Conference Session

Active and Project-based Learning

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Joakim Sigurd Wren, Linköping University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2012-5527: ENGINEERING THERMODYNAMICS IN THE 21ST CEN-TURY: ACTIVE LEARNING BY HUMAN BODY THERMODYNAMICSDr. Joakim Sigurd Wren, Linkping University Page 25.563.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Engineering Thermodynamics in the 21st Century – Active learning by human body thermodynamicsAbstractA new project on human body thermodynamics was developed and used in traditionalengineering thermodynamics courses. The aim was to increase student motivation andlearning by making the students more active and in charge of their learning, and to widen theapplication of thermodynamics outside the

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

].Impromptu design exercises provide a unique opportunity to teach design concepts. Specifically,because student groups are “thrown” into the project they learn by doing. This type of activepedagogy has been shown to improve student understanding. Furthermore, by referring to theproject in later discussions, it provides a “jumping-off” point for lecture/discussion on moreadvanced engineering concepts – which is how the projects are used in this paper.In this paper, the developed exercises are presented with some discussion regarding theirimplementation. Some of the main findings in this paper are: • Students really enjoy these exercises – this student engagement should be expected due to the hands-on, competitive nature of the exercises

Conference Session

Active and Project-based Learning

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Isaac M. Choutapalli, University of Texas, Pan American; Robert A. Freeman, University of Texas, Pan American; Young-Gil Park, University of Texas, Pan American

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

/projects, etc. The following sectiondescribes selected CBI modules designed for MECE 3320 course based on the Legacy Cycledescribed above.MethodIn designing the CBI modules for MECE 3320 course, the key considerations that are taken intoaccount are (Giorgio and Brophy, [4]):a) selection of learning objectivesb) preparation, integration, and delivery of teaching materials such as PowerPoint slides,teaching notes, informative video clips, etc.c) integration of formative and summative assessmentsThe introduction of CBI into the MECE 3320 course begins with the administration of a pre-testcovering the various learning objectives in the entire course. Each of the CBI modules isintroduced to the students through the different phases of the legacy cycle

Conference Session

Active and Project-based Learning

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tony Lee Kerzmann, Robert Morris University; Eugene Joseph Werner Jr., GAI Consultants, Inc.

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

sessions served as a platform for thestudents to introduce new ideas or concepts and to debate whether these ideas would fulfill thechallenge requirements. The criteria set forth by the challenge provided a structured venue forthe students to teach each other about engineering and sustainability concepts that they wereindividually researching. The advisor acted as a mediator for these discussions, with the purposeof assisting the students in the weeding out of good and bad ideas, but the students were theresearchers, designers, presenters, and critics. These discussions inherently led students toparticipate in cognitive synthesis as well as evaluation; the two highest levels of BloomTaxonomy.3 The fact that the TurboFlow project was based on a

Conference Session

Active and Project-based Learning

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John-David S. Yoder, Ohio Northern University; James P. Schmiedeler, University of Notre Dame; Michael Milo Stanisic, University of Notre Dame

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

better.At the University of Notre Dame, a robotic football competition was initiated in the spring of2008 as the main design project for the capstone course for all senior mechanical engineeringstudents. An advantage of a robotic football game is that the robustness of the students designsand manufacturing skills are tested in a way that they are not in FIRST or related competitions –the designs must consider being able to withstand significant impacts. Furthermore, it takesadvantage of the high (and growing) popularity of American football on college campuses.After repeating the competition in 2009, the coordinating faculty desired to reach out and includeanother university in the next competition. To do this, it was decided to invite a team of

Conference Session

Capstone Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Manish Paliwal, College of New Jersey; Bijan Sepahpour, College of New Jersey

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

APPROACH FOR BETTER IMPLEMENTATION OF CAPSTONE SENIOR DESIGN PROJECTSAbstractPrimary expectations from a Senior Design Project is defined by ABET with an emphasis onproduct, process, and professionalism. In principle, the requirements for a senior design projectshould include development of student creativity, use of open-ended problems, development anduse of design methodology, formulation of design problems, alternative solutions, and detailedsystem description. Constraints such as economic factors, safety, reliability, ethics, and socialimpact should also be included.However, it is debated how the process and/or the design product should be assessed, and howthe teams should be formed and function for successful project

Conference Session

Outreach, Engagement, and Undergraduate Research

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Karinna M. Vernaza, Gannon University; Mahesh C. Aggarwal, Gannon University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2012-3685: OUTREACH ACTIVITIES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STU-DENTS: PROJECT FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEERING UNDERGRAD-UATE STUDENTSDr. Karinna M. Vernaza, Gannon University Karinna Vernaza joined Gannon University in 2003, and she is currently an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department. She earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame. Her B.S. is in marine systems engineering from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Her primary teaching responsibilities are in the solid mechanics and materials areas. She was awarded the 2012 ASEE NCS Outstanding Teacher Award. Vernaza consults for GE Transportation and does research in the aread of alternative fuels (biodiesel

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

AC 2012-4239: A MECHATRONICS CAPSTONE PROJECT WITH AN IN-TERDISCIPLINARY TEAM AND AN INDUSTRIAL PARTNERDr. Blair T. Allison, Grove City College Blair T. Allison is professor and Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Grove City College. He teaches courses in engineering design, mechanics of materials, materials science, control systems, and finite element analysis. Areas of research interest include the modeling and control of metal forming processes, manufacturing automation and control, and dimensional control of components and assemblies. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his B.S.M.E. degree from Carnegie Mellon

Conference Session

Learning and Assessment III

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Tom Spendlove, Baker College, Flint; Anca L. Sala, Baker College, Flint; James Riddell, Baker College, Flint

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

involved in the learning process taking place inthe classroom, as opposed to the teacher centric traditional lectures. Engineering faculty havelong been using such approaches in many of our courses, for example in courses which includeexperimental laboratories and projects. This initiative has prompted us to focus more consciouslyon the effect of teaching on, and the assessment of student learning. This paper will discuss avariety of design projects we are using throughout the curriculum in the Mechanical Engineeringprogram before the Senior Design Project, how they fit with the Learner Centered Instructioninitiative, as well as how they support the Program Outcomes and Program EducationalObjectives of our ABET accredited program.Projects from

Conference Session

Laboratory Innovations

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Thomas R. Consi, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

AC 2012-3588: A VERSATILE PLATFORM FOR TEACHING MECHA-TRONICSDr. Thomas R. Consi, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Thomas R. Consi is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, with a joint ap- pointment in the School of Freshwater Sciences and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. His researches focuses on the development of new and novel marine robots designed to operate in challenging environments. He is also keenly interested in engineering education and involves many UWM engineer- ing undergraduates in his research projects as well as teaches mechatronics in the UWM Department of Mechanical Engineering

Conference Session

Capstone Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Martin Edin Grimheden, Royal Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

. This is due to the emphasis onearly prototyping, quick feedback and incremental development. It still might not be thefavorable method for use in large scale industrial development projects where formalprocedures might still be preferred, but the pedagogical advantages in mechatronics educationare valuable. Incremental development and rapid prototyping for example gives manyopportunities to reflect and improve. The Scrum focus on self-organizing teams also providesa platform to practice project organization, by empowering students to take responsibility forthe product development process.Among the results of this study, it is shown that it is possible and favorable to integrate Scrumin a mechatronics capstone course and that this can enhance

Conference Session

Learning and Assessment I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert G. Ryan, California State University, Northridge

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Assessment of a New Design Stem Course SequenceAbstractIn Fall 2009, the Mechanical Engineering Department at California State University, Northridgeimplemented significant changes to the curriculum by creating a new course sequence focusedon design. The course sequence is distributed throughout the four years of the program, andculminates in the traditional capstone senior design course. One of the features of the newsequence was the requirement of a team project in each course, including oral design reviewsdocumenting the projects’ progress. Enabling our students to continuously develop anddemonstrate skills related to design and communication was the main incentive behind

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

assist with this goal, students were encouraged, early in the term, to discover reallife examples of mechanisms with an aim to promote curiosity and foster interest in learning.Throughout the term, a design project was introduced which required students not only to applyfundamentals of kinematics and dynamics, but also to exercise skills in teamwork, collaborativelearning and communication. A student survey was conducted at the end of the course and theefficacy of the approach was assessed.IntroductionThe University of British Columbia‟s Okanagan campus was established in 2005 in Kelowna,British Columbia. The School of Engineering offers three undergraduate programs: CivilEngineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. In 2010

Conference Session

Learning and Assessment III

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Craig W. Somerton, Michigan State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Require ME Courses to Program Outcomes 3 = Strong Emphasis, 2 = Some Emphasis, 1 = Little or No Emphasis ME 481 Mechanical Engineering Design Projects

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

due to a combinationof more difficult mathematics and the use of material parameters that are less intuitive.Therefore, we use a combination of analytical, numerical, and experimental studies to improvethe students’ understanding of this topic. This paper documents development of this integratedheat transfer project and our plans to assess how it influences the students’ understanding oftransient heat transfer.The two projects discussed here vary the surface area and thermal diffusivity of samples to showthat these parameters are important in transient cooling. In the first project, the temperaturedistribution of different objects (or shapes) having the same volume but different surface area areanalyzed and measured. The use of finite element

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids, and Heat Transfer

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Govind Puttaiah P.E., West Virginia University; Timothy A. Drennen; Samuel C. Brunetti; Christopher M. Traylor

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

project demonstrates an economical (approximate cost:$1000) hydrogen injection system that could be built from readily available, off-the-shelfcomponents for a gasoline engine equipped with an on-board (ECU) computer designedto control combustion. The primary learning objective of the project was to be able toconvert a gasoline engine to operate by burning hydrogen with gasoline or by itself as analternate fuel. Upon successful installation of the system on a computer-linked engine teststand, the plan is to enable students to conduct performance tests on a ‘dual-fuel’ engine.____________________________________________________________________ Page

Conference Session

Learning and Assessment III

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Firas Akasheh, Tuskegee University; Raghu Echempati, Kettering University; Anca L. Sala, Baker College, Flint

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

static equilibrium concepts as applied to trusses andother rigid bodies.The key assessment of the outcomes of the two intervention methods is the students’performance on the exams and on the final learning experiences, which is a final project. Eachquestion on the exams addresses a particular student learning outcome (SLO) and is based on theassigned class work and home work problems.The first intervention involved randomly asking students to present their group projects whichwere completed incrementally during the entire term. This intervention method has a goal ofmonitoring the quality of the final project which is a consolidation of work performed indifferent phases. The project scope has been similar in each term the course is taught. Each

Conference Session

Simulations and Visualizations

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Goodarz Ahmadi, Clarkson University; Suresh Dhaniyala, Clarkson University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

, deposition and removal occur in many important processes inmicroelectronic, imaging and pharmaceutical industries. In addition, numerousenvironmental processes involve particle transport, deposition and removal. In the lasttwo decades, significant research progress in the areas of particle transport, depositionand removal has been made. A series of courses were developed to make the newimportant research findings available to seniors and first year graduate students inengineering departments through specialized curricula. This project also involved anintegration of numerical simulations and experiments in a series of courses. Thesecourses are composed of four modules: • Fundamentals of particle transport, dispersion, deposition, and

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

the mechanical engineeringtechnology graduates.The project investigated the current state of mechanical engineering education and practicewithin industry through assessment of recent literature addressing the shape and content ofengineering and engineering technology education and through conducting workshops amongstakeholders at key conferences and gatherings. The National Academy of Engineers’ (NAE)Educating the Engineer of 20201 suggests an earlier and stronger introduction to engineeringpractice within undergraduate programs, with the students experiencing an iterative process ofdesign, analysis, building, and testing. Another NAE project, Changing the Conversation2,recommended re-branding of engineering to improve its appeal to different

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

use of flexible, affordable, and accessible data acquisition platforms,undergraduate students are becoming more and more familiar with the design of experiments andthe topics associated with data collection. For this study a self-guided tutorial was developed tointroduce the topics of data acquisition. Students at various stages of their undergraduatecurriculum are asked to work through the tutorial. This tutorial is also used in conjunction with across-curricular project involving numerical simulation and experimental validation of heattransfer topics of conduction and convection. Students were surveyed, both prior to and shortlyafter the tutorial, to determine the perceived value of the exercise in the context of theireducation and future

Conference Session

Trends in Mechanical Engineering: Curricula and Courses

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Timothy M. Hodges P.E., Virginia Military Institute; Elizabeth White Baker, Wake Forest University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

intent of exposingstudents to graduate work in engineering. The Undergrad Only College and a Grad Institutionpartnered to create and jointly fund summer research projects for the Undergrad Only Collegesstudents. The students propose a research project that is jointly mentored by a Grad Institutionfaculty member and a faculty member at the home Undergrad Only College. After the projectswere selected, the student spends the summer at the Grad Institution conducting a study orexperimental work to complete the research project. The program broadens the researchopportunities for the undergraduate student by enabling the student to go to the Grad Institutionand interact with graduate faculty and students.The initiative is to promote and instill a

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

Page 25.481.1 c American Society for Engineering Education, 2012 Dynamics Simulation using Server Cluster TechnologyAbstractLearning Dynamics through Computational Experiments (LDCE) is a method that can achievebetter results in basic engineering Dynamics courses. This method is a Problem Based Learning(PBL) approach, where students seek for knowledge by developing projects during the course.Projects include one or more experiments through which students can learn how a dynamicsproblem works. They are able to modify parameters and retrieve graphical and numerical results.Their primary task is to develop the theoretical basis of the problems and compare the numericalresults with those produced by the

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

the labs and hands-onexperiences.This paper focuses on the new sophomore level design course which has been piloted as anabbreviated ten-week quarter long version in Autumn 2011 and Winter 2012. The sophomorecourse fills, in part, the major gap in design education that exists between the fundamentals ofengineering course sequence (and its honors equivalent, both of which serve as a prerequisite tothe major) and the senior-year capstone design course. And while the first year course sequencesinclude a design-build project, there exists a wide variance in the machine skills and experienceof entry-level Mechanical Engineering students. This new sophomore course attempts to level-set the practical knowledge of machining among students in addition

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

in the discipline would occur. (1) Engaging students through interactive learning is not a onetime occurrence. Heller et. al. investigated student and faculty perceptions of engineering engagement. (2) It was found that first year students defined engagement as faculty interest and involvement along with interactions with faculty. Once faculties were removed from the equation, students Page 25.37.2 defined engagement as their work on a project, participating in course groups, outside work or research. Comparatively, second year engineering students defined engagement as active participation and hands-on activities.(2) Student

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

Conference Session

Thermodynamics, Fluids, and Heat Transfer

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Lynn Albers, North Carolina State University; Laura Bottomley, North Carolina State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

Page 25.1159.2The type of active learning in this research project differs from that of Dr. Felder in that itinvolves the use of hands-on activities. The hands-on activities are models that give a three-dimensional shape to the experiences and concepts that we know. The models allow the studentto touch, feel and play so that they can first solidify their knowledge of the concept and thenconnect it to a potentially new experience and concept. The hands-on activities were designedfor use in the fluid mechanics classroom to have the student move; first by getting up to get thematerials and second by having them build the model.The inspiration for creating hands-on activities for an undergraduate Fluid Mechanics coursecame from working with North

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

immediately graded and the comments on homework problems wereposted in the university course management system (Moodle, for student feedback). Teamsworked together on major projects. At the end of the semester each team presented their projectand submitted a written report. There was a midterm exam and a final comprehensive exam.Thus the course was a combination of passive and active learning. Page 25.1224.8Case 2: Thermal Design of Heat Exchangers using Adobe Connect SoftwareEnrollment in this mode of instruction was limited to two students as mentioned in the previoussection. Due to the small number of students enrolled through Adobe Connect, it

Conference Session

Learning and Assessment I

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sriram Sundararajan, Iowa State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

, Page 25.104.8a project report etc. This approach is consistent with the notion of direct assessment andleverages the fact that the instructor is going to evaluate the chosen component irrespective ofthe assessment need, since it contributes to the course grade. The instructor is also asked to set acriteria that reflects the demonstration of the particular outcome. For example an instructor,having chosen a homework on uncertainty analysis as the activity to reflect ability to applyknowledge of mathematics and engineering, may set the criteria for attainment as a 75% score onthe HW. This criteria is instructor dependent since instructors are in best position to judge thedifficulty level of the problem. Finally the instructor simply reports the

Conference Session

Outreach, Engagement, and Undergraduate Research

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Natalie Barrett, Purdue University, West Lafayette

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

take up to four coursesincluding this one. All of the students in the program also participate in an industry project ledby an engineer from a local corporation. One major limitation is that there will only be about 16hours of instruction time for this course.ContentCurricular PrioritiesWiggins and McTighe (1998) discuss three facets of understanding to help learners graspmaterial. The first is enduring understanding and these are the big ideas that the learners shouldbe able to understand even if they have forgotten the course details. The second is important to Page 25.115.2know and this is important knowledge and skills that is considered

Conference Session

Outreach, Engagement, and Undergraduate Research

Collection

2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Matthew A. Carr, U.S. Naval Academy; Jim Cowart, U.S. Naval Academy

Tagged Divisions

Mechanical Engineering

this project was to develop anunderstanding of how the original engines worked. This paper provides authentic design andoperating data collected from historical documents for an actual Newcomen engine andillustrates the thermo-fluids analyses of this reverse-engineering portion of the design project.Today’s students should be aware of significant historical developments as part of theirengineering education. The types of analyses included in this paper allow for relatively easyintegration into existing thermo-fluids courses and, at the same time, allow for development ofan appreciation for the history of steam engineering and its contribution to the engineeringprofession.introductionThe year 2012 marks the tercentenary of a significant