Department of Mechanical Engineering

Jan Helge Bøhn


Jan Helge Bøhn


Associate Professor

Mechanical Engineering
114H Randolph Hall
(540) 231-3276
(540) 231-9100 FAX

bohn@vt.edu



Education Research
Teaching
Experience
Honors
Publications

Education

Ph.D. Computer & Systems Engineering Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY 1993
M.S. Computer & Systems Engineering Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY 1989
B.S. Computer Science Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute NY 1988

 

Research

Major research interests include computational, geometric, and solid modeling, applied to improving the design process and its integration with fabrication and manufacturing processes (e.g., product modeling); software integration for conceptual aircraft design and for design, modeling, and analysis of power electronics systems; and the application of Six Sigma methodologies in software engineering and software quality assurance.

Examples:

  • Automated conversion of structured FORTRAN into object-oriented C++

  • Realize an order of magnitude improvement in fabrication speed, with increased surface accuracy, of existing rapid prototyping systems through intelligent fabrication strategies (software control)

  • Develop radically new rapid prototyping technologies (hardware and materials), and the next-generation software methodologies necessary to exploit these new capabilities

  • Extraction of CAD models from industrial and medical imaging systems (e.g., MRI and CT data) and subsequent use of these models (e.g., design of new drug delivery systems and computer aided surgery)

  • "Accelerating PACE to the Next Level: Preparing Our Students for 24/7 Collaborative Product Commerce," PACE (General Motors, EDS, Sun Microsystems), $211,289,853; February 27, 2002; principal investigator. PRESS RELEASE

See also:

 

Teaching Activities

EF 2314 Engineering Problem Solving with C++

Algorithmic problem solving techniques for engineering problems for various fields; flowcharting, pseudocode, object-oriented program development, editing, compiling, and debugging using the C++ programming language. For Engineering students only. Must have a C- or better in EF 1016. Pre: EF 1016, MATH 1206, MATH 1114, PHYS 2305. (2H,2C). I, II, III.

ME 2024 Introduction to Engineering Design and Economics

Design process, mini-design projects, collaborative design, product dissection, economics of decision making, reverse engineering, intellectual property, oral, written, and graphic communications, engineering ethics. Pre: EF 1016. Co: ESM 2104, PHYS 2306. (3H,3C). I, II.

ME 4015-4016 Engineering Design & Project

Techniques for defining and solving open ended problems in mechanical engineering including problem definition, ideation, optimization, decision making, and oral and written communication of solutions. Engineering case studies includes technical ethical decisions. Design projects involve computer aided engineering. One semester design project with students working in teams. Pre: all required courses through junior year. 4015: (2H,3L,3C); 4016: (2H,2C). 4015: I; 4016: II.

ME 4634 Introduction to Computer Aided Design & Manufacturing

Particpants will study the uses and fundamental aspects of CAD/CAM software including history, current application case studies in conceptual, preliminary and detail mechanical design, comparative analysis of commercial CAD/CAM solid modeling, CAD/CAM standards, mathematics of geometric curve and surface modeling and implementation. Mechanical systems will be designed by teams using commercial CAD/CAM software including conceptual and detail design, design analysis, numerical control programming, and complete documentation. (3H, 3C). I, II.

ME 4644 Introduction to Rapid Prototyping

Participants will study topics fundamental to rapid prototyping and automated fabrication, including the generation of suitable CAD models, current rapid prototyping fabrication technologies, their underlying material science, the use of secondary processing, and the impact of these technologies on society. The rapid prototyping process will be illustrated by the actual design and fabrication of a part. CO: 4634, programming skills; (3H, 3C). II.

ME 4984 Product Data Management

Participants will study topics fundamental to global collaborative engineering, product data management, and collaborative product data management. These topics will be applied during a team project with team members located overseas, utilizing state-of-the art collaborative engineering and product data management software and hardware technologies. Pre: 2024, 4634. (3H, 3C). I.

ME 5604 Graphics for Computer Aided Design

Participants will study topics fundamental to the creation of computer aided design software including current CAD hardware and computer graphics standards (Motif, OpenGL, PHIGS). They will also study topics relevant to the rendering of CAD models (e.g., shading, lighting, and color transformations). Applications programs will be developed which use standard computer graphics support software. (3H, 3C). I.

ME 5644 Rapid Prototyping

Participants will study topics fundamental to rapid prototyping and automated fabrication, including the generation of suitable CAD models, current rapid prototyping fabrication technologies, their underlying material science, the use of secondary processing, and the impact of these technologies on society. The rapid prototyping process will be illustrated by the actual design and fabrication of a part. Partially duplicates ME 4644; credit may only be received for one course. Pre: ME 4634 or equivalent background; programming skills. (3H, 3C). II.

ME 5984 Six Sigma in Software Engineering

Participants will study topics fundamental to applying Six Sigma technologies to software engineering with an emphasis on software systems for engineering design. This includes reviewing the phases and tools of Six Sigma (DMAIC: deployment strategy, measurement, analysis, improvement, and control), and selected elements of software engineering (with an emphasis on object-oriented technologies, including design and analysis using UML and associated CASE tools). (3H, 3C). I.

ME 6604 Computer Aided Geometric Design

Participants will study the mathematics of parametric sculptured curves and surfaces of computer aided geometric design. Topics include a synthetic developmet of B-splice geometry based on Bezier geometry via the Casteljau algorithm, definiton of B-splines based on knot insertion, B-spline recurrence relations, solution of the B-spline inverse problem, formulation of various surfaces and rational parametric curves. The course project will relate to reading and critiquing the current literature. (3H, 3C). II.


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Experience

Associate Professor Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA		 Aug. 1999 - Present
Assistant Professor

 Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA		 Aug. 1993 - Aug. 1999

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Honors

  • Global Opportunities in Product Lifecycle Management Engineering Excellence Award, for outstanding accomplishments in collaborative engineering education.  3rd Annual Engineering Deans' PLM Summit, New York City, New York, June 20, 2005.
  • PACE Team Recognition Award, 2005 PACE Annual Forum, Mexico City, Mexico, July 30, 2005.
  • Bayer Teaching Excellence Award, for his achievement in engineering education and excellent paper.  Symposium on Multi-/Inter-Disciplinary Engineering Education, Shanghai, China, August 16-19, 2006.

  • Ernst Ludwigs Hochschulgesellschaft Preise für besondere Verdienste (Erfolge) in
    der akademischen Lehre [prizes for special merits (successes) in the academic
    teachings] (2005)

  • Who's Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges (1991)

  • Norman Wigeland Fellowship (1988)

  • Richard V. Olson Prize (1987)

  • Dean's List of Distinguished Students

  • Theta Pi Epsilon (Computer Science)

  • Pi Mu Epsilon (Mathematics)


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Publications

No current publications.


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