COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

PUTRAJAYA CAMPUS
FINAL EXAM
SEMESTER 1 2014/2015
PROGRAMME

: Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (Honours)/

Bachelor of Electrical Power Engineering (Honours)/
Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Honours)/
Bachelor of Computer and Communication Engineering (Honours)

SUBJECT CODE

: COEB223

SUBJECT

: Numerical Methods for Engineers

DATE

: September 2014

TIME

: 3 hours

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:
1.

This paper contains FIVE (5) questions in SEVEN (7) pages

2.

Answer ALL questions.

3.

Write all answers in the answer booklet provided.

4.

Write answer to each question on a new page.

5.

Formula booklet is provided. Students are not allowed to write anything in this
booklet.

THIS QUESTION PAPER CONSISTS OF SEVEN (7) PRINTED PAGES INCLUDING

THIS COVER PAGE.

Page 1 of 7

COEB223 Semester 1 2014/2015

This page is intentionally left blank

Page 2 of 7

COEB223 Semester 1 2014/2015

QUESTION 1 [20 marks]

The amount of mass transported via a pipe over a period of time can be computed as


=  .  


where
= mass (mg),  = initial time (min.),  = final time (min.),  = volumetric flow

rate (m3/min.) and  = concentration (mg/m3). The following functional representations
define the temporal variations in flow and concentration:
 = 9 + 4   0.4
 = 3 .

a) Determine the total mass transported between  = 2 min. and  = 6 min. with a step
size of 1 min. using suitable application of Simpsons rule.
[15 marks]

b) Estimate the rate of change of the volumetric flow rate for each time step in part (a)
using differentiation formula of  .
[5 marks]

Page 3 of 7

COEB223 Semester 1 2014/2015

QUESTION 2 [20 marks]

Figure 1 shows a pendulum with length,  and the angle,  from the vertical pendulum. It
can be shown that the angle,  as a function of time,  satisfy the nonlinear differential

equation:
 
 + sin  = 0 #$%&'( 1


where  is the gravitational acceleration (9.81 m/s2). It can be assumed that the angle,  of

the problem is small enough such that the approximation of sin  =  is valid, and then the

#$%&'( 1 will become linear.

Given  = 1 m, what will be the distance,  at 0.4 s if  = 0.1 rad and angular velocity, * is

1 rad/s at time,  = 0 s? Use Heun method with step size, h of 0.1 s (Hint: Use * =

+,
+

).

Figure 1
[20 marks]

Page 4 of 7

COEB223 Semester 1 2014/2015

QUESTION 3 [20 marks]

An engineer would like to investigate the temperature of a steel rod which is anchored at a
wall, as depicted in Figure 2 below. In order to minimize the heat loss to the surroundings, an
insulating material is wrapped around the rod. The length of the rod is 9 cm and the distance
between the points, as depicted in Figure 2, is equal. The initial temperature of the rod, along
points B, C and D at t = 0.0 s was measured to be 10 C and constant boundary temperatures
of 90 C and 25 C as shown in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2

The heat distribution is modelled by Fouriers Law of Heat Conduction,

-

.  / ./
=
.0  .

Using the Crank-Nicolson method, solve for the temperature distribution along points B, C
and D after 0.2 s with a step size of 0.1 s, given that the thermal conductivity of the rod,
- = 0.65 cal / (s cm C). Use the standard LU decomposition method to solve for the
system of equations obtained from the Crank-Nicolson method.
[20 marks]

Page 5 of 7

COEB223 Semester 1 2014/2015

QUESTION 4 [20 marks]

Raphson Gauge International Corporation is testing the efficiency of its newly designed sea
pressure gauge. The gauge is used to measure the pressure resulted in the sea as the distance
from the surface increased.
The data of depth,  in km with respect to the sea pressure, 3 in bar is shown in the table
below.

Depth,  (km)

0.1

0.35

0.6

0.85

Sea Pressure, 3 (bar)

50

210

380

450

a) Generate a third-order polynomial using the Newtons Interpolating Polynomial

Method to describe the variable of the sea pressure, 3 (bar) with respect to depth,
 (km). Write the polynomial in the form of 3 = 4 5 + 6  + 7 + 8, where
4, 6, 7 and 8 are constants.

[12 marks]
b) Based on the polynomial obtained in part (a), calculate the depth,  when the sea

pressure, 3 is 290 bar using the Bisection Method. Use initial guesses of  = 0.35

and 0.60 km. Perform THREE iterations only. Find the error of approximation at
each iteration.
[8 marks]

Page 6 of 7

COEB223 Semester 1 2014/2015

QUESTION 5 [20 marks]

Company Momo produces three different types of processor chip. The cost and labour needed
for producing these devices and the corresponding profit are:

Cost (RM / unit)

Labour (hours / unit)

Profit (RM / unit)

Processor A

350

20

500

Processor B

400

10

400

Processor C

400

15

450

The company has capital of RM 150,000 and 4200 hours of labour available each day.

a) Analyse and set up a linear programming formulation to optimize the profit.

[3 marks]

b) By using the Simplex method, determine how many of each processor should be
produced per day for maximum profit. Please state or highlight your final answer.
[17 marks]

-END OF QUESTION PAPER-

Page 7 of 7