American Society of Mechanical Engineers

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Course Descriptions:
Mechanical Engineering (ME)

To view the complete schedule of courses for
each semester, go to Cardinal Students.

Fundamentals of mechanical design: stress analysis, deflection analysis, failure theories, fatigue. Design of machine elements: screws, fasteners, springs, bearings, gears, shafts.

Major topics: Mathematical modeling of dynamic systems, Laplace transforms. Transient response analysis and frequency response analysis of mechanical, electrical and fluid systems. Computational solutions of responses of dynamic systems in state space. MATLAB used for analysis and design problems.

This is a survey course of basic heat transfer: conduction, convection, and radiation. The approach is to present the fundamental governing equation for each mechanism and discuss the relevant simplifications for practical engineering applications. This course emphasizes the practical aspects of the student's engineering education; hence, the course seeks to develop and refine the student's ability to analyze arbitrary engineering applications.

This course presents the practical aspects of flight: basic aerodynamic principles; lift and drag calculations for airfoils and wings; airplane performance parameters (thrust, glide ratio, etc.); stability and control. Time permitting, elements of propulsion and space flight will also be introduced.

Computer simulation of dynamic mechanical systems. Experimental methods for measuring the temporal and frequency response of dynamic systems. Statistical theories of measurement (error analysis, sampling, averaging, correlation).

Students will learn topics essential for the design of mechanical systems. Topics will include design, materials and manufacturing, lubrication, friction and wear, columns, and pressure vessels. Students will incorporate engineering standards, and use freehand sketching as well as PC based tools including CAD and Matlab. The course will emphasize individual and group projects. Effective communication of complex ideas through formal oral or written form and informal free hand sketching will be emphasized.

Provides students with optimum design and synthesis techniques of thermal and mechanical systems. Students apply the presented methods to creative design of complex thermal and mechanical systems. Risk, reliability, and economic analyses are introduced and utilized in the design process. Group discussion, teamwork, oral presentation, and oral reports.

This course includes the hands-on performance of and the analysis of results for selected experiments to support the lecture courses of thermodynamics (ENGR 211), fluid mechanics (ENGR 331), heat transfer (ME 362), and energy systems (ME 530). Also, students are taught technical writing skills and are required to submit laboratory reports of professional quality.

A fundamental engineering course that introduces elasticity and mechanics analyses of solid structures, whose topics include: 3-D stresses and strains; stress and strain relations; Airy¿s stress function; 2-D elasticity problems; stress concentrations; failure criteria; introduction to plasticity, fracture and fatigue; bending, torsion and combined loading on structural elements; strain energy and energy method; introduction to the finite element method; plates and shells; buckling.

Mathematical modeling of dynamic systems; basic principles of feedback; the root-locus and frequency-response design methods. MATLAB used for analysis and design problems. Prerequisite: ME 344 or Graduate Student Status.

Analysis of control systems in state space, control system design via pole placement, design of state estimators, quadratic optimal control systems design. MATLAB used extensively for analysis and design problems.

Fundamentals of digital signal processing, computer interfacing, system dynamic responses, s to z domain transformation, digital controllers in z domain, system identifications and design projects.

Introduction to CFD and its applications. Review of elementary numerical analysis. Introduction to the finite volume approach. Solution to the Navier-Stokes equations in volicity/stream function form. Solution to the Navier-Stokes equations in primitive variables: the MAC method. Solving the Navier-Stokes and heat equations. Introduction to turbulent, multiphase and combustion modeling.

A first course in applied energy systems and technologies, which reviews the fundamentals of thermal-fluid sciences and discusses their applications to power, propulsion, heating, cooling, refrigeration, and cryogenic systems. It is a course in applied thermodynamics that considers the important internal and external combustion heat engine cycles, heat pump cycles, and their associated applied components and systems. A comprehensive overview of energy consumption, production, and reserves in the USA and the world is also discussed. Emphasis is placed on the quantitative analysis of performance of various applied energy systems and processes, and on the tradeoffs necessary for improved effectiveness and environmental acceptability.

A practical design-oriented course dealing with propulsion and power-producing components and systems, including internal combustion engines, fossil fuel-fired power plants, nuclear/hydroelectric power plants, gas turbine engines, nozzles and jet propulsion, spacecraft, and direct energy converters. Open-ended design and computer problems are assigned.

A practical, design-oriented course dealing with heating, cooling, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC). Emphasizes psychometrics and building heating and cooling loads. Open-ended design and computer problems are assigned.

A practical, design-oriented course dealing with heating, cooling, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC), and refrigeration and cryogenic components and systems. Emphasizes HVAC and refrigeration equipment and performance. Various design methodologies, from simple approximation methods to comprehensive computer simulation packages, are introduced. Open-ended design and computer problems are assigned.

Indoor air quality: standards and regulations; major indoor pollutants (sources, health effects, control strategies); air cleaning processes. Thermal comfort. Open-ended design project by students to determine comfort and IAQ requirements in residential and industrial buildings.

A practical, comprehensive course for students interested in energy systems and environmental engineering. It discusses the cause, source, and effect of various primary pollutants, such as particulates, SOx, NOx, CO, VOCs, solid waste, and nuclear waste, and secondary pollutants such as photochemical smog, 03-depleting chemicals, acid gases, and greenhouse gases, from stationary and mobile energy systems. Discussions also include the working principle, performance characteristics, and method of analysis of engineering control equipment and processes for the above pollutants. This course emphasizes the design approach to pollution problems from an applied engineering viewpoint. Open-ended design problems will be assinged and a field trip to a local power plant will be arranged.

This course discusses the fundamentals of combustion science and processes, and its engineering applications to combustion and incineration systems. The topics include combustion thermodynamics and chemical kinetics; characterization of fuels and chemical wastes; premixed and diffusion flames; ignition, extinction, deflagration, and detonation; environmental impacts due to combustion and incineration; modern combustion technologies and devices; incineration technologies and systems; and pollutants removal from combustors and incinerators.

no description available

Fundamental analysis, thermodynamic evaluation and design/modeling of both single-phase and two-phase heat exchangers. Discussion of various applications, including compact heat exchangers and high heat flux applications. Students will be required to solve open-ended design problems.

Introduction to physical systems consisting of more than one phase or component. Classification of multiphase systems, technological applications. Dispersed vs. separated multiphase systems. Size distribution. Particle-fluid interaction. Multiphase system equations. Introduction to numerical modeling. Introduction to complex multiphase systems: suspensions, emulsions, and sprays.

Mass, energy and entropy balances; entropy, irreversibility, and availability (exergy); equations of state and general thermodynamic relations; gas mixtures and liquid solutions; phase equilibrium and stability; applications.

The course presents the fundamentals as well as applications of heat transfer for graduate students in engineering. It discusses the basic concepts, material properties, governing laws, and solution techniques for conduction, convection, and thermal radiation. Topics include 1-D/multi-D steady conduction, conduction in composites, insulation, heat transfer fins, unsteady conduction; fluid flows and forced convection, free convection, boiling and condensation, engineering correlation, heat exchanges; blackbody and shape factors, radiation properties, radiant exchange between surfaces, radiation shields, solar/space applications; combined modes of heat transfer.

Introduction, basic definitions, and properties of fluids. Conservation laws for a closed system. Conservation laws for an open system. Fluid kinematics. Inviscid incompressible flow. Viscous incompressible flow. Introduction to compressible flow.

Multiple methods for obtaining equations of motion for rigid multibody systems. Topics to be covered will include the differentiation of vectors, kinematics, mass distribution, energy functions, and formulation of the equations of motion.

Vibrating systems; simple, damped, and driven oscillators; strings; bars; membranes and plates. Plane, cylindrical, and spherical waves in a fluid: transmission, refraction, reflection, and absorption. Radiation from point, line, and piston sources.

Free and forced vibrations of single degree of freedom systmes under a variety of time dependent loads. Damping in structures. Unit impulse response functions. Frequency domain analysis. Free and forced vibrations of multi degree of freedom systems. Modal Analysis, eigenvalues, eigenvectors. Numerical integration, time history analysis, and modal analysis of MDOF systems. Introduction to vibration of continuous systems.

This course presents an introduction to the principles, fabrication techniques, applications, and design issues/constraints of MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS). Students will gain an understanding of microfabrication techniques for MEMS including photolithography, surface and bulk micromaching, LIGA, and other processes. Transduction mechanisms for sensors and actuators (coupling between thermal, mechanical, and electrical domains) and micro-scale engineering design issues will also be discussed in detail.

An introduction to mechanical fundamentals required for designing reliable electronic systems. The focus will be on the fundamental principles of semiconductor devices, circuit theory and electrical design considerations, electronic packaging technologies, effect of materials compatibility, manufacturing processes, thermal stress, mechanical stress, environmental effects on product performance, failure analysis, reliability prediction, durability and cost.

As nanotechnology becomes increasingly important in the 21st century, there will be increasing demand for graduates with strong interdisciplinary education in this area. With this in mind, the objective of this course is to introduce nanotechnology and its applications. Focus will be on defining nanotechnology, presenting a history of nanotechnology development and projecting its potential impact on the 21st century, nano-materials, nano-fabrication and nano-engineering, nano-mechanics, applications of nanotechnology, challenges in research and development of nanotechnologies, and the role of mechanical engineers in the exciting field of nanotechnology.

This course presents the fundamentals of turbulence. Topics include: introduction and motivation, statistical techniques for analysis, mean flow dynamics (Reynolds decomposition), Kolmogorov's theory, instrumentation, classical turbulent flowshear layers, jets, wakes, boundary layers (pipe flow) and introduction to numerical simulation of turbulent flows. Prerequisite: ENGR 331 or equivalent.

Advanced topics in thermodynamics: energy and exergy analysis of open systems; entropy, irreversibility, and availability; equations of state and general thermodynamic relations; gas mixtures and liquid solutions; phase equilibrium and stability; external-field effects; low temperature thermodynamics; introduction to irreversible thermodynamics; and direct energy conversion. Prerequisites: ME 530 or Graduate Student Status.

Specialized topics in heat transfer. The topics will be selected based on the interest of the students. Prerequisite: ME 548.

Specialized topics in fluid mechanics. The topics will be selected based on the interest of the students. Prerequisite: ME 549.

Fundamental laws, physical interactions and dimensionless parameters, governing momentum transfer equations, solution techniques, and industrial, applications of multiphase flow processes, including gas-solid, gas liquid, and liquid-solid systems. Emphasis is primarily placed on particle-fluid interactions. Prerequisite: ME 549.

Transport properties and dimensionless parameters; heat exchanger classification, heat exchanger design; UA-LMTD and ,-NTU methods; fouling; header design; flow regimes in two-phase heat transfer; pressure drop and heat transfer correlations for boiling and condensation. Applications include double pipe heat exchangers, shell and tube heat exchangers, compact heat exchangers, evaporators, and condensers. Prerequisites: ME 548 or Graduate Student Status.

Introduction to Finite Elements. Finite Element model construction applying direct and variational principles. Condensation techniques. Isoparametric elements. Introduction to dynamic models. Coupled problems: structural-electromagnetic systems and fluid-structure interactions. Numerical integration methods. Prerequisite: ME 503.

Linear quadratic Gaussian optimal control; linear quadratic regulator; introduction to robust control; gain margin, phase margin; H-2, H-infinity controller. Prerequisites: ME 510 or Graduate Student Status.

A more in-depth study of material covered in ME 557. Multiple methods for obtaining equations of motion for rigid multibody systems, based on Kane's method. Topics to be covered will include the differentiation of vectors, kinematics, mass distribution, energy functions, and formulation of the equations of motion. Prerequisites: Graduate Student Status.

Theoretical modal analysis. Random vibrations. Estimation of natural frequencies and mode shapes from experimental data. Experimental techniques for vibration measurements. Vibration sensors. Signal processing and data handling. Prerequisite: ME 666.

Vibration of single degree of freedom systems. Multi-degrees of freedom systems. Introduction to modal analysis: natural frequencies and mode shapes. Distributed parameter systems: vibration of beams and plates. Analytical dynamics: LaGrange equations and Hamilton's principle. Prerequisites: ME 344 or Graduate Student Status.

Passive surface damping treatments: visco-elastic materials and sandwich structures. Active damping treatments. Application of optimal control techniques to vibration reduction. Adaptive control techniques. Magnetic damping treatments. Prerequisites: ME 507, ME 666.

The course describes the fundamentals of finite element theory. Finite Element formulations for various physical systems are derived through variational forms of energy functionals. Finite elements for elastic structures, porous materials, piezo-electric materials, fluid and thermal systems are analyzed with emphasis on interaction phenomena and coupled behaviors.

Topics include longitudinal and transverse waves in solids: bars, plates, and cylindrical shells; dispersion and impedance. Sound radiated by vibrating structures, effect of fluid loading on structural vibrations, sound-induced vibrations and fluid/structure interactions. Prerequisite: ME 666.

Numerical solution of inviscid flow equations, Navier-Stokes equations, boundary layer equations, and turbulent flows. Emphasis on grid generation. . Practice problems with commercial codes. Prerequisite: ME 521.

Based on the interest of the students, this course discusses in detail a few selected, advanced topics in one of the following subareas: gas-sold suspensions, fluidization, gas-liquid systems, slurry flows, coal combustion, ICEs, boilers and fuels, incineration systems, and multiphase mechanics. Emphasis is placed on training students in independent study and in grasping the forefront of the particular research field. Final project by students. Prerequisites: ME 539, 544.

Based on the interest of the students, this course discusses in detail a few selected, advanced topics in one of the following application areas: air pollutants emission control, indoor air quality control, wastewater treatment, water quality control, soil contamination and remediation, incineration of chemical waste, and microbiological treatment of waste. Emphasis is placed on training students in independent study and in grasping the forefront of the particular research field. Final project by students. Prerequisite: ME 537.

Nature of turbulence and the formulation of governing equations. Application to free shear and wall flows, statistical description of turbulence, spectral dynamics, turbulence modeling, experimental methods. Final project by students. Prerequisite: ME 645.

Based on the interest of the students, this course discusses in detail a few selected, advanced topics in one of the following subareas: applied thermodynamics, advanced thermodynamics, heat conduction, convective heat/mass transfer, thermal radiation, heat/mass exchangers, and heat transfer enhancement. Emphasis is placed on training of students in independent study and in grasping the forefront of the particular research field. Final project by students. Prerequisite: ME 548.

This course provides an introduction to the phenomena of nonlinear oscillations. Emphasis is placed on identifying the phenomena from a physical perspective, understanding their behavior, and obtaining approximate closed-form solutions that define the essential characteristics of their behavior. Results are compared to those obtained from similar linear systems. Examples are limited to single-degree-of-freedom systems, in order to enable sufficiently rigorous study of some of the most common phenomena. This course serves as an introduction to more advanced study in the nonlinear oscillations of multi-degree-of-freedom and continuous systems, nonlinear control, and chaos theory. Prerequisite: Permission of Instructor.

Vibration of discrete systems, the eigenvalue problem, discrete systems, continuous systems, discretization of continuous systems, the finite element method, condensation methods and sub-structure synthesis. Final project by students. Prerequisite: ME 654. Prerequisite: ME 504.

Topics include optimal control of continuous and discrete systems, linear quadratic regulator and tracking, Riccati equations and eigenstructure of Hamiltonian, and robust control techniques for linear systems (H4 and H2). Adaptive control techniques with emphasis on real-time parameter estimation, mode reference adaptive and self-tuned systems. Nonlinear control analysis and design using feedback linearization and variable structure control. Final project by students. Prerequisite: ME 512.

First-semester independent study related to special academic topics or on research under the direct supervision of an assigned faculty member.

Second-semester independent study related to special academic topics or on research under the direct supervision of an assigned faculty member.

Research guidance from a faculty member.

Research guidance from a faculty member.

Research guidance from a faculty member.

Research guidance from a faculty member.

Master's thesis.

Master's thesis.

Doctoral dissertation.

Doctoral dissertation.

Designed by: Jessey Newman 08' & Kevin Montgomery