Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

This course will introduce students to the needs, access, evaluation, use, impact and ethical/legal aspects of information, and to the application of information literacy and research in the fields of mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Permission of the chair required.

Principles of materials science with emphasis on the relationship between structure and properties and their control through composition and processing. Metals, polymers, ceramics, and composite materials are considered.

This laboratory involves experiments demonstrating lecture material covered in the MAE 201 course.

Introduction to mechanical engineering problems and their solutions through the study of statics of particles and rigid bodies. Emphasis will be placed on the relationship of the static loads with the mechanical properties of the materials being considered. Introduction to the concepts of stress and strain and internal forces as applied to static bodies.

Introduction to engineering problems and their solutions through a study of the dynamics of particles and rigid bodies. General force systems are studied including friction.

Introduction to concepts of stress, strain and their relation to each other. Stress and strain in axially loaded members and circular rods and tubes subjected to torsion. Normal and shear stress in beams under bending loads. Additional topics include bending deflection, transformation of stress and strain, Mohr's circles, statically indeterminate problems, combined stress and thin walled pressure vessels.

Experimental study of the mechanical behavior of materials under axial, bending and torsional loads. Measurements of elastic properties and strengths. Statistical treatment of data. Use of strain gauges. Experiments with composite materials and piezo-electric transducers. Use of data acquisition system. Experiments parallel lectures in MAE 220.

Fundamental concepts, fluid statics, basic equations in integral form, open-channel flow, Bernoulli's equation, dimensional analysis and similitude, incompressible viscous flow, pipe friction, boundary layers, introduction to differential analysis.

An introduction to thermo-fluid experimentation and measurement; basic flow phenomena demonstrated; measurement techniques for flow temperature, pressure and properties; report writing and data reduction methods, including statistical treatment of data; formal oral reports.

Essential definitions of thermodynamics, first law, physical properties, ideal and real gases, second law, reversibility, irreversibility and consequences of thermodynamic cycles.

Concepts and principles dealing with thermodynamic cycles, relations and generalized charts, mixtures of fluids, chemical reactions, chemical and phase equilibrium, thermodynamic aspects of fluid flow; introduction to compressible flow, isentropic and normal shock wave relations.

Fundamental laws of heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation; boundary-layer concepts; simultaneous heat, mass, and momentum transfer.

Introduction to machine design including review of stress and deflection analysis. Statistical considerations in design, strength of mechanical elements with emphasis on theories of failure and fatigue design.

Introduction to analog and digital circuits; sensors, actuators and signals; laboratory instrumentation (oscilloscope, function generator, etc.); data acquisition; and embedded microcontroller systems. Students will perform electronics experiments as homework assignments.

A survey of modern computing techniques for mechanical engineers. Numerical algorithms are presented to solve practical problems in mechanical engineering as found in solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, dynamics, and heat transfer. Emphasis is on providing computational experience in applied numerical methods using computers. Topics include roots of equations, simultaneous equations, differentiation, integration, regression analysis, interpolation and differential equations. Analysis, understanding, and quantification of computational errors are included in all topics and applications.

Available for pass/fail grading only. Student participation for credit based on the academic relevance of the work experience, criteria, and evaluative procedures as formally determined by the department and Career Development Services prior to the semester in which the work experience is to take place.

Available for pass/fail grading only. Academic requirements will be established by the department and will vary with the amount of credit desired. Allows students to gain short duration career-related experience.

Academic requirements will be established by the department and will vary with the amount of credit desired. Allows students an opportunity to gain short duration career-related experience.

Aircraft concepts including performance prediction and optimization, flight and maneuver envelopes, and steady flight performance. Additional topics: longitudinal static stability and trim; aircraft dynamics; development, separation and solution of aircraft equations of motion; natural modes; dynamic stability; sensors and actuators; and design of stability augmentation and autopilot systems.

Free and forced vibrations of undamped and damped, single-degree of freedom, multi-degree of freedom, and continuous systems. Exact and approximate methods to find natural frequencies.

Inviscid flow concepts including: Euler equations, stream function, velocity potential, singularities, vorticity and circulation laws. Viscous flow topics including boundary layers, separation, and turbulent flow. In addition, external flows, lift and drag, thin airfoil theory, finite wing theory and airfoil design will be discussed.

Review of basic fluid mechanics of the incompressible flow of air. Introduction to bluff body aerodynamics, production and performance (race car) automotive aerodynamics, as well as truck and bus aerodynamics. Discussion of experimental and computational methods for evaluating vehicle aerodynamic performance. Optimization of high performance vehicle design for low drag and/or high downforce and the facilities and techniques required. Introduction to the aerodynamics of other surface vehicles such as sailboats and trains. Lecture and wind tunnel experiments.

Thermodynamic properties of gases and vapors relating to power generating devices, work-energy relations, combustion, and heat exchangers. Performance analyses and design concepts of gas turbines, internal combustion engines, steam power plants and heat exchanger equipment from theoretical and applied viewpoints.

Engineering principles as applied to the analysis and design of systems for automatically controlling man or machine environments. Course encompasses fundamentals of heating, ventilating, air conditioning, refrigeration, cryogenics, and design of building energy systems.

Introduction of relevant kinetic theory, solid state, and thermodynamic principles; operation and analysis of thermoelectric, photovoltaic, thermionic, magnetohydrodynamic devices, fuel cell, isotopic, and solar power generators. Course seeks to define engineering limits of converter efficiency and other performance criteria.

One-dimensional compressible flow considering isentropic flow, normal shocks, flow in constant area ducts with friction, flow in ducts with heating and cooling, oblique shocks, Prandtl-Meyer expansions, shock-expansion theory, flow around diamond shaped airfoils, and wind tunnel mechanics.

Basic solar radiation processes, engineering analysis of solar collectors, energy storage methods, system design and simulation, applications to heating, cooling, and power generation.

Basic principles of design, operation and performance of propulsion systems - including turbojet, turboprop, turbofan, and ramjet engines. Introduction to chemical rockets, ion and plasma thrusters.

Analysis of aircraft and space vehicle structural components. Effects of bending, torsion and shear on typical aerospace structural components, statically indeterminate beams, shear center and shear flow. Introduction to typical aerospace structures. Introduction to composite structures.

Limitations of conventional materials; inter-relationship among materials, design and processing, material selection criteria and procedures; strengthening mechanisms in metals; superelasticity; shape memory effect, amorphous metals; structure-property relationship in polymers; polymers crystallinity; thermoplastic and thermosets; high-temperature restraint polymers; ceramics; toughening mechanisms in ceramics.

Basic relations necessary for analysis of plane motion mechanisms, numerical and analytical solutions for some of the basic mechanisms, methods of calculating rolling and sliding velocities and accelerations of contacting bodies, cams, and gears.

Statistical considerations in design, strength of mechanical elements with emphasis on theories of failure and fatigue design in mechanical elements such as screws, fasteners, connections, welded joints, and flexible mechanical elements. Kinematic analysis, force analysis, and design of spur, helical, worm, and bevel gears. Antifriction bearings, lubrication and journal bearings, shaft design, mechanical spring design, design of clutches, brakes and couplings.

This course prepares students to complete their design projects in MAE 435. Lecture topics include engineering economics; project planning; costing and risk analysis; and product realization techniques. Course involves written and oral presentations for students to improve communication and teamwork skills. This is a writing intensive course.

Conceptual design ideas are expanded into detailed design ideas. Product realization is applied to complete hardware. Course covers Gantt charts, preliminary design, evaluation and trading matrices, detailed design and analysis, oral and technical reporting including cost analysis. Ethics and patent issues are also included.

Analysis and synthesis of feedback systems; functional description of dynamic systems; basic controllers; sensitivity, stability and error analysis; transient and steady-state response using computational techniques, root locus and frequency response methods; state-space analysis of control systems.

Computer-aided analysis and design of practical control systems. Introduction to state-space, digital signal processing and digital control. Laboratory sessions on aliasing, analog, system identification, and real-time control.

Basic concepts of finite-element method, method of weighted residuals, interpolation functions, numerical implementation of finite-element method, applications to engineering problems such as beam deflection, heat conduction, and plane elastic problems.

Case studies are used to introduce students to CAD software; design processes involving modeling, analysis and design, and verification. Typical case studies are beam and plate designs, turbine blade design, and pipe networks. Advanced topics include: thermal stress analysis and plates and shells.

Basic principles of naval architecture related to ship geometry, stability, strength, resistance, propulsion, vibration and motions in waves and controllability.

Basic mechanics governing vehicle dynamic performance. Analytical methods in vehicle dynamics. Laboratory consists of various vehicle dynamics tests on model vehicles and full-size racecars.

Introduction to spacecraft systems starting from mission design and space environment considerations and proceeding through propulsion, altitude control, spacecraft structural design, thermal control, power and communications for spacecraft.

On-track performance of typical racecars (Legends and Baby Grand) to demonstrate and evaluate the interplay between vehicle aerodynamics, suspension system geometry adjustments, tire selection and operating pressure on overall racecar performance and handling. Laboratory testing via on-board instrumentation during skid pad and road course evaluation; computer simulation to investigate various car set-ups.

A study of the fundamental principles and performance characteristics of spark ignition and diesel internal combustion engines. Overview of engine types and their operation, engine design and operating parameters; ideal and semi-empirical models of engine cycles; combustion, fluid flow and thermal considerations in engine design and performance. Laboratory evaluation of engine performance using flow and dynamometer systems.

Special topics of interest with emphasis placed on recent developments in mechanical and aerospace engineering or engineering mechanics. (offered fall, spring, summer)

Special topics of interest with emphasis placed on recent developments in mechanical engineering or engineering mechanics. (offered fall, spring, summer)

Individual analytical, computational, and/or experimental study in an area selected by student. Supervised and approved by the advisor.