Application of ISO 80000-2:2009 in the Description of Technical Systems

Abstract

AbstractTechnical systems are inconceivable without documentation describing their implementation, use and maintenance. Documentation is usually based on three languages - the manufacturer’s domicile language, English and mathematics. Mathematics is not only the first foreign language that we learn, but it is also the only foreign language that everyone learns. By mastering mathematics, we often focus on the result and over the years we may forget about proper notation. This can be overcome by means of the ISO 80000 standard. A standard is a document issued by one or more organizations whose goal is to bring order into a certain field. Standards are transferred to lower instances through a hierarchical structure. The ISO 80000 standard consists of fourteen documents under the general title Quantities and units. This paper provides an analysis of the requirements of Part 2 of the standard called “Mathematical signs and symbols to be used in the natural sciences and technology”, and exemplifies its application in scientific journals and Master’s theses at engineering faculties. The presence of the standard was assessed by analyzing the elements described by the standard in papers published in 2018 in the following five scientific journals: Tehnički vjesnik/Technical Gazette, Engineering Review, Acta Polytechnica Hungarica, the American Journal of Electrical Power and Energy Systems and the International Journal of Renewable Energy Research. In addition to these journals, the presence of the standard was also analyzed in Master’s theses at two engineering faculties, i.e. the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Information Technology in Osijek and the Mechanical Engineering Faculty in Slavonski Brod, and the results are presented in a clear and concise graphical format. The conclusions of the performed analyses indicate that the standard is generally only partly implemented, with the exception of Tehnički vjesnik/Technical Gazette, where the standard is fully implemented, and the importance of adhering to normative documents is stressed in its Instructions for Authors.KeywordsStandardISO 80000Technical systemsMaintenanceMathematics