ME 395 COURSE PROFILE
DEGREE PROGRAM: Mechanical Engineering

COURSE NUMBER: ME 395 COURSE TITLE: Laboratory I
REQUIRED COURSE OR ELECTIVE COURSE: Required TERMS OFFERED: Fall, Winter
TEXTBOOK / REQUIRED MATERIAL: Course Pack PRE / CO-REQUISITES: PH 240, 241, [PH 260, 261] MECHENG 211, MECHENG 235, and MECHENG 240; preceded or accompanied by MECHENG 382. I, II (4 credits)
COGNIZANT FACULTY: V. Sick
COURSE TOPICS:
  1. Laboratory safety and procedures
  2. Measurements and error analysis
  3. Tensile tests, fracture and yield of materials
  4. Analysis of a thermodynamic cycle
  5. System identification and control
  6. Flow measurement and performance of a turbo-machine
  7. Wind tunnel measurements
  8. Dimensional analysis
BULLETIN DESCRIPTION: Weekly lectures and experiments designed to introduce the student to the basics of experimentation, instrumentation, data collection and analysis, error analysis, and reporting. Topics will include fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, mechanics, materials, and dynamical systems. Emphasis is placed on report writing and team-building skills.
COURSE STRUCTURE/SCHEDULE: Lecture: 2 days per week at 1.5 hours, Laboratory: 1 day per week at 3 hours

COURSE OBJECTIVES:
for each course objective, links to the Program Outcomes are identified in brackets.

  1. To teach students how to use basic measuring equipment for mechanical & thermal fluid systems [2]
  2. To provide practical illustrations of concepts taught in the core classes [1, 11]
  3. To teach students how to present experimental results in clear and succinct written reports [7]
  4. To teach standard lab procedures such as safety, use of computers in data acquisition, and thoughtful interpretation of the results [1, 2, 6]
  5. To introduce students to methods of dealing with uncertainty [11]
  6. To provide an environment for students to work in teams [4]
COURSE OUTCOMES:
for each course outcome, links to the Course Objectives are identified in brackets.
  1. Use tensile testing machines, strain-measuring devices, computer-data acquisition systems, temperature and flow measuring devices, and wind tunnels [1,4]
  2. Measure the modulus, yield strength, fracture toughness, and ultimate strength of materials [1, 2, 4]
  3. Measure the thermal efficiency of a vapor-compression cycle, the performance and efficiency of a blower [1, 2, 4]
  4. Have an increased understanding of the concepts of strain-­hardening of metals, and optionally time­-dependent deformation, upper and lower bounds of the modulus of a plastic or a composite [2]
  5. Have an increased understanding of thermal efficiency, mechanical efficiency, flow within conduits and over immersed objects, and similitude [2]
  6. Use similarity concepts for scaling experiments [2]
  7. Reduce experimental data, whether acquired by hand or computer, into clear and informative figures [3]
  8. Write a technical document [3]
  9. Distinguish between experimental results and conclusions based on those results [3]
  10. Present the results and conclusions of an experimental project in a clear, readable, succinct, and informative written format [3]
  11. Estimate the uncertainty of an experimental result from the experimental errors associated with the data [5]
  12. Interpret the significance of experimental results in the light of experimental uncertainty [5]
  13. Have the ability to measure the dynamics of a mechanical system [1]
  14. Delegate tasks among team members [6]
  15. Work efficiently under constrained time limits [6]
  16. Have an understanding of contemporary ethics, environmental, societal, and business aspects of mechanical engineering practice [2, 5]
ASSESSMENT TOOLS:
for each assessment tool, links to the course outcomes are identified
  1. Several team based lab reports containing various elements, and of higher complexity for midterm and final labs [1 – 13, 16]
  2. Two reports for which the students perform the entire data analysis, interpretation, and report writing individually [1 -13, 16]. The second of these reports has a minimum score requirement.
  3. Self and peer-evaluations by team members [14, 15]

PREPARED BY: V. Sick
LAST UPDATED: 10/7/2015