Mechanical Engineering

The course examines the motions of linkages, gear sets, and cams. Students learn about the analysis of displacement, velocity, and acceleration of mechanisms by using graphical and analytical methods. The course analyzes real-world engineering applications of the mechanisms. It covers the kinematic analysis by using Autodesk Inventor. 

This course provides a fundamental knowledge of dynamics, including kinematics and kinetics of particle, system of particles, and rigid bodies in planar and three-dimensional motion. A systematic approach, namely Vector Analysis and Modeling Procedure (VAMP), is introduced to precisely describe linear and angular positions, velocities, accelerations, forces, and torques for generating a set of equations of motion, without missing any terms. Other modeling of work/energy equations, impulse/momentum equations, impact of particles and rigid bodies, and Euler equations are also addressed. Not only are students trained to have the ability of modeling dynamic systems in terms of equations of motion, but they are also experienced with engineering insight of physical laws.

This course introduces the basic concepts and methods of stress analysis. It explains the mathematical descriptions of stress analysis and demonstrates the physical significance of stress and strain and the importance and application of Hooke's Law. The course introduces the fundamental concepts of elasticity including Youngs Modulus and Poission ratio. The course then uses these descriptions to show how to solve a range of stress analysis problems including plane frames, stress and strain, pressure vessels and beams. 

The objective of this course is, starting from the requirements for vehicle propulsion, to present the different options in terms of vehicle energy converters, that have the potential for near-zero pollutant emissions and defossilization. The course deals with powertrains for vehicles. The expectations are that in a sustainable society, transportation powertrains will be a mix between battery electric, fuel cell, combustion engines, and hybrids. The combustion engines would then be powered by renewable fuels produced using sustainable sources. The main features of the different energy converters are given, with their pros and cons, followed by a detailed discussion for each option. Challenges to the combustion engine fueled by fossil fuels are discussed. The different configurations for hybrid powertrains and criteria for choosing the optimum configurations are presented. Plug-in hybrids and range-extended hybrids are discussed. The main features for hydrogen fuel cells and battery electric drive are stated, including advantages and challenges, as well as expected future trends for the different transportation modes.