Professor Thomas D. Burton, Chairperson.

Professors Anderson, Cardenas-Garcia, Chyu, Ertas, and Lawrence; Associate Professors Barhorst, Berg, Dunn, Hashemi, James, Jordan, Levitas, Maxwell, Oler, Parameswaran, and Rasty; Assistant Professors Ekwaro-Osire and Idesman; Emeritus Faculty: Reis.

This department supervises the following degree programs: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Doctor of Philosophy.

The mission of the department is to offer students nationally recognized educational opportunities grounded in the fundamentals of mechanical engineering and involving state-of-the-art technology. The educational objectives of the mechanical engineering program are as stated below:

Fundamentals. To provide students with technical competence in science, mathematics, and mechanical engineering science, in order to develop a foundation for effective practice and as a basis for future learning of technical material.

Application. To provide students with the skills needed to apply the fundamentals to the design, analysis, experimentation, and simulation of mechanical engineering components and systems, including the ability to communicate their work effectively.

Nontechnical. To provide students with the background and outlook needed to function in interdisciplinary teams in the global environment of the future, to account for societal, economic, and environmental factors, and to be guided by principles of ethics and professionalism.

Mechanical engineering is the broadest of the engineering disciplines with a curriculum providing a strong foundation in mathematics and the physical sciences of chemistry and physics followed by in-depth education in five of the principal engineering sciencesthermal science, fluids engineering, mechanics and materials, dynamics and controls, and mechanical design. The program in mechanical engineering provides students the ability to apply their engineering, mathematics, and science knowledge to design mechanical systems and to solve engineering problems. Students learn to design and conduct experiments, to communicate effectively, to function in teams, and to utilize modern engineering tools. Students gain an understanding of their professional and ethical responsibilities as engineers. Perhaps most important, students are prepared for the lifelong learning necessary to function effectively as the practice of engineering evolves.

Graduates with a degree in mechanical engineering will find employment opportunities covering a wide spectrum, including the aerospace, automotive, petroleum production and refining industries, petrochemicals, electrical power, electronics, semiconductors and computers, manufacturing, and production, as well as research positions in industry and government laboratories. Problem-solving techniques learned in the mechanical engineering curriculum are also applied to continued educational pursuits or graduate study in engineering, as well as in areas such as law, medicine, business administration, and other professions.

The department requires students to have computational devices for use in the classroom and at home. Each student is required to have a scientific calculator for use in the classroom. Students are also expected to have a personal computer for use at home. At a minimum, this computer should support high level programming languages such as C and application packages such as word processors, spreadsheets, and mathematical analysis software.

Co-Op Program. Mechanical engineering students are encouraged to consider the College of Engineering Co-op program. This normally involves three work assignments, of one year cumulative duration, in industry. These work assignments are normally completed prior to the start of the senior year. Co-op students gain valuable real world engineering experience which enhances the academic experience on campus and provides excellent preparation for a career in industry.

Students are expected to follow the curriculum presented in the table below. Students whose high school courses do not include chemistry, physics, mathematics through analytical geometry, and at least two credits of a foreign language will be required to take additional course work during an adjusted first year of study. All students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses and must maintain a grade point average of 2.00 or better.

The department rigorously enforces prerequisite requirements for all courses, including having a grade of C or better in each prerequisite course.

Mechanical Engineering Curriculum.

Minimum hours required for graduation-128

*Choose from Core Curriculum requirements.

**Select from departmentally approved list.

Requirement can be met in combination with either humanities or visual and performing arts courses.

Courses in Mechanical Engineering. (ME)

1315. Introduction to Mechanical Engineering (3:3:0). Corequisite: MATH 1350 or 1351. Introduction to the mechanical engineering discipline including familiarization with the thermal and mechanical sciences, discussion of professionalism and ethics, and experiences in team design projects.

2315. Computer Aided Analysis (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 1315, MATH 1352, and PHYS 1308. Introduction to numerical methods used in the solution of typical engineering problems. Includes design activity.

2322. Engineering Thermodynamics I (3:3:0). Prerequisite: MATH 2350 and PHYS 1308. Properties of pure substances, ideal gas behavior, first and second law analysis, and applications to energy conversion and power cycles. (Cross-listed with CHE 3321.)

2464. Engineering Mechanics I (4:4:0). Prerequisite: MATH 2352 and PHYS 1308. Corequisite: M E 2315. An introduction to statics and solid mechanics.

3311. Materials Science (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 1307. Corequisite: MATH 2350. Fundamental thermodynamic and chemical nature of the structure and properties of materials.

3322. Engineering Thermodynamics II (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 2322. Principles of thermodynamics for general systems, cycle analysis, availability and irreversibility, thermodynamics of state, thermodynamics of nonreacting and reacting mixtures. Includes design activity.

3328. Materials and Mechanics Laboratory (3:2:3). Prerequisite: ME 2464 and 3311. Evaluating and reporting the characteristics of materials and mechanical systems.

3331. Dynamics (3:3:0). Prerequisite: MATH 2350 and ME 2464 (or CE 2301). Kinematics and kinetics of particles and rigid bodies. [ENGR 2302]

3370. Fluid Mechanics (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 2322 and 2464 (or CE 2301). Basic principles of fluid statics, fluid dynamics, ideal and viscous flows, and turbomachinery. Includes design activity.

3371. Heat Transfer (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3370. Introduction to heat transfer by the mechanisms of conduction, convection, and radiation. Includes design activity.

3433. Systems and Vibrations (4:3:3). Prerequisite: MATH 3350 and ME 3331. Modeling and analysis of dynamic systems, equilibrium, stability and linear systems theory, introduction to mechanical vibrations. Companion laboratory.

3464. Engineering Mechanics II (4:3:3). Prerequisite: M E 2464 and E GR 1306. Analysis of structures to determine stresses, strains, and deformations using classical and finite element methods. Companion CAD laboratory.

3465. Introduction to Design (4:4:0). Prerequisite: ME 3464. Analysis, design, and evaluation of mechanical elements.

4120. Senior Seminar (1:1:0). Prerequisite: Senior standing. Discussion of issues associated with ethics, professionalism, and starting a career in mechanical engineering.

4316. Mechanical Vibrations (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3331 and MATH 3350. Free and forced vibration of damped and undamped single and multi-degree of freedom mechanical systems. Approved M E elective.

4331. Individual Study in Mechanical Engineering (3). Prerequisite: ME 3464 and departmental approval. Individual study in advanced mechanical engineering areas. Approved M E or design elective.

4334. Control of Dynamic Systems (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3433 and MATH 3350. Introduction to analysis and design of control systems, including applications to electromechanical systems.

4338. Solar Systems Design (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3371. Fundamental principles of the design and analysis of solar systems and components. Includes a solar heating design project. Approved M E or design elective.

4341. Materials in Design (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3311, 3464, and senior standing. Application of material selection in the design process. Approved M E or design elective.

4342. Design Through Failure Analysis (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3311. Case studies presenting "forensic engineering" techniques necessary for the determination of failure mechanisms, design integrity, materials selection, legal problems, and product liability. Approved M E or design elective.

4343. Mechanical Metallurgy (3:2:3). Prerequisite: M E 3311 and 3464. Introductory elasticity, plasticity, dislocation theory, and strengthening mechanisms. Testing and controlling of mechanical properties and their variation with temperature, strain rate, and microstructure. Approved M E elective.

4344. Manufacturing Processes for Engineering Materials (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3311 and 3464. Analysis of stresses, tribology, and economics associated with primary and secondary manufacturing processes and their effect on properties of engineering materials. Approved M E elective.

4350. Microprocessor Applications for Mechanical Engineers (3:3:0). Prerequisite: Junior standing. Design of microprocessor firmware for digital control applications. Introduction to microprocessor hardware and operation. Approved M E or design elective.

4351. Thermal-Fluid Systems Laboratory (3:2:3). Prerequisite: ME 3370 and 3322; corequisite: ME 3371. Measurements, testing, performance evaluation, and documentation of thermal-fluid systems.

4354. Automotive Systems (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3370 and 3371. Modeling and analysis of typical automobile and truck powertrains, suspension, and performance. Theory and practice are discussed with emphasis on practical applications. Approved M E elective.

4356. Aerodynamics (3:3:0). Corequisite: ME 3370. An introduction to aerodynamics including wing and airfoil theory, aircraft performance, and aircraft stability and control. Approved M E or design elective.

4370. Engineering Design I (3:2:3). Prerequisite: ME 3311, 3331, 3465, corequisite: ME 3371. Design problems characteristic of mechanical engineering including consideration of cost, design optimization, codes and standards, and ethics.

4371. Engineering Design II (3:0:9). Prerequisite: ME 4370. Design projects characteristic of mechanical engineering including consideration of cost, design optimization, codes and standards, and ethics.

4373. Thermal-Fluid Systems (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3371 and 3370. Corequisite: M E 3322. Design and analysis of thermal-fluid systems. Approved M E or design elective.

4375. HVAC System Design (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3322, 3370, and 3371. The determination of loads and the design of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems. Approved M E or design elective.