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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Mir M. Atiqullah

Effect of Defects on Mechanical Properties of Composites: Undergraduate Research on Materials Mir M. Atiqullah Department of Mechanical Engineering Technology Southern Polytechnic State University 1100 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta GA 30060 matiqull@spsu.eduAbstractUndergraduate research in engineering and technology is gaining popularity as an added opportunity oflearning and a gateway to advanced studies. Many students find undergraduate research as a tryout forpotential graduate studies, as well as a way to establish relationship with research faculty

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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Roy T.R. McGrann

2 4 2 2 4 2 3 ME 271. Engineering Mechanics 4 1 2 2 2 ME 311. Mechanics of Deformable Bodies 4 1 1 2 2 ME 302. Engineering Analysis 4 2 4 ME 331. Thermodynamics 4 1 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 ME 273. Science of Engineering Materials 4 2 4 2 ME 481. Computer-Aided Engineering 4 1 4 3 3 1 1 4 ME 303. Computational Methods 4

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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Shih-Liang Wang

Free Body Diagrams of Gear Trains Shih-Liang (Sid) Wang Department of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering North Carolina A&T State University Greensboro, North Carolina 27411AbstractMany senior students in the author’s machine elements course have difficulties in drawing aFBD (Free Body Diagram) correctly, which is the first step in force and stress analysis of amechanical system. One of the challenges to those students is that even though the principles todraw a FBD are the same for every mechanical system (A FBD is a sketch of a mechanicalsystem cut free of its surroundings to shows all the

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Aaron S. Bradshaw; Gary N. McCloskey; Franklin Miguel

wealthier citizens reside adjacent to others living in extreme poverty. Many of thepoor neighborhoods originated from the occupation of land without permission (i.e. squatters). Theseland invaders or “Invasores” as they are called in the local community staked their claims by buildingsmall shacks on parcels of land. These dilapidated houses were built quite literally using any materialsthat the people could get their hands on. Over time these communities grew as the walls of one housebecame the walls of the next. One of these neighborhoods, called Luz Consuelo, is shown in the satellitephotograph in Figure 1. Notable is the poor condition of the houses as compared to the wealthiersurrounding neighborhoods. Figure 2 shows some of the materials that

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Richard B. Mindek

Development of a Programmable Logic Controller Experiential Learning Platform Richard B. Mindek, Jr. Western New England College, Springfield MassachusettsAbstractAn experiential learning platform was recently developed to expose graduate engineering students, aswell as undergraduate junior and senior mechanical engineering students, to the concept, components,operation, and application of programmable logic controllers (PLCs). The platform consists of aprogrammable logic controller, which can be programmed with a desktop PC, in order to control severalsimple output devices. The system allows students to write their own ladder logic programs, and

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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Ha Van Vo; Stephanie Rossman; Zsaquez Flucker; R. Radharamanan

Comparison of Shear Stress Acting in the Sockets of Typical Mobile and Immobile Ankle Prostheses Using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) Ha Van Vo, Stephanie Rossman, Zsaquez Flucker and R. Radharamanan School of Engineering, Mercer University, Macon, GA 31207AbstractMajor problems with below the knee prosthetics today involve both cost and mechanics. Current designlacks an ankle complex which disrupts not only the natural biomechanics of ambulation but also sitting.Without the necessary frontal plane motion (inversion and eversion) along with sagittal plane motion(plantarflexion and dorsiflexion), the current manual immobile prostheses for below the knee amputeesthe lower limb is unable to adapt appropriately

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Ismail I. Orabi

Engineering. He haspublished over 25 technical articles in refereed journals and conference proceedings. His researchinterests include theoretical and computational investigation in the area of mechanical vibrations anddynamic systems and control. Professor Orabi has taught courses in both undergraduate and graduatelevel Mechanical Vibrations and Multimedia Engineering Analysis, and undergraduate levelthermodynamics, Measurement Systems, Engineering Mechanics and Introduction to Engineering. Oneof Professor Orabi's most recent projects involves the development of Learning Modules on the web.These modules provide information, not only about particular course material, but also about moregeneral topics relevant to engineering. He is also working on

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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

be developed either by creating Java Applets orby writing code in Adobe Flash Action Script. A popular package of interactive web-basedsoftware has been developed to animate Statics and Mechanics of Materials problems1,2,3,4,5. Thesoftware, MecMovies, contains approximately 150 modules that can be accessed via theinternet6. In a recent study, it was found, “Slight to modest gains were seen in student learningand retention of material in some mechanics of materials topics, as evidenced by someimprovement in the quiz scores of the students who used MecMovies”7. Other interactive web-based software has been created to enhance learning in mechanical engineering classes8,9,10.None of the animations stated are directly linked to any homework

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Linda Ann Riley; Charles Thomas

materials for use in K-12classrooms, professional development for K-12 teachers, web-based resources, activities that take place atthe institution of higher education, activities in the K-12 school (such as design competitions or somemember from a higher institution partner– a student or instructor teaching in the K-12 classroom). Aswith other classification systems, there is room here for crossover, thus there are also “blended models”which would encompass one or more of these forms.Given the nature of the time scales involved (it might be as many as 10 years after the “outreach”experience occurs that the student makes a decision about what to study) it is somewhat difficult to assesswhether one form of “outreach” is more effective at attracting

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

R. Radharamanan; Ha Van Vo

Effect of Conformity and Plastic Thickness on Contact Stresses in Metal Backed Plastic Implants”, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 107, 1985, p. 193-199.[21] Bartel, D. L., Bicknell V. L., and Wright T. M., “The Effect of Conformity, Thickness, and Material on Stresses in Ultra-High Molecular Weight Components for Total Joint Replacement”, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 68-A (7), 1986, p. 1041-1051.[22] Implants & Materials in Orthopedics, http://www.orthoteers.co.uk/Nrujpij33Lm/Orthbiomat.htm.BiographyR. Radharamanan: Dr. R. Radharamanan is a professor in the Department of Mechanical and IndustrialEngineering at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. He has thirty five years of teaching, research, and

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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Bahram Nassersharif

Discovery-Based Learning Engineering Classroom Bahram Nassersharif, Ph.D. Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics University of Rhode IslandAbstractEngineering design, optimization, and analysis practice in the 21st century is performed using complexcomputer models and graphical visualization of the results. Engineering education must also incorporateteaching and use of computer models for enhancing the depth and breadth of student learning. Today, weuse a computer center to provide access to computers and educate engineering students to understand andapply engineering software such as AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Matlab, and Ansys

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Eileen M. Kowalski; Joe D. Manous

includepresentation style, use of demonstrations and technology, and the development of problems sets anddesign problems.5,6,12,13,16 While these improvements in learning effectiveness are substantial benefits tothe education process, they do not completely address how to place our accumulated engineeringknowledge in a four-year program. The “traditional” method of engineering education has served the public well. The outstandingquestion is whether these methods meet the needs of an expanding knowledge base in the 21st Century.The traditional method operates on the assumption that exposure to material with repetition throughhomeworks and designs is sufficient to provide the learning necessary for the next step in the educationprocess. However, this

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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Dean M. Aslam; Zongliang Cao; Cyrous Rostamzadeh

electronic circuits, see sensor Sensor development procedure shown in Figure 5. The breadboard Circuit is used to build the simple circuit. • Referring to the breadboard, you will find that the LED in the NMOS area of the Sensor lights up, meaning that the Fig. 5: Sensor development; from circuit to charge on the polycarbonate sheet is positive. Now try product. rubbing different materials on cloth (also use different types of cloths, plastic sheets, etc.) to find Figure 6 Electro Mechanical Devices; the type and strength of the charges that you generate humanoid

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Bassem Alhalabi; M. K. Hamza; Ali Abu-El Humos

/distance_learning.htm.[9] Hesselink, L., Rizal, D. and Bjornson, E. (2000). “CyberLab, A New Paradigm in Distance Learning”. Stanford University. Web site: cyberlab.stanford.edu[10] Yapura, C., Griffin, R. and Lagoudas, D. (2000),“Mechanics of Materials Experiments Via the Internet”.Texas A&M University.[11] Bagnasco, A, Chirico, M., Michelis, W, Rossi, A and Scapolla. (2000). “Electronic Instrumentation Laboratories on the Net”. Dept. of Biophys. & Electronic Eng., Univ. of Genoa,.[12] Hellman, J. A. (2003). Distance Education Its Advantages and Shortcomings. UN Chronicle Online Edition-World Summit on the Information Technology[13] The Princeton Review (2004) http://www.princetonreview.com/[14] Gagné, Ellen

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2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Arthur Heinricher; Brian Savilonis; David Spanagel; Robert Traver; Kristin Wobbe

-year offerings defined by problems not disciplines.They do not start with a list of topics to cover. They are interdisciplinary, not multidisciplinary.They are not designed to provide a survey of fundamental engineering concepts or an overview ofhow science and engineering disciplines could address real problems. They start with greatproblems and the students learn that there is no single solution, that no one discipline could1 Associate Dean for First-year Programs, heinrich@wpi.edu2 Mechanical Engineering Department, bjs@wpi.edu3 Humanities and Arts Department, spanagel@wpi.edu4 Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at WPI, rtraver@wpi.edu5 Chemistry and Biochemistry Department, WPI, kwobbe@wpi.edu

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Richard J.H. Gash; David Fedroff

on the first day of instruction, students are encouraged to explore how the use ofsupplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) can increase the amount of recycled content in theconstruction of a building. This theme continues as the students are required to develop and implement aplan to optimize the amount of granulated ground blast furnace slag, fly ash, and silica fume that can beincluded in a concrete mixture without adversely affecting characteristics such as strength, stiffness, andworkability. After gathering data through hands-on laboratory testing, the students prepare a reportrecommending an optimal SCM content. This instruction method can fit easily into the existing curriculum of most undergraduatereinforced concrete design

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Harry Knickle; Don Gray

like to control the rising air stream and aresearching for some mechanical device that can control the blower through a motioncontrol. Figure 3 shows the cooling tower.Reaction CalorimeterThe reaction calorimeter is a relatively complex piece of equipment from Mettler-Toledo.It has its own proprietary control complex software. It will measure the heat of reactionwith high accuracy. The software controls the flow of oil for cooling or heating in thejacket of the reactor. It also provides for a set of calibration experiments. Mixing isincluded and the RPM of the mixer is also controlled. Figure 3 shows the reactioncalorimeter components.Filtration with BackflushThis experiment provides for filtration of a dirty stream. As the pressure across the

Collection

2008 Northeast Section Meeting

Authors

Matt Armstrong; Richard L. Comitz; Andrew Biaglow; Russ Lachance; Joseph Sloop

. + H ~e Br-AlCI) + HBr+ AlCI) H ~e Br-AlCI) + HBr+ AICI) Figure 4. Friedel-Crafts alkylation ofp-xylene mechanism'. Even with activated arene systems like p-xylene, carbocation rearrangement leads to a substantialproportion of the isopropyl p-xylene. Given that the boiling point difference between the isomeric p-xylenes is only goC, typical microscale distillation techniques and