Mechanical Engineering

Fundamentals of solar radiation, heat and fluid transport in active and passive solar collectors, solar ponds, solar cooling, and photovoltaic energy conversion. Analysis and design of active and passive solar systems. Needs undergrad material equivalent of ME 3100 and ME 3600.

Linear programs, non-linear programs, and integer programs. Gradient and steepest descent methods and Newton's method for constrained and unconstrained problems. Interior point methods including cutting planes and branch bound methods. Combinatoric optimization. Heuristic methods. Engineering applications of optimization. Prerequisite: ME 7000 (concurrency allowed) or instructor's permission.

Introductions to machine learning. Overview of optimization. Least mean square algorithm and regression analysis. Artificial neural networks, radial basis function, kernel learning and support vector machines. Decision trees. Genetic algorithms. Swarm intelligence. Bayesian techiniques. Hidden Markov Models. Hopfield network and Neurodynamics. Prerequisite: ME 7000 (concurrency allowed) or Instructor's permisson.

Fundamentals of 3D visualization; using CAD software for design development of parts & assemblies, including materials; and preparing standard engineering drawings with dimensions and fits to communicate mechanical designs.

Introduction to programming for Mechanical Engineers using MATLAB, data analysis and visualization, algorithm development, linear algebra, numerical methods.

Vector analysis of force systems on particles and rigid bodies with particular emphasis on mathematical and physical formulation of principles underlying the solution of engineering problems; vector algebra; friction; centroids and moments of inertia.

Kinematics, velocity, and acceleration of particles in Cartesian, cylindrical, and spherical reference frames, projectile motion, dynamics of particles, momentum principles, systems of particles, rigid body kinematics and dynamics.

Definition of stress and strain mechanical behavior of material under axial, shear, torsion, bending, and combined loads; stress and strain transformations; deflection of beams; buckling.

Speakers from industry, academia, and government. Field trips to local facilities. Exposes students to the substance of mechanical engineering, provides stimulation and motivation early in their academic careers, provides an awareness of range of job opportunities, and initiates contact with potential employers.

Introduction to the design process as a foundation for future mechanical engineering courses. The role that engineering design plays in contemporary society; the creativity and innovation inherent in mechanical engineering design; and development of the ability to function as part of a design team.

Basic experiments related to instrumentation used in the field of Mechanical Engineering; includes data collection and design of experiments.

Elements of thermodynamics theory, system and control volumes, properties of pure substance, ideal gas, heat and work interactions, first and second laws, entropy.

Free and forced vibration of one degree-of-freedom mechanical systems, response to harmonic excitation, general excitation, transient response, transfer function analysis, higher order systems including two degree-of-freedom systems and DC motors.

Modeling of mechanical and electrical systems, feedback control systems with PID, analysis and design of transient and steady state response, stability analysis, root-locus technique, frequency domain analysis and design, state space methods.

Introduction to crystal structures, imperfections in solids, diffusion, mechanical properties of materials, dislocations and strengthening mechanisms, phase diagrams, structure and properties of ceramics and polymers, electrical properties.

Fundamentals of manufacturing including the relation among materials, structures, properties, and manufacturing processes, manufacturing economics, traditional manufacturing processes, and the new trend of advanced manufacturing such as 3D printing and nanomanufacturing.

Stress, strain, stress-strain relations, strain gauges; stress analysis; static failure; fatigue failure; design projects.

Design and analysis of machine elements; wear; torsion of noncircular sections; computer aided engineering; design projects.

Fluid properties, fluid statics; kinematics of flow; conservation of mass, energy, momentum; dynamic similarity; fluid resistance, boundary layer theory; flow in conduits; lift and drag; potential flow; compressible flow.

Test of engineering materials, experiments related to basic stress analysis, thermodynamics and materials science.

Steady state, unsteady state conduction in one & two dimensions; numerical methods of solution; forced & free convection in internal & external flow; heat exchangers; multi-mode heat transfer.

Laboratory experiments in data acquisition, measurement and characterization of dynamic systems, vibration, smart actuators, and real-time control.

Laboratory experiments in structure, properties and mechanics of materials.

Laboroatory experiments in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, aerodynamics, engine performance, and energy conversion.

Academic credit for a summer internship. Requirements: senior standing, a technical GPA of 3.0 or greater and sponsorship by a full-time faculty member arranged prior to the start of the internship. Program details available from the Mechanical Engineering Dept. Chairman, Tol. Room 131. (610-519-4980)

American legal system; fundamentals of contracts, agency and property; zoning laws and building codes; construction contracts, mechanical contracts; subcontracts and pricing; surety bonds; arbitration; machinery and equipment contracts, patents and trade secrets. Professional Development elective.

Integration of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer and application to thermal designs. Characteristics of applied heat transfer problems: nature of problem specification, incompleteness of needed knowledge based and accuracy issues.

(Technical Elective) Individual study of a selected topic with an ME faculty; requires exams/homework/projects similar to a regular course. Permission of Chairperson required.

(Technical Elective) Individual participation in modern computational, analytical or experimental research activities under faculty supervision; requires technical report and presentation at end of semester. Permission of Chairperson required.

Individual participation in modern computational, analytical or experimental research activities under faculty supervision; requires technical report and presentation at end of semester. Permission of Chairperson required.

Researchers from the Mechanical Engineering graduate program present their work; discussions of Mechanical Engineering graduate research projects; general topics related to Mechanical Engineering graduate research.

Product design; durability, economic, safety, ethical and environmental considerations; robust and quality design; decision-making, planning, scheduling and estimating; design proposal.

Continuation of ME 5005; product design; design review process; oral presentation of design projects; final written report. Must be taken the semester following ME 5005.

The standard atmosphere, two-dimensional incompressible flow, Reynolds and Mach number, generation of lift based on airfoil and wing platform characteristics, drag force, propulsive force, overall airplane performance, static stability and control.

Foundations of fluid dynamics, isentropic flow, normal shock waves, flow in constant-area ducts and friction, flow with heat exchange, unsteady flow.

Fundamentals of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), concepts and methods for numerically solving the differential equations of fluid dynamics, solution to complex flow problems in the aerospace, automotive, electronics, environmental, and biomedical industries, use of the commercial CFD code, Fluent.

Technical aspects of sustainable energy technologies such as wind, solar, biomass, ocean waves/tides, geothermal, and hydropower. Issues related to storage, transportation, distribution, industrial usage, and buildings; progress, challenges, and opportunities for technical feasibility and economic viability.

Analysis and design of pipelines, tanks, valves, and other components in a gravity-driven water network; optimization of networks, hydroelectric power generation, and cultural and organizational issues.

An introductory course in the nature and methods of analysis for high Mach number, hypersonic flows involving inviscid, viscous and high temperature analysis of gasses. Thermodynamics of hypersonic reacting gasses.

Applications of thermodynamics including power plants, internal combustion engines, refrigeration systems, psychrometrics and combustion. Topics in alternative energy conversion and the thermodynamics of living organisms.

Basic principles of fluid mechanics, heat transfer and thermodynamics; internal spacing for natural and forced convection; tree networks for fluid flow; multiscale configurations for heat transfer, multi-objective configurations; vascularized materials: mechanical and flow structures; electrokinetic transfer.

Basic concepts of finite-element method, method of weighted residuals, 1-D axial and beam elements, 2-D stress and thermal elements, design projects via commercial codes.

Modeling of dynamic systems, transfer functions, block diagrams, state vector concepts, feedback control, transient and frequency response, stability and root locus, controller design with output feedback.

Static stability and control of aircraft; equations of unsteady motion; stability derivatives; uncontrolled longitudinal and lateral motion; open loop control mechanisms; closed loop control concepts.

An integrated study of aerodynamics, propulsion, dynamics and control, structures, aeroelasticity, and performance with the purpose of a design of an aircraft that meets the desired specifications. Topics include weight estimates, sizing, configuration layout, airfoil and wing geometry, propulsion estimates, structual analysis, and stability of motion.

Study of two-body problems with applications to geocentric orbits and interplanetary transfers. Topics include central force motion, Kepler's Law, orbit determination and maneuvers, Hohmann transfer and interplanetary trajectories.

Failure, structure of materials, stress-strain equations, mechanical testing, yielding & fracture, fracture of cracked members, fatigue of materials, stress-based approach to fatigue, fatigue crack growth, creep.

Fundamental theories of scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer, and nanomaterials; operating principles for Hitachi S-4800 high resolution scanning electron microscope; hands-on experiences on secondary and backscattering images, x-ray microanalysis and characterization of nanomaterials. Limited to 15 students/seats.

Introduction to mechatronics, mechatronics components, its working principle and governing models, digital and analog electronics, mechatronic actuators, micro-controllers, sensors, modeling mechatronic systems, and case study. Senior standing.

Basic principles of robotics; kinematic and dynamic concepts; actuators, sensors and practical issues; forward and inverse kinematics and dynamics of simple robotic arms; kinematics and dynamics of wheeled robots; alternative locomotion for mobile robots.

Lumped-parameter modeling of multiphysics dynamic systems, with examples from bioengineering and mechatronics; unified network thermodynamics approach using bond graph techniques to analyze interactions between mechanical, electrical, fluid, or thermal domains; computer simulation of system response.

An introductory survey of topics from the field of biomechanics, such as joint mechanics, cellular mechanics, biomaterials, and prosthetic devices.

Concepts and analytical techniques of engineering economics: engineering costs, cost estimating, discounted cash flows, rate of return, cost/benefit analysis, risk analysis, and impacts of certain macroeconomics factors. Focus is on the economic viability of engineering projects.

Solutions of ordinary differential equations, series solutions, special functions, boundary-value problems, partial differential equations, vector calculus, calculus of variations, and engineering applications. Undergraduate students must obtain permission of the department chair.

Tensor algebra and calculus; Lagrangian and Eulerian Kinematics of Deformation; Cauchy and Piola-Kirchhoff stresses; general principles including conservation of mass, conservation of linear and angular momentum and energy; constitutive theory, ideal fluids, Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, finite elasticity, and linear elasticity.

Numerical methods for root finding, curve fitting, integration, differential equation solving, coupled systems of equations, and optimization; algorithm choice for stability and computational efficiency.

Discretization, boundary conditions, solution methods, heat transfer, flow with known pressure field, calculation of pressure field, applications program, special topics. Undergraduate students must obtain permission of the department chair.

Introduction to the finite element method with a focus on stress analysis. Boundary value problems; weighted residuals; variational methods; finite element formulation and solution; hands-on experience using programs for solution of problems.

Modeling of dynamic systems that feature interactions between mechanical, electrical, magnetic, fluid, or other physical domains; unified analysis based on network theory and energy balance principles; derivation and solution of linear and nonlinear state equations; computer simulation of system response.

Aerospace vehicle configurations, free body diagrams and load paths, metal and composite materials, closed form analysis methods for statically indeterminant (redundant) structures, compression structures analysis methods, shear panel analysis methods, joints and fittings, design for fatigue and damage tolerance.

An advanced treatment of engineering thermodynamics involving reversible and irreversible macroscopic processes with emphasis on fundamentals and applications of the first and second laws, and the thermodynamics of equilibrium states of substances. Seniors must have a minimum GPA of 3.0

Basic principles of solar energy and Thermal Energy Storage (TES), sensible TES, latent TES, thermochemical TES, cold TES, TES and enviornmental impact, TES and energy savings, Energy and Exergy analysis of TES, case studies.

Fundamentals of solar, wind, nuclear, and hydro/geothermal energy generation; energy storage; economics and financing of sustainable energy.

Development and use of techniques for improving the performance of mathematically modeled systems. Conjugate gradient and quasi-Newtown methods for unconstrained problems. KKT conditions of optimality, solution of non-linear constrained systems and linear optimization. Computer programming required.

Principles of analytical methods for characterization of materials for structure & composition; crystallography, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, & atomic force microscopy. Hands-on laboratory experiments in scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy. Restricted to Engineering/Science graduate students & seniors with 3.0 GPA or higher.

Particle dynamics, system of particles, impulse and momentum, energy concepts, Lagrange's equations, kinematics of rigid body motion, dynamics of a rigid body. Approval of instructor. Prerequisite may be waived with permission of the chair. Undergraduate students must obtain permission of the department chair.

Coordinate systems and kinematics of rotor motion, critical speeds and unbalance excitation, effect of asymmetry in rotor and stator, gyroscopic effect, stability and energy concepts, hydrodynamic bearings, finite element modeling, nonlinear phenomena in machinery. Undergraduate students must obtain permission of the department chair.

Complex Mechanical Systems Motion simulation: Modeling, analysis, and control system for multibody mechanical systems including robots, automobiles, and various forms of mechanisms.

Generation of sound by sources of various types, radiation and scattering of sound by objects, transmission, reflection, and refraction of waves through bounded and unbounded media and across their surfaces of contact; elementary applications to underwater and architectural acoustics. Prerequisite: Undergraduate Vibrations

Basic principles of fluid mechanics, heat transfer and thermodynamics; internal spacings for natural and forced convection; tree networks for fluid flow; multiscale configuations for heat transfer; multi-objective configuations; vascularized materials: mechanical and flow structures; electrokinetic transfer.

Atomic arrangements in crystalline solids, imperfections in crystalline solids, the relationship between nano-/micro-structure and materials properties, the synthesis and behavior of nanomaterials, and the characterization at the nano-/micro-scales; demonstration labs on materials behavior at the nano-/micro-scale using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscope, bubble raft, and nanoindenter.

Mechanisms of linear and nonlinear elasticity, plasticity, viscoelastic-plasticity, creep, fatigue and fracture of materials. Atomistic and molecular fundamentals of mechanical behavior of crystalline and amorphous metallic materials, ceramics, and polymeric materials.

Advanced polymer processing-structure-property relationship. Polymer chain structures, polymer crystaline structures, glass transition, viscoelasticity, mechanical properties, electrical properties, polymer extrusion, and polymer injection as well as polymer composite processing.

Additive manufacturing processes and workflow. Relevant standards. Bioprinting. Design for additive manufacturing. Software tools. Materials issues. Practical fused filament fabrication techniques. Stress and strain calculations.

Advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics.

Particulate, filamentary, short-fiber, and laminated composites; elastic, and thermal structure/property relationships; stress analysis and design of material systems; static and fatigue failure; destructive and NDE test techniques. Undergraduate students must obtain permission of the department chair.

Orthotropic stress-strain relations, hygrothermal effects, laminate analysis, manufacturing residual stresses, stress analysis, finite element analysis, composite structure failure, designing, joining, and repair. Prerequisites: Matrix algebra and undergraduate solid mechanics. Undergraduate students must obtain permission of the department chair.

Mechanical properties and structure-property relationships of bone; analytical and computational models of mechanical behavior of bone including fracture mechanics, damage, and failure theories; composite models of bone; applications of bone mechanics. Restricted to ME Senior with 3.0 GPA or higher.

Mechanical properties and structure/function relationships of biological soft tissues, including: connective tissues, muscle brain tissue, vasculature, and the heart. Numerical and computational modeling of mechanics of these tissues under physiological and non-physiological loading conditions. Analysis of novel engineered tissues.

Fundamentals of thermal design issues associated with electronic equipment; including free and forced convection, liquid immersion, heat pipes, thermoelectrics, reliability, cold plates and numerical solution methods.

This course provides an introduction to the modeling and interpretation of transport in living tissue and cells. Topics include momentum, heat and mass transfer in arteries, water and solute exchange in the microcirculation, mass transfer across cell membrane, renal physiology and gas exchange in the lung. Prerequisite: Undergraduate fluid mechanics or transport courses, or instructor's consent.

Tensor calculus with applications to dynamics and elasticity, Calculus of Variations, Complex analysis, Conformal mapping, Perturbation theory, Asymptotic expansions.

Foundations of computational fluid mechanics and heat transfer; classification and solutions of model equations; application of numerical methods to the governing equations of fluid mechanics and heat transfer.

Nonlinear applications of the finite element method. Emphasis on formulation, solution algorithms, and convergence. Hands-on experience using programs for solution of problems.

Fundamental theory of steady and unsteady conduction with applications. Fundamental theory of diffuse radiation heat transfer with applications.

Fundamentals of fluid mechanics, conservation of mass, momentum, and energy; incompressible inviscid and viscous flows; Navier-Stokes equations, laminar and turbulent boundary layers, high speed flows.

Theory of steady and unsteady heat conduction, convection and radiation boundary conditions, analytical and numerical methods of solution, thermal component design.

Fundamentals of convection; conservation of mass, momentum and energy in integral and differential forms; laminar and turbulent, forced, and natural convection in internal and external flows; introduction to mass transfer. Prerequisite or Corequisite ME 7000.

Fundamentals of radiant heat transfer; diffuse and non-diffuse radiation; modern techniques for determining configuration factors.

Heat transfer mechanisms in structures: conduction, convection and radiation. Fundamentals of thermoelasticity for isotropic and anisotropic materials. Thermal stresses in one-dimensional members and plane thermoelastic problems. Thermal stresses in plate, spherical and cylindrical structures. Thermally induced instability and thermally induced vibrations in engineering structures.

Elements of boiling heat transfer; pool boiling; bubble dynamics; convective boiling; boiling of mixtures; micro-channels boiling; condensation heat transfer.

Stress analysis fundamentals and solution methods. Strain, stress, elastic constitutive relations, equilibrium, compatibility, boundary value problems, uniqueness, two-dimensional and axisymmetric problems, flexure, torsion; energy methods, applications to structures, pressure vessels, rotating machinery. Approval of instructor.

Forward and inverse kinematics of non-redundant and redundant robotic arms; kinematics and dynamics of wheeled robots; path planning and control of mobile robots; alternative locomotion mechanisms. Approval of instructor.

Review of stress and strain, strain gages, rosettes, strain gag circuits, brittle lacquer, light, polarization, wave plates, photoelasticity theory, photoelastic analysis, coatings, moldings, laboratory exercises and demonstrations.

Linearization and stability, multi-degree-of-freedom systems, eigenvalue problem, forced response, continuous systems, discretization techniques, finite element method for vibration analysis.

Kinetic theory of ideal gases; introduction to statistical thermodynamics; phonon, electron, and photon transport in solids.

Mechanisms for plastic deformation, creep, fatigue, and fracture; effects of stress, defects, structure, temperature, and corrosive environments on material behavior.

Analysis of stress field near a crack tip, concepts of stress intensity and strain energy release rate, fracture modes, brittle and ductile fractures, fracture toughness test, fracture mechanics design, fatigue and fatigue crack growth. Approval of instructor.

Advanced and current topics in Mechanical Engineering.