Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Undergraduate Courses

Prerequisites: 01:640:152 and 14:440:221 (or 14:440:291)

Basic concepts in aerospace engineering; pressure, density, temperature, atmosphere, NACA and NASA, equation of state, airfoils, streamlines, standard atmosphere, interpolation and use of data; basic aerodynamics, continuity equation, Bernoulli's equation, streamlines, lift and drag, Reynolds number, flow separation, boundary layer, drag coefficient; airfoil nomenclature, quarter chord point NACA charts, finite wingspan, aspect ratio, drag polar, summary of drag effects; aircraft performance, required thrust and power, rate of climb, gliding, take-off and landing performance, turning; aircraft equations and stability, effects of wings and tail; astronautics, Newton's law of gravitation, polar coordinates, orbital motion, momentum and energy, types of orbits, escape velocity, Kepler's laws, earth satellites, launch window, reentry dynamics; ballooning.

Credits: 3

This course is intended to cover a variety of topics that are important and relevant to students graduating from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and preparing to enter the workforce. Topics are intended to provide a glimpse of various facets of the professional work environment regardless of the role or the field you enter. Each topic is intended to broaden student's knowledge of professional protocols that exists in the industry and give them real life examples, case studies, and tips that will help them succeed in choosing the right direction. Focus on "soft skills" for engineers such as effective communication, presentation and team work as well as career path, interviewing, and networking topics are discussed.

Credits: 1

Prerequisites: 01:640:152 and 14:440:221 (or 14:440:291)

The course introduces principles from the mechanics and materials disciplines to train students in analyzing and solving stress and strain problems in elastic solids such as shafts and beams, combined stresses, and statically indeterminate beams. Lectures are intended to provide the students with fundamental concepts in mechanics and materials, cultivate mathematical formulation of engineering problems, and practice problem solving.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite: Permission of department.

This course seeks to expand student participation in research projects with mechanical and aerospace engineering faculty. It features high-quality interaction of students with faculty and access to appropriate facilities and other professional development opportunities.

Prerequisites: 01:640:244 and 14:440:222 (or 14:440:292)

Control volume concepts of mass, momentum, and energy transport. Hydrostatics, Euler's equations, potential flow, Navier Stokes equations, turbulence, and boundary layer theory.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: 01:640:251, 14:650:291, 14:650:388, and 14:440:222

Design philosophy; stress and deflection analysis; energy methods; theories of failure; fatigue; bearings; design of such mechanical elements as springs, weldments, and gears.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: 01:640:251, 14:650:291, and 14:650:361

Theory of instrumentation, selection, calibration, use of instruments. Error analysis. Sensors, signal conditioners, data acquisition, and processing systems. Design project.

Credits: 4

Prerequisites:  01:640:244, 01:750:227, and 14:440:222

Fundamental concepts, First Law, reversibility, Second Law, entropy, properties of fluids and perfect gases, processes, cycles, general equations, and mixtures.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: 01:640:152 and 14:440:221

Emphasizes integration of analog electronics, digital electronics, sensors and transducers, actuators, and microprocessors for mechanical and aerospace systems. Lectures provide students with foundation concepts in mechatronics and practical familiarity with common elements that make up mechatronic systems. Mathematical modeling of electromechanical systems and basic PID controller design are discussed. Laboratory experiments give the students hands-on experience with components and measurement equipment used in the design of mechatronic systems.

Credits: 4

Prerequisites: 01:640:152 and 14:440:221

Computer-aided design (CAD) applications of analysis, synthesis, and design. Automated drafting and higher-order programming languages. Development of general-purpose functions, components, and command files. Hands-on experience on CAD stations.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite: Permission of department

This course seeks to expand student participation in research projects with mechanical and aerospace engineering faculty. It features high-quality interaction of students with faculty and access to appropriate facilities and other professional development opportunities.

Prerequisites: 14:440:222 and 01:640:244

Dynamic analysis of mechanical, electromechanical, thermal, hydraulic, and pneumatic feedback control systems. Fundamentals of vibrational systems, including the single- and multi-degree-of-freedom vibrations of mechanical systems.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: 14:650:291, 312, 350, and 351

Comprehensive experiments in fluid dynamics, acoustics, heat transfer, power systems, and dynamic mechanical and aerospace systems. Preparation of test procedure, data analysis, and presentation of results and conclusions.
Lab. 3 hrs.

Credits: 2

Prerequisites: 14:650:291, 312, 350, and 351

Comprehensive experiments in fluid dynamics, acoustics, heat transfer, power systems, and dynamic mechanical systems. Preparation of test procedure, data analysis, and presentation of results and conclusions.
Lab. 3 hrs.

Credits: 2

Prerequisites: 14:650:291, 312, 350, and 351

Comprehensive experiments in fluid dynamics, heat transfer, acoustics, power systems, and dynamic aerospace systems. Preparation of test procedure, data analysis, and presentation of reports and conclusion.
Lab. 3 hrs.

Credits: 2

Prerequisites: 14:650:291, 312, 350, and 351

In this lab, the students will have hands-on experience and knowledge to start up and troubleshoot solar and wind energy systems. The students will learn basics of alternate energy systems in theory and practice, and will be able to evaluate the system's characteristics and performance. Designing, analyzing, and evaluating components will also be included in the lab.
Lab. 3 hrs.

Credits: 2

Prerequisites: 14:650:312, 342, and 351

Survey of the major techniques engineers use for simulating physical systems, specifically particle/molecular dynamics, finite difference time domain, and finite element method, focusing on multiphysical simulations that include multiple driving forces and phases. Case studies of active areas of research are introduced by guest lecturers to cover topics including: electrospray deposition, smart actuators, and phononics. Students will produce a final project that will be relevant to their research or design projects.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: 14:440:222, 14:650:291, and 01:640:421

Mechanical vibration, vibration isolation, and critical speeds. Balancing of rotating and reciprocating machinery.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite: 01:640:421

Probabilistic concepts and modeling in mechanical design and analysis. Reliability of mechanical systems. Introduction to turbulence modeling. Introduction to computational aspects. Design project.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: 14:650:291 and 01:640:244

Particle and fiber-reinforced composites, stress-strain relations of anisotropic materials, tensor transformation, derivation of effective moduli of composites from those of the constituents, cross-ply/angle-ply laminates, symmetric/antisymmetric laminates, and engineering applications. Lightweight materials and foams description, constitutive behavior, and applications.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite: 14:440:222

Performance, handling, and ride of ground vehicles. Tires, slip and traction, braking, aerodynamic effects, and steering.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite: 14:650:342

Motion analysis. Centrodes, analytical representation of plane motion, Euler-Savary equation, Bobillier's theorem. Linkages and cams. Two- and three-position syntheses, Freudenstein's method, and optimal methods. Design project.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite: 14:650:342

Provides an introduction and overview of spacecraft and mission design. Topics covered are mission design, spacecraft environment, astrodynamics, propulsion, atmospheric entry, attitude determination and control, configuration and structural design, thermal control, power systems, telecommunications, and reliability analysis.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: 14:650:291 and 01:640:251

Load factors, stresses and deformations in thin-walled members, shear center, torsion of single-cell and multicell structures, and analysis of aircraft and spacecraft components.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: 14:650:312 and 351

Theory of air-breathing and rocket engines. Propulsion performance parameters and mission requirements. Operation of diffusers, combustors, rockets, and jet engines. Design project.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: 14:650:312 and 351

Circulation and lift, Kutta-Joukowski theorem, thin airfoil theory, finite wing theory, induced drag, static and dynamic longitudinal and lateral stability and control, aircraft performance.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite: 14:650:351

Thorough analysis of reciprocating engines and gas turbines. Fuel characteristics. Pollutant formation and control. Combustion and lubrication.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite: 14:650:351

Current theory and practice of cycles and design of equipment for the generation of power in central stations and industrial power plants. Design projects.

Credits:3

Prerequisites: 14:650:312 and 351

Integral form of conservation laws. One-dimensional compressible flow with friction and heat. Normal and oblique shock waves. Prandtl-Meyer expansion. Differential form of conservation laws. Unsteady wave motion. 2-D subsonic, supersonic, and hypersonic flow.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: 14:650:312 and 351

Rocket principle and performance; staging; trajectories in central force field; orbit transfer; reentry dynamics and heating.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: 14:650:312, 342, 350, and 351

First semester of the senior design project to be completed in the fall semester of the final year. Group project under the direction of a faculty adviser.

Credits: 2

Prerequisite: 14:650:467

Second semester of the senior design project to be completed in the spring of the final year. Group project under the direction of a faculty adviser.

Credits: 2

Prerequisites: 01:640:421 and 14:440:222

The goal of this course is to develop an understanding of the fundamentals of the dynamics and control of aircraft with an emphasis on conventional airplane performance and stability, both static and dynamic.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite: 14:650:351

Critical analysis of use of wasted energy; design parameters that influence the performance of wind, geothermal, solar, fuel cell, and biomass alternative energy systems; and the challenges associated with incorporation of these systems into the United States' current infrastructure.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite: 14:650:351

The fundamentals of energy and power, and available alternatives to power derived from consumption of fossil fuels will be covered. Course content is divided into several components: 1) fundamentals of energy and power, available resources, and historical perspectives (national and international); 2) solar energy fundamentals; 3) active solar thermal applications; 4) passive solar energy; 5) photovoltaic systems; 6) biomass; and 7) ocean energy. Depth of course content may vary depending on student feedback and instructor discretion.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: 14:650:312, 14:650:351, and 01:640:421

Theory of heat transfer by steady and transient conduction. Heat transfer by radiation. Convection of heat by fluid motion in external and internal flow. Combined heat transfer calculations.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: 14:440:127 and 14:650:342

Course topics include introduction to Linux operating system management and practical exercises with applications. Topic examples: system installation and configuration, shell scripting, networking, file sharing via NFS and SAMBA, centralized authentication with LDAP, virtualization, security, computational Linux clusters.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: 14:650:210, 312, 342, 350, and 351

First semester of senior design project to be completed in fall of the final year. Group project under the direction of a faculty adviser.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite: 14:650:487

Second semester senior design project to be completed in spring of the final year. Group project under the direction of a faculty adviser.

Credits: 2

Prerequisites: Permission of department; open to mechanical and aerospace engineering students only. Graded pass/no credit.

Provides students with the opportunity to practice and/or apply knowledge and skills in various industrial settings in mechanical,  aerospace, or related engineering fields. Credits earned for the educational benefits of the experience and granted only for a continuous, three-month, full-time assignment.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite: Permission of department. Graded pass/no credit.

Provides students with the opportunity to practice and/or apply knowledge and skills in various industrial settings in mechanical,  aerospace, or related engineering fields. Credits earned for the educational benefits of the experience and granted only for a continuous, six-month, full-time assignment.

Credits: 3

Prerequisite: Permission of department. Graded pass/no credit.

Provides students with the opportunity to practice and/or apply knowledge and skills in various industrial settings in mechanical,  aerospace, or related engineering fields. Credits earned for the educational benefits of the experience and granted only for a continuous, six-month, full-time assignment.

Credits: 3

This course seeks to expand student participation in research projects with mechanical and aerospace engineering faculty. It features high-quality interaction of students with faculty and access to appropriate facilities and other professional development opportunities.