DTE - year 11 mocks

What is automation?

process in which machines replace people(controlled by computer)

What are the advantages of automation?

-Increased efficiency and speed of production

-increased accuracy and consistency (more reliable)

-reduced labour costs

- can work 24/7

-ability to work in a variety of environments

What are the disadvantages of automation?

-replaces workforce, leading to some job losses

-no human input/decision making

-expensive to set up

-up-skilled workforce to maintain robots

What is crowd funding?

The practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet.

What is crowd funding good for?

it enables organisations to raise investments from individuals who believe in their ideas

What is product innovation?

change in the appearance or performance of a product or the creation of a new one

What do products need to make them successful?

Investments to make them a commerical succses

What is virtual marketing?

using social media and the internet to increase brand awareness

What is a cooperative?

a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit

What is the fair trade movement?

A movement designed to help workers in developing countries receive fair payments for their work.

What are renewable resources?

resources that can replenish themselves as they are used

What are non-renewable resources?

a natural resource that cannot be replaced when used up

What are examples of non-renewable resources?

coal, oil, natural gas

What are finite resources?

resources which will run out

What are examples of finite resources?

coal, oil, gas

What is a lifecycle assessment?

It determines the environmental impact of a product from production to disposal

What are non-finite resources?

resources that are easy to replenish and are unlikley to run out

What are examples of non-finite resources?

fresh water, timber, leather

What are the stages that are evaluated in the Life cycle asessment?

1. extraction and processing (the energy used to extract raw materials or to produce them and process it for manufacturing)

2. manufacturing and production (the energy required to make the product)

3. distribution ( the packaging and transportation to the user)

4. use

5. end of life

What is a renewable energy source?

An energy source which can be replenished as it is being used up.

What is an ecological footprint?

The impact a material leaves on the planet during its production and consumption

What are examples of renewable energy sources?

solar, wind, water waves, hydro-electricity, bio-fuel, tides, geothermal

How do companies improve efficiency?

-Investing is staff training

-improve working practices

-the use new technology

What is technology push?

Where new research and technology leads to new products on the market

What is market pull?

When users want a product to be improved or redeveloped. the consumer dirven pressure causes manufacturers to continuously develop or improve products

What are cobots?

Collaborative robots- humans and robots work together

What are inclusive designs?

Designs may be developed to be easily used by the elderly or disabled

What is computer-aided design (CAD)?

the use of computers in the design of products. CAD software is used to create precise 2D or 3D drawings or models

What is computer-aided manufacturing (CAM)?

The use of computers in the manufacturing of products. Automated machinery is controlled by software to create the physical parts.

How is CAM used?

The CAM computer uses computer numerical control (CNC) and CAD files to generate 3D tool paths for the machinery to flow

What are the advantages of using CAM?

It increases productivity, is highly accurate and consisten,t and reduces waste

What do the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations require?

-Minimise waste from electrical equipment

-ensure waste products are recycled properly

-design products by reducing material use and enhancing resuablility and recyclability

How does sustainability help companies?

improves company reputation and consumer trust

What is a flexible manufacturing system (FMS)?

a method of production designed to easily adapt to changes in the quantity or type of product being manufactured (commonly used in short-run batches) ( they can easily be retooled, reprogrammed or recalibrated)

What is lean manufacturing?

Manufacturing whose goal is to eliminate waste and improve efficiency in all aspects of the process is cost-saving and reduces the use of resources

What is Just in time production (JIT)

A production method that responds to customer demand. Products are created as they are demanded. This means that there is no surplus stock of raw materials, components or finished parts are kept

What are the advantages of JIT?

- Storage space and costs are reduced

- stock doesn't become damaged, old or out of date

- Less waste as there is less out of date stock

-more factory space can be utilised

-materials and components are ordered as needed, keeping cash flow in control

-ordered secured before outlay on parts is required

What are the disadvantages of JIT?

- No stock means customers can't be supplied during production strikes

- Businesses using JIT can't respond to sudden rises in demand

- Suppliers have to be reliable because there isn't much stock of raw materials to keep production going

-reliant on a high-quality supply chain. The supply chain must be fast and reliable.

-costs are higher than when bulk purchased

-sales are affected by any delay in deliveries or product failures

-stock is not available immediately off the shelf

What is planned obsolescence?

deliberately designing the lifestyle of a product to be short, forcing the user to replace or update their product.

What does designing for maintenance mean?

It enables parts that are broken or have been worn down to be replaced. It helps the environment because it saves the whole product from being thrown out

What are the 6 R's

-Repair

-reuse

-recycle

-rethink

-reduce

-refuse

What points are used to evaluate the success of new technologies?

-cost

-reliability

-longevity

-sustainability

-recyclability

What are fossil fuels?

a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.

What is fracking?

Drilling into layers of shale rock deep in the earth to release pockets of gas

What are examples of renewable energy sources?

-solar

-wind

-water waves

-hydro-electricity

-bio-fuel

-tides

-geothermal

How do photovoltaic cells work?

light hits the PV cells, which allows electrons to flow, creating an electric current

How does hydroelectric power work?

water behind dams floods through turbines, which turn generators

What are biofuels?

alternative renewable fuels made from plant materials. it is burned to generate power

What are the arguments for wind turbines?

-low maintenance

-clean energy

-higher winter output

-low cost energy

What are the arguments against wind turbines?

-only work when windy (unpredictable)

-eyesore to some

-hazard to birds

-noisy

Why is more energy used in the winter?

-because it is colder

-there is less light

How do fossil fuels generate electricity?

they are burned to create steam, which turns turbines and drives generators

What is hydraulic fracking?

Pumping water at high pressure to break rocks apart and release more gas

What are the two forms of energy?

kinetic and potential

What is energy?

the ability to do work

What are the types of potential energy?

-gravitational

-elastic

-chemical

-nuclear

What is potential energy?

energy that is stored in objects not in motion, that will move once released

What is an example of potential energy?

water behind a dam, pressure in a fire extinguisher

What is kinetic energy?

the energy an object has due to its motion

What are the types of kinetic energy?

-electrical

-light

-thermal

-motion

-sound

-movement

What is an example of kinetic energy?

heat radiating from a fire

What are the two ways energy is stored?

Mechanical and chemical

What are examples of how energy is mechanically stored?

-compression

-tension

-motion

What are examples of how energy is chemically stored?

-batteries

-gases

-solid fuel

-food

What are the advantages of using fossil fuels?

-They can produce large amounts of energy

-We can decide when to produce the energy

-We already have all the infrastructure

-It is a cheap and reliable source

What are the disadvantages of using fossil fuels?

-Causes air pollution: CO2 is released into the air when fossil fuels are burnt.

-The main cause of acid rain due to release of Sulphur dioxide

-Accidents such as oil spills contribute to pollution and environmental contamination

-Non-renewable and unsustainable source of energy.

What are the advantages of using nuclear power?

- It's an alternative (but still non-renewable) energy source to fossil fuels

- It can produce a lot of power from relatively little uranium

What are the disadvantages of using nuclear power?

-Low net energy

-High overall costs

-Produces long-lived, radioactive waste

-Promotes spread of nuclear weapons

-Mining of uranium

How does nuclear power work?

1. Reactor core with fuel rods heats water

2. Steam goes into turbine

3. Turbine operates electrical generator to produce electricity

4. Hot "cooling" water is cooled in tower

What are the advantages of using tidal power?

-renewable

-predictable

-clean energy source

What are the disadvantages of using tidal power?

-expensive to set up and maintain

- only works twice a day

How does tidal power work?

The mechanical energy associated with the rising and falling of water levels during the movement of the tides is converted to usable electrical energy.

What are the advantages of using solar panels?

-do not require any maintenance

-the last over long period of Time

-their running cost is almost 0

-they are suitable for remote, inaccessible and isolated places where electric power lines cannot be laid

-.do not cause pollution

What are the disadvantages of solar panels?

-The initial cost is high

-efficiency of conversion of solar energy to electricity is low

-DC electricity is produced which cannot be used directly

What are the advantages of using biomass energy?

-renewable

-carbon neutral

-Plentiful supply

What are the disadvantages of using biomass energy?

-risk of deforestation if trees are not replanted

What are the advantages of using hydroelectric power?

-renewable

-reliable

-doesn't pollute

-it can be regulated according to demand

What are the disadvantages of using hydroelectric power?

- cost of constructing the dam

- The local environment is affected

-natural irrigations and ecosystems may be affected

How do kinetic pumped storage systems work?

by pumping water from a lower reservoir to a higher reservoir

What are kinetic pumped storage systems?

a type of energy storage that uses two reservoirs at different elevations to store and release energy. they store excess electricity and release it when needed, helping to balance the electrical grid and meet peak demand

What are the advantages of alkaline batteries?

-they have a high energy capacity

-high energy density

-consistent performance

What are the disadvantages of alkaline batteries?

-Not Rechargeable

-Bulky Size

-Risk of Leakage

-Temperature Sensitivity

-alkaline batteries contribute to e-waste

What are the advantages of rechargeable batteries?

- no dangerous fuels required

- can produce a greater p.d

-more cost-effective in the long run

What are the disadvantages of rechargeable batteries?

-Higher Initial Cost

-need to buy a charging device

-Self-Discharge

-Reduced Performance Under Load

What is a modern material?

A material that has been engineered to have improved properties

How can modern materials be made?

- a material or element may be used or combined in a way that is different from its normal function

-it may be blended, alloyed, coated or treated to improve it

What are biodegradable polymers?

polymers that naturally decompose

They are usually made from vegetable starches, often cornstarch

What is an example of a biodegradable polymer?

Polylactic acid (PCL) is often used in 3D printing

What is a polymorph?

-A thermoplastic material that can be shaped and reshaped

-It is heated in hot water and used in modelling

-it fuses at 62 degrees

-it is flexible and easy to mould when heated

-it becomes stiff and strong once it has been cooled

What is flexible MDF?

A material that allows the creation of natural curves. it has a series of parallel cuts in it, that allows it to bend. It is a modern material.

What is metal foam?

-Metal material with air pockets, like a foam, inside.

-Air pockets are made by injecting gas into liquid aluminium or titanium

What is graphene?

A sheet of carbon atoms joined together in hexagons - it's one atom thick, therefore it's a 2-dimensional compound

The network of covalent bonds makes it very strong

Very light - added to composite materials to improve their strength but not to add weight

Contains delocalised electrons - conducts electricity through the whole structure

Can be used in electronics

What is a liquid crystal display?

A LCD is a very thin display panel made up of a number of colour or monochrome pixels arranged in front of polarising filters and an electronic light source.

They are small, thin, very light and use less energy. However their viewing angle is quite small, they are sensitive to touch and are relatively expensive

What are the properties of titanium?

- Strong

- Low density

- Very high melting point

- Silvery, white colour

- Very resistant to corrosion

-Doesn't react with the human body (making it ideal for medical applications)

What is fibre optics?

-Very thin glass cables that carry pulses of light.

-they are used to transmit light in communications and medical applications

What are smart materials?

-Materials that react to an external stimulus by changing their characteristics and/or properties

-Examples of stimuli are heat, light or pressure

-They often change back to their original state when the factor is taken away.

What are self-healing polymers?

Self-healing polymers react to stress fractures by releasing resin into the new crack

What are thermochromic pigments?

Colour pigments that can change in response to heat

What are photochromic pigments?

Photochromic pigments change their properties when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light.

What are photochromic particles?

UV light reacts with photosensitive silver halide within lenses, for prescription sunglasses