Engineering Applications

Learn how engineering can improve work efficiency and productivity in horticulture, agriculture or construction.

Course Code: BSC205
Fee Code: S2
Duration (approx) Duration (approx) 100 hours
Qualification
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Learn How to Make Work Easier

Machinery and equipment have changed the face of agriculture, horticulture and construction industries. With the right equipment, used for the right task; it is possible for one person to achieved the same as what many would have done in the past.

This course provides an excellent foundation for understanding how to apply innovative engineering solutions to improve efficiency and productivity in construction, agriculture and horticulture.

Lesson Structure

There are 9 lessons in this course:

  1. Surveying
    • Linear surveying
    • Triangulation
    • Determining slope
    • Triangulation
    • Contouring
    • Traversing
    • Levelling terms
    • Grid systems - datum line, reduced level, backsight, change point, etc.
    • Types of Level - dumpy, quickset, cowley
    • Reading the levelling staff
    • Levelling procedure
    • Levelling a sloping site
  2. Earthworks
    • Construction machinery and equipment
    • Bobcats
    • Front end loader
    • Tractor
    • Backhoe
    • Bulldozer
    • Explosives
    • Shovel, Pick
    • Cut and fill method
    • Excavation
    • Contouring and levelling
    • Swales
    • Types of Cultivator - Chisel ploughs, discs and harrows, tined cultivators, rotary hoes, etc.
    • Calculating earth to move
    • Prismordial rule
    • Moving existing earth
    • Importing soil
    • Shaping and settling soil
    • Case Study - Constructing a playing field
    • Managing Soil degradation -erosion, compaction, salinity, etc
  3. Water management
    • Irrigation systems
    • Sub-surface
    • Surface
    • Sprinkler
    • Trickle irrigation
    • Irrigation equipment
    • Watering cans
    • Sprinklers
    • Capillary watering
    • Automated systems
    • Water - sources, quality, treatment
    • Pumps - piston, centrifugal, rotary
    • Filters
    • Irrigation scheduling
    • Pulse watering
  4. Environmental control
    • Atmosphere control
    • Carbon dioxide effects
    • Greenhouse considerations
    • Covering materials
    • Temperature control
    • Benching
    • Shadehouses
    • Outdoor heating
  5. Chemical Applications
    • Applying pesticides
    • Parts of a basic sprayer
    • Calibration
    • Calibrating a knapsack sprayer
    • Mixing chemicals
    • Sprayer maintenance
    • Safe chemical use
    • Chemical labelling
    • Material Safety Data Sheet
    • Safe chemical storage
    • Environmental contamination
    • Protecting outdoor structures from chemical contamination
    • Paints, Stains and Sealers
    • Painting outdoor furniture and structures
  6. Fencing
    • Fencing materials - wire mesh, barbed wire, wire strand, posts, strainer assemblies etc
    • Traditional wire fencing
    • Semi-suspension fencing
    • Suspension fencing
    • Electric fencing
    • Bpx end assembly
    • Post and stay assembly
    • Barriers and walls
    • Types of timber fence -panels, slats, pickets, hurdles
    • Fencing houses and pools
    • Gateways and gates
    • Rock and rubble walls
    • Brick walls
    • Concrete walls
    • Free standing walls
    • Retaining walls
    • Trellises
    • Wood engineering - softwoods, hardwoods
    • Preservatives
    • Hedges
  7. Mechanisation
    • Vehicles
    • Tractors
    • The clutch
    • The transmission
    • Harvesters
    • Mowers - rotary, cylinder, flail, ride on
    • Hedge trimmers - shears, blade, saw, flail.
    • Trimmer maintenance
    • Chain saw use
    • Chain saw characteristics - petrol, electric, bar size, etc
    • Chain saw maintenance; extending chain life
    • Safety with chain saws
    • Mulching machines
    • Cultivators
    • Milking machines
    • Soil mixing machines
    • Potting machines
    • Planters, seeders, drills
    • Harvesters - potato, carrot
    • Grading machines
  8. Engineering efficiency
    • Overview
    • Costs
    • Quality of product
    • Replacement parts and servicing
  9. Developing engineering solutions
    • Introduction
    • Handling equipment
    • Trays boxes, pellets
    • Trolleys and barrows
    • Trailers
    • Fork lifts
    • Tractor loaders
    • Continuous conveying systems - conveyor belts, mono rails, etc
    • Hoppers
    • Staff comfort and safety

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.


More Efficient Engines can make a Difference

The Efficiency of an engine is measured by either the Brake Thermal Efficiency (BTE) or the Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC).

Brake Thermal Efficiency takes into account thermal and mechanical losses. It is:
  
BTE =   brake power (bp)                       
            energy value of fuel used in one second

The energy value for petrol and diesel fuels is around 46 MJ/kg

Specific Fuel Consumption is a measure of how much fuel is used to make the power:
  
SFC = fuel used in kg per hour
           brake power in kW

NB. Both terms are not in standard SI units.

The relationship between SFC and BTE is:
 
 SFC =     3.6      kg/Kw. h
             Q x BTE

Where Q is the energy value of the fuel in MJ/kg

Generally speaking, maximum power is usually obtained at a higher speed, with a slight loss to efficiency.

The mechanical efficiency of an engine is its ability to change a fuel into useable power. Whenever the heat or energy of a fuel is converted or changed to another, a large percentage is usually lost. Of each 4 litres of fuel used in a carburettor type engine 3 litres are lost. This gives the engine an efficiency of around only 25%. Diesel engines normally have a higher efficiency, but are still only around 30-35% efficient.

Drawbar power and power take off (PTO) power are common measures of a tractor’s work ability. Drawbar power is about 15% less than PTO power due to losses in the transmission, differential and drive wheels (e.g. friction losses).

How does an engine lose power?

An engine loses power through the exhaust system, the cooling system, through engine friction, and via transmission and traction losses. For an average tractor when heat energy lost in the exhaust system (around 30%) is added to heat lost in the cooling system (around 40%), and that lost through engine friction (around 6%) this represents a total loss of around 76% of the initial fuel. For tractors, of the remaining 24% available for useful work, another 4-5% is lost between the PTO shaft and the tractor drawbar.
 

Moving can be Costly

One major time consuming task in any workplace can be moving things about.

  • On a farm, produce needs to be collected and moved to packing, treatment or storage areas; and eventually to despach areas.
  • In factories, materials need to be moved along production lines and eventually to storage and finally dispatch.

There different ways of automating how things are moved, for example:

Conveyor Belts can be used either horizontally or on a slight slope. Roller Conveyor Platforms (involve a number of rollers mounted side by side). Elevator Belts can be used to raise materials vertically. Elevator belts are commonly driven by link chain.
Pneumatic Systems (involving a continuous low of air through pipes)
Pumps: for moving liquids
Fork lifts, for moving pallets of goods

Conveyor Belts

Most conveyor belts are made of layers of strong fabric embedded in a rubber mat. The rubber can be natural or synthetic – either way it must be strong to be durable. Conveyor drives commonly work by transferring power from metal rollers to a belt by frictional force. For this to work the belt must be tight enough to maximize power transfer. Belts commonly move at speeds between 0.5 and 2 metres per second (this can be achieved by a 20cm diameter roller running between 45 and 200 rpm (revolutions or rotations per minute). To achieve such rotations usually requires a gearing mechanism to heavily reduce the rotations on a running engine. Conveyor belts commonly run over the top of a deck that supports the belt (commonly stainless steel which provides a slippery surface for the belt to move on).  

Pumps

Pumps are used for moving liquids. A pump and piped system is typically used for moving milk in a dairy. Pumped systems may also be used in wineries or juice factories.

Monorails

These can be either powered or not powered. They involve:

  • a track (usually supported pipe) going between work stations in a building
  • a carrying platform or container attached to an arm that is attached to rollers which sit on the track

Materials can be loaded onto the platform or container, and then moved with relative ease between work stations.   

ACS Distance Education holds an Educational Membership with the ATA.
ACS Distance Education holds an Educational Membership with the ATA.
Principal of ACS Distance Education, John Mason, is fellow of the CIH.
Principal of ACS Distance Education, John Mason, is fellow of the CIH.
Member of Study Gold Coast Education Network.
Member of Study Gold Coast Education Network.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.
UK Register of Learning Providers, UK PRN10000112
UK Register of Learning Providers, UK PRN10000112

How can I start this course?

You can enrol at anytime and start the course when you are ready. Enrolments are accepted all year - students can commence study at any time. All study is self paced and ACS does not set assignment deadlines.

Please note that if a student is being assisted by someone else (e.g. an employer or government subsidy), the body offering the assistance may set deadlines. Students in such situations are advised to check with their sponsor prior to enrolling. The nominal duration of a course is approximately how long a course takes to complete. A course with a nominal duration of 100 hours is expected to take roughly 100 hours of study time to complete. However, this will vary from student to student. Short courses (eg. 100 hrs duration) should be completed within 12 months of enrolment. Certificates, Advanced Certificates and Awards (eg. over 500 hours duration) would normally be completed within 3 -5 years of enrolment. Additional fees may apply if a student requires an extended period to complete.
If a student cannot submit their assignments for 6 months to ACS, they should advise the school to avoid cancellation of their student
registration. Recommencement fees may apply.

Simply click on the ENROL OPTIONS button at the top of this screen and follow the prompts.

You can see the course price at the top of this page. Click 'enrolment options' to see any payment options available.

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We also have Afterpay that will allow you to pay for your course or payment plans in four instalments (if you are in Australia).


What do I need to know before I enrol?

There are no entry requirements that you need to meet to enrol in our courses, our courses are for everyone.
If you are under 18, we need written permission from your parent/ guardian for your enrolment to continue, we can arrange that after you have enrolled.

You don’t need to purchase any additional resources to complete our courses.

We aim to teach you the essentials without you having to purchase any specific computer program.
We recommend that you have access to a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, so that you can easily complete and submit your assignments.

You sure can. We are here to help you learn whatever your abilities.

Yes, if you are enrolling in a Certificate or Advanced Certificate, you might be eligible for credits if you have evidence of your previous studies or relevant experience. More information is here.

We recommend that you are able to browse websites, send emails and conduct online research. You will need to be able to type and submit your assignments.
If you have limited computer skills, we can make special arrangements for you.

This is possible, it depends on the institution. We recommend that if you would like to use our courses that you contact the institution first. Our Course Handbook is a good resource for this.

Our courses are written in English and we only have English speaking academic staff. If you can read and complete your assignments in English, our courses are ideal for you.

Our courses are designed to build knowledge, hands on skills and industry connections to help prepare you to work in the area, running your own business, professional development or as a base for further study.

This course has been designed to cover the fundamentals of the topic. It will take around 100 hours to complete, which includes your course reading, assignment work, research, practical tasks, watching videos and anything else that is contained in the course. Our short courses are a great way to do some professional development or to learn a new skill.

It’s up to you. The study hours listed in the course are a rough guide, however if you were to study a short course (100 hours) at 10 hours per week, you could finish the course in 10 weeks (just an example). Our courses are self-paced, so you can work through the courses in your own time. We recommend that you wait for your tutor to mark and return your assignment before your start your next one, so you get the benefits of their feedback.

The course consists of course notes, videos, set tasks for your practical work, online quizzes, an assignment for each lesson (that you receive feedback from your tutor from) and ends in an exam (which is optional, if would like to receive the formal award at the end), using our custom built Learning Management System - Login.Training.

Our courses are designed for adults to gain professional development and skills to further their careers and start businesses.

Our custom online learning portal allows you to conduct your learning online. There may be practical tasks that you can do offline. You have the option of downloading your course notes or print them to read later.

There is also the option to pay an additional fee for printed course notes and or USB (availability limited to location and deliverability).

Yes, if you don’t have access to the internet, you can receive the course as paper notes or on a USB stick for an additional fee. We can also make alternative arrangements for you to send your assignments to us.

We offer printed notes for an additional fee. Also, you can request your course notes on a USB stick for an additional fee.

Yes, your tutor is here to help you. Simply post any questions you have in your login.training portal or contact the office and we can pass on a message to your tutor.

We are more learning focussed, rather than assessment focussed. You have online quizzes to test your learning, written assignments and can complete an exam at the end of the course (if you want to receive your certificate). You will not receive a pass/ fail on your course work. If you need to add more details on your assignment, we will ask you to resubmit and direct you where you need to focus. If you need help, you can ask your tutor for advice in the student room.

Each module (short course) is completed with one exam.

Exams are optional, however you must sit an exam if you would like to receive a formal award. You will need to find someone who can supervise that you are sitting the exams under exams conditions. There is an additional cost of $60 incl. GST for each exam.
More information is here

There are practical components built into the course that have been designed to be achieved by anyone, anywhere. If you are unable to complete a task for any reason, you can ask your tutor for an alternative.

When you complete the course work and the exam and you will be able receive your course certificate- a Statement of Attainment. Otherwise, you can receive a Letter of Completion.

You can bundle the short courses to create your own customised learning bundle, Certificates or Advanced Certificates. More information is on this page.

Yes, our courses are built to be applicable for people living anywhere in any situation. We provide the fundamentals, and each student can apply their own unique flair for their own interests, region and circumstances with the one-on-one guidance of a tutor. There is also a bit of student directed research involved.

Employers value candidates with industry skills, knowledge, practical skills and formal learning. Our courses arm you with all of these things to help prepare you for a job or start your own business. The longer you study the more you will learn.

ACS has an arrangement with OAMPS (formerly AMP) who can arrange Professional Indemnity from Australian and New Zealand graduates across all disciplines. Ph: 1800 222 012 or email acs@oamps.com.au.


Who are ACS Distance Education?

ACS Distance Education have been educating people for over 40 years.

We are established and safe- we have been in education for over 40 years.
We are focused on developing innovative courses that are relevant to you now and what you will need to know in the future.
We are focused on helping you learn and make the most of your experience.
You can enrol at any time, you can work on your course when it suits you and at your own pace.
We are connected to many industry bodies and our staff participate in continuous improvement and learning activities to ensure that we are ahead of what learning is needed for the future.

Our courses are not accredited by the Australian Government. However many of our courses are recognised and held in high regard by many industry bodies.

Our courses are written by our staff, who all have many years experience and have qualifications in their speciality area. We have lots of academic staff who write and update our courses regularly.


How do I enrol my staff/ sponsored students?

Yes, you can do a request for a bulk enrolment and request an invoice on our Invoice Request Form

We can prepare an invoice, quote or proforma invoice. Simply complete your details on our Invoice Request form

We can arrange bulk discounts for your course enrolment, please get in touch with us to discuss your needs.

Yes, we have many students who are in locked facilities, such as prisons or hospitals. We can cater by also offering paper notes at an additional cost.


What if I have any more questions or need more information?

We can assist you to find the right course for your needs. Get in touch with us via email (admin@acs.edu.au) call on +61 7 5562 1088 or complete our course advice form.


What if I change my mind?

Please get in touch with studentservices@acs.edu.au if you would like to be removed from our mail list.

If you would like ACS Distance Education to delete your information at any time (whether you are a customer or a prospective customer), please contact our privacy officer and we will process this ( admin@acs.edu.au ).

If students require a reproduction of their certificate, an electronic copy can be provided at a cost of AUD$35 incl GST. Printed copies are not available.




Course Contributors

The following academics were involved in the development and/or updating of this course.

Jacinda Cole (Horticulturist)

B.Sc., Cert.Garden Design. Landscape Designer, Operations Manager, Consultant, Garden Writer.
She was operations manager for a highly reputable British Landscape firm (The Chelsea Gardener) before starting up her own landscaping firm. She spent three years working in our Gold Coast office, as a tutor and writer for Your Backyard (gardening magazine) which we produced monthly for a Sydney punlisher between 1999 and 2003. Since then, Jacinda has contributed regularly to many magazines, co authored several gardening books and is currently one of the "garden experts" writing regularly for the "green living" magazine "Home Grown".

John Mason (Horticulturist)

Parks Manager, Nurseryman, Landscape Designer, Garden Writer and Consultant.
Over 40 years experience; working in Victoria, Queensland and the UK.
He is one of the most widely published garden writers in the world.





Tutors

Meet some of the tutors that guide the students through this course.

Graham Anderson

Graham Anderson B. Mech Eng (hons) Dip. Health

Graham has spent his life in the farming and agriculture industry, particularly carving a niche in the avocado sector with experience ranging from tissue culture, to nursery management to fruit marketing. He has an engineering qualification and an extensive range of mechanical skills which are now diversifying to an understanding of our internal mechanics in health and psychology with qualifications underway.

Andrew Williams

Andrew Williams BSc (Hons), PgDip Eng, MSc, CEng MIET, CMgr FCMI

Andrew has extensive experience across the engineering and building services industries, with specialisms in refrigeration and energy management, with professional recognition as both a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Manager.

This experience includes working in consulting and leadership roles right through to being hands on to deliver projects and outcomes for large scale organisations and within startup and scale up environments.

He has adapted his experience to integrate with new technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) to allow for a data driven perspective to be applied to problem solving and is actively using Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to solve real world problems.

Alexander O'Brien

Alex was born and raised in Cork, in the Republic of Ireland. Having been trained in Architecture, Permaculture, Mechanical Engineering, Ceramics, Furniture Design/Construction, Sustainable building and Art,Craft and Design, his knowledge base is broad. Much of his professional work has been designing and making nature inspired spaces, creative reuse of materials, permaculture and natural ecology regeneration.

That being said, in his own words, "....my real passion is teaching. I adore sharing my knowledge and experience. Seeing students progress, and learning, that is my soul food."'

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