Graduate Courses
ME 5104: Thermodynamics: Foundation/Application
Exposition of the basic concepts and principles of thermodynamics. Principles and results developed for both macroscopic and microscopic systems as well as equilibrium and non-equilibrium states. Definition of entropy for any state. The definition of temperature; pressure, total potential; heat; work; the fundamental Gibbs, Euler, Gibbs-Duhem, and Maxwell relations; characterisitic functions; and the state principle. Definition and use of thermo-physical properties, charts, tables, and equations of state for pure as well as mixtures of ideal and real gases, liquids and solids. Second Law analysis, energy conversion, chemical reactions and chemical equilibrium, and introduction to the phenomenological laws of non-equilibrium thermodynamics. I.
ME 5135: Vehicle Propulsion
Aeothermodynamics of gas turbines and rockets: cycle analysis of turbojets, turbofans, prop fans, and turbo props. Analysis of ramjets and scramjets. Performance of inlets, combustors, and nozzles. Elementary theory of turbomachinery. Liquid and solid propellant chemical rockets. Electrostatic, electromagnetic, and electrothermal propulsion. Integrated rocket-ramjet. Fuels and propulsion systems for future transportation system.
ME 5214: Combustion
Combustion of solid, liquid and gaseous fuels, kinetics f hydrocarbon oxidation and pollutant formation/destruction, premixed flames, diffusion flames, ignition quenching, combustion diagnostics. (3H, 3C)
ME 5254: Fuel Cell Systems
Fuel cell systems for transportation, building, utility and portable power energy conversion applications. Overview of fuel cell technology. Thermodynamics of direct energy conversion and fuel cell efficiency. Electrochemistry, equilibrium and reaction kinetics. Temperature and pressure effects on polarization curves. Proton exchange membrane fuel cell performance modeling. Fuel cell system components: heat exchangers, humidifiers, air compressors, electric power processing and management. Overall system integration, modeling and control. Fuel cells for transportation, vehicle performance and efficiency characteristics. Fuel processing and reformers. Fuel cell system design, economics and optimization. Graduate standing in Engineering required. (3H, 3C).
ME 5304: Conduction Heat Transfer
Principles of conduction. Analysis of one-dimensional and multidimensional steady and transient, phase change and moving heat source problems are examined. A comprehensive treatment of numerical and analytical methods for solving heat conduction problems is presented.
ME 5314: CONVECTIVE HEAT & MASS TRANSFER
Principles of convection. Analysis and transfer for internal and external flows; laminar and turbulent boundary layer theories; forced and natural convection; similarity solutions; Reynolds analogy. (3H, 3C).
ME 5324: RADIATION HEAT TRANSFER
Introduction to thermal radiation; the electromagnetic spectrum; the black body; wave phenomena versus geometric optics; polarization, diffraction, and refraction effects; emission, reflection, absorption, and transmission of the thermal radiation through a participating medium; the Conte Carlo ray trace method; uncertainty and confidence interval of results. Knowledge of thermodynamics at the undergraduate level is recommended. (3H, 3C).
ME 5404: Fluid Dynamics
Fundamental fluid mechanics: kinematics and dynamics. Continuum fluid dynamics including hydrostatics, flow kinematics, the concept of stress, constitutive relations, the equations of motion and energy for compressible and incompressible viscous and inviscid flows. Incompressible Newtonian viscous flows, similitude and physical modeling, inviscid potential flows, inviscid flows with vorticity, boundary layers, and an introduction to turbulent flow. I.
ME 5424: TURBOMACHINERY
Application of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics to turbomachinery, with emphasis on high speed machines. Review of basics concepts and ideal performance. Viscous effect - losses and stall. Three dimensional and secondary flow. Actual machine performance and design considerations. Selected topics including axial and centrifugal machines, transonic flow, transient behavior, and three-dimensional flow design. (3H, 3C).
ME 5504: Rotor Dynamics
Theory and application of dynamics, vibrations, fluid mechanics, and tribology to the design of rotating machinery. Course content covers material from single mass rotor analysis up to multi-mass rotor system analysis. System critical speeds, forced response, and dynamic stability are discussed. Hydrodynamic bearings, liquid seals, and gas labyrinth seals are presented as necessary elements for rotor design analysis. Field balancing by single plane, two plane and multi plane methods are presented. Experimental in-class work on single and two- plane methods. Industry standards are discussed. State of the art PC computer analysis tools are provided for the student to use in course for optimum rotor design analysis. One computer analysis program will be written by the student in a language or math package of their choice. A formal presentation of a course project will be given at the end of semester by each student enrolled for credit. Even Years. I.
ME 5505: Advanced Control Engineering
Unification of the analysis and design techniques of a broad range of dynamic systems through the use of the tools of modern control. Builds upon the background of classical control topics including Nyquist, Bode, and root locus. Emphasis upon developing the tools of state-space control theory and applying these tools to effect the design of controllers for linear dynamic systems. 5506: Transform analysis and design of systems with digital and continuous components. Classical and modern treatments along with discussion of quantization effects. Design problems with hands-on experience.
ME 5514: Vibration of Mechanical Systems
Single degree-of-freedom systems, multiple-degree-of- freedom system and distributed parameter systems ending in dynamic finite element modeling. Numerical solutions, isolation, absorption, optimal design for vibration reduction, analytical modal methods, transfer function methods. Damping models and analysis.
ME 5534: EXPERIMENTAL MODAL ANALYSIS
The basics in experimental modal analysis will be investigated with emphasis on obtaining a quality database. Methods for the development of mathematical models from experimental data will be studied along with the methods of assembling substructures and of modifying the design of a prototype via modification and reanalysis of the experimentally derived mathematical model of the prototype. Selected topics in advanced experimental model analysis will be treated. (3H, 3C).
ME 5614: ADVANCED KINEMATICS
Advanced kinematic and dynamic analysis of planar and spatial linkages and robotic manipulators. Advanced methods for the design and analysis of cam mechanisms. Advanced gear design. Analysis of elastic mechanisms. Computer-aided analysis of planar and spatial mechanisms. Pre: 3604. (3H, 3C).
ME 5634: FINITE ELEMENTS IN MACHINE DESIGN
Advanced analysis and design of machine components with emphasis on the finite element method of the analysis using commercial software. Structure and continuum elements will be used for both the static and dynamic analysis and design of machine components. Practice oriented analysis techniques and design procedures employable through the finite element method will be developed. Design problems will constitute a significant part of the course. Pre: 3614. (3H, 3C).
ME 5644: Rapid Prototyping
ME 5714: Digital Signal Processing for Mechanical Systems
The fundamentals of digital signal processing of data experimentally obtained from mechanical systems will be covered. Attention will be given to the data acquisition, A/D conversion, aliasing, anti-aliasing filtering, sampling rates, valid frequency ranges, windowing functions leakage and various methods. Special attention will be given to random, transient, and harmonic function data processing. Various methods of estimation of the frequency response function (FRF) will be explored. The estimation methods will be assessed as to their impact on FRF estimation errors. (3H, 3C).
ME 5724: Advanced Instrumental and Signal Processing
Advanced techniques in instrumentation using state-of-the- art transducers, techniques in data acquisition and signal processing. Techniques for estimating errors and optimizing data quality.
ME 5734: ADVANCED ENGINEERING ACOUSTIC
The fundamental principles underlying, the generation, transmission and reception of acoustic waves will be presented. Methods for analytically investigating various acoustic and structural acoustic situations encountered in the practice will be developed. The application of these methods to typical engineering acoustical problems with physical interpretation of the results will be studied. (3H, 3C).
ME 5744: METHODS OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (valid for Math credit)
Introduction to selected mathematical techniques oriented toward solving advanced continuous and lumped parameter problems of the type often encountered in mechanical engineering. Elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic ordinary and partial differential equations are discussed. Solution by separation of variables, integral transforms, Green's functions and numerical methods. The emphasis is on understanding how physical processes work. (3H, 3C).
ME 5754 (BMES 5164): Advanced Impact Biomechanics
A review of impact biomechanics and critical investigation of the impact response of the human body. Participants will study the dynamics response of the head, neck, chest, abdomen, upper extremities, and lower extremities. Real world examples from automobile safety, military applications, and sport biomechanics. Pre: 3504, 3614 or EMS 3054, ESM 3125. (3H, 3C)
ME 5804: Active Materials/Smart Structures
Behavior and physics associated with ceramic and polymeric active materials; constitutive models of piezoelectric and electrostrictive ceramics and polymers derived from thermodynamic relationships; development of static and dynamic models of systems that incorporate active materials derived using variational mechanics. Piezoelectric and electrostrictive ceramics and polymers, ionomeric polymers, conductive polymers, and carbon nanotubes will be studied. Applied topics in structural health monitoring, motion control, vibration control, and sensing will be studied.
ME 5804: ACTIVE MATERIALS I
The behavior of ceramics and polymeric active materials is studied and related to the dynamics of structural systems. Constitutive models of piezoelectric and electrostrictive ceramic and polymers are derived from thermodynamic relationships and applied to the modeling of structures that contain the active materials. System-level models of active material systems are developed using variational mechanics. The fundamental physics of polymeric transducers (ionomers, conductive polymers carbon nanotubes and dielectric elastomers) are examined and related to the performance of more conventional transducers. Applied topics in structural health monitoring, motion control and sensing will be studied. Pre: 3514, 4504 or 3504. (3H, 3C).
ME 5994: Research and Thesis
Variable Credit Course
ME 6104: Advanced Topics in Thermodynamics
Exposition of the basic concepts and principles of statistical thermodynamics including statistical mechanics, probability theory, quantum mechanics, kinetic theory, and thermo-physical and transport properties. Presentation of the basic concepts and principles of gas dynamics for compressible flow within normal temperature ranges (i.e. excluding the very high temperatures atr which plasmas form). A more in-depth look at chemical thermodynamics including chemical equilibrium and chemical kinetics. (3H, 3C).
ME 6405 (AOE 5144): Advanced Internal Flow
Conservation equations and constitutive relations, exact Navier Stokes solutions; boundary layer approximation and special solutions; approximate methods; compressibility and heat and mass transfer effects; numerical methods, turbulence models. 6406: selected topics on recent activities in the fluid dynamics research community, including theory, analysis and computational modeling. Specific topics will vary depending upon the instructor's areas of expertise. Pre: 5404. (3H, 3C).
ME 6504: Topics in Advanced Control Applications
Timely subjects in applications of control theory. Topics to be chosen from include optimization, adaptive control, learning control and non-linear analysis. (3H, 3C).
ME 6704: Acoustic-Structural Interaction
The fundamental principles underlying the coupled vibration of structures and their radiated sound field will be outlined. Methods for analytically investing the motion of the elastic structures surrounded by acoustic mediums will be studied. Beam, plate and cylindrical shell structures will be considered. Application of the methods developed to various situations encountered in practice and research will be studied. An introduction to the boundary element method will be presented. Pre: 5734. (3H, 3C).
ME 6754: Computational Modeling in Impact Biomechanics
Dynamic modeling of the human body subjected to transient impact loading. A combination of finite element analysis and multi-body simulation techniques. Utilizes software packages with dynamics solvers. Application include computer-aided design for automobile safety, sports biomechanics, and military restraint systems. Pre: 5754 or BMES 5444. (3H, 3C)
ME 7994: Research and Dissertation
Variable Credit Course