, car alarm systems, or heart rate monitoring control systems.

RF or telecommunications projects can include RFID home locks, remote-controlled dish antennas, and signal jammers.

Control system projects may involve airport runway heating systems or electric vehicle steering control systems.

Computer engineering is a specialization within electrical engineering, focusing on the design and optimization of computer systems.

Optics is a unique subfield that involves using light for data transfer, such as in fiber-optic cables, or sensors for temperature and pressure.

Digital Signal Processing involves using computers to perform signal processing operations, offering more power and flexibility than traditional circuit-based filtering.

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Electrical EngineeringPower ElectronicsTelecommunicationsControl SystemsElectronic DevicesRF EngineeringSignal ProcessingInnovationCareer PathsSenior Projects