VCE Systems Engineering case studies
VCE Systems Engineering · Put your knowledge to work in context.
VCE Systems Engineering is a Victorian Certificate of Education study covering Units 1–4, published by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. It suits students who want to design, build and analyse technological systems - mechanical, electrotechnological and integrated - rather than study engineering only in theory. The study design sets out areas of study, outcomes and assessment for Units 1–4, and the accreditation period runs from 2026. Assessment combines school-assessed coursework, a School-assessed Task (SAT) and an external examination. The VCE Systems Engineering case studies are 4 cases and about 2,232 words.
1Sizing a Solar-Powered Irrigation Controller
A student team is designing a solar-powered drip-irrigation controller for a school vegetable garden. The controller must run a 12 V DC solenoid valve (holding current 0.45 A) for 30 minutes each morning and power a microcontroller that draws 40 mA continuously.
488 words, about 2 min2Gearbox Selection for a Conveyor in a Packaging Cell
A Year 11 team is building a small conveyor to move filled boxes in a simulated packaging cell. The conveyor belt is driven by a DC motor through a gearbox and a chain drive.
555 words, about 3 min3Diagnosing Intermittent Faults in a Traffic-Light Prototype
A student has built a working model of a pedestrian crossing light using a 5 V logic board, three LEDs (red, amber, green) each with a 220 Ω series resistor, a pushbutton, and a relay that switches a 24 V lamp. During testing the green LED sometimes stays on after the sequence should have ended, and the relay occasionally chatters when the button is pressed.
604 words, about 3 min4Justifying a Material Change in a Bike Rack Design
A Year 12 team has designed a wall-mounted bicycle rack for the school bike shed. The original design uses 25 mm square mild-steel tube, welded, with a stated safe working load of 30 kg per hook and two hooks per rack.
585 words, about 3 min