It must have happened to us all. You touch your car or door knob and ouch! – you receive a small electric shock. This is caused by static electricity, a phenomenon observed by Thales of Miletus around 600 BC. Electrical engineers owe the start of their profession to this important phenomenon.
Despite a few important discoveries, electrical engineering did not grow much as discipline until the 18th century. William Gilbert, generally considered as the very first electrical engineer, developed the versorium, a device able to distinguish between statically charged and uncharged objects.
Benjamin Franklin conducted broad research and experiments, where he proved that the nature of lightning is electrical.
At the turn of the 18th century, Italians Luigi Galvani and Alessandro Volta contributed with their respective discoveries of bioelectricity and the battery. Through the twitching of dead frogs’ legs, excited by an electrical spark, Galvani demonstrated that different parts of the body communicate through the transmission of electrical signals. This is the basis of our nervous system, an area still actively researched in biomedical engineering.
Volta’s battery, made originally of zinc and copper, provided a more reliable source of electrical energy. The volt, the standard unit of electric potential, was named after him.
The 19th century witnessed an intensification of efforts and discoveries in electrical engineering. French physicist Andre-Marie Ampere discovered that the interaction of electric current and a magnetic field produces a mechanical force, a basic concept of electric motor operation. German physicist Georg Ohm then established the relationship between electric current and voltage in a conductor, today known as Ohm’s Law.
British scientist Michael Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction, the principle used in electric generators in power stations. This was a milestone in electrical engineering and today’s devices constantly utilise this principle. Faraday contributed to other inventions such as the DC generator, influencing electrical engineers like Werner von Siemens, who then developed the industrial generator.
Engineers are the backbone of Maltese industries
Scottish scientist and mathematician James Clerk Maxwell published the unified theory of electricity and magnetism – electromagnetism – in 1873, showing that electric and magnetic fields travel through space as waves. German physicist Heinrich Hertz experimented with high-frequency signals and demonstrated the existence of radio waves, leading the way to the invention of the radio, commonly credited to the Italian Guglielmo Marconi, but largely influenced by the work of Serbian electrical engineer Nikola Tesla. Tesla was an admired pioneer whose inventions included the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply.
The 20th century saw huge advances. The area departed from its ‘mother’ subject of physics and established itself as a profession, offering new areas of specialisation, such as electronics engineering.
World War II incentivised tremendous advances, including radar technology and early computer devices such as the ‘Colossus’, designed to decipher German coded war messages.
Post–war years saw the development and proliferation of consumer devices such as the TV, computers and microprocessors. This was made possible by important inventions like the transistor and the development of the integrated circuit (IC), more commonly known as the chip, opening the doors to the computer age.
In Malta, electrical engineering was associated with the island’s military status, so its roots were mainly connected to military requirements. Since independence, Malta has diversified its economy and this has brought with it a demand for electrical and mechanical engineers.
The University’s Faculty of Engineering has played a fundamental role in this regard. In 1963, it established its first engineering course and has since then over 1,900 electrical and mechanical engineers have graduated at undergraduate level and over 120 at postgraduate level. These engineers are the backbone of Maltese industries and a catalyst for increased competitiveness and economic growth. The faculty currently has around 500 students, of which 76 have embarked on research degrees at master and Ph.D. levels.
The faculty is very active in research in various disciplines of engineering, addressing both national needs and those of the international science and engineering communities. It regularly publishes papers in high-profile international journals and conference proceedings, and owns of a number of European and international patents.
Students’ engineering projects exhibition
The Students’ Engineering Projects Exhibition showcases the faculty’s final year students’ practical and academic work.
This year, there are 76 exhibits on renewable energy, electronic products, transportation, robotics, biomedical engineering, manufacturing processes, new materials and surfaces.
The public may visit the exhibition at the Engineering Building, Msida campus, on Friday from 5pm to 8pm and Saturday from 9am to noon.
https://www.um.edu.mt/eng
Evan Dimech is an assistant lecturer at the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering of the University’s Faculty of Engineering.