Historical Development of Electrical Engineering:
– Early interest in electricity dates back to the 17th century.
– Key figures like William Gilbert, Alessandro Volta, and Michael Faraday made significant contributions.
– Discoveries by scientists such as James Clerk Maxwell and Hans Christian Ørsted laid the foundation for electrical engineering.
– Innovations like the voltaic pile, electromagnet, and electrical relay were developed in the 19th century.
– The professionalization of electrical engineering occurred in the later 19th century with the establishment of institutions and degree programs.
Global Impact and Growth of Electrical Engineering:
– Engineering developments like the electric telegraph system and standardized units of measure had a global impact.
– Communication advancements through land-lines, submarine cables, and wireless telegraphy transformed society.
– The establishment of electrical engineering programs in universities worldwide contributed to the field’s growth.
– Practical applications led to the international standardization of electrical units.
– The rapid growth of electrical engineering as a profession influenced various industries and sectors.
Diversification of Electrical Engineering Fields:
– Electrical engineering encompasses diverse fields such as computer engineering and telecommunications.
– Specializations include hardware engineering, power electronics, and electromagnetics.
– Engineers work in technology, science, exploration, military, industry, and society.
– Employment opportunities exist in electronics, power engineering, signal processing, and optics.
– Professional certifications from organizations like IEEE and IEC are common among practicing engineers.
Radio and Semiconductor Innovations in Electrical Engineering:
– Key radio developments by figures like Marconi and Bose enabled wireless communication.
– Innovations in semiconductor technology, including the radio crystal detector and the diode, revolutionized the field.
– The introduction of the cathode-ray tube by Braun and the amplifier tube by von Lieben and De Forest were crucial advancements.
– Radio experiments by Maxwell, Hertz, and Bose paved the way for long-distance transmission.
– The oscilloscope, utilizing the cathode-ray tube, became a fundamental tool for visualizing electrical signals.
Advancements in Wireless Communication and Key Inventions:
– Marconi’s work in commercial wireless telegraphy and long-distance radio transmission was groundbreaking.
– Bose’s investigations into millimeter wave communication and high-frequency experiments were significant.
– The use of semiconductor junctions for detecting radio waves marked a milestone in wireless communication.
– Inventions like the diode and the amplifier tube played essential roles in radio technology.
– The development of wireless communication technologies contributed to the evolution of modern electrical engineering.
Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the latter half of the 19th century after the commercialization of the electric telegraph, the telephone, and electrical power generation, distribution, and use.
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| Occupation | |
|---|---|
| Names | Electrical engineer |
Activity sectors | Electronics, electrical circuits, electromagnetics, power engineering, electrical machines, telecommunication, control systems, signal processing, optics, photonics and electrical substations |
| Description | |
| Competencies | Technical knowledge, management skills, advanced mathematics, systems design, physics, abstract thinking, analytical thinking, philosophy of logic (see also Glossary of electrical and electronics engineering) |
Fields of employment | Technology, science, exploration, military, industry and society |
Electrical engineering is divided into a wide range of different fields, including computer engineering, systems engineering, power engineering, telecommunications, radio-frequency engineering, signal processing, instrumentation, photovoltaic cells, electronics, and optics and photonics. Many of these disciplines overlap with other engineering branches, spanning a huge number of specializations including hardware engineering, power electronics, electromagnetics and waves, microwave engineering, nanotechnology, electrochemistry, renewable energies, mechatronics/control, and electrical materials science.
Electrical engineers typically hold a degree in electrical engineering, electronic or electrical and electronic engineering. Practicing engineers may have professional certification and be members of a professional body or an international standards organization. These include the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET, formerly the IEE).
Electrical engineers work in a very wide range of industries and the skills required are likewise variable. These range from circuit theory to the management skills of a project manager. The tools and equipment that an individual engineer may need are similarly variable, ranging from a simple voltmeter to sophisticated design and manufacturing software.
