Introduction to Basic Electrical and Electronics Engineering

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Basic Electrical and Electronics Engineering (BEEE) is the foundational subject in the field of electrical and electronics engineering domains. In this subject, engineering students learn about basic concepts of electricity, electrical quantities, AC and DC circuit fundamentals, semiconductor devices, and electronic circuits.

BEEE is an introductory course in engineering, hence it is studied by students of all branches of engineering. The primary objective of basic electrical and electronics engineering is to explain how electricity works, as it is essential part of most modern real-world systems.

Read this chapter to learn the concept of electricity, electrical engineering, electronics engineering, why we should study BEEE, and the applications of BEEE. So, let's start with the fundamentals.

What is Electrical Engineering?

Electrical Engineering is an engineering branch that deals with the study of how to generate, transmit, distribute, and utilize electricity. Therefore, electrical engineering has the following key areas of study and work −

• Generation of Electric Power − In this segment, we study how electricity is produced from different energy sources like thermal, hydro, nuclear, wind, solar, etc.
• Transmission and Distribution of Electricity − This part of electrical engineering explains the methods and ways to convey and control the flow of electric power from power plants to load points such as homes, offices, factories, etc.
• Electrical Machines − In this part, we study the design, construction, and working of various electrical machines such as electric motor, generator, transformer, etc.
• Control and Protection − This part of electrical engineering deals with the study of devices used to control the flow of electricity such as circuit breakers, isolators, etc. and protect the system from faults, such as protective relays.

Examples of electrical engineering works include operating home appliances, operating electric motors in factories, designing and deploying substations and power lines, developing renewable energy plants, etc.

Hence, we can state that electrical engineering is the study and application of electricity in the real world.

What is Electronics Engineering?

Electronics Engineering is an engineering branch that deals with the study of how electrons flow through semiconductor devices and components to perform a specific function such as signal amplification, rectification, data processing, and power flow control.

Electronics engineering basically focuses on low power devices and circuits unlike electrical engineering that deals with high power systems.

Given below are some of the key areas of studies included in electronics engineering −

• Semiconductors and Devices − This section explains fundamental theory of conduction in semiconductor materials like silicon or germanium, design and operation of semiconductor devices such as diodes, transistors, integrated circuits, etc.
• Analog and Digital Circuits − In this part, we study about designing and using various electronic circuits like amplifiers, rectifiers, oscillators, logic gates, multiplexers, adders, and more.
• Communication Systems − In this section, we study the construction and working of communication methods like AM, FM, PWM and devices like radio, television, mobile, etc.
• Microprocessors and Embedded Systems − This segment of electronics engineering explains design and operation of microprocessor and devices using them like computers, PLCs, mobiles, etc.

Examples of electronics engineering related works include designing rectifiers or inverters, developing mobile phone systems, designing robotic systems, fabricating microprocessor chips and sensors, etc.

To sum it up, we can state that electronics engineering is nothing but the study and application of semiconductor devices for building circuits for signal processing or data communication, and control.

Why Study Basic Electrical and Electronics Engineering?

If we see around us, we find that electricity and electronic devices are integral parts of our day-to-day life. We experience that majority of appliances ranging from lights to TV, computers, mobile phones, and industrial machineries run on electricity and use electronic control systems for efficient operation.

Hence, anyone who aspires to understand the following should learn basic electrical and electronics engineering −

• How electricity is generated, transmitted, and utilized to run electrical devices.
• Basic laws of electrical and electronics engineering such as Ohm's law, Kirchhoff's law.
• How electrical machines like transformers, motors, generators, etc. function.
• Working of electronic components such as diodes, transistors, and integrated circuits.
• How we can measure and control electrical parameters such as current, voltage, resistance, etc., in an electrical circuit.

Applications of Basic Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Being the fundamental subject, BEEE builds the foundation for most electrical and electronics technologies. It combines the principles of electrical engineering and electronics to work with wide range of domains from high power circuits to small electronic systems. Its application can be seen everywhere in our daily life, from household appliances to manufacturing industries and communication technologies.

The following table highlights some key areas of applications of basic electrical and electronics engineering −

Benefits of Learning BEEE

The strong knowledge of basic electrical and electronics engineering helps students to easily understand advanced subjects of electrical and electronics engineering like −

• Electrical machine
• Power system engineering
• Control system
• Analog and digital electronics
• Power electronics
• Communication engineering

In short, we can state that basic electrical and electronics engineering develops foundation for all advanced subjects of electrical, electronics, and communication engineering.

Conclusion

To conclude, basic electrical and electronics engineering (BEEE) serves as the first step in the field of electrical and electronics studies. It provides basic understanding of fundamental principles and laws of electrical and electronics and helps students to grasp advanced concepts of electrical machines, power systems, control systems, digital electronics, and many other higher-level subjects.

This chapter provided a brief overview of basic electrical and electronics engineering; let's move forward in the tutorial and learn about Basic Electrical Quantities.