System dynamics is the study of the response of engineering systems with changing time. The concepts learned in this unit can be used in a number of science and engineering disciplines including mechatronics, and in particular robotics, mechanical, electrical, aerospace, chemical, and marine engineering, manufacturing and biomedical engineering. The emphasis of this course will be on the analytical and numerical tools to describe the bahviour of the systems of interest. The presentation stresses analytical methods, concrete examples, and geometric intuition. The theory is developed systematically and is applied to various examples using differential equations, and numerical approximation of linear or nonlinear dynamical equations.

 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Demonstrate systematic understanding of system dynamics problems from various engineering domains.
2. Solve the equations describing different dynamcial systems and characterise the salient properties of their behaviours such as stability and periodicity.
3. Derive the equations of motion of various systems.
4. Apply dynamic response analysis of oscillators to perform basic system identification in different science and engineering domain such as mechanical and electrical engineering, physics, and biology.
5. Analyse the properties of linear or nonlinear dynamic equations through computer simulation and make design recommendations based on dynamics simulation data.

Research-Led Teaching

In computer labs, students are running independent (numerical) experiments and are guided towards writing a technical report in the style of a technical research note.

Examination Material or equipment

No restrictions beyond prohibited electronic devices

Recommended Resources

 Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering, Second Edition

Strogatz, Steven H

First published 2015 by Westview Press

Published 2018 by CRC Press

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Markings and short comments on assignment sheets
• Written comments on lab reports
• Verbal comments on computer lab
• Feedback to the whole class

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Referencing

Referencing must follow the standard in the hardware lab report template.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Lecture 1
2	Lecture 2
3	Lecture 3. Tutorial 1.
4	Lecture 4. Tutorial 2. Computer Lab 1.
5	Lecture 5. Tutorial 3.	Problem Set 1 due
6	Lecture 6. Tutorial 4.
7	Lecture 7, Computer Lab 2.	Problem Set 2 due
8	Lecture 8. Tutorial 5.	Computer Lab 1 Report due
9	Lecture 9	Problem Set 3 due
10	Lecture 10. Tutorial 6. Computer Lab 3.	Computer Lab 2 Report due
11	Lecture 11. Tutorial 7.
12	Lecture 12 (summary). Tutorial 8.	Problem Set 4 due. Computer Lab 3 Report due

Tutorial Registration

Signing up through Wattle in week 1

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
Problem Sets	20 %	1,2,3
Computer Labs	30 %	1,2,3,4,5
Final Examination	50 %	1,2,3

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information 
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website. Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Problem Sets

There are four problem sets each worth total of 5% of the total mark. The problem sets are a collection of end-of-chapter problems from the textbook. Problem solutions are marked for correctness.

The due dates of the assignments are (all times are Canberra times, no late submission is allowed):

• Problem Set 1: 21 March 2022
• Problem Set 2: 19 April 2022
• Problem Set 3: 2 May 2022
• Problem Set 4: 23 May 2022

Submit your solutions as a single pdf file in Wattle. Please write your name and student id clearly on your submission.

Students should solve the problems independently if they expect to perform well in the final exam.

A mark of 0 will be given to any student that fails to submit their solutions by the due date.

Assessment Task 2

Computer Labs

Three 3 hour guided lab session. Each lab is worth 10% of the total mark.

1. Students must submit their results to the tutor by the end of each lab session. The results are marked for correctness. (3% of the total mark)
2. The report for Computer Labs are to be prepared by a group where the results of each computer lab are summarised and further questions presented at the end of the Computer Lab sheet are addressed. Reports are marked against community standards in report presentation, completeness, correctness of results, and standard of discussion. Marks are not itemized. Maximum 10 page report. Please write your names and student ids clearly on your submission. (7% of the total mark)

The due dates for the lab reports are (all times are Canberra times, no late submission is allowed):

• Computer Lab 1 Report: 30 April 2022
• Computer Lab 2 Report: 14 May 2022
• Computer Lab 3 Report: 28 May 2022

All students are expected to complete the labs. Any student that does not hand in their results by the end of each lab session forfeit the 3% component of the mark. Any student group that fail to submit their report by the due date will be given a mark of 0 for the report.

Assessment Task 3

Final Examination

A standard 3 hour written exam.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

Assignments are submitted through the course Wattle site. You will be required to include an assignment cover sheet as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request it in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date. No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded. 

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Marked assignments can be collected in the tutorial sessions. The tutor will organise a special session for collection of all previously uncollected assignments at the end of semester. 

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

Resubmissions of assignments are not accepted.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students