Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering: Curricula and Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Simin Hall, Virginia Tech; Catherine T. Amelink, Virginia Tech; Deyu Hu, Virginia Tech

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

. Page 25.409.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Designing and Implementing an Online Offering of a Nuclear Engineering CurriculumAbstractVirginia Tech restarted its nuclear engineering program in the Fall of 2007. The program hasgrown from a class enrollment of 60 students to about 200 students in 2009. When we restartedour program, we took the opportunity to be innovative and find ways to differentiate our programfrom other programs nationwide. In addition, we targeted the nuclear industry within our state byoffering the majority of our graduate nuclear engineering curriculum via distance learning. Weinitially started with live video teleconferencing to remote

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering: Trends and Tools

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Timothy A. Doughty, University of Portland; Steven O'Halloran, University of Portland

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

just before and just after the tutorial indicates that the tutorial is effective inshowing the importance of understanding how to acquire data and that students appreciation ofthe process is more evident to seniors. This is not an indication that the material would be best Page 25.377.8introduced in the senior year. Instead, it is interpreted as an indication that its value is moreobvious to those who have been through the bulk of their undergraduate program.These results motivate a proposal for a holistic integration of data acquisition into the mechanicalengineering undergraduate curriculum. The details of this integration are the

Conference Session

Simulations and Visualizations

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Goodarz Ahmadi, Clarkson University; Suresh Dhaniyala, Clarkson University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

knowledge of particle measurement techniques to plan and conduct an ambient aerosol measurement campaign near the University. The students analyzed their data and compared it to measurements from nearby monitors and related the data to national standards.As the next step, the course material is being prepared for online posting and adapted for integration with the theoretical modules described earlier.COURSE WEB EFFECTIVENESS:The effectiveness of the course website was assessed in two ways:1. Usability tests were conducted on an early version of the site and conducted again onthe revised version of the site. In both tests, participants were given tasks to find coursematerial and use the calculation model available on the site. The purpose

Conference Session

Active and Project-based Learning

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Garrett Miles Clayton, Villanova University; Teresa Genevieve Wojcik, Villanova University; Aleksandra Radlińska, Villanova University; Noelle K. Comolli, Villanova University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

require a significant amount of design practice, along with proper reinforcement – onesuggestion is that several simple design problems precede the larger capstone design project [7].In addition, design and other engineering subjects are best learnt through hands on activelearning, e.g. project based learning [6, 8]. Therefore, the integration of impromptu designexercises into all aspects of the curriculum is motivated by the above research findings.In addition, the authors have found that these projects have a number of other advantagesincluding: • Using these hands-on activities give students concrete examples of the issues being discussed in class – e.g. students go through an impromptu design exercise (where they design and

Conference Session

Learning and Assessment II

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amir Karimi, University of Texas, San Antonio; Randall D. Manteufel, University of Texas, San Antonio

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

. Page 25.228.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Assessment of Student Knowledge in an Introductory Thermodynamics CourseAbstractThe first course in thermodynamics builds the foundation for the thermal science courses in anundergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum. Students who master the fundamentalconcepts typically do well in the follow up thermal science courses. Therefore, assessment ofstudent knowledge in this course is essential for student success in the follow up courses.Assessment of student knowledge is usually achieved through homework assignments, one ortwo mid-semester exams, and a final examination. The difficulty is that only simple

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering: Curricula and Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Benita M. Comeau, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Rohit Karnik, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Sang-Gook Kim, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

3-dimensional flows32-33.Another module in development uses a home-built microstereolithography apparatus for makingpolyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel structures.In conclusion we are pleased that most students find the course interesting and useful, as we feelthat nano/micro scale manufacturing does have an important place in the ME curriculum. Wewill continue to update the course to keep it novel and relevant as this field is still rapidlychanging. Our main goal for the short term is to make the course transparent and teachable by awider range of faculty so we can maintain a good learning experience as the course continues togrow.AcknowledgementsThis course would not have been possible without the generous support of the LufkinFoundation

Conference Session

Laboratory Innovations

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Claire Yu Yan, University of British Columbia; Carolyn Labun, University of British Columbia

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Engineering Education, 2012 Improving Student Engagement - An Approach Used in Kinematics and Dynamics of MachineryAbstractInstructors frequently ask themselves “What are the best ways for an instructor to support studentlearning? How can we assist students in engaging in deep learning? How can we help thembridge the divide between theory and practice?This paper discusses efforts to address these issues in a course on Kinematics and Dynamics ofMachinery. Kinematics and Dynamics of Machinery is a core course in the mechanicalengineering curriculum. One of the challenges in this course is to make students fully appreciatemechanism design by integrating the principles of kinematics and dynamics in real world designpractice. To

Conference Session

Capstone Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Blair T. Allison, Grove City College; Stephen Ludwick, Aerotech, Inc., and University of Pittsburgh; William P. Birmingham, Grove City College

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Interdisciplinary Team and an Industrial PartnerAbstractA team of undergraduate mechanical engineering and computer science students carried out acapstone project focused on the design, fabrication, assembly, and testing of a three-axiscomputer controlled milling machine for notching thin-walled tubes. These notched tubes arejoined to other tubes to produce frames for vehicles for student competitions (e.g., Mini Baja orhuman powered vehicles). This paper reviews mechanical design efforts, fabrication, assembly,derivation of axis trajectories, software development efforts, and the integration of the hardwareand software components that resulted in a successful three-axis tube notcher. Thismultidisciplinary project required close cooperation between

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids, and Heat Transfer

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kyle A. Watson, University of the Pacific; Ashland O. Brown, University of the Pacific; Rachelle Kisst Hackett, University of the Pacific; Alexis Pham, University of the Pacific

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

module quizzes and student opinion surveysand the results indicate that there is an increase in student performance and student satisfactionafter having completed the learning modules.Introduction The finite element (FE) method is a widely used tool in industry for analyzing engineering problems. The most basic FE theory and applications are offered primarily as a graduate- level course, or in some cases, as an upper-level elective for undergraduate students. Therefore, the majority of engineering programs do not require coverage of FE theory and application as a component of their undergraduate curriculum. Industry is placing an increased emphasis on the ability to apply this powerful computational tool; so it follows that

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering: Curricula and Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lisa Abrams, Ohio State University; James William Altschuld, Ohio State University; Blaine W. Lilly, Ohio State University; Daniel A. Mendelsohn, Ohio State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

." Mechatronics (2008): 179-186. 3. Hargrove, Jeffrey B. "Curriculum, equipment and student project outcomes for mechatronics education in the core mechanical engineering program at Kettering University." Mechatronics (2002): 343-356. 4. Bannerot, Richard. "Hands-on Projects in an Early Design Course." ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition. Pittsburgh, PA, 2008. 5. Starkey, John M., et al. "Experiences in the Integration of Design Across the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum." 1994 Frontiers in Education Conference. 1994. 464-468. 6. Tsang, Edmund and Andrew Wilheim. "Integrating Materials, Manufacturing and Design in The Sophomore Year." Proceedings of the Frontiers in Education Conference. Atlanta, GA

Conference Session

Laboratory Innovations

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Awlad Hossain, Eastern Washington University; Hani Serhal Saad, Eastern Washington University; Martin W. Weiser, Eastern Washington University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2012-2942: THE EFFECT OF SURFACE AREA AND THERMAL DIF-FUSIVITY IN TRANSIENT COOLINGDr. Awlad Hossain, Eastern Washington University Awlad Hossain is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering and Design at Eastern Wash- ington University, Cheney. His research interests involve the computational and experimental analysis of lightweight space structures and composite materials. Hossain received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in ma- terials engineering and science from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, South Dakota.Dr. Hani Serhal Saad, Eastern Washington UniversityProf. Martin W. Weiser, Eastern Washington University Martin Weiser is an Assistant Professor in the Engineering and Design

Conference Session

Learning and Assessment I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David B. Benson, Kettering University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

learning as an acquisition and integration process, thisis further reinforced when the concept of a spiral curriculum is also considered. Kolb (2000) in his Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) highlights the necessity ofcyclical instruction. ELT divides the learning cycle in to four phases: experiencing, reflecting,thinking, and acting. As a model for education, this process is both planned (formatted) andresponsive to the situation and content/skills being learned: activities are structured and plannedbut flexible to include individual. The cyclical nature of ELT supports this project in thenecessity of revisiting concepts at various points, over time to solidify and deepen a learner’sknowledge or concept acquisition and mastery

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering: Trends and Tools

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Vincent Capece, University of Kentucky

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

CourseAbstractEngineering students typically encounter formal engineering report writing in their laboratorycourses. These courses normally occur in the curriculum well after the required Englishcomposition courses. Besides the increased demands of being able to write an engineering report,many students at this point are rusty in the grammar department. To help overcome thesedifficulties a two week technical writing component (writing workshop) was added to the juniorlevel mechanical engineering experimentation course in spring 2010. In this paper the writingworkshop is presented in detail. Quizzes and the final paper submitted by the students were usedfor assessment of the students’ writing.MotivationEngineers must not only be technically competent, they must

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering: Curricula and Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Allan T. Kirkpatrick P.E., Colorado State University; Scott Danielson P.E., Arizona State University, Polytechnic; Thomas Perry P.E., American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

partnership between industry, professional societies, government, and academia is needed tosuccessfully implement these recommendations to develop the full potential of engineeringeducation and engineering leadership. For example, ASME could facilitate faculty-practitionerexchange programs, and practice-based endowed faculty chairs. To enable curriculum changeand encourage more flexibility, ASME should seek modifications to the ABET general criteriaand program criteria for mechanical engineering as noted above. To help programs at researchintensive institutions with growing programs argue for such faculty, the ME Program Criteriacould address a minimum faculty size/student ratio to ensure program quality in design andencouraged an increase in the

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering: Trends and Tools

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Amanie N. Abdelmessih, Saint Martin's University; Irina Gendelman, Saint Martin's University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

it difficult to observe body language, bottom line the best method so far to observe body language is through face-to-face instruction. • Extensive amount of e-mail, most of which is already posted clearly in the syllabus on the web. Solution: Future distance teaching classes, the instructor intends to use the web’s discussion board and refrain from answering e-mail except for clarifying concepts, related to topics covered in class or homework. That policy will be clearly stated in the syllabus defining an appropriate e-mail.Unresolved problems: • Technology and integrity of exams: Unless exams are taken under the supervision of the instructor there is no guarantee of the integrity of the exam, particularly with the

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids, and Heat Transfer

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

David Zietlow, Bradley University; Jacqueline Henderson, Bradley University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

solve a problem on the level on which it was created.” This is true in engineering. Consider an automobile. It cannot fix itself. It requires knowledge from the designer of the automobile to fix it. If it is true in science and engineering perhaps it applies to life in general. In that case, order ultimately needs to be restored at a level higher than ourselves. This was identified by 12% of the thermodynamic students in Figure 14.Recommendations Integrate demonstrations and interactive exhibits into your pedagogy. It improves students learning outcomes. Since it is not sustainable to produce an exhibit like the one presented here for every topic discussed in an engineering curriculum, storage space alone excludes

Conference Session

Capstone Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Martin Edin Grimheden, Royal Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

product development into a mechatronics capstone course. This paperdescribes the method used, Scrum, and the context of the studied mechatronics capstonecourse. Mechatronics is here defined as “synergistic integration” of electronics, mechanicalengineering, control and software engineering. Mechatronics product development, in thiscontext, therefore deals with the development of complex and intelligent products, whichimplies multi-disciplinary work and the use of models etc. from several domains and areas.With the integration of Scrum into the mechatronics capstone course, an educational favorablealternative is identified, to previously used design methodologies such as more traditionalstage-gate methods as the Waterfall or method or the V-model

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids, and Heat Transfer

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Onursal Onen, University of South Florida; Rasim Guldiken, University of South Florida

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

mechanics andother similar courses, which might also be very helpful for undergraduate students. In this paper,we present our efforts and outcomes of introducing the microfluidics module to theundergraduate fluid mechanics course - Fluid Systems - in the Mechanical EngineeringDepartment at University of South Florida, Tampa, FL. Our main aim was to introduce themicrofluidics world, give the students an insight to state-of-the-art fluid mechanics applicationsand micro-technology, and show them the concepts they were taught in the class are applicableto start-of-the-art applications, which could possibly lead to further interest in fluid mechanics.Microfluidics, as the name implies, is the science of fluid mechanics in the micro scale. Microscale

Conference Session

Learning and Assessment I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John K. Estell, Ohio Northern University; John-David S. Yoder, Ohio Northern University; Briana B. Morrison, Southern Polytechnic State University; Fong K. Mak, Gannon University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

be as simple as a note to include material on a certain subject in an assignment the next time it is used, or as large as a recommendation to the curriculum committee to create a new course to better deal with some of the subject material. Page 25.755.5 Whatever suggestions are recorded by the instructor, it is essential that the appropriate parties in the department review these suggestions; to that end, programs needs to somehow incorporate the review of FCARs into the overall assessment process as a regularly scheduled activity.3. Expectations Regarding Faculty UseThe Faculty Course Assessment Report is not a magic

Conference Session

Learning and Assessment I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Randall D. Manteufel, University of Texas, San Antonio; Amir Karimi, University of Texas, San Antonio

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

. Page 25.233.2Supto1 taught for many years as an adjunct and humorously describes how adjuncts can betreated as a “pet rock” which is a near-perfect low-maintenance pet. Adjuncts typically are “offthe radar screen” of the Dean and Chair, hence receive minimal feedback except from students intheir classes. Adjuncts often have little authority to improve the laboratory/class they teach andmay not be included in curriculum decisions. Supto recommends that “every adjunct shouldhave a full-time faculty member assigned as an advocate and resource” but this often isn’t thecase1. Adjuncts are often left to fend for themselves.Departments and faculty may want to do an excellent job of teaching undergraduates, yet it isoften the lack of resources and not

Conference Session

Outreach, Engagement, and Undergraduate Research

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Peter John Arslanian, NASA/Computer Sciences Corporation; Payam Matin, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

throughout thisundergraduate research.Introduction Wind tunnels, beginning from the rude but arguably famous Wright Brothers device circa1903 to the great research facilities funded by NASA, have uncovered the dynamics existingbetween fluid and solid objects. The Wright Brothers recognized that by blowing air past a modelof their aircraft in a device that could mimic conditions favorable to flight, they could ultimatelydeliver the answer sought after by man for millennia, the ability to fly. The Wright Brothersprevailed, and the history of the wind tunnel as an integral component to aerodynamic researchwas documented.What the Wright Brothers failed to recognize, was that the complexity of flight and those tomimic the conditions in a device are

Conference Session

Outreach, Engagement, and Undergraduate Research

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Natalie Barrett, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2012-4716: A THERMODYNAMICS SHORT COURSE FOR A SUM-MER OUTREACH PROGRAMMs. Natalie Barrett, Purdue University, West Lafayette Natalie Barrett is a mechanical engineering Ph.D. student at Purdue University and is interested in re- newable energy. Barrett received a B.S.M.E. from Florida State University, a M.S.M.E. from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a M.B.A. from Indiana University. She has taught at Wentworth Institute of Technology as an Adjunct Professor. She has also worked in industry at Pratt & Whitney for several years and served in roles such as Integrated Product Team Leader and Affordability and Risk Manager for the F135 Engine Program

Conference Session

Simulations and Visualizations

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Claudio Luiz Curotto, Federal University of Parana, Brazil; Kurt C. Gramoll, University of Oklahoma

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

, Gramoll13-15 has been developing multimedia content for several engineering basiccourses, included among them Dynamics. This content is available for free, to all teacherswishing to use it in their courses, at the eCourses16 web site. This web site includes allinstructional material to conduct a course. There is no cost to either the instructor or studentusing it. Features include eBook (with simulations or Flashlets in each topic), database ofhomework/quiz/test problems and their solutions, lectures in both QuickTime and Flash format,computer grading, and utilities. To help facilitate communications between students, instructors,and TAs there is an integrated web board and collaborative drawing board. The instructorcontrols and manages his own web