Courses offered in Mechanical Engineering

ME 110/110A INTRODUCTION TO MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
(1-1) 2 credits. An introductory course for incoming mechanical engineering freshmen which will introduce the student to the profession they have chosen. Topics to be covered include: Solid modeling, CAD lab, professional development, engineering design, technical communication, personal development, and academic success skills.

ME 211 INTRODUCTION TO THERMODYNAMICS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: MATH 125 and PHYS 211. An introduction to the basic concepts of energy conversion, including the first and second laws of thermodynamics, energy and entropy, work and heat, thermodynamic systems analysis, and the concepts of properties and state. Application of these fundamentals to energy conversion systems will be presented.

ME 221 DYNAMICS OF MECHANISMS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: PHYS 211, EM 214, MATH 125. Brief review of dynamics of a particle. Kinetics and kinematics of two and three-dimensional mechanisms. Emphasis will include free body diagrams, vector methods, and various coordinate systems. Newton’s law and energy methods will both be used.

ME 262/262A PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
(3-1) 4 credits. Introduction to the product development process. Topics covered include life-cycle design, engineering and management aspects of manufacturing processes, automated manufacturing, the relationship of technology to society. Students work in teams to produce an actual prototype.

ME 311 ENGINEERING THERMODYNAMICS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ME 211, ME 221. A detailed study of applications of thermodynamic principles to practical engineering systems, e.g. steam power cycles, internal combustion engines, gas turbines, refrigeration systems, energy systems, etc. One-dimensional gas dynamics, isentropic compressible flow functions, normal shock functions, thermodynamics of mixtures and reacting systems, psychrometrics, combustion, and dissociation.

ME 313 HEAT TRANSFER
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ME 211 and MATH 373 (concurrent). A study of the transfer of heat by conduction, convection and radiation. Application to thermal systems.

ME 316 SOLID MECHANICS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: EM 216 and ME 221. Covers stress analysis and failure theories of both brittle and ductile materials and energy methods. Also includes such topics as elastic impact, stability, axisymmetrically loaded members in flexure and torsion, and an introduction to plastic behavior of solids.

ME 322 MACHINE DESIGN I
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ME 316 and ME 262. Applications of the fundamentals of strength of materials, basic elastic theory, material science and how they apply to the design and selection of machine elements. Elements include shafts, gears, fasteners, and drive components such as gears and chains.

ME 331 THERMO FLUID DYNAMICS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ME 211 and ME 221. A study of the nature of fluids, constitutive relations, fluid statics/buoyancy, and the equations governing the motion of ideal (inviscid) and viscous, incompressible fluids, as well as inviscid, compressible fluids (1-dimensional gas dynamics). Internal and external flows, including viscous pipe flow, the Moody diagram, lift, drag and separation. Laminar and turbulent boundary layer theory, and dimensional analysis, modeling, and similitude.

ME 351/351A MECHATRONICS AND MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS
(3-1) 4 credits. This course will encompass general measurement techniques found in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. These include measurement of force, strain, frequency, pressure flow rates and temperatures. Elements of signal conditioning and data acquisition will be introduced. In addition to this material, the course will have a Mechatronics approach reflected in the combined applications of electronic mechanical and control systems. This course is cross-listed with EE 351/351A.

ME 352 INTRODUCTION TO DYNAMIC SYSTEMS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: MATH 321, ME 221. This is an introductory course in the control of dynamic systems. The course presents the methodology for modeling and linearizing of electrical, mechanical, thermal, hydraulic and pneumatic systems. The course also covers control system analysis and synthesis in the time and the frequency domains.

ME 380 INTRODUCTION TO BIOMECHANICS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: EM 216 or EM 217, MET 231, and MET 232. This course will provide an introduction to the important field of biomechanics. It will cover topics such as: engineering based on biological design; human anatomy; neural systems; locomotion; and biological materials.

ME 385 MECHANICS AND MATERIALS IN DESIGN I
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: EM 216, ME 221, ME 262, MET 231, MET 232. Co-requisite: MATH 321. Part I of a functional design course integrating basic engineering concepts of solid mechanics, materials science, and failure mechanics. These integrated concepts are then applied to the “total” design of engineering structures, for example, Aerospace and terrestrial vehicles, electronic packages, and machinery.

ME 390 SPECIAL TOPICS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Credit: Variable (1 to 3) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Lecture course or seminar on a topic or field of special interest, as determined by the instructor.

ME 400/500 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
1 to 3 credits. This course allows an undergraduate student or dual enrolled undergraduate/graduate student the opportunity to participate in a research project under the direction of a faculty mentor. Students enrolling in ME 500 will be held to a higher standard than those enrolling in ME 400.

ME 411/411A INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES I
(3-1) 4 credits. Prerequisites: ME 311 (concurrent), ME 313 (concurrent), ME 331, ME 351. Otto and diesel cycle analysis; combustion in engines; exhaust gas analysis; engine mechanical design features. Laboratory includes experiments designed to coordinate with the lectures and special investigations to topics of current interest such as noise and pollution.

ME 412/512 GAS DYNAMICS
(3-0) 3 credits. This course will review fundamental concepts from thermodynamics including isentropic flow and normal shock functions. The equations of motion will be derived in differential form and wave theory will be introduced. Multidimensional flows and oblique shock theory will be discussed. Integral methods for inviscid, compressible flow will be developed and numerical methods (including the method of characteristics for hyperbolic equations) will be employed in the second half of the course. Students enrolling in ME 512 will be held to a higher standard than those enrolling in ME 412.

ME 414 HEATING, VENTILATING, AND AIR CONDITIONING
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ME 311 (concurrent), ME 313 (concurrent), ME 331. A study of space heating and cooling systems and equipment, building heating and cooling load calculations, solar radiation concepts, and moist air properties/conditioning processes. Indoor air quality/comfort and health issues will be discussed. Basic heat and mass transfer processes will be introduced; pump and fan performance issues along with duct and piping system design. Heat exchangers and mass transfer devices will also be studied.

ME 416 THERMOSCIENCE LAB
(0-1) 1 credit. Prerequisites: ME 351, ME 311, ME 313, ME 331. A hands-on experience with experimental methods in mechanical engineering thermoscience; measurement techniques for temperature, pressure, flow and velocity; data acquisition systems and uncertainty analysis will be covered. Group projects to illustrate design of experiments will be assigned, in addition to conducting various heat transfer, fluid mechanics and thermodynamics experiments.

ME 419 THERMO-FLUID SYSTEMS DESIGN
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ME 311 (concurrent), ME 313 (concurrent), ME 331. Investigation and design of thermal and fluid systems as a creative, decision making process; analysis and synthesis involving modeling and optimization of thermo-fluid systems, components and processes. Development and application of fundamental numerical tools and algorithms for thermal and fluid problems.

ME 422 MACHINE DESIGN II
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ME 322. This course will explore advanced structural design concepts within an integrated framework of theory, simulation, experiment, and materials. Of particular importance will be the study of modern topics, such as plastic materials and their response to service loads. Structural mechanics and materials response will be brought together in support of machine component design.

ME 423 MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ME 352. Study of the oscillatory nature and vibration design of mechanical systems. One, two, multi, and infinite degree of freedom systems are analyzed for their response in both free and forced vibration regimes. Particular emphasis is given to designing for vibration control. Brief introductions are made to vibration testing and measurement, and human response to vibrations.

ME 424 FATIGUE DESIGN OF MECHANICAL COMPONENTS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ME 322. The analysis and prevention of fatigue related failures in mechanical components. Topics covered include historical background, failure theories, macroscopic aspects of fracture and fatigue, fatigue characteristics of materials, stress concentration factors, environmental effects, and surface treatments. (Design Elective).

ME 425 PROBABILISTIC MECHANICAL DESIGN
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ME 322. Basic concepts of probability and statistics are introduced including Gaussian, Exponential, and Weibul distributions. Primary emphasis is placed on treating stresses, strains, deformations, and strength limitations as random variables and computing probability of failure under required loads. Considerable time is devoted to converting data into meaningful engineering parameters for making engineering decisions. Statistical methods applied to topics in mechanical design. (Design Elective).

ME 426 MECHANICAL SYSTEMS ANALYSIS LABORATORY
(0-1) 1 credit. Prerequisites: ME 423 (concurrent). Use of experimental methods and modern instrumentation techniques to understand the free and forced oscillations of machines and machine components, as well as the control of these vibrations. Laboratory exercises are designed to reinforce material learned in the companion lecture class ME 423, extend knowledge into new areas, and help to make the connection between theory and practice.

ME 427/427A COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE
(2-1) 3 credits. Prerequisite: Senior standing or permission of instructor. Discussion of methods and topics in computer-aided design and manufacture. How to bridge the gap between the design/analysis phase and the actual manufacture phase. Database requirements of CNC machine tools and how they can be constructed.

ME 428/428A APPLIED FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS
(2-1) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ME 316 or permission of instructor. Basic mathematical concepts of finite element analysis will be covered. The students will learn finite element modeling using state of the art software, including solid modeling. Modeling techniques for beams, frames, two and three-dimensional solids, and thin walled structures will be covered in the course.

ME 430 WELDING ENGINEERING AND DESIGN OF WELDED STRUCTURES
(3-0)3 credits. Introduces the state-of-art in welding processes and technology. Discusses fundamentals of the fabrication welded structures by introducing basics of solidification in welds, metallurgy of welds, fatigue and fracture in welds, joint design and weld defects and inspection. The technology focus is friction stir and laser welding. This course is cross-listed with MET430.

ME 442 FAILURE MODES OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ME 322. Discussion of various material failure modes with emphasis on understanding how to design components to avoid failures. Topics covered will include deformation, fatigue, fracture, creep and corrosion. The course will include examples of typical failures, discussion of case studies and laboratory demonstrations.

ME 443 COMPOSITE MATERIALS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ME 316 or concurrent enrollment in MET440. This course will cover heterogeneous material systems; basic design concepts and preparation; types of composite materials; advances in filaments, fibers and matrices; physical and mechanical properties; failure modes; thermal and dynamic effects; and application to construction, transportation and communication. This course is cross-listed with MET 443.

ME 445/545 OXIDATION AND CORROSION OF METALS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: MET 232, MET 320 or CHE 222 or ME 311 or permission of instructor. Initially, the thermodynamics of electrochemical processes are covered; use of the Nernst equation and Pourbaix diagram is presented in this material. Fundamentals of electrode kinetics are then discussed with special emphasis on the derivation of the Butler-Volmer equation and application of the Evan’s diagram. Following presentation of these fundamental concepts, phenomena observed in corrosion and oxidation such as uniform attack, pitting, stress corrosion cracking, and corrosion fatigue are discussed. Finally, selection of materials for site specific applications is covered. Students enrolling in ME 545 will be held to a higher standard than those enrolling in ME 445. This course is cross-listed with ENVE 445/545, CHE 445/545, MET 445/545.

ME 453 DIGITAL CONTROL CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ME 352. The main intention of this course is to expand the students’ knowledge in the field of control systems in general and real-time control applications in particular. The course will cover discretization methods and difference equations, Z transform and its application, discrete block diagrams, time and frequency domain analysis, discrete root-locus, state-space development from discrete equations, stability, and other theoretical tools necessary for real-time controller synthesis. The course will also include the introduction to the TMS320C30 controller board, as a preparation for its practical use within the ME 456 laboratory.

ME 454 INDUSTRIAL HYDRAULICS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ME 331, ME 352. Design and use of high pressure hydraulic pumps, valves, systems and computer control systems.

ME 456 CONTROLS LABORATORY
(0-1) 1 credit. Prerequisite: ME 453 (concurrent). The purpose of this laboratory is to expose the students to real-time control applications. During the course of this lab the students get acquainted with the TMS320C30 board, its data acquisition capabilities as well as its control capabilities. Two major set-ups exist in this laboratory. The first one consists of a servo motor - C30 board combination, while the ECP’s inverted pendulum is the other experimental configuration. The students are asked to design, investigate, implement, and evaluate various control strategies on these two control systems.

ME 477 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN I
(0-2) 2 credits. Prerequisite: Senior standing or graduation within three semesters, ME 322, ME 351 (concurrent). The first semester of a two course sequence in senior design practice. Integrates concepts from all areas in mechanical engineering into a practical design project. Fundamentals of the design process, specifications, decision making and preliminary design will be the focus, with the major part of the course being the project.

ME 479 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN II
(0-2) 2 credits. Prerequisite: Senior standing or graduation within three semesters, ME 322, ME 351 (concurrent). The second semester continuation of ME 477. Integrates concepts from all areas in Mechanical Engineering into a practical design project. Detailed design and analysis, manufacturing, and assembly will be the focus.

ME 499/499A VEHICLE DYNAMICS
(2-1) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ME 221, ME 352. This course will cover basic 3-D dynamics, vehicle axis systems, and fundamentals of chassis and suspension systems. (Experimental)

ME 612 TRANSPORT PHENOMENA: MOMENTUM
(3-0) 3 credits. Introduction to momentum transport. Equations of continuity and motion. Velocity distributions. Boundary layer theory. Turbulent transport compressible flow. This course is cross-listed with CHE 612.

ME 613 TRANSPORT PHENOMENA: HEAT
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ME 313, MATH 373 (concurrent). An in-depth study of the fundamental laws of heat transfer. Major areas considered are: heat conduction, free and forced convection, and radiative heat transfer. Emphasis is placed on the formulation and solution of engineering problems by analytical and numerical methods. This course is cross-listed with CHE 613.

ME 616 COMPUTATIONS IN TRANSPORT PHENOMENA
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: MATH 373 or permission of instructor. Various computerized techniques, including finite difference and finite element, will be used to solve transient and steady state heat transfer problems involving conduction and convection. This course is cross-listed with CHE 616.

ME 623 ADVANCED MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ME 423 or equivalent. Study of the vibration of systems of particles both forced and free. Included is the study of transient vibrations and system natural frequencies. Classical studies of the vibration of continuous systems, free and forced, damped and undamped using computer solutions are emphasized. Introduction to Theoretical and Experiment Modal Analysis. (Design Elective)

ME 661 ENGINEERING ECONOMICS FOR MANAGERS
Credit: Variable 1 to 4. Students are expected to have prerequisite skills in the time value of money and basic probability. Students not having these skills require the permission of instructor. The course is divided into 4 one-credit modules, which include: economic valuation for decision making, problems with uncertainty and risk, budgeting and cost management, and financial statements and enterprise management. (Manufacturing elective). This course is cross-listed with TM 661.
ME 673 APPLIED ENGINEERING ANALYSIS I
(3-0) 3 credits. Advanced topics in engineering analysis. Special mathematical concepts will be applied to mechanical engineering problems. Topics will be selected from the following: Fourier series and boundary value problems applied to heat conduction and convection, Laplace transforms and complex variable analysis applied to vibrations and dynamic system analysis, series solutions of differential equations, partial differential equations, general matrix applications to a variety of large systems of equations in engineering, calculus of variation, and Ritz method for various engineering problems.

ME 683 ADVANCED MECHANICAL SYSTEM CONTROL
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisites: ME 673, ME 453, MATH 315 or permission of instructor. Derivation of state equations for continuous and discrete control systems. A study of optimal and adaptive control of mechanical systems. (Manufacturing Elective)

ME 685 STATISTICAL APPROACHES T0 RELIABILITY
(4-0) 4 credits. Prerequisite: MATH 481 or permission of instructor. This course covers the development of statistical methods for application to problems in reliability engineering. Statistical topics include: basics of reliability and life-testing, probabilistic reliability, patterns of failures, probability concepts and distributions in reliability, analysis of reliability data, prediction and modeling, reliability measurements and problems. This course is cross-listed with MATH 685.

ME 690 ADVANCED TOPICS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
1 to 3 credits. Lecture course or seminar on a topic or field of special interest, as determined by the instructor.

ME 694 INDEPENDENT STUDIES IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
1 to 3 credits. Directed independent study of a topic or field of special interest. This may involve readings, research, laboratory or field work, and preparation of papers, as agreed to in advance, by student and instructor.

ME 700 GRADUATE RESEARCH (THESIS)
Credit to be arranged. A course designed to provide an opportunity for the graduate student to do research work in his major field. This course will be the basis for the thesis required when the student has opted for the thesis option, for the master of science degree in the Mechanical Engineering Department.

ME 715 ADVANCED COMPOSITE MATERIALS
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Includes classification and mechanical behavior of composite materials, macro-mechanical behavior of lamina and laminates. Course emphasizes study of advanced composite laminates including failure theories, experimental methods, stresses, strains, and deformations.

ME 722 ADVANCED MECHANICAL DESIGN
(3-0) 3 credits. Prerequisite: ME 422. Study of some advanced concepts required for design of mechanical systems. Included are a review of basic concepts of mechanics and failure theories, in elastic responses, thermal stresses and introduction into design for composite structures. Special topics such as non-homogeneous beams, twisting of beams, torsion of non-circular sections, beams on an elastic foundation, plates, and shells are covered. (Design Elective)

ME 773 APPLIED ENGINEERING ANALYSIS II
(3-0) 3 credits. Applications of numerical methods to mechanical engineering problems. Topics will include data processing techniques, curve fitting and interpolation of experimental information, solutions to systems of ordinary differential equations, solutions to partial differential equations, and numerical integration both of known functions and functions described only by experimental data.

ME 781 ROBOTICS
(3-0) 3 credits. The course covers the following topics as related to modern industrial robots, sensors and actuators, motion trajectories, synthesis, control, computers and languages, available robots, and applications. (Manufacturing Elective)

ME 782 INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS
(3-0) 3 credits. The course deals with the role of the computer in modern manufacturing plants. Its use in all divisions of manufacturing is discussed, including shop floor control, scheduling, routing, inventory, etc. Several case studies are presented. (Manufacturing Elective)

ME 790 ADVANCED TOPICS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
1 to 3 credits. Lecture course or seminar on a topic or field of special interest, as determined by the instructor.

ME 793 GRADUATE SEMINAR
1 credit. May not be repeated for credit. Oral presentations followed by group discussions on a weekly basis. Speakers will be drawn primarily from the graduate student body but may also include faculty and invited lecturers.

ME 794 INDEPENDENT STUDIES IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
1 to 3 credits. Directed independent study of a topic or field of special interest. This may involve readings, research, laboratory or field work, and preparation of papers, as agreed to in advanced, by student and instructor.