In this paper we study epistemological transitions across an intended engineering curriculum and recommend strategies to assist students in attaining the increasingly complex concepts and insights that are necessary for transition to advanced levels of study. We draw on Legitimation Code Theory [Maton, Karl. 2014, Knowledge and Knowers: Towards a Realist Sociology of Education. Abingdon: Routledge], in particular the dimensions of sematic gravity and semantic density, to explain these transitions. Data for the study was obtained from a curriculum renewal project that reveals how engineers understand engineering knowledge. We find an interdependent relationship between semantic gravity and semantic density in the intended engineering curriculum. The complexity of the context and the problems that arise from it pose strong cognitive challenges. The semantic gravity wave rises and falls across the engineering curriculum s, enabling both abstraction and a focus on ‘real world’ problems in specialised knowledge fields. Control of the semantic gravity wave is key to the provision of ‘epistemological access’ [Morrow, Wally, ed. (2003) 2009. Bounds of Democracy: Epistemological Access in Higher Education. Reprint, Pretoria: HSRC Press] to engineering knowledge.

In this paper, a new family of impedance source inverters is presented. It employs high-frequency electrical isolation between the inverter bridge switches and the load along with voltage clamping across the dc-link voltage. Conventional Z-source inverters (ZSIs) employs an impedance network that consists of inductors and capacitors. It has unique features that realize both step-up/step-down functions and eliminates the need of dead/overlap times. This paper extends this novel concept by using electrical isolation in impedance source inverters. High-frequency isolation has many advantages in terms of immunity and reliability; when applied with impedance source inverters this makes ZSIs a preferable choice for industrial applications. In photo-voltaic systems, the addition of the high-frequency transformer provides safety by avoiding the injection of dc circulating current into the grid, without the need of an external bulky line frequency transformer. The gain of the proposed inverter design can be accurately selected by choosing the turns ratio of the high frequency transformer (HFT) or by adjusting the shoot-through duty cycle (STDC) to the inverter. This allows for greater freedom especially when utilizing a higher modulation index, with the STDC allowing dynamic gain adjusts to be done speedily during operation of the inverter. Additionally, a dc-rail voltage clamping technique for the proposed class of isolated ZSIs is also discussed. This technique provides benefits not only in improving the output voltage quality, but also in reducing voltage stress of the active and passive components by minimizing the voltage spikes across the switching devices. In this paper, several high-frequency isolated ZSIs are presented, and an example isolated improved ΓZSI design is shown and discussed in detail. Simulations are provided for the proposed class of isolated inverters to verify their working. Further experimental investigation has been done for which results for the isolated improved ΓZSI are reported. These empirical results have largely confirmed the expected benefits that were determined through simulation and accurate model-based testing.

Contribution: This paper identifies key personal and academic factors in successful transfer to electrical, computer, and mechatronics (ECM) engineering programs. The findings support prior research on engineering transfer shows that successful students accumulate knowledge and behaviors in their sending institution that enable their progress in the receiving institution.

Owing to the considerable shortage of traditional energy sources, utilization of renewable energy is gaining attention. Thus, the high-voltage inverters for solar and wind power generation systems are in huge demand. Modular inverters are more preferred over singular capacity inverters due to their numerous benefits such as relieving of thermal management, fault tolerance, reduced component stress, and modularity. This article proposes a parallel-configured improved Z-source inverter (ZSI) based on transformer. The proposed circuit has increased voltage gain with the combined benefits of paralleling inverters. Also, it offers lower harmonic distortion and lower filter requirements by employing the interleaved pulsewidth modulation strategy. Two parallel-connected transformer-based improved ZSI is first analyzed in detail, and the similar concept is then applied to N parallel-connected transformer-based improved ZSI. A hardware prototype is implemented in laboratory, and it is tested experimentally for high power applications.

The potential uses for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is vast. However, much of their potential can only truly be unlocked by giving them a higher level of autonomy. This paper focuses on an autonomous Collision Avoidance System using Specific Acceleration Matching, which is termed the `CASSAM' in this paper. This approach is being studied as it may prove an effective means to increase the level of autonomy of UAVs. The paper presents the design of the CASSAM first by modelling the UAV dynamics and then by designing suitable control algorithms. Simulation results in 2D show that it is a viable option to address the UAV collision avoidance problem having effectively evaded threats with minimal control effort.

There is concern in higher education about the widespread use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) tools in academic writing. Consequently, many institutions are creating policies to regulate their use. Despite these efforts, the use of GAI continues to expand. With free GAI tools readily available, the issue to be addressed is their ethical and responsible use. This study addresses this issue through the evaluation of a training intervention that integrated GAI tools to enhance postgraduate students’ academic writing skills. The research question addressed was: How does training and supporting postgraduate students in the responsible use of GAI tools impact their academic writing? The research design integrated formative, summative and reflective forms of evaluation. The study drew on Cultural Historical Activity Theory to analyse postgraduate students developing understandings of integrity in academic writing while using GAI tools. The study found that although initially impressed with GAI tools, participants became more critical over time. Drawing on insights from the study, a reconceptualisation of the role of GAI tools in postgraduate students’ academic writing across disciplines is proposed, and guidelines for responsible implementation are made, ultimately contributing to the ongoing discourse on the intersection of technology and education.