Mechanical Engineering (ME)

The terms indicated are expected but are not guaranteed. For the courses offered during any given term, consult the Schedule of Classes.

101L Introduction to Mechanical Engineering and Graphics (3, Fa) Gateway to the bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. Introduction to mechanical engineering disciplines and practice; graphical communication and layout of machine parts; introduction to computer-aided drafting and drawing.

150L Introduction to Computational Methods in Mechanical Engineering (4, Sp) Computer programming; organization of problems for computational solution; introduction to software for computation and graphics; applications to mechanical engineering problems. Corequisite: MATH 125.

201 Statics (3, Fa) Analysis of forces acting on particles and rigid bodies in static equilibrium; equivalent systems of forces, friction, centroids and moments of inertia; introduction to energy methods. Prerequisite: PHYS 151L, MATH 125.

203 Mechanics I (5, Fa) An integrated introduction to statics, strength of materials and design. Recommended preparation: PHYS 151, MATH 126.

204 Strength of Materials (3, Sp) Stress, strain and deflection of torsion members, beams in shear and bending, column and combined loads; energy methods, statically indeterminate structures; design of mechanical elements. Prerequisite: ME 201.

205 Mechanics II (5, Sp) An integrated introduction to kinematics, dynamics and design. Recommended preparation: ME 203.

231 Properties and Selection of Materials (3, Fa) Mechanical properties of engineering materials, including metals, alloys, polymers, ceramics and composites. Material selection in product design. Prerequisite: CHEM 105aL or CHEM 115aL or MASC 110L.

232 Manufacturing Processes (3, Sp) Manufacturing processes including casting, forming, fabrication, and metal cutting; introduction to product design for manufacture and process selection criteria, introduction to computer integrated manufacturing. Prerequisite: ME 231.

301 Dynamics (3, Fa) Particle and rigid body dynamics in two and three dimensions; concept of dynamic equilibrium and techniques of solution, including energy methods; introduction to vibrations. Prerequisite: ME 201.

302 Design of Dynamic Systems (3, Sp) Modeling of lumped parameter elements and systems; free and forced response of first and second order systems; design oriented approach to dynamic systems; microelectromechanical systems. Recommended preparation: MATH 245, AE 309, ME 301.

303 Dynamics of Machinery (3, Sp) Kinematics, inertia effects, and balancing of rotating and reciprocating machine parts; gyroscopic effects; critical speeds; energy variation in machinery; design of mechanisms. Prerequisite: ME 301.

305 Mechanical Design (3, Fa) Design and analysis of mechanical elements including rotating shafts, bearings, welds, springs, screws and power transmission devices. Design of small machines considering fatigue and deflection. Prerequisite: ME 204; Recommended preparation: ME 232.

308 Computer-Aided Analyses for Aero-Mechanical Design (3, Sp) Introduction to the finite element method; practical application of computer analysis tools for structural analyses and design. Recommended preparation: ME 205, MATH 245.

310 Engineering Thermodynamics I (3, FaSpSm) Fundamental laws of thermodynamics applied to actual and perfect gases and vapors; energy concepts, processes, and applications. Prerequisite: MATH 226, PHYS 151L; Recommended preparation: FORTRAN or C programming.

312 Engineering Thermodynamics II (3, Sp) Application of thermodynamic principles to fluid flow, power cycles, and refrigeration. Prerequisite: ME 310; Recommended preparation: FORTRAN or C programming.

331 Heat Transfer (3, Sp) General principles underlying heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation; steady flow and transient flow. Prerequisite: ME 310; corequisite: AE 309 or CE 309.

341L Electro-Mechanical Instrumentation (3, Sp) Introduction to instrumentation and experimental methods of use in mechanical engineering; statistical and error analysis of experimental data. Recommended preparation: EE 326Lx.

390 Special Problems (1-4) Supervised, individual studies. No more than one registration permitted. Enrollment by petition only.

400 Senior Seminar (1, Fa) Discussion of topics related to technology innovation and professional and industrial practice in aerospace and mechanical engineering. Technical communication experiences are required. Senior standing.

403 Stress Analysis (3, Sp) Theories of failure, shear center, unsymmetrical bending, curved beams, torsion of non-circular sections; cylinders, rotating discs, thermal stresses, inelastic strains, energy methods. Prerequisite: ME 204.

404 Mechanical Engineering Problems (3, Fa) Mathematical aspects of the solutions to typical advanced mechanical engineering problems. Modeling, simulation, computational aspects, computer solutions, and computational tools. Prerequisite: FORTRAN.

406 Automotive Engines (3, Irregular) Analysis of performance and operating characteristics of automotive engines; discussion of carburetion, ignition, fuels, lubrication, and emissions. Prerequisite: ME 312.

407 Computer Graphics for Mechanical Engineers (3) Point plotting techniques and line drawing displays; two-dimensional transformations; clipping and windowing; graphics and interactive graphics; two- and three-dimensional geometric modeling. Prerequisite: ME 303 and ME 305; Recommended preparation: FORTRAN or C programming.

408 Computer-Aided Design of Mechanical Systems (3, Fa) Design of mechanical systems using advanced graphics techniques; computer-aided drafting, design optimization, elements of computer graphics, solids modeling; introduction to computer-aided manufacturing. Recommended preparation: ME 303 and ME 305.

409 Senior Design Project (4, Sp) Modeling, analysis, integration, layout and performance analysis of a mechanical system to meet specified design requirements. Prerequisite: senior standing.

410 Engineering Design Theory and Methodology (3, Fa) Product planning and task clarification, voice of customers, quality function deployment, conceptual and embodiment design, axiomatic theory of design, product quality and manufacturability, design decision-making. Junior standing. Recommended preparation: ME 305.

413 Fuels and Combustion Fundamentals (3, Irregular) Fuel properties related to combustion processes; fundamentals of combustion processes, standard combustion tests, and calculation of flame properties. Applications. Prerequisite: ME 312.

420 Engineering Vibrations I (3, Fa) Theory of free and forced vibrations with and without damping; systems of single and multiple degrees of freedom; iteration; methods; vibration isolation; instrumentation. Prerequisite: ME 301 and MATH 245.

430 Thermal Systems Design (3, Fa) Design methodology for thermal systems; boilers, condensers, air conditoning systems, power plants and other systems with thermal energy interaction. Prerequisite: ME 312 and ME 331.

431 Thermal Design and Analysis of Electronic Equipment (3, Irregular) Cooling problems in electronic equipment; convective cooling; extended surfaces; cold plates; phase-change methods; thermoelectric cooling; Peltier refrigeration. Application to space avionics and modern computers. Prerequisite: ME 331.

436 Energy and Propulsion (3, FaSm) Performance and analysis of reciprocating, jet, rocket engines, and hybrid systems. Characteristics of inlets, compressors, combustors, turbines, nozzles and engine systems. Energy and environmental problems. Prerequisite: ME 310; AE 309 or CE 309.

441abL Experimental Engineering (3-3, a: Fa; b: Sp) Experiments in: a: fluid flow, heat transfer, buckling, torsion, vibration; b: control of dynamic systems, feedback controller design and implementation using analog/digital computers. Technical reports: projects. Senior standing. Prerequisite for a: AE 341L or ME 341L; for b: ME 451.

451 Linear Control Systems I (3, FaSpSm) Transform methods, block diagrams; transfer functions; stability; root-locus and frequency domain analysis and design; state space and multiloop systems. Prerequisite: MATH 245.

452 Intermediate Kinematics (3, Irregular) Analytical solutions to problems in rigid body kinematics. Complex number and matrix formulations; degrees of freedom and constraint; applications to mechanism synthesis. Prerequisite: senior or graduate standing.

453 Engineering Dynamics (3, Sp) Principles of dynamics applied to mechanical and aerospace problems. Introduction to gyroscopic motion and rigid body dynamics. Prerequisite: ME 301 and MATH 245.

457 Engineering Fluid Dynamics (3, Fa) Laminar and turbulent boundary layer flow with and without heat transfer; boundary layer separation, stability, transition and control; introduction to compressible fluid flow. Prerequisite: ME 310, AE 309 or CE 309.

461 Formation Evaluation (3) (Enroll in PTE 461)

462 Economic, Risk and Formation Productivity Analysis (4) (Enroll in PTE 462)

463L Introduction to Transport Processing in Porous Media (3) (Enroll in PTE 463L)

464L Petroleum Reservoir Engineering (3) (Enroll in PTE 464L)

465L Drilling Technology and Subsurface Methods (3) (Enroll in PTE 465L)

481 Environmental Design and Control (3) Detailed analysis of psychometric, heat-transfer, and thermodynamic parameters affecting domestic, commercial and space environmental control; selection of equipment and instrumentation. Case studies. Prerequisite: ME 312, ME 331, and either AE 309 or CE 309.

484 Principles and Techniques of Remote Sensing (3) (Enroll in AE 484)

489 Numerical Methods in Engineering (3, Sp) Numerical techniques suitable for computer solution of roots of equations, integration, simultaneous algebraic equations, ordinary and partial differential equations, polynomial approximations, eigenvalue problems. Prerequisite: MATH 245; Recommended preparation: FORTRAN or C programming.

490x Directed Research (2-8, max 8) Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

499 Special Topics (2-4, max 8) Course content to be selected each semester from recent developments in mechanical engineering and related fields.

502 Lubrication, Friction, and Wear (3, Irregular) Theories of lubrication, friction, and wear; their application to the design of mechanical systems and components, including gears, bearings, clutches, and brakes.

503 Advanced Mechanical Design (3, Fa) Specific problems and methods of analysis in mechanical systems design.

504 Metallurgical Design (3, Sp) Relationship between metallurgical and environmental factors and the behavior of materials. Prerequisite: ME 303.

505 Engineering Information Modeling (3, Sp) Symbolic and object-oriented modeling, product and process modeling for design and manufacturing, information models for computer integrated and collaborative engineering, information modeling for life-cycle engineering.

509 Applied Elasticity (3, Irregular) Condensed treatment dealing with engineering applications of the principles of elasticity, using the theories of elasticity, elastic stability, and plates and shells. Prerequisite: ME 403.

510 Introduction to Continuum Mechanics (3, Fa) Theories of continuous media such as linear and nonlinear theories of elasticities, theories of ideal, compressible and viscous fluids. Prerequisite: ME 525, ME 526.

512 Advanced Thermodynamics (3, Sp) Thermodynamics of irreversible processes; Onsager relations; kinetic theory; transport processes; statistical thermodynamics; ideal gas properties at high temperatures. Prerequisite: ME 412; corequisite: ME 525 or ME 526.

513 Principles of Combustion (3, Sp) Thermochemistry, equilibrium, chemical kinetics, flame temperature, flame velocity, flame stability, diffusion flames spray combustion, detonation. Equations of motion including reaction, heat transfer, and diffusion.

514 Applications of Combustion (3, Fa) Discussion of combustion problems including pollution, fires, explosion hazards, furnace combustion chambers, combustors for reciprocating engines, jets and rockets. Both theoretical and empirical approaches. Prerequisite: ME 515 and ME 525 or ME 526.

515 Advanced Problems in Heat Conduction (3, 2 years, Sp) Review of analytical methods in heat conduction; moving boundaries melting and freezing; sources and sinks, anisotropic and composite media; numerical methods for steady and unsteady problems. Prerequisite: ME 331, ME 526.

516 Convection Processes (3, Fa) Analysis of isothermal and nonisothermal boundary layers. Exact and approximate solutions of laminar and turbulent flows. Variable-property and high-speed effects; dimensional analysis. Recommended preparation: ME 331, ME 457, ME 526.

517 Radiation Heat Transfer (3, Fa) Radiation properties; black body radiation; shape factors of radiation network analogy and solar radiation. Prerequisite: ME 331; corequisite: ME 525 or ME 526.

518 Engineering Gasdynamics (3, Sp) Analysis of compressible flows; subsonic, supersonic flows; shock waves as flow discontinuities; shock structure; supersonic inlets. Effects of friction, heat transfer; chemical reaction. Shock-expansion. Prerequisite: ME 457.

519 Advanced Fluid Dynamics (3, Fa) Kinematics and dynamics of flow of continuous media; Navier-Stokes equations; simplifications, exact, and approximate solutions; irrotational flows; hydrodynamic stability; turbulence; free shear flows. Prerequisite: ME 457.

520 Multi-Phase Flows (3, Sp) Physics of the interaction between phases, empirical and analytical methods of solution to relevant technological problems. Recommended preparation: ME 457.

521 Engineering Vibrations II (3, Sp) Multi-degree of freedom systems; modal analysis. Rayleigh's quotient. Continuous systems; modal analysis. Beams, rods, membranes. Colocations, Galerkin, Rayleigh Ritz methods; finite elements. Prerequisite: ME 420.

522 Nonlinear Vibration (3, Fa) Response of nonlinear systems; qualitative and quantitative analyses: state-space concepts, graphical, iterative, perturbation, asymptotic and approximate methods; periodic solutions, limit cycles; stability; point mapping. Prerequisite: ME 420, ME 525.

523 Random Vibrations (3, Irregular) Random processes, ergodic theory. Ito calculus. Linear systems under stationary and nonstationary excitations. Fokker-Planck equations. Failure analysis and first passage problems. Prerequisite: ME 420, basic probability (or MATH 407), ME 451 recommended.

524 Advanced Engineering Dynamics (3, Fa) Principle of virtual work, constraints, Lagrange's equations, Gibbs-Appell equations, Gauss's Principle, Theory of Rotations, dynamics of rigid bodies, Hamiltonian mechanics, Hamilton-Jacobi equation. Recommended preparation: ME 521, ME 525.

525 Engineering Analysis (3, Sp) Typical engineering problems discussed on a physical basis. Vector analysis; functions of complex variables, infinite series, residues.

526 Engineering Analytical Methods (3, Fa) Typical engineering problems discussed on a physical basis. Fourier series; Fourier integrals; Laplace transform; partial differential equations; Bessel function.

536 Rotating Fluid Machinery (3, Irregular) Aerodynamics of compressors and turbines; subsonic, transonic, and supersonic flow characteristics; secondary flow and stall; stability; component matching of total engine; nondimensional representation of performance. Prerequisite: ME 312, ME 457.

540 Engineering Statistics (3, Fa) Definitions and concepts of statistics applied to mechanical testing and production: sampling, distributions, probability, variance, reliability, and quality control.

541 Linear Control Systems II (3, Fa) State space representation, linearization, solution of state equations; controllability and observability; state feedback, state observers; optimal control; output feedback. Prerequisite: ME 451.

542 Nonlinear Control Systems (3, Sp) Phase plane, describing functions, applications to mechanical and aerospace systems. Lyapunov direct and indirect methods, applications; Popov circle criteria applications. Prerequisite: ME 541.

543abL Digital Control Systems (3-1) (Enroll in EE 543abL)

544 Computer Control of Mechanical Systems (3, Sp) Computer control as applied to machine tools, mechanical manipulators, and other mechanical machinery; discrete time controller design; microprocessor implementation of motion and force control servos. Prerequisite: ME 451.

545 Modeling and Control of Distributed Dynamic Systems (3, Sp) Modeling and analysis of complex flexible mechanical systems; distributed transfer function synthesis; frequency-domain control methods; smart structure design; applications in vibration and noise control. Prerequisite: ME 521 and ME 541.

548 Analytical Methods in Robotics (3, SpSm) Homogeneous transformations; formal description of robot manipulators; kinematic equations and their solution; differential relationships; dynamics; control; static forces; compliance. Prerequisite: EE 545; EE 482 or ME 451; knowledge of linear algebra.

559 Creep (3, Sp) Behavior of engineering materials at elevated temperatures; thermal stresses; creep mechanisms; interpretation of creep data; methods of predicting long-term strains.

560 Fatigue and Fracture (3, Irregular) Behavior of materials under cyclic and static fatigue; plastic instability; life-time predictions; brittle and ductile fracture; crack propagation and plastic blunting.

561 Dislocation Theory and Applications (3) (Enroll in MASC 561)

563 Dislocation Mechanics (3) (Enroll in MASC 563)

575 Advanced Engineering Analysis (3, Fa) Solution of engineering problems by methods of calculus variations, integral equations, asymptotic expansions. Prerequisite: AE or CE 525ab or ME 525 and ME 526.

576 Advanced Engineering Analytical Methods (3, 2 years, Sp) Solution of engineering problems by methods of linear and nonlinear partial differential equations of first and second order; perturbations. Prerequisite: AE 525ab or CE 525ab or ME 525 and ME 526.

583 Materials Selection (3, Sp) Materials selection in relationship to design and fabrication, economic considerations, methodology of selection, performance parameter; case studies.

584 Fracture Mechanics and Mechanisms (3, Fa) Failure modes, stress concentrations, complex stress analysis, linear elastic fracture mechanics, yielding fracture mechanics, experimental methods, environmental assisted fracture and fatigue. Prerequisite: ME 403.

586x Management for Engineers (4, Irregular) Fundamentals of Project Management, interpersonal management, technology and market assessment; multiple perspective analysis; decision making based on qualitative and quantitative data. Not open for credit to majors in Industrial and Systems Engineering.

590 Directed Research (1-12) Research leading to the master's degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

594abz Master's Thesis (2-2-0) Credit on acceptance of thesis. Graded IP/CR/NC.

599 Special Topics (2-4, max 9) Course content will be selected each semester to reflect current trends and developments in the field of mechanical engineering.

690 Directed Research (1-4, max 8) Laboratory study of specific problems by candidates for the degree Engineer in Mechanical Engineering. Graded CR/NC.

790 Research (1-12) Research leading to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

794abcdz Doctoral Dissertation (2-2-2-2-0) Credit on acceptance of dissertation. Graded IP/CR/NC.

NEXT SECTION