*T2722009I3PV1*

T2722009I3PV1

T272/C

Module Examination 2020

CORE ENGINEERING B

Submit by 23:59 Tuesday, 15 September 2020

This examination is divided into TWO parts.

Aim to spend no more than 40 percent of your time on Part A and 60
percent of your time on Part B.
Part A is worth 40 percent of the overall marks for the examination. You
should answer all ten questions in this part. Each of these questions is
based on a single concept or topic.
Part B is worth 60 percent of the overall marks for the examination. You
should answer all four questions in this part. Each of these questions
requires you to draw from knowledge of multiple concepts or topics.
You may refer to your T272 Handbook during this examination. A
scientific calculator is permitted for this examination.
Include ALL working in your answer booklet. DO NOT cross anything
out unless you DO NOT want it to be marked.
For instructions on how many questions to answer and how to submit
your completed exam, please refer to the ‘Guidance for your T272
remote exam’ document published on your module website.

Copyright © 2020 The Open University

PART A Answer all ten questions in this part.
This part is worth 40 percent of the total marks in this examination. Plan to spend
no more than 40 percent of your time answering this part.

Question 1 A bonded double shear lap joint shown in Figure 1 is designed to carry a tensile
load of 10 kN and is produced using wooden sheets that are 60 mm wide.
(a) If the shear strength of the adhesive is 2 MPa, what is the minimum overlap
length, “L”, that is required to carry the load? Give your answer to 2 s.f.
(2 marks)
(b) State one advantage and one disadvantage of using a double shear lap joint
compared to a single shear joint?
(2 marks)

Figure 1 Figure for Question 1 Bonded double shear lap joint

Question 2 A spherical pressure vessel with an internal radius of 300 mm is designed to

store gas at a gauge pressure of 2 MPa. The container is manufactured from
high-strength steel with a maximum allowable stress of 120 MPa.
(a) Draw a sketch showing the directions of the principal stresses at a point on
the wall of the thin-walled spherical pressure vessel.
(1 mark)
(b) What is the minimum wall thickness that would support the design pressure
in the vessel without exceeding the allowable stress?
(2 marks)
(c) State one practical benefit of using a spherical design for a pressure vessel
compared to a cylindrical design.
(1 mark)

2 T272 September 2020

Question 3 (a) What are the two main vertical forces acting on an aircraft in flight as shown
in Figure 2.

Figure 2 Figure for Question 3 Vertical forces acting on an aircraft in flight

(1 mark)
(b) What modes of loading are induced in an aircraft wing structure by the
vertical flight forces?
(1 mark)
(c) What cross-section shape is commonly used for the internal structure of an
aircraft wing. State one reason why this shape is used.
(2 marks)

Question 4 The deceleration of an autonomous vehicle is programmed to follow the equation

d 2x
 0.3t 2  2t
dt 2
Find an equation for the vehicle’s velocity if, at 0 its velocity is 15 m s-1. Find
the vehicle’s velocity at t = 2s .
(4 marks)

T272 September 2020 TURN OVER 3

Question 5 A collision experiment consists of a truck with a loadcell attached to a buffer to
measure the impact. The truck is travelling at 5 m s-1 when it collides with a
stationary target. The profile shown in Figure 3 is for the force on the buffer as a
function of the buffer’s stroke.

Figure 3 Figure for Question 5 Force profile for collision

For the collision:
(a) estimate the total work done;
(b) estimate the average force per unit distance applied to the buffer.
(4 marks)

Question 6 A small volume element of an annular ring is given by d d d , where is

the element’s radial distance from the ring’s centre and is the thickness of the
ring.
Given the equation for the moment of inertia can be expressed as d ,
use this integral to calculate the moment of inertia for the ring if its outer radius is
0.50 m, inner radius is 0.40 m, thickness 0.1 m and density 8.0 10 kg m .
Give your answer to 3 s.f.
(4 marks)

4 T272 September 2020

Question 7

Figure 4 Figure for Question 7 Fracture surface from the frame of a pair of plastic
spectacles
Figure 4 shows a fracture surface from the frame of a pair of spectacles that
broke suddenly at the central part of the bridge over the nose.
Describe the features you can see on the surface and explain what they tell you
about the mode of fracture and the conditions that caused it.
(4 marks)

Question 8 (a) State the two external factors that affect the steady-state rate of creep in
metals.
(1 mark)
(b) Briefly explain the role of dislocations in the steady-state creep of metals.
(3 marks)

Question 9 (a) Briefly explain how thermal toughening can be used to strengthen glass.
(3 marks)
(b) Name a second method for toughening glass by modifying the surface.
(1 mark)

T272 September 2020 TURN OVER 5

Question 10

Figure 5 Figure for Question 10 Phase diagram for the bismuth-antimony alloy
system
Figure 5 shows the phase diagram for binary alloys of the metals bismuth and
antimony, over the temperature range 200-700 oC.
(a) What type of behaviour is shown by this alloy system?
(1 mark)
(b) Describe what happens if a mixture of 40% antimony and 60% bismuth is
cooled slowly from 600 oC to 200 oC. Include approximate transition
temperatures in your answer.
(3 marks)

6 T272 September 2020

PART B Answer all four questions in this part.
This part is worth 60 percent of the total marks in this examination. Plan to spend
no more than 60 percent of your time answering this part.

Question 11 Two pieces of wood cut at an angle are glued together along an inclined plane at
50° to the x-axis as shown in Figure 6 a. The state of stress at a point A in the
glue is shown in Figure 6 b.
(a) State the values of the three stress components σx, σy, τxy at point A.
(1 mark)
(b) What are the normal stresses perpendicular to and parallel to the glued joint
at point A? Give your answer to 2 s.f.
(5 marks)
(c) What is the shear stress parallel to the glued joint at point A? Give your
answer to 2 s.f.
(2 marks)
(d) Sketch the transformed stress element in the frame of reference of the joint
at point A.
(4 marks)
(e) Why is the result useful for analysing a joint of this type?
(3 marks)

a. b.
Figures 6 a and b Figures for Question 11 a. Joint between two wooden sheets
b. Stress element at point A

T272 September 2020 TURN OVER 7

Question 12 A single piston compressor was bolted to the steel deck of an offshore facility and
run at a constant speed of 2000 rpm. The vibration from the compressor caused
the rivets holding the deckplate to flex and eventually fail.

Figure 7 Figure for Question 12 Compressor mounted on riveted deckplate

(a) List three key attributes of a harmonic oscillator which cause vibration and
identify their sources in Figure 7 above.
(3 marks)
(b) Convert the piston speed to angular frequency. Give your answer to 3 s.f.
(2 marks)
(c) The forces acting on the deckplate can be modelled by the differential
equation
cos
Identify what each term in the equation describes.
(4 marks)
(d) A simplified part of the differential equation from part (c) is used to study the
system’s behaviour.
4 10 0
Solve this equation to find as a function of and comment on your answer
in relation to the failure.
(6 marks)

8 T272 September 2020

Question 13

Figure 8 Figure for Question 13 A connection between two pipes

Figure 8 shows a connection between a low-alloy steel pipe with a protective
surface coating and a high-alloy steel pipe. The pipes are held together by low-
alloy steel nuts and bolts. The component has been operating in a damp
environment. Widespread corrosion is visible, for example at the positions
marked A, B and C.
The electrode potential of the high-alloy steel, measured relative to the low-alloy
steel, is +0.35 V.
The atomic mass of iron is 55.8.
The charge on a mole of electrons is 96 500 C.
(a) Describe the main factors contributing to the corrosion at A, B and C.
(6 marks)
(b) The bolts in Figure 8 act like a sacrificial anode. Write a half-equation to
show the chemical process that occurs at B and explain how this can
produce an electric current between B and C.
(3 marks)
(c) If the corrosion current between B and C is 0.5 mA, what mass of iron would
be lost from the bolt over a year (365 days)? Give your answer in grams, to
2 s.f.
(4 marks)
(d) Suggest one possible way of improving the design and explain how it could
help to reduce corrosion.
(2 marks)

T272 September 2020 TURN OVER 9

Question 14 Table 1 compares selected properties of iron with examples of mild steel, high-
density polyethylene (HDPE) and high modulus polyethylene fibres (HMPE).

Melting point, Density, Tensile strength, Tensile modulus,

K kg m-3 MN m-2 GN m-2
Iron 1810 7870 210 211
Mild steel 1700 7860 690 212
HDPE 404 960 30 1
HMPE 420 970 4000 150
Table 1 Table for Question 14
(a) Use your knowledge of bonding types and the atomic or molecular
arrangements within materials to explain qualitatively the following
statements.
1. The melting points of iron and steel are much higher than those of
HDPE and HMPE.
2. The densities of iron and steel are much higher than those of HDPE
and HMPE.
3. The tensile strength and tensile modulus of HMPE are much higher
than those of HDPE.
4. The addition of carbon atoms to iron to produce steel results in a higher
tensile strength.
(10 marks)
(b) Carry out suitable calculations to compare the mass per unit length of a mild
steel cable with that of an HMPE rope, for a breaking load of 1000 N. One
mark will be awarded for explaining your method.
(4 marks)
(c) Suggest one reason why HMPE might not be a suitable choice in some
situations where a cable or rope is required.
(1 mark)

[END OF QUESTION PAPER]

10 T272 September 2020