Photo of Dr Richard Potter

Dr Richard Potter MPhys (hons), MInstP, PhD

Senior Lecturer Materials, Design and Manufacturing Eng

Teaching

Smart Materials

Ferrofluid
Ferrofluid

Smart materials are a fascinating group of materials that respond to an external stimulus in a significant and exploitable fashion.

Examples of smart materials include:

- Shape memory alloys
- Piezoelectric materials
- Electrostrictive materials
- Magnetostrictive materials
- Photostrictive materials
- Magnetorheological fluids
- Electrorheological fluids
- Ferrofluids
- Biomimetic materials
- Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) - These are not strictly speaking 'Smart Materials',

Electronic and Optoelectronic materials and devices

MOSFET
MOSFET

Functional materials and the devices that utilise these are central to my teaching interests.

Major topics that I cover include:
- Semiconductor physics
- Device fabrication methods
- Materials
- Devices
- Conventional capacitors
- Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) capacitors
- p-n junctions diodes
- MOS Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs)
- Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
- Photo-diodes
- Laser diodes

Design 2 - Group design

In this module, we set year 2 Mechanical Engineering students a design challenge at the start of the year and then get them to work through a 'Total Design' process in small groups. In recent years, we have set students design challenges relating to novel smoothie makers and kick scooters. The students have to consider a wide range of aspects of the design process including:

- Product design specification
- Market research
- Review of existing patents
- Conceptual design
- Concept selection
- Engineering science
- Detailed design
- CAD
- 2D technical drawing generation
- Process selection
- Material selection

Modules for 2023-24

FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS

Module code: MATS402

Role: Module Co-ordinator

Manufacturing Systems

Module code: MNFG321

Role: Module Co-ordinator

Manufacturing Systems

Module code: MNFG401

Role: Module Co-ordinator

SMART MATERIALS

Module code: MATS515

Role: Module Co-ordinator

SMART MATERIALS

Module code: MATS315

Role: Module Co-ordinator