Mechanical Engineering

The course covers the topic of renewable resources, including wind, sun, tides, and biomass as well as their significance for energy supply. At the beginning, the focus lies on the control of a photovoltaic plant. The modeling comprises irradiation and maximum-power-point-tracking. Furthermore, the modeling of wind energy conversion systems is considered. Other topics include battery application, fuel cells, and tidal energy. 

This course develops an understanding of the principles of a variety of industrially-significant processes concerned with energy conversion and use, and of the design and operation of plant relying on those processes (including gas and steam turbines, boilers and heat exchangers, reciprocating engines, refrigeration and air-conditioning plant). It develops an ability to make thermodynamic analyses of the processes involved and to select and apply rational performance criteria and parameters. Students develop an awareness of the power and utility of thermodynamics in engineering design, both at the system and the component detail level, with recognition of the constraints imposed by materials, stressing, economics and the environment. 

This course is divided into two parts—engineering development and social changes. Engineering development responds to the needs of human life, satisfies and promotes increasingly diverse lifestyles, and at the same time profoundly affects the beautiful society of human beings in our social lifestyles, psychological states, ethical issues, and environmental resources. Topics include automobiles and assistive devices, media development, sexual harassment and bullying, creativity and intellectual property rights, surface engineering and human interactions, stress adjustment, crime prevention, integrated circuit development, environmental change and water resources, laws of thermodynamics and ways to mature, information technology. All topics are discussed under the context of engineering development and social trends.

The course describes how non-linear systems can be treated through analysis, simulation, and controller design. Lectures cover non-linear phenomena; mathematical modeling of nonlinear systems; stationary points; linearization around stationary points and trajectories; phase plane analysis; stability analysis using the Lyapunov method; circle criterion; small-gain and passivity; computer tools for simulation and analysis; effects of saturation; backlash and dead-zones in control loops; describing functions for analysis of limit cycles; high-gain methods and relay feedback; optimal control; and nonlinear synthesis and design. Laboratory exercises include analysis using the describing function and control design with dead-zone compensation for an air throttle used in car motors; energy-based design of a swing-up algorithm for an inverted pendulum; and trajectory generation using optimal control for the pendulum-on-a-cart process.

This course establishes a strong foundation and understanding of elementary fluid mechanics. After establishing the basics of the mathematical description of fluids, fluid statics and dynamics are covered, the latter employing control volume analysis. The knowledge is put to application, particularly in the last part of the course which focuses on internal flows.