Foundation degree framework specification
Option pathways: Mechanical
Mandatory DLOs: Sustainable and renewable technologies.
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Compare the relative features of alternative energy and water sources and establish the feasibility of their usage for specific applications.
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Produce energy efficient building services engineering designs and establish effective strategies for achieving sustainable building services engineering solutions.
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Establish energy and environmental performance rating of buildings and their services installations and make comparisons with established performance indicators and targets.
O3 Control Theory (L5)
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Define the needs for controls in buildings.
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Demonstrate an understanding of control terminology and principles associated with building services systems.
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Explain the characteristics and features of control components used in buildings.
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Examine the factors involved in the selection of final control elements and their integration into building services systems.
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Assess the control requirements of and propose control systems and strategies for a range of complex building services systems.
O4 and O5: Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (Levels 4 & 5)
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Analyse buildings and identify the need for ventilation and air conditioning.
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Determine cooling loads and energy requirements for buildings and potential peak summertime temperatures for spaces without air conditioning.
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Evaluate alternative ventilation and air conditioning proposals and strategies to establish feasible design solutions.
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Produce detailed ventilation and air conditioning designs to satisfy the needs of complex buildings.
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Analyse the operational characteristics of refrigerants, cooling plant and associated equipment for air conditioning systems.
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Analyse buildings and identify their heating needs.
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Determine space heating loads and energy requirements for heating schemes in complex buildings.
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Evaluate alternative heating proposals and strategies to establish feasible design solutions.
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Produce detailed heating system designs to satisfy the needs of complex buildings.
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Select and specify appropriate heating plant and energy sources for space heating and hot water generation systems.
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Determine energy requirements using data related to climate, building envelope, occupancy and use.
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Produce designs for fire and smoke management ventilation systems in buildings.
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Design large multi-zone air conditioning systems for complex commercial/industrial buildings.
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Investigate the engineering, economic and design factors relating to the use of high pressure/velocity air distribution systems.
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Analyse and evaluate the operation and application of refrigeration and chilled water distribution systems within air conditioning applications.
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Produce and analyse designs for steam systems for space and process heating.
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Produce and analyse designs for high temperature hot water space and process heating.
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Evaluate the use of district heating schemes.
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Select and specify appropriate high temperature hot water and steam heating plant and primary energy sources for heating and hot water generation.
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Design and evaluate the use of electrical heating systems for commercial/industrial buildings.
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O6 and O7: Refrigeration (Levels 4 & 5)
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Identify the applications of refrigeration and define appropriate operating conditions.
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Define the characteristics and properties of primary and secondary refrigerants and propose appropriate refrigerants for a wide range of applications.
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Describe the legislation and regulations associated with refrigerants, including the impact of international agreements on environmental protection and climate change.
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Analyse the design of practical vapour compression refrigeration cycles and quantify the impact of system parameters on energy efficiency.
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Describe the components of vapour compression refrigeration systems, and select components to design systems with optimised capital costs and efficiency.
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Evaluate methods of heat rejection and explore opportunities for free cooling.
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Assess and quantify the opportunities for recovering heat from refrigeration processes.
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Develop a design for a commercial refrigeration system that has multi-temperature requirements.
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Evaluate the performance of heat pump systems and ground source heat pump systems.
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Demonstrate an understanding of the operating characteristics of local DX, split-DX and variable refrigerant flow systems.
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Evaluate the performance of absorption chillers on pressure-temperature-concentration diagrams.
O8: Public Health Engineering
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Analyse complex buildings and identify the clients need for water and other public health services.
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Produce and evaluate detailed designs for cold and hot water supply systems for complex buildings.
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Produce and evaluate detailed designs for sanitary accommodation, pipework and drainage for complex buildings.
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Produce proposals and recommendations for solid and liquid waste management systems for buildings and their surrounding areas.
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Produce proposals and recommendations for water treatment systems and installations associated with specialist or industrial processes, swimming pools, water features and irrigation systems.
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Produce and evaluate detailed designs for fuel gas, industrial & medical gas and compressed air installations.
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O9: Utility Services
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Describe the organisation of the main utility industries.
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Describe the legislative and regulatory frameworks of the major utilities.
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Describe the wholesale and supply markets for utilities.
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Demonstrate an understanding of the physical interface between the delivered utilities and buildings.
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Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of basic designs for the main utilities in commercial and industrial buildings.
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Explore the impact of sustainability on the relationship between utility and customer.
O10 and O11: Fire Engineering (Levels 1 & 2) Up to 2 modules
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Describe the principles and characteristics of fire and smoke dynamics.
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Investigate legislation, standards and strategies required for fire safety and fire engineering.
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Investigate means of escape and strategies within buildings to prevent spread of flame and smoke.
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Produce and evaluate detailed designs for fire detection, alarm and emergency lighting installations for complex buildings.
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Produce designs for fire and smoke management ventilation systems in buildings.
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Produce and evaluate detailed designs for fire fighting and fire suppression/protection installations.
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O12 : Controls and Building Management Systems
- Identify the control and management needs of buildings and the characteristics of building management systems (BMS).
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Investigate BMS hardware, functions and applications.
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Produce designs for BMS installations and generate BMS software to achieve required control strategies.
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Monitor and adjust BMS installations to optimise the performance and benefits derived from the system.