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Engineering Education and Elementary Multiscale Mechanics

Abstract Classical Mechanics addresses the foundation of engineering education at conventional scales. To include mechanics at smaller scales and especially nanoscience as part of engineering education, curriculum development or enhancement has been launched at many institutions by introducing new nanoscience/technology courses. Although such efforts are necessary and valuable in their place, however, efforts should also be directed at bridging the gap between nanoscience and engineering to provide future engineers with the necessary educational background in multiscale technologies. Classical elementary engineering mechanics courses (statics, dynamics and mechanics of materials) are taught in most engineering disciplines as essentials for the professional development of engineering students. This paper will focus on the implementation of some ideas and modules for material mechanics to include problems at the nanoscience mechanics. The paper will explain how all this was done by introducing the concepts of multiscale engineering and adding new modules containing example problems at micro and nano-scales within the topical framework of existing courses and using existing resources. The efforts will be substantiated and facilitated using the simulation capabilities of Computer Aided Engineering and Drawing techniques and simulation. Studies on students’ understanding of nanoscience and technology and the correlation with continuum technologies have been made before and after the implementation of these modules to such courses. Introduction Newtonian mechanics has been and is the most fundamental branch of science governed by the laws of nature. Its principles provide the foundation for most hardware technological developments. These principles provide the foundation for engineering mechanics, which describe the interactions of entities in terms of energies, forces, positions, deformations, material characteristics, and other defined/derived parameters. Recent technological discoveries demonstrate a shifting concern from macroscopic phenomena to an ever decreasing physical scale, i.e. from the overall strength of a structure to the maximum theoretical material strength derived from atomic packing within an advanced material. This shift will not abandon the basic laws observed in engineering mechanics, but new terms, concepts and definitions should be introduced to bridge the commonly understood laws and the principles that could be implemented at all scales. Therefore a need for multiscale analysis and design, especially multiscale mechanics, seems to be necessary. In this respect, calls for engineering curriculum renewal have been made from both industry, as well as university communities in the past decade,1,2 and obviously among the items of reform to be considered is the inclusion of current and future technological advances in engineering disciplines is of prime importance. Although, multiscale education seems to be demanding and useful,3,4,5 there are many questions regarding implementation procedures, the level of students’ understanding and their preparedness. For example, engineering mechanics at the level of continuum is difficult and demanding by itself. Another problem is how much the students are prepared and what will be the benefits of overloading the students with advanced materials. These concerns become the focus of results that will be published in the future.

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Karami, G., & Pieri, R. (2007, June), Engineering Education And Elementary Multi Scale Mechanics Paper presented at 2007 Annual Conference & Exposition, Honolulu, Hawaii. 10.18260/1-2--2428