Mechanical Engineering

Fundamentals of solar radiation, heat and fluid transport in active and passive solar collectors, solar ponds, solar cooling, and photovoltaic energy conversion. Analysis and design of active and passive solar systems. Needs undergrad material equivalent of ME 3100 and ME 3600.

Linear programs, non-linear programs, and integer programs. Gradient and steepest descent methods and Newton's method for constrained and unconstrained problems. Interior point methods including cutting planes and branch bound methods. Combinatoric optimization. Heuristic methods. Engineering applications of optimization. Prerequisite: ME 7000 (concurrency allowed) or instructor's permission.

Introductions to machine learning. Overview of optimization. Least mean square algorithm and regression analysis. Artificial neural networks, radial basis function, kernel learning and support vector machines. Decision trees. Genetic algorithms. Swarm intelligence. Bayesian techiniques. Hidden Markov Models. Hopfield network and Neurodynamics. Prerequisite: ME 7000 (concurrency allowed) or Instructor's permisson.

Solutions of ordinary differential equations, series solutions, special functions, boundary-value problems, partial differential equations, vector calculus, calculus of variations, and engineering applications. Undergraduate students must obtain permission of the department chair.

Tensor algebra and calculus; Lagrangian and Eulerian Kinematics of Deformation; Cauchy and Piola-Kirchhoff stresses; general principles including conservation of mass, conservation of linear and angular momentum and energy; constitutive theory, ideal fluids, Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, finite elasticity, and linear elasticity.

Numerical methods for root finding, curve fitting, integration, differential equation solving, coupled systems of equations, and optimization; algorithm choice for stability and computational efficiency.

Discretization, boundary conditions, solution methods, heat transfer, flow with known pressure field, calculation of pressure field, applications program, special topics. Undergraduate students must obtain permission of the department chair.

Introduction to the finite element method with a focus on stress analysis. Boundary value problems; weighted residuals; variational methods; finite element formulation and solution; hands-on experience using programs for solution of problems.

Modeling of dynamic systems that feature interactions between mechanical, electrical, magnetic, fluid, or other physical domains; unified analysis based on network theory and energy balance principles; derivation and solution of linear and nonlinear state equations; computer simulation of system response.

An advanced treatment of engineering thermodynamics involving reversible and irreversible macroscopic processes with emphasis on fundamentals and applications of the first and second laws, and the thermodynamics of equilibrium states of substances. Seniors must have a minimum GPA of 3.0

Basic principles of solar energy and Thermal Energy Storage (TES), sensible TES, latent TES, thermochemical TES, cold TES, TES and enviornmental impact, TES and energy savings, Energy and Exergy analysis of TES, case studies.

Particle dynamics, system of particles, impulse and momentum, energy concepts, Lagrange's equations, kinematics of rigid body motion, dynamics of a rigid body. Approval of instructor. Prerequisite may be waived with permission of the chair. Undergraduate students must obtain permission of the department chair.

Coordinate systems and kinematics of rotor motion, critical speeds and unbalance excitation, effect of asymmetry in rotor and stator, gyroscopic effect, stability and energy concepts, hydrodynamic bearings, finite element modeling, nonlinear phenomena in machinery. Undergraduate students must obtain permission of the department chair.

Atomic arrangements in crystalline solids, imperfections in crystalline solids, the relationship between nano-/micro-structure and materials properties, the synthesis and behavior of nanomaterials, and the characterization at the nano-/micro-scales; demonstration labs on materials behavior at the nano-/micro-scale using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscope, bubble raft, and nanoindenter.

Mechanisms of linear and nonlinear elasticity, plasticity, viscoelastic-plasticity, creep, fatigue and fracture of materials. Atomistic and molecular fundamentals of mechanical behavior of crystalline and amorphous metallic materials, ceramics, and polymeric materials.

Advanced polymer processing-structure-property relationship. Polymer chain structures, polymer crystaline structures, glass transition, viscoelasticity, mechanical properties, electrical properties, polymer extrusion, and polymer injection as well as polymer composite processing.

Particulate, filamentary, short-fiber, and laminated composites; elastic, and thermal structure/property relationships; stress analysis and design of material systems; static and fatigue failure; destructive and NDE test techniques. Undergraduate students must obtain permission of the department chair.

Orthotropic stress-strain relations, hygrothermal effects, laminate analysis, manufacturing residual stresses, stress analysis, finite element analysis, composite structure failure, designing, joining, and repair. Prerequisites: Matrix algebra and undergraduate solid mechanics. Undergraduate students must obtain permission of the department chair.

Mechanical properties and structure-property relationships of bone; analytical and computational models of mechanical behavior of bone including fracture mechanics, damage, and failure theories; composite models of bone; applications of bone mechanics. Restricted to ME Senior with 3.0 GPA or higher.

Mechanical properties and structure/function relationships of biological soft tissues, including: connective tissues, muscle brain tissue, vasculature, and the heart. Numerical and computational modeling of mechanics of these tissues under physiological and non-physiological loading conditions. Analysis of novel engineered tissues.

Fundamentals of thermal design issues associated with electronic equipment; including free and forced convection, liquid immersion, heat pipes, thermoelectrics, reliability, cold plates and numerical solution methods.

This course provides an introduction to the modeling and interpretation of transport in living tissue and cells. Topics include momentum, heat and mass transfer in arteries, water and solute exchange in the microcirculation, mass transfer across cell membrane, renal physiology and gas exchange in the lung. Prerequisite: Undergraduate fluid mechanics or transport courses, or instructor's consent.

Tensor calculus with applications to dynamics and elasticity, Calculus of Variations, Complex analysis, Conformal mapping, Perturbation theory, Asymptotic expansions.

Nonlinear applications of the finite element method. Emphasis on formulation, solution algorithms, and convergence. Hands-on experience using programs for solution of problems.

Fundamental theory of steady and unsteady conduction with applications. Fundamental theory of diffuse radiation heat transfer with applications.

Fundamentals of fluid mechanics, conservation of mass, momentum, and energy; incompressible inviscid and viscous flows; Navier-Stokes equations, laminar and turbulent boundary layers, high speed flows.

Fundamentals of convection; conservation of mass, momentum and energy in integral and differential forms; laminar and turbulent, forced, and natural convection in internal and external flows; introduction to mass transfer. Prerequisite or Corequisite ME 7000.

Elements of boiling heat transfer; pool boiling; bubble dynamics; convective boiling; boiling of mixtures; micro-channels boiling; condensation heat transfer.

Stress analysis fundamentals and solution methods. Strain, stress, elastic constitutive relations, equilibrium, compatibility, boundary value problems, uniqueness, two-dimensional and axisymmetric problems, flexure, torsion; energy methods, applications to structures, pressure vessels, rotating machinery. Approval of instructor.

Forward and inverse kinematics of non-redundant and redundant robotic arms; kinematics and dynamics of wheeled robots; path planning and control of mobile robots; alternative locomotion mechanisms. Approval of instructor.

Linearization and stability, multi-degree-of-freedom systems, eigenvalue problem, forced response, continuous systems, discretization techniques, finite element method for vibration analysis.

Kinetic theory of ideal gases; introduction to statistical thermodynamics; phonon, electron, and photon transport in solids.

Analysis of stress field near a crack tip, concepts of stress intensity and strain energy release rate, fracture modes, brittle and ductile fractures, fracture toughness test, fracture mechanics design, fatigue and fatigue crack growth. Approval of instructor.