Department of Mechanical Engineering

Professor Thomas D. Burton, Chairperson.

Professors Anderson, Cardenas-Garcia, Chyu, Ertas, and Lawrence; Associate Professors Barhorst, Dunn, Hashemi, Jordan, Maxwell, Oler, Parameswaran, and Rasty; Assistant Professors Berg, Ekwaro-Osire, and James; Lecturers Burchett and Jones; 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 program in mechanical engineering has been designed and developed to equip the student to become a highly qualified engineering professional in a career which offers diversity, challenge, and a bright future at the forefront of innovative technology. 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 four of the principal engineering sciencesthermal science, fluids engineering, materials engineering, and solid mechanics-mechanical design. Graduates with a degree in mechanical engineering will find that employment opportunities cover a wide spectrum including the aerospace, petroleum production and refining industries, petrochemicals, electrical power, electronics, manufacturing, food-beverage processing, and many others. Mechanical engineering graduates may also be involved with alternate and advanced energy sources, composite materials, advanced computer control of mechanical systems, and computer-aided design.

Problem-solving techniques learned in the mechanical engineering curriculum are also often applied to continued educational pursuits or graduate study in engineering as well as in areas such as law, medicine, business administration, or other professional careers.

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 Fortran and application packages such as word processors and spreadsheets.

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 satisfy the academic performance requirements of the Dynamic Enrollment Management Plan (DEMP). These requirements include earning a grade of C or better in all courses and maintaining a grade point average of 2.00 or better.

Mechanical Engineering Curriculum.

FIRST YEAR
Fall Spring
MATH 1351, Calculus I 3 MATH 1352, Calculus II 3
CHEM 1307, Prin. of Chem. I 3 PHYS 1308, Prin. of Phys. I 3
CHEM 1107, Prin. Chem. I (Lab.) 1 PHYS 1105, Prin. of Phys. I (Lab.) 1
ENGL 1301, Ess. Coll. Rhetoric 3 ENGL 1302, Adv. Coll. Rhetoric 3
ME 1305, Engr. Anal. I 3 EGR 1306, Engr. Graphics 3
HIST 2300, Hist. of U.S. to 1877 3 *Elective (history) 3
16 16
SECOND YEAR
Fall Spring
MATH 2350, Calculus III 3 MATH 3350, Higher Math. Engr. I 3
PHYS 2301, Prin. of Phys. II 3 EE 2304, Elect. Sys. Anal. 3
PHYS 1106, Prin. of Phys. II (Lab.) 1 ME 2312, Mechanisms 3
ME 2311, Intro. Mat. Sci. 3 CE 3303, Mech. of Solids 3
CE 2301, Statics 3 *Elective (political science) 3
POLS 1301, Amer. Govt., Org. 3 IE 3301, Engr. Econ. Anal. 3
16 18
THIRD YEAR
Fall Spring
ME 3218, Measurements 2 ME 4252, Mechanical Sys. Lab. 2
ME 3321, Engr. Thermo. I 3 ME 3371, Heat Transfer 3
ME 3364, Intro. to Mech. Design 3 ME 3365, Mech. Comp. Design 3
ME 3316, Comp. Meths. in M. E. 3 ME 3331, Dynamics 3
*Elective (mathematics) 3 ENGL 3365, Tech. Writing 3
EE Elective 3 ME 3370, Fluid Mechanics 3
17 17
FOURTH YEAR
Fall Spring
ME 4321, Engr. Thermo II 3 ME 4333, Dyn. & Cont. of Sys. 3
ME 3251, Thermal Sys. Lab. 2 ME 4371, Design II 3
ME 4370, Design I 3 *Elective (mech. engr. design) 3
ME 4372, Comp. -Aided Design 3 *Elective 3
+Elective (humanities) 3 *Elective (mech. engr.) 3
*Elective (math. or science) 3 *Elective (humanities) 3
17 18

Minimum hours required for graduation­­135

*Select from departmentally approved list.

+This course must satisfy the Category D General Education Requirement and the Multicultural Requirement. See department for approval.

Courses in Mechanical Engineering. (ME)

1305. Engineering Analysis I (3:3:0). Corequisite: MATH 1350 or high school equivalency. Introductory problems characteristic of mechanical engineering. Introduction to computer programming.

2311. Introduction to Material Science (3:3:0). Prerequisite: CHEM 1307. Fundamental thermodynamic and chemical nature of the structure and properties of materials.

2312. Mechanisms (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 1305, MATH 1351. Planar cams and kinematics; spur and helical gear geometry and gear trains, linkage position and velocity analysis and synthesis of linkages. Computer applications. Working knowledge of a computer programming language such as FORTRAN, C, or BASIC is required.

3218. Measurements and Instrumentation (2:1:3). Prerequisite: EE 2304. Corequisite: ME 3321. General experimental methods, statistics, uncertainty analysis, graphical presentation of experimental data, basic instrumentation principles as applied to mechanical engineering systems.

3251. Thermal Systems Laboratory (2:1:3). Prerequisite: ME 3218; corequisite: ENGL 3365. Testing, evaluating, interpreting, and reporting the characteristics of thermal systems.

3316. Computational Methods in Mechanical Engineering (3:3:0). Corequisite: MATH 3350. An introductory treatment of numerical procedures used in digital computer solution of typical problems found in mechanical engineering practice. Working knowledge of a computer programming language such as FORTRAN, C, or BASIC is required.

3321. Engineering Thermodynamics I (3:3:0). Prerequisite: MATH 2350, PHYS 2301. 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.)

3331. Dynamics (3:3:0). Prerequisite: MATH 2350, CE 2301. Kinematics and kinetics of a particle and rigid bodies. [ENGR 2302]

3364. Introduction to Mechanical Design (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 2312 and CE 3303; corequisite: MATH 3350. Analytical and numerical methods in stress analysis, introduction to mechanical component design and failure theories and their applications.

3365. Mechanical Component Design (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3364. Analysis, design, and evaluation of mechanical elements.

3370. Fluid Mechanics (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3321 and CE 2301. Basic principles of fluid statics, fluid dynamics, ideal and viscous flows, and turbomachinery.

3371. Heat Transfer (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3321 and 3316. Introduction to heat transfer by the mechanisms of conduction, convection, and radiation.

4252. Mechanical Systems Laboratory (2:1:3). Prerequisite: ME 3218; corequisite: ENGL 3365. Testing, evaluating, interpreting, and reporting the characteristics of mechanical systems.

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

4321. Engineering Thermodynamics II (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3321. Principles of thermodynamics for general systems, cycle analysis, availability and irreversibility, thermodynamics of state, thermodynamics of nonreacting and reacting mixtures.

4331. Individual Study in Mechanical Engineering (3). Prerequisite: ME 3364 and departmental approval. Individual study in advanced mechanical engineering areas.

4333. Dynamics and Control of Systems (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3316, 3331. Modeling and analysis of dynamic mechanical, electrical, fluid, and thermal systems. Introduction to classical and modern feedback control analysis theory.

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 design elective.

4341. Materials in Design (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 2311 and C E 3303. Application of material selection in the design process. Approved design elective.

4342. Design Through Failure Analysis (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 2311 and CE 3303. Case studies presenting "forensic engineering" techniques necessary for the determination of failure mechanisms, design integrity, materials selection, legal problems, and product liability. Approved design elective.

4343. Mechanical Metallurgy (3:2:3). Prerequisite: M E 2311 and C E 3303. Introductory elasticity, plasticity, dislocation theory, and strengthening mechanisms. Testing and controlling of mechanical properties and their variation with temperature, strain rate, and microstructure.

4344. Manufacturing Processes for Engineering Materials (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 2311, 3364. Analysis of stresses, tribology, and economics associated with primary and secondary manufacturing processes and their effect on properties of engineering materials.

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 design elective.

4354. Automotive Systems (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3370, 3371, and 4321. Modeling and analysis of typical automobile and truck powertrains. Theory and practice are discussed with emphasis on practical applications.

4356. Aerodynamics (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3370. An introduction to aerodynamics including wing and airfoil theory, aircraft performance, and aircraft stability and control.

4370. Engineering Design I (3:2:3). Prerequisite: ME 3365, 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.

4372. Computer Aided Design (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3365. Computer aided analysis and design of thermal and mechanical systems using the computer.

4373. Thermal-Fluid Systems (3:3:0). Prerequisite: ME 3371 and 3370. Corequisite: M E 4321. Design and analysis of thermal-fluid systems. Approved design elective.

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


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Jan 21, 2020