Engineering Application Projects for Teaching Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Methods

Shengyong Zhang; Alain S. Togbe

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Conference: 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access
Location: Virtual On line
Publication Date: June 22, 2020
Start Date: June 22, 2020
End Date: June 26, 2021
Conference Session: Mechanical Engineering Technical Session: Team/Project-based Pedagogy and Approaches
Tagged Division: Mechanical Engineering
Page Count: 10
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--34546
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/34546
Download Count: 599

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Paper Authors

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Shengyong Zhang Purdue University Northwest

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Shengyong Zhang (syzhang@pnw.edu) is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Purdue University Northwest. He has teaching and research interest in the areas of computer modeling and simulation, vibration and acoustics, system dynamics, and automobile lightweight design.

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Alain S. Togbe Purdue University Northwest orcid.org/0000-0002-5882-936X

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Dr. Alain Togbe is a professor of Mathematics at Purdue University Northwest. He received a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Universite Laval, Quebec, Canada. His regular research area is Number Theory. For many years, he is teaching the sequence of Calculus, Linear Algebra and Differential Equations to engineering students with a component of projects.

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Abstract

Engineering Application Projects for Teaching Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Methods

Abstract

One ABET student outcome focuses on the ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics. Engineering mathematics and numerical methods are two upper-level courses offered to mechanical engineering students. These courses are designed to provide students mathematical tools for other mechanical engineering core courses, and equips students with modelling skills to formulate engineering problems into mathematical forms for solutions.

While prerequisite courses in “calculus” and “differential equations” have fairly standard contents, engineering mathematics course may vary considerably in topics. One objective of this course is to provide students the necessary engineering mathematical knowledge for other core courses in mechanical engineering curriculum. For example, vector calculus for Fluid Mechanics, boundary value problems for Heat and Mass Transfer, convolution integral for Vibration Analysis, etc.

Numerical methods are extremely powerful problem-solving tools. They are capable of handling large systems of equations, nonlinearities, and complicated geometries that are often impossible to solve analytically. This course introduces various numerical methods widely applied in engineering modelling and analysis, including the least-square regression, interpolation, numerical integration and differentiation, finite difference method (FDM), finite element method (FEM), etc.

This paper documents some engineering application projects assigned in these two courses. The covered materials include those from the engineering vibration analysis, heat transfer, material engineering, etc. These projects have been designed with an attempt to build a bridge between some real-life mechanical engineering problems and the mathematical theorems learned in class (Laplace transform and transfer function, regression modelling, FDM and FEM, for example). Each project has been presented in details in this paper and the student feedback to these projects are mainly positive.

Citation
Format

Zhang, S., & Togbe, A. S. (2020, June), Engineering Application Projects for Teaching Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Methods Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--34546

TY - CPAPER
AB - Engineering Application Projects for Teaching Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Methods

Abstract

One ABET student outcome focuses on the ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics. Engineering mathematics and numerical methods are two upper-level courses offered to mechanical engineering students. These courses are designed to provide students mathematical tools for other mechanical engineering core courses, and equips students with modelling skills to formulate engineering problems into mathematical forms for solutions.

While prerequisite courses in “calculus” and “differential equations” have fairly standard contents, engineering mathematics course may vary considerably in topics. One objective of this course is to provide students the necessary engineering mathematical knowledge for other core courses in mechanical engineering curriculum. For example, vector calculus for Fluid Mechanics, boundary value problems for Heat and Mass Transfer, convolution integral for Vibration Analysis, etc.

Numerical methods are extremely powerful problem-solving tools. They are capable of handling large systems of equations, nonlinearities, and complicated geometries that are often impossible to solve analytically. This course introduces various numerical methods widely applied in engineering modelling and analysis, including the least-square regression, interpolation, numerical integration and differentiation, finite difference method (FDM), finite element method (FEM), etc.

This paper documents some engineering application projects assigned in these two courses. The covered materials include those from the engineering vibration analysis, heat transfer, material engineering, etc. These projects have been designed with an attempt to build a bridge between some real-life mechanical engineering problems and the mathematical theorems learned in class (Laplace transform and transfer function, regression modelling, FDM and FEM, for example). Each project has been presented in details in this paper and the student feedback to these projects are mainly positive.

AU - Shengyong Zhang
AU - Alain S. Togbe
CY - Virtual On line
DA - 2020/06/22
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Engineering Application Projects for Teaching Engineering Mathematics and Numerical Methods
UR - https://peer.asee.org/34546
DO - 10.18260/1-2--34546
ER -