Paper Authors

Abstract

NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract

Main Menu

Session 3568

Incorporating Design in an Introduction to Dynamics Course Wendy Reffeor, Ph.D. Seymour and Esther Padnos School of Engineering Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Abstract

Prompted by EC2000, a contest to design a spring-powered catapult was incorporated into the Dynamics course at Grand Valley State University. The catapult was required to launch a projectile to clear an obstacle and strike a target while not exceeding a specified ceiling. Students brain stormed design concepts, completed their design calculations, including analysis of the rigid body motion of the catapult and the motion of the projectile, and created component and assembly drawings prior to constructing their catapults. They then constructed prototypes of their designs, tested them, revised them as needed with complete documentation of changes and competed in the contest.

Evaluation of the project was based upon the accuracy of the analysis of the mechanism, the consistency between the calculations and the completed mechanism, the engineering drawings of the mechanism and the conclusions drawn from the experience.

This project gave students the opportunity to apply the concepts learned in a normally purely theoretical course to the design and implementation of a real, open-ended, design problem. In addition, it emphasized good design practices by encouraging students to design their catapult completely prior to building it, build, test, and modify the prototype and prove they met the design requirements.

Students learned that design is an iterative process, that successful design requires careful planning and that there are many ways to solve any problem. In addition, this project offered the students a junior level, guided design experience.

Introduction

Design and build projects are incorporated in many of Grand Valley State University’s (GVSU) courses to present a more applied approach to engineering, while maintaining the rigor expected of engineering curricula. From these projects, students learn design procedures, reinforce their learning of design tools such as mathematical modeling programs, mechanical drawing programs and physical modeling programs, learn the value of carefully planning projects, and learn that design is an iterative process even when calculations are carefully performed.

Main Menu

• Citation

• Format
  • APA
  • APA - LaTeX bibitem
  • MLA
  • MLA - LaTeX bibitem
  • Bibtex
  • EndNote - RIS

Reffeor, W. (2002, June), Incorporating Design In An Introduction To Dynamics Course Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--10263