University Catalog

ME 5010. AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING PRACTICUM. 0 Hours.

Practical design experience as full member of automotive design competition team. Prerequisite: Permission of Director for the Arnold E. Petsche Center for Automotive Engineering.

ME 5101. GRADUATE SEMINAR. 1 Hour.

The purpose is to acquaint graduate students with ongoing research at UTA, and outside in academia and industry. Seminars are given by graduate students of the department based on their ongoing research. Seminars are also given by external speakers from academia, industry and government.

ME 5191. PROJECT STUDIES IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. 1 Hour.

May be repeated for credit as topics change. Project work performed under a non-thesis degree will normally be accomplished under this course number, with prior approval of the Committee on Graduate Studies. May be graded pass/fail.

ME 5291. PROJECT STUDIES IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. 2 Hours.

May be repeated for credit as topics change. Work performed as a thesis substitute will normally be accomplished under this course number, with prior approval of the Committee on Graduate Studies. Maybe graded P/F.

ME 5303. CLASSICAL METHODS OF CONTROL SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS. 3 Hours.

Equip the student with familiarity of significant tools of the control engineer. Topics covered include controllers and their effect on system performance and stability, block diagram algebra, stability and analysis, system performance definition, root locus, frequency techniques, and state variable methods. Digital simulation tools for design and simulation of control systems. Demonstration of controller design and performance in the laboratory. Also offered as AE 5303. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5305. DYNAMIC SYSTEMS MODELING. 3 Hours.

To equip the student with the capability of determining the necessary equations for distributed and lumped parameter modeling of mixed physical system types including mechanical, fluid, electrical, and thermal components. Models are formulated for computer simulation and analysis for systems with deterministic and stochastic inputs. Topics of random vibration and system identification are included. Also offered as AE 5305. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5306. FLUID POWER CONTROL. 3 Hours.

Mathematical models for hydraulic and pneumatic control components and systems including hydraulic pumps, motors, and spool valves. The application of electrohydraulic and hydromechanical servomechanisms for position and velocity control are treated. Theory supported by laboratory demonstrations and experiments.

ME 5307. OPTIMAL CONTROL OF DYNAMIC SYS. 3 Hours.

Linear and nonlinear optimization methods; optimal control; continuous time Ricatti equation; bang-bang control; singular arcs; differential inclusions; collocation techniques; design of optimal dynamic system trajectories. Also offered as ME 5335.

ME 5310. FINITE ELEMENT METHODS. 3 Hours.

Finite element method in the study of the static response of complex structures and of continua; applications to field problems; analytical methods emphasized, and digital computer application undertaken. Also offered as AE 5310. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5311. STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS. 3 Hours.

Natural frequencies; forced and random response of complex structural systems studied through the use of the finite element method; computational aspects of these problems discussed, and digital computer applications undertaken. Also offered as AE 5311. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5312. CONTINUUM MECHANICS. 3 Hours.

Study of the underlying physical and mathematical principles relating to the behavior of continuous media; interrelationships between fluid and solid mechanics. Also offered as AE 5312. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5313. FLUID DYNAMICS. 3 Hours.

Basic conservation laws, flow kinematics, special forms of the governing equations, two-dimensional potential flows, surface waves and some exact solutions of viscous incompressible flows. Also offered as ME 5313.

ME 5314. FRACTURE MECHANICS IN STRUCTURAL DESIGN. 3 Hours.

Linear elastic fracture mechanics, general yielding fracture mechanics, damage tolerance and durability design, fail safe and safe life design criteria, analysis of fatigue crack growth, residual strength analysis. Also offered as AE 5314. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5315. FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPOSITES. 3 Hours.

Fundamental relationships between the mechanical and hygrothermal behavior and the composition of multiphase media; failure criteria. Also offered as AE 5315 and MSE 5348. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5316. THERMAL CONDUCTION. 3 Hours.

Fundamental laws, initial and boundary conditions, basic equations for isotropic and anisotropic media, related physical problems and steady and transient temperature distributions in solid structures.

ME 5317. CONVECTION HEAT TRANSFER. 3 Hours.

Equations of motion of viscous fluids are reviewed and the energy equations are introduced. Exact and approximate solutions are made for forced convective problems with non-isothermal and unsteady boundaries. Free convection and combined free- and forced-convection problems are solved.

ME 5318. RADIATIVE HEAT TRANSFER. 3 Hours.

General equations of radiative transfer derived and solved for special problems, and the elements of atomic, molecular, and continuum radiation are introduced.

ME 5319. ADVANCED FINITE ELEMENT METHODS. 3 Hours.

Continuation of ME 5310. Modeling of large systems, composite and incompressible materials, substructuring, mesh generation, solids applications, nonlinear problems. Also offered as AE 5319. Prerequisite: ME 5310 or equivalent.

ME 5321. ADVANCED CLASSICAL THERMODYNAMICS. 3 Hours.

Fundamentals of thermodynamics reviewed. Different treatments of principles studied, compared and formal relationships developed and applied to chemical, magnetic, electric and elastic systems.

ME 5322. ADVANCED STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS. 3 Hours.

Normal mode method for undamped and proportionally damped systems, component mode synthesis, generally damped systems, complex modes, effect of design modification on system response. Prerequisite: ME 5311 or equivalent.

ME 5325. COMBUSTION. 3 Hours.

Fundamental treatment of problems involving simultaneous occurrence of chemical reaction and transfer of heat, mass and momentum. Topics include kinetically controlled combustion phenomena; diffusion flames in liquid fuel combustion; combustion of solids; combustion of gaseous fuel jets; flames in premixed gasses. Also offered as ME 5325.

ME 5331. ANALYTIC METHODS ENGINEERING. 3 Hours.

Introduction to advanced analytic methods in engineering. Methods include multivariable calculus and field theory, Fourier series, Fourier and Laplace Transforms. Also offered as ME 5331. Prerequisite: Undergraduate degree in engineering, physics, or mathematics.

ME 5332. ENGINEERING ANALYSIS. 3 Hours.

Introduction to partial differential equations and complex variable theory with application to modeling of physical systems. Also offered as AE 5332. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5335. OPTIMAL CONTROL OF DYNAMIC SYSTEMS. 3 Hours.

Linear and nonlinear optimization methods; optimal control; continuous time Ricatti equation; bang-bang control; singular arcs; differential inclusions; collocation techniques; design of optimal dynamic system trajectories. Also offered as AE 5335. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5336. OPTIMAL ESTIMATION OF DYNAMIC SYSTEMS. 3 Hours.

Kalman filter design and implementation. Optimal filtering for discrete-time and continuous-time dynamical systems with noise. Wiener filtering. State-space determination. Prerequisite: introductory systems or identification course is desirable. Also offered as AE 5336 and EE 6327. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5337. INTRODUCTION TO ROBOTICS. 3 Hours.

An overview of industrial robots and applications to traditional and emerging applications. Coordinate systems and homogeneous transformations, kinematics of manipulators; motion characteristics and trajectories; dynamics and control of manipulators; actuation and design issues. Programming of industrial robotic manipulators in the laboratory. Also offered as AE 5337. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5338. ANALYTICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL DYNAMICS. 3 Hours.

The course focuses on developing the equations of motion for dynamic systems composed of multiple, connected and unconnected, rigid bodies using Kane's method and the Lagrangian approach. The resulting model is used to simulate and visualize the predicted motion. Topics include: kinematics, Euler parameters, kinematic constraints, virtual work, the calculus of variations, energy, momentum, contact, impact, and checking functions. Also offered as AE 5338. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5339. STRUCTURAL ASPECTS OF DESIGN. 3 Hours.

Emphasis on determination of stresses and prediction of failure in machine and structural components; stress-strain relations in elastic and plastic regions; static failure and failure criteria; contact stress; notched sensitivity, strain-fatigue life relationship' characteristics of cracks in structural components. Also offered as AE 5339. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5340. AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING. 3 Hours.

Introduction to automotive engine types and performance, drive train modeling and vehicle loading characteristics, fueling requirements, fuel injection systems, tire characteristics and modeling, suspension characteristics and handling, braking systems and requirements. Course taught through lecture, student presentations and student design projects.

ME 5341. CONTROL SYSTEM COMPONENTS. 3 Hours.

The components and hardware used in electronic, hydraulic, and pneumatic control systems; techniques of amplification, computation, compensation, actuation, and sensing; modeling of multiport systems as well as servo systems analysis. Pulse modulated systems. Prerequisite: Undergraduate introductory control course in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent or ME 5303 or equivalent. Also offered as AE 5341. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5342. GAS DYNAMICS. 3 Hours.

Review of fundamental compressible flow theory, method of characteristics for perfect gases, the Rankine-Hugoniot conditions, linearized flow theory. Also offered as ME 5342.

ME 5343. TWO-PHASE FLOW AND BOILING HEAT TRANSFER. 3 Hours.

This is to introduce significant progress in phase change heat transfer and two-phase flow. Boiling heat transfer will be followed by the study of pressure drop and heat transfer in the pipes of two-phase flow. Boiling heat transfer includes pool boiling, forced convection boiling, and critical heat flux. Also selected topics by the instructor (heat pipe, condensation, Helmholtz wave instability, etc.) Also offered as AE 5343. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5344. VISCOUS FLOWS. 3 Hours.

Navier-Stokes equations and Prandtl's boundary layer approximations; laminar and turbulent boundary layers including internal and external flows. Also offered as AE 5344. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5345. NUMERICAL HEAT TRANSFER. 3 Hours.

Discussion of numerical methods for conduction and convection heat transfer problems including introduction to various computational techniques suitable for digital computers. Finite difference method is emphasized. Also offered as AE 5345. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5346. COOLING OF ELECTRONIC PACKAGES. 3 Hours.

This course deals with the development and application of analytical models of thermal phenomena occurring in electronic equipment. The calculation of heat loads and temperature fields using different cooling techniques. Includes parameter evaluation and design studies.

ME 5347. HEAT EXCHANGER DESIGN. 3 Hours.

Design procedures, system evaluations and design parameters in heat exchangers. Heat exchanger configurations; student design projects.

ME 5348. INTRODUCTION TO ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SYSTEMS. 3 Hours.

The course introduces: Principles and thermodynamics applied to fuel cell-based power generation systems; materials and manufacturing methods of two common fuel cells and their stacks; modeling, analysis, and design of fuel cells and various reformers; and design issue of balance of plants such as steam management systems.

ME 5349. ADVANCED COMPOSITES. 3 Hours.

Review of current state-of-the-art applications of composites; structural properties; structure analysis; damage characterization and failure mechanism; notched sensitivity; delamination; fatigue characteristics; composite material testing; characteristics of composite joints. Also offered as MSE 5349 and AE 5325. Prerequisite: ME 5348, MSE 5348, or AE 5315, or consent of instructor.

ME 5351. PRINCIPLES OF SOUND AND VIBRATION CONTROL. 3 Hours.

Fundamental principles of sound and vibration control will be developed. The coupling of mechanical vibrations to unwanted acoustic radiation will be examined using time domain analysis, frequency domain (spectral) analysis and correlation techniques. Standard control methods, including active vibration suppression, will be covered.

ME 5352. FUNDAMENTALS IN ELECTRONIC PACKAGING. 3 Hours.

An introductory treatment of electronic packaging, from single chip to multichip, including materials, electrical design, thermal design, mechanical design, package modeling and simulation, processing considerations, reliability, and testing.

ME 5353. APPLICATION OF COMPUTATIONAL TECHNIQUES TO ELECTRONIC PACKAGING. 3 Hours.

This course will develop the student's capability to characterize the heat performance of electronic cooling devices by using "Commercial Computational Heat Transfer Codes (IDEAS ESC, Icepack, Flotherm, CFDAce, ...)." In addition, the use of MacroFlow, a network based model, for system-level thermal design for electronics cooling will be presented. A number of industry-related problems ranging from first-level packages through system-level packages would be analyzed. At the end of the class, a student is expected to formulate and model complex industry-based problems using the commercial CFD codes. There will be frequent industry speakers on specific projects being studied in the class.

ME 5354. FAILURES AND THEIR PREVENTION IN ELECTRONIC PACKAGES. 3 Hours.

A comprehensive overview of the fundamental causes for failures in electronic assemblies which include the printed wiring board, package, and second-level assemblies. Failure detection techniques and methodologies, key failure analysis techniques used will be discussed.

ME 5355. MECHANICAL FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC PACKAGES. 3 Hours.

Failure analysis, fatigue of electronic packages, fracture and creep behavior of solders. Mechanical properties of substrate materials. Electromigration and failure mechanisms.

ME 5356. CHIPSCALE PACKAGING. 3 Hours.

Overview of area array packaging with special emphasis on the maturing chipscale packaging technology. Topics covered will include the design concepts of this technology, the materials related aspects, the manufacturing processes, and their reliability in a variety of applications.

ME 5358. Racecar Engineering. 3 Hours.

This course intended for Formula SAE team members and other interested students to develop new systems or analyze concepts for the Formula SAE or Formula Electric racecar and related equipment. The students will form teams and perform research and development on projects related to automotive or racecar engineering.

ME 5359. Applied Automotive Engineering. 3 Hours.

The purpose of this course is to gain practical experience in the design and fabrication of parts or systems for automotive applications. The student must write a proposal, give a public oral presentation, and prepare a formal final report. The student must have attained full team member status in a student design competition team. Prerequisites: permission of Director of the Arnold E. Petsche Center for Automotive Engineering.

ME 5360. MULTIDISCIPLINARY INVERSE DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION. 3 Hours.

For a new design of any realistic device to be competitive, it must satisfy a number of often conflicting requirements, objectives, and constraints. This course offers a variety of basic concepts and methodologies for inverse design and optimization with practical applications in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, elasticity, and electromagnetism. Also offered as ME 5360.

ME 5363. INTRODUCTION TO ROTORCRAFT ANALYSIS. 3 Hours.

History of rotorcraft. Behavior of the rotor blade in hover and forward flight. Rotor configurations, dynamic coupling with the fuselage, elastic and aeroelastic effects. Also offered as ME 5363.

ME 5364. INTRODUCTION TO AERODYNAMICS OF ROTORCRAFT. 3 Hours.

Practical aerodynamics of rotors and other components of rotorcraft. Introduction to performance, handling qualities, and general flight mechanics related to rotorcraft design, test, and certification requirements. Emphasis is on rotorcraft mission capabilities as defined by the customer. Also offered as AE 5364. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5365. INTRODUCTION TO HELICOPTER AND TILTROTOR SIMULATION. 3 Hours.

Dynamic and aerodynamic modeling of rotorcraft elements using vector mechanics, linear algebra, calculus and numerical methods. Special emphasis on rotors, aerodynamic interference, proper axis system representation, model assembly methods and trimming. Also offered as ME 5365.

ME 5366. FUEL CELLS AND APPLICATIONS. 3 Hours.

The course introduces: Principles and thermodynamics applied to fuel cell-based power generation systems; materials and manufacturing methods of two common fuel cells and their stacks; modeling, analysis, and design of fuel cells and various reformers; and design issue of balance of plants such as steam management systems.

ME 5374. NONLINEAR SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND CONTROLS. 3 Hours.

Nonlinear systems; phase plane analysis; Poincare-Bendixon theorems; nonlinear system stability; limit cycles and oscillations; center manifold theorem, Lyapunov methods in control; variable structure control; feedback linearization; backstepping techniques. Also offered as AE 5374. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5378. INTRODUCTION TO UNMANNED VEHICLE SYSTEMS. 3 Hours.

Introduction to UVS (Unmanned Vehicle Systems) such as UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems), UGS (Unmanned Ground System) and UMS (Unmanned Maritime System), their history, missions, capabilities, types, configurations, subsystems, and the disciplines needed for UVS development and operation. UVS missions could include student competitions sponsored by various technical organizations. This course is team-taught by engineering faculty. Also offered as MAE 4378 and ME 5378.

ME 5379. UNMANNED VEHICLE SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT. 3 Hours.

Introduction to the technologies needed to create an UVS (Unmanned Vehicle System). Integration of these technologies (embodied as a set of sensors, actuators, computing and mobility platform sub-systems) into a functioning UVS through team work. UVS could be designed to compete in a student competition sponsored by various technical organizations or to support a specific mission or function defined by the instructors. This course is team-taught by engineering faculty. Also offered as MAE 4379 and ME 5379. Prerequisite: B or better in MAE 4378 or AE 5378 or ME 5378 and admission to the UVS certificate program.

ME 5380. DESIGN OF DIGITAL CONTROL SYSTEMS. 3 Hours.

Difference equations, z- and w- transforms, discrete TF (Transfer Function). Discrete equivalence (DE) to continuous TF. Aliasing & Nyquist sampling theorem. Design by DE, root locus in z- plane & Youla parameterization. Discrete state- space model, minimality after sampling, pole placement, Moore-Kimura method, linear quadratic regulator, asymptotic observer. Computer simulation and/or laboratory implementation Prerequisite: undergraduate level controls course or equivalent. Also offered as AE 5380, EE 5324. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5381. BOUNDARY LAYERS. 3 Hours.

An introductory course on boundary layers. The coverage emphasizes the physical understanding and the mathematical foundations of boundary layers, including applications. Topics covered include laminar and turbulent incompressible and compressible boundary layers, and an introduction to boundary layer transition. Also offered as AE 5381. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 5390. SPECIAL TOPICS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. 3 Hours.

To provide formal instruction in special topics pertinent to Mechanical Engineering from semester to semester depending on the availability of faculty. May be repeated provided topics differ.

ME 5391. ADVANCED STUDIES IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. 3 Hours.

May be repeated for credit as topics change. Project work performed under a non-thesis degree will normally be accomplished under this course number, with prior approval of the Committee on Graduate Studies.

ME 5398. THESIS. 3 Hours.

Thesis.

ME 5698. THESIS. 6 Hours.

Thesis Prerequisite: GRAD ME thesis major.

ME 5998. THESIS. 9 Hours.

Thesis Prerequisite: GRAD ME thesis major.

ME 6196. MECHANICAL ENGINEERING INTERNSHIP. 1 Hour.

For students participating in internship programs. May be repeated for credit. Requires prior approval of ME Graduate Advisor.

ME 6197. RESEARCH IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. 1 Hour.

May be repeated for credit.

ME 6297. RESEARCH IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. 2 Hours.

May be repeated for credit.

ME 6299. DISSERTATION. 2 Hours.

Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy for the Doctoral of Philosophy degree.

ME 6310. ADVANCED FINITE ELEMENT METHODS. 3 Hours.

Modeling of large systems, composite and incompressible materials, substructuring, mesh generation, solids applications, nonlinear problems. Also offered as ME 6310.

ME 6311. ADVANCED STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS. 3 Hours.

Normal mode method for undamped and proportionally damped systems,component mode synthesis, generally damped systems, complex modes, effect of design modification on system response. Also offered as ME 6311. Prerequisite: ME 5311, AE 5311 or equivalent.

ME 6315. ADVANCED COMPOSITES. 3 Hours.

Review of current state-of-the-art applications of composites: composite structural analysis; structural properties, damage characterization and failure mechanism; stiffness loss due to damage, notched sensitivity; delamination;impact; fatigue characteristics; composite material testing; material allowables; characteristics of composite joints. Also offered as ME 6315 and MSE 5349. Prerequisite: ME 5315, AE 5315 or MSE 5348 or equivalent.

ME 6316. ADVANCED ROBOTICS. 3 Hours.

Advanced design concepts such as application of optimization technique and analytical approaches such as 3-D homogeneous matrix method will be introduced. Structural dynamics and control strategy for both rigid and flexible manipulators will be studied.

ME 6337. COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN. 3 Hours.

Role of graphics; image representation, batch and interactive computing, methods of automated mathematical model generation, mainframe and microcomputing in engineering design. Application in mechanical, structural, thermal, controls areas of mechanical engineering.

ME 6344. HEAT TRANSFER IN TURBULENT FLOW. 3 Hours.

Introduction to heat transfer in turbulent boundary layers including internal and external flows, turbulence structure, the Reynolds analogy, van Driest hypothesis, high and low Prandlt number two equation model, effects of surface roughness on heat transfer. Also offered as AE 6344. Credit will be granted only once.

ME 6345. TURBULENCE. 3 Hours.

Physical,numerical and theoretical aspects of turbulence. Review of the conservation equations for incompressible flow. Statistical descriptions pertaining to fluid mechanics. Classical description of turbulence via Reynolds averaging is developed with emphasis on homogeneous, isotropic turbulence. Application to free and wall-bounded flows. Modeling and simulation, including direct numerical simulation, classical turbulence modeling, PDF methods and large eddy simulation. Familiarity with vector or tensor notation is expected. Prerequisite: An advanced course in fluid mechanics (AE 5313/ME 5313) or continuum mechanics (AE 5312/ME 5312).

ME 6397. RESEARCH IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. 3 Hours.

May be repeated for credit.

ME 6399. DISSERTATION. 3 Hours.

May be repeated for credit.

ME 6697. RESEARCH IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. 6 Hours.

May be repeated for credit.

ME 6699. DISSERTATION. 6 Hours.

Prerequisite: Admission to candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy degree.

ME 6997. RESEARCH IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. 9 Hours.

May be repeated for credit.

ME 6999. DISSERTATION. 9 Hours.

Admission to candidacy for the Doctor of Philosophy degree.

ME 7399. DOCTORAL DEGREE COMPLETION. 3 Hours.

This course may be taken during the semester in which a student expects to complete all requirements for the doctoral degree and graduate. Enrolling in this course meets minimum enrollment requirements for graduation, for holding fellowships awarded by The Office of Graduate Studies and for full-time GTA or GRA positions. Students should verify that enrollment in this course meets other applicable enrollment requirements. To remain eligible in their final semester of study for grants, loans or other forms of financial aid administered by the Financial Aid Office must enroll in a minimum of 5 hours as required by the Office of Financial Aid. Other funding sources may also require more than 3-hours of enrollment. Additional hours may also be required to meet to requirements set by immigration law or by the policies of the student's degree program. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office, other sources of funding, Office of International Education and/or their graduate advisor to verify enrollment requirements before registering for this course. This course may only be taken once and may not be repeated. Students who do not complete all graduation requirements while enrolled in this course must enroll in a minimum of 6 dissertation hours (6699 or 6999) in their graduation term. Graded P/F/R.