2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Mechanical Engineering
|
|
 Return to: Lyle School of Engineering
Professor Ali Beskok, Chair
Professors: Ali Beskok, Xin-Lin Gao, Yildirim Hürmüzlü, MinJun Kim, Radovan B. Kovacevic, Paul S. Krueger, José L. Lage, M. Volkan Otugen, Peter E. Raad, Wei Tong
Associate Professors: Charles M. Lovas, Edmond Richer, David A. Willis
Assistant Professors: Ali Heydari, Tindaro Ioppolo, Xu Nie
Senior Lecturers: Elena V. Borzova, Dona T. Mularkey
Clinical Associate Professor: Adam L. Cohen
Clinical Assistant Professor: Ahmet Can Sanbuncu
Professor of Practice: James R. Webb
Adjunct Faculty: Bogdan V. Antohe, Eric B. Cluff, Levent Kaan, M. Wade Meaders, David J. Nowacki, Greg Radighieri. Allen D. Tilley, Andrew K. Weaver
Mechanical engineering is a diverse, dynamic and exciting field. Mechanical engineers have wide-ranging technical backgrounds and a high potential for employment with mobility and professional growth. They apply creative knowledge to solve critical problems in many areas, including bioengineering (e.g., drug delivery and artificial organs), construction, design and manufacturing, electronics, energy (e.g., production, distribution and conservation), maintenance (individual machinery and complex installations), materials processing, medicine (diagnosis and therapy), national security and defense, packaging, pollution mitigation and control, robotics and automation, sensors, small-scale devices, and all aspects of transportation, (e.g., space travel and exploration).
The Mechanical Engineering Department at SMU has a long tradition of offering a superb engineering education within an environment fostering creativity and innovation. Small classes not only provide for strong mentoring but also help achieve academic excellence through cooperation and teamwork. Leading by example, through encouragement and dedication, the faculty is committed to the success of every student. In addition to offering introductory and advanced courses in their areas of specialization, faculty members teach courses that address the critical issues of technology and society.
The program prepares students by providing a solid background in fundamentals of science and engineering without compromising the practical aspects of mechanical engineering. Essential entrepreneurial know-how, interpersonal skills and the importance of lifelong learning complement the educational experience of students. The department stimulates professional and social leadership by providing, among others, opportunities for students to participate in the SMU Student Section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and in the SMU Tau-Sigma Chapter of Pi-Tau-Sigma, the National Honorary Mechanical Engineering Fraternity.
The curriculum consists of three major areas: thermofluids; dynamics and controls; and solid mechanics, materials and manufacturing. Practical mechanical engineering design is interlaced throughout the curriculum. In the senior year, student teams are guided through a complete design project, from concept to construction to testing, with support from industries, foundations and volunteer professionals. State-of-the-art software, computers and laboratory equipment support the high-quality education provided to students. Undergraduate students are encouraged to participate in research projects conducted by faculty and to consider extending their studies to include graduate work in mechanical engineering at SMU or elsewhere.
In combination with a solid liberal arts foundation, the program prepares students for graduate studies not only in engineering but also in other professional fields such as business, medicine and law. SMU mechanical engineering graduates have found success in graduate school and in employment, and regularly attain graduate degrees in engineering, medicine, business and law. Graduates are employed as engineers or consulting engineers for major engineering, pharmaceutical, environmental, financial, banking and real estate companies.
The undergraduate program in mechanical engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.
The program’s mission is to educate mechanical engineers who are innovative, entrepreneurial and equipped to become global leaders in research and technology. Specific educational objectives of the mechanical engineering undergraduate program are to produce graduates who meet the following:
- The ability to be innovative problem solvers and critical thinkers addressing technical and societal issues.
- The ability to embrace professional development and lifelong learning relevant to their careers.
- The ability to have entrepreneurial and leadership roles in industry, government and academia.
The Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Program Outcomes and their relationships to the discipline-specific criteria are as follows:
- The ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering.
- The ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as analyze and interpret data.
- The ability to design a system, component or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability.
- The ability to function on multidisciplinary teams.
- The ability to identify, formulate and solve engineering problems.
- An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
- The ability to communicate effectively.
- The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental and societal context.
- The recognition of the need for and the ability to engage in lifelong learning
- A knowledge of contemporary issues.
- The ability to use the techniques, skills and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice.
An outstanding cooperative education program is also available for students. For further information on the SMU Co-op Program, students should see Cooperative Education at the beginning of the Lyle School of Engineering section.
The Mechanical Engineering Department offers the following undergraduate degree with three available specializations:
Bachelor of Science With a Major in Mechanical Engineering
Bachelor of Science With a Major in Mechanical Engineering (with a minor in business administration)
Bachelor of Science With a Major in Mechanical Engineering (with a premedical/biomedical specialization)
Bachelor of Science With a Major in Mechanical Engineering (with an engineering management and entrepreneurship specialization)
Students may pursue combined degree programs offered in conjunction with Dedman College . The combined degree programs include a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.S.with a major in Math and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.S. with a major in Physics .
In addition, a minor in mechanical engineering is available to interested students.
In support of the teaching and research endeavors of the department, several research laboratories are available.
Laboratory for Porous Materials Applications. This laboratory is concerned with modeling; numerical simulation; and experimental testing of mass, energy and momentum transport in heterogeneous and porous media.
Nanoscale Electro-Thermal Sciences Laboratory. This facility focuses on non-invasive characterization of the thermal properties of thin-film materials.
Laser Micromachining Laboratory. This laboratory conducts fundamental studies of thermal processes during short-pulse laser-material interactions and applied studies of laser-assisted microfabrication, including high-power laser ablation, laser micromachining, and laser-induced forward transfer. Current research applies these techniques to the fabrication of microfluidic devices and superhydrophobic surfaces.
Experimental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory. This facility focuses on pulsed jet micropropulsion and flow-through porous media.
Micro, Nano and Biomechanics of Materials Laboratory. This laboratory supports research primarily in the area of solid mechanics and materials engineering, with a focus on the combined experimental characterization as well as the computational analysis of mechanical properties, stress/strain, and microstructure of engineering and biological materials. Applications in advancing manufacturing and materials processing technologies, engineering design analyses, and biomedical sciences and engineering are also studied in this facility.
Systems, Measurement and Control Laboratory. This facility is equipped for instruction in the design and analysis of analog and digital instrumentation and control systems. Modern measurement and instrumentation equipment is used for experimental control engineering, system identification, harmonic analysis, simulation and real-time control applications. Equipment also exists or microprocessor interfacing for control and instrumentation.
Micro-Sensor Laboratory. This laboratory focuses on research in the development of micro-optical sensors for a wide range of aerospace and mechanical engineering applications, including temperature, pressure, force, acceleration and concentration. A major research component in this lab is concentrated on the study of the optical phenomenon called the “whispering gallery modes” and its exploitation for sensor development in the microsize level with a nanolevel measurement sensitivity.
Systems Laboratory. This facility is dedicated to analysis and modeling of bipedal gait dynamics, rigid body impact mechanics and the pneumatically operated haptic interface system.
Research Center for Advanced Manufacturing. The RCAM center supports research and development activities in areas of rapid prototyping and manufacturing (laser-based and welding-based deposition), laser materials processing (welding, forming, surface modification), welding (including electrical arc welding, variable polarity plasma arc welding, friction stir welding, and micro plasma arc welding), waterjet/abrasive waterjet materials processing, sensing and control of manufacturing processes, and numerical modeling of manufacturing processes.
Center for Laser Aided Manufacturing. This facility, which is housed in the Research Center for Advanced Manufacturing facility, collaborates with RCAM.
Biomedical Instrumentation and Robotics Laboratory. This laboratory’s research activities promote strong interdisciplinary collaboration between several branches of engineering and biomedical sciences. The research interests are centered on two areas:
- Medical robotics, especially novel robotic applications in minimally invasive, natural orifice, and image-guided and haptic-assisted surgery.
- In vivo measurement of mechanical properties of biological tissue.
These areas of concentration touch upon fundamentals in analytical dynamics, nonlinear control of mechanical systems, computer-aided design and virtual prototyping, applied mathematics, data acquisition, signal processing, and high-performance actuators.
Microsystems Research Laboratory. The research carried out in this laboratory focuses in the area of optical actuators and sensors, micro-optofluidics, energy conversion, and smart materials.
Multiscale Modeling and Simulations Laboratory. This research group performs modeling and simulations of materials and structures.
BioMicrofluidics Laboratory. In this laboratory, students design, build and test lab-on-a-chip devices for biomedical, environmental monitoring, and food and water safety applications and perform numerical simulations of mass momentum and energy transport in micro- and nano-scales, using continuum-based and atomistic methods.
Laboratory for Additive Manufacturing, Robotics and Automation. This laboratory is engaged in research sponsored by the National Science Foundation’s National Robotics Initiative. It is dedicated to the development of advanced, multi-material 3-D printing technology as applied to the manufacturing of soft robotic components. Other future research areas include robotic technologies for minimally invasive medical procedures and automated construction systems.
Biological Actuation, Sensing, and Transport Laboratory. This research lab is dedicated to experimentally investigating small scale devices and materials for medical applications. The ongoing projects focus on interrelated research in microbiorobotics, single molecule / single cell biophysics, and biomaterials that have the potential to revolutionize medicine and biomedical engineering.
Impact Mechanics Laboratory. The objective of the Impact Mechanics Laboratory at SMU is to explore the mechanics and physics in dynamic response and failure of advanced materials. The lab is currently equipped with Kolsky compression/tension bar facilities of different sizes for high-rate characterization of materials and structures. A high-resolution Kirana high-speed camera is implemented with the Kolsky bar systems to observe the dynamic deformation and failure process of materials. The lab also has A Skyscan 1172 Micro-CT for non-destructive evaluation of materials microstructure.
Cyber Physical Systems Laboratory. This laboratory investigates novel algorithms for control, automation, fault detection, and security of systems involving cybernetics and dynamics. Theoretical development as well as applied research on applications of the theory in robotics, aerospace, manufacturing, and healthcare are main missions of this laboratory. We utilize traditional and intelligent/bioinspired control schemes for accomplishing these goals.
In support of the teaching and research endeavors of the department, several instructional laboratories are available. They include the following:
Mechanics of Materials (Structures) Laboratory. This laboratory is equipped for instruction and research on the behavior of materials under various loading conditions such as fatigue, impact, hardness, creep, tension, compression and flexure.
Systems, Measurement and Control Laboratory. This facility is equipped for instruction in the design and analysis of analog and digital instrumentation and control systems. Modern measurement and instrumentation equipment is used for experimental control engineering, system identification, harmonic analysis, simulation and real-time control applications. Equipment also is used for microprocessor interfacing for control and instrumentation.
Thermal and Fluids Laboratory. Equipment in this laboratory is used for instruction in experimental heat transfer, thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. Modern equipment is available for conducting experiments on energy conservation; aerodynamics; internal combustion engines; heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; convective cooling of electronics; heat exchangers; and interferometric visualization. State-of-the-art systems support automatic control and data acquisition. A partial list of the equipment in this lab includes a refrigeration training unit, heat transfer test unit with water boiler, airflow bench, kinematic viscosity bath, forced convection heat transfer experiment bench, low-pressure board, dead weight tester, vortex tube, free and forced heat transfer unit, hydraulic trainer and pneumatic trainer.
Mechanical Engineering Machine Shop. This facility offers a state of the art CNC machine, milling machines, lathes and 3D printers used for student instruction and research.
Mechanical Engineering Computer Laboratory. This laboratory is equipped with computer work stations supported by educational software including MATLAB, ANSYS, COMSOL, SOLIDWORKS and others. Access to SMU’s state of the art HPC facilities is also available.
Laboratories shared with the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department include the following:
Hydraulics/Hydrology, Thermal and Fluids Laboratory
CAD Computer Laboratory
Structural and Mechanics of Materials Laboratory
Project construction area
Mechanical engineering offers the broadest curriculum in engineering to reflect the wide range of mechanical engineering job opportunities in government and industry. The mechanical engineer is concerned with creation, research, design, analysis, production and marketing of devices for providing and using energy and materials. The major concentration areas of the program include the following:
Solid and Structural Mechanics. Concerned with the behavior of solid bodies under the action of applied forces. The solid body may be a simple mechanical linkage, an aerodynamic control surface, an airplane or space vehicle, or a component of a nuclear reactor. The applied forces may have a variety of origins, such as mechani-cal, aerodynamic, gravitational, electromotive and magnetic. Solid mechanics provides one element of the complete design process and interacts with all other subjects in the synthesis of a design.
Fluid Mechanics. Deals with the behavior of fluid under the action of forces applied to it. The subject proceeds from a study of basic fundamentals to a variety of applications, such as flow-through compressors, turbines and pumps, around an airplane or missile. Fluid mechanics interacts with solid mechanics in the practice of mechanical engineering because the fluid flow is generally bounded by solid surfaces. Fluid mechanics is also an element in the synthesis of a design.
Thermal Sciences. Concerned with the thermal behavior of all materials – solid, liquid and gaseous. The subject is divided into three important branches, namely, thermodynamics, energy conversion and heat transfer. Thermodynamics is the study of the interaction between a material and its environment when heat and/or work are involved. Energy conversion is a study of the transformation of one form of energy to another, such as the conversion of solar energy to electrical energy in a solar cell. Heat transfer is a study of the processes by which thermal energy is transferred from one body of material to another. Since energy is required to drive any apparatus and since some of the energy is thermal energy, the thermal sciences interact with all other areas of study as an integral part of the design process.
Materials Science and Engineering. Pertains to the properties of all materials – solid, liquid and gaseous. It deals with mechanical, fluid, thermal, electrical and other properties. Properties of interest include modulus of elasticity, compressibility, viscosity, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity and many others. The study of materials proceeds from the characteristics of individual atoms of a material, through the cooperative behavior of small groups of atoms, up to the behavior and properties of the bulk material. Because all mechanical equipment is composed of materials, works in a material environment and is controlled by other material devices, it is clear that the materials sciences lie at the heart of the design synthesis process.
Control Systems. Provides necessary background for engineers in the dynamics of systems. In the study of controls, both the transient and steady-state behaviors of the system are of interest. The transient behavior is particularly important in the starting and stopping of propulsion systems and in maneuvering flight, whereas the steady-state behavior describes the normal operating state. Some familiar examples of control systems include the flight controls of an airplane or space vehicle and the thermostat on a heating or cooling system.
Design Synthesis. The process by which practical engineering solutions are created to satisfy a need of society in an efficient, economical and practical way. This synthesis process is the culmination of the study of mechanical engineering and deals with all elements of science, mathematics and engineering.
Mechanical engineering is a diverse field, and advanced major electives may be selected from a variety of advanced courses in mechanical engineering. In addition, specializations are offered in premedical/biomedical and engineering management and entrepreneurship, which includes required courses in engineering management, information engineering and global perspectives, technical entrepreneurship, and technical communications.
A student may also personalize his or her degree with the addition of a minor in business administration within the Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. In addition to satisfying the required core mathematics, science and engineering courses, students must satisfy the minor in business administration requirements (listed in the Cox School of Business section of this catalog); three hours of ME courses at the 3000 level or higher approved by the student’s adviser are also required. Admission requirements to the Cox School must also be satisfied and may include additional coursework.
ProgramsMajor(s)Minor(s)CoursesMechanical Engineering
Return to: Lyle School of Engineering
|