Mechanical Engineering
Professor R. Danner Friend (Chair); Associate Professor Karen Supan; Assistant Professors Carolina Payares-Asprino, Scott Smith, and Charles White; Lecturer Martin Rolland; Donald Wallace Visiting Assistant Professor Ricardo Cruz-Lozano
Mechanical engineering, the broadest of the engineering professions, provides an opportunity for a wide range and variety of services, work, and interests. The major branches of mechanical engineering include structural/solid mechanical systems and thermal/fluid systems. The mechanical engineer deals with the conversion of energy, the design of machines, the instrumentation and control of processes, and the control of machines and their impact on the environment. Conventional fields of interest are transportation (automobiles, aircraft, urban and mass transit); machines and systems for electrical power production from wind, water, coal, oil, and gas; heating and air conditioning of buildings; and the complex machinery and methods of making steel, plastics, paper products, etc.
Mission:
The Mission of the Mechanical Engineering Program is to:
- Prepare students to excel in mechanical engineering and related fields.
- Provide modern, fundamental, practice-oriented education in the mechanical engineering field.
- Foster creativity and critical thinking in problem solving and motivate students to consider the societal consequences of their work.
- Enable students to be leaders in their profession, community, and the nation.
Goals:
Graduates from the Mechanical Engineering Program are expected to have attained the following Program Educational Objectives within two to five years of graduation:
- A reputation for competence in applying the skills of engineering practice to conceive and analyze problems and execute solutions guided by ethical, societal, and global awareness.
- Successful employment as professionals in industrial, military, government, public works, and/or academic settings while advancing in positions of increasing responsibility or leadership roles.
- Recognition as an effective communicator and collaborator who can work in teams of diverse individuals, technical disciplines and management levels.
- Sustained engagement in continuing education and professional development.
Outcomes:
At the time of graduation, students in the Mechanical Engineering Program are expected to have developed and demonstrated an ability to:
- Identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
- Apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
- Communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
- Recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
- Function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
- Develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
- Acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
Careers for this Major:
- Product Design
- Automotive engineering
- Bio-engineering (artificial body organs and medical devices)
- Aerospace (spacecraft and rockets)
- Applications of electronics to the control of machines and to laboratory instruments
- Robotics
- Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
- Manufacturing
- Energy and power including renewable energy (wind, solar, etc.)
- Control of environmental pollution for automobiles and industry
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers is the largest professional organization devoted specifically to Mechanical Engineering; serving the general Mechanical Engineering profession and a variety of associated fields. To learn more about ASME and employment opportunities in Mechanical Engineering, please visit http://www.asme.org and http://careercenter.asme.org.
Accreditation:
The Mechanical Engineering Program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET, http://www.abet.org.
Mechanical Engineering (B.S.) – Curriculum Map 2021-2022 Catalog
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Cr. | Comp. | Spring | Cr. | Comp. |
| CH 103 General Chemistry I (General Education Lab Science) | 4 | CH 104 General Chemistry II (General Education Lab Science) | 4 | ||
| EG 109 Introduction to Engineering I | 3 | EN 111 Writing and Inquiry in Academic Contexts | 3 | ||
| EN 110 Writing and Inquiry in Public Contexts | 3 | EG 110 Introduction to Engineering II | 3 | ||
| MA 121 Calculus I | 4 | General Education History/Literature/Arts & Humanities/Social Science | 3 | ||
| MA 122 Calculus II (General Education Math) | 4 | ||||
| Fall Semester Total Cr.: | 14 | Spring Semester Total Cr.: | 17 | ||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Fall | Cr. | Comp. | Spring | Cr. | Comp. |
| EE 204 Electrical Circuits I | 3 | EE 240 Electrical Concepts and Applications | 3 | ||
| EG 201 Engineering Mechanics-Statics | 3 | EG 202 Engineering Mechanics-Dynamics | 3 | ||
| MA 223 Calculus III (General Education Math) | 4 | EG 206 Thermodynamics I | 3 | ||
| ME 211 Mechanical Engineering Tools I | 2 | MA 224 Differential Equations | 4 | ||
| PS 211 University Physics I | 4 | PS 212 University Physics II | 4 | ||
| Fall Semester Total Cr.: | 16 | Spring Semester Total Cr.: | 17 | ||
| Junior | |||||
| Fall | Cr. | Comp. | Spring | Cr. | Comp. |
| EG 203 Materials Science | 3 | EG 303 Fluid Mechanics | 3 | ||
| EG 301 Mechanics of Materials | 3 | ME 356 Manufacturing Processes | 4 | ||
| ME 307 Thermodynamics II | 3 | ME 368 Design of Machine Elements | 3 | ||
| ME 311 Mechanical Engineering Tools II | 2 | ME 370 Mechanical Systems Design | 3 | ||
| ME 363 Kinematic and Kinetic Sythesis | 3 | ME 382 Mechanical Engineering Laboratory II | 1 | ||
| ME 381 Mechanical Engineering Laboratory I | 2 | General Education History/Literature/Arts & Humanities/Social Science | 3 | ||
| General Education Leadership | 1-3 | ||||
| Fall Semester Total Cr.: | 16 | Spring Semester Total Cr.: | 18-20 | ||
| Senior | |||||
| Fall | Cr. | Comp. | Spring | Cr. | Comp. |
| EE 321 Embedded Systems | 4 | ME 468 Mechanical Engineering Design II (Capstone) | 3 | ||
| EG 044 Conference | 0 | EG 450 Professional Issues (General Education Ethics) | 3 | ||
| ME 435 Mechanical Control Systems | 3 | Math or Science or Engineering Elective 1 | 3 | ||
| ME 465 Heat Transfer | 3 | Mechanical Engineering (ME) 400-Level Elective 2 | 3 | ||
| ME 467 Mechanical Engineering Design I (Capstone) | 3 | General Education History/Literature/Arts & Humanities/Social Science | 3 | ||
| ME 487 Mechanical Engineering Laboratory III | 2 | ||||
| General Education History/Literature/Arts & Humanities/Social Science | 3 | ||||
| Fall Semester Total Cr.: | 18 | Spring Semester Total Cr.: | 15 | ||
| TOTAL CREDITS FOR THIS MAJOR: 131-133 | |||||
An undergraduate student, who has completed all degree requirements except for attaining a 2.00 average, must take at least 50 percent of all subsequent course work in technical material (subject to approval by the Director of the David Crawford School of Engineering).
| 1 | Courses approved for Math/Science/Engineering Electives: CE 348, CH 205, CH 225, CH 327, EE 303, EE 357, MA 241, MA 306,MA 309 MA 310, MA 370 MA 407, PS 334, PS 341, PS 426, PS 428, and any ME 400 level course not specifically listed as a degree requirement. Other 200 level (or higher) 3+ credit courses offered by College of Science and Mathematics or the David Crawford School of Engineering may be approved subject to completion of the course prerequisites and a positive recommendation from the student’s academic advisor and the Mechanical Engineering department chair. |
| 2 | Two different ME 490 courses covering different topics can be used to satisfy the ME elective and the Math/Science/Engineering elective. |
| * | A Mechanical Engineering major must take the Fundamentals of Engineering (F.E.) exam, administered by the State of Vermont or another state, to complete the major. |
Courses
ME 188 No Norwich Equivalent 6 Cr.
ME 211 Mechanical Engineering Tools I 2 Cr.
An extension of EG 109 with a more in-depth treatment of 3-D solid model generation including extrusion, revolving, sweeping and lofting. Further development and modification of 3-D solid drawings. 3 Lab hours. Prerequisite: EG 109.
ME 288 No Norwich Equivalent 6 Cr.
ME 307 Thermodynamics II 3 Cr.
Applications of thermodynamics to power and refrigeration cycles, combustion mechanisms, mixture and flow processes. Development of thermodynamic relationships and equations of state. 3 Lecture hours. Prerequisite: EG 206.
ME 311 Mechanical Engineering Tools II 2 Cr.
An extension of ME 211 with additional application of computer based design and analysis methods. An emphasis will be placed on design for manufacturing and other tools appropriate to the mechanical engineering profession. 3 Lab hours. Prerequisite: ME 211.
ME 356 Manufacturing Processes 4 Cr.
A study of the principles of manufacturing processes. Metal removal, casting, joining and deformation processes are covered as well as introductions to numerically controlled machinery, computer-aided manufacturing, rapid prototyping, robotics, computer integrated manufacturing and modern manufacturing systems. 3 Lecture hours and 3 Lab hours. Prerequisite: ME 311, EG 203.
ME 363 Kinematic and Kinetic Sythesis 3 Cr.
A study of the principles of motion and the forces necessary to cause, and be created by motion. Applications to the design of typical machine elements such as gears, linkages and cams. 3 Lecture hours. Prerequisites: EG 202, MA 223.
ME 368 Design of Machine Elements 3 Cr.
A study of the application of the theories of mechanics and stress analysis to the design of fundamental machine parts. Some of the topics covered are shafts, springs, screws, belts, gears, rivets, bearings and lubrication. 3 Lecture hours. Prerequisite: EG 301.
ME 370 Mechanical Systems Design 3 Cr.
An introduction to the methodology of design including problem definition, generation and evaluation of alternatives, and design completion. Emphasis is placed on creativity, feasibility, and the effect of economic and societal factors on alternative selection. Goals are achieved through the use of case studies and small projects. 3 Lecture hours. Prerequisite: Junior or higher.
ME 381 Mechanical Engineering Laboratory I 2 Cr.
A study of the fundamentals of mechanical and electronic instruments and their use in measurement systems to obtain data on temperature, pressure, displacement, acceleration, and other physical variables. Introduction to experimental methods and procedures, reduction of data to significant form, and the organization of experimental results in written reports. 1 Lecture hour and3 Lab hours. Prerequisite: EE 204.
ME 382 Mechanical Engineering Laboratory II 1 Cr.
Application of instrumentation to observations of gas and liquid behavior, thermo-dynamic and mechanical aspects of machines and devices. Dynamic and transient considerations in instruments, physical systems, and experimental data. 3 Lab hours. Prerequisite: ME 381.
ME 388 No Norwich Equivalent 6 Cr.
ME 435 Mechanical Control Systems 3 Cr.
Synthesis and analysis of mechanical control systems with feedback. Use of linearization techniques and Laplace Transform methods of analysis. Techniques for determining system stability. Emphasis is placed on operational characteristics of components and their effect on system design. Computer simulation of system operation. 3 Lecture hours. Prerequisites: MA 224, EG 202.
ME 465 Heat Transfer 3 Cr.
A study of the fundamentals of heat transfer by conduction, radiation, and convection. Steady and unsteady state conduction. Study will include boundary layer theory, internal and external convective flows, two-phase flow, and heat exchange design theory. 3 Lecture hours.
Prerequisites: EG 206, EG 303, MA 224.
ME 467 Mechanical Engineering Design I 3 Cr.
A capstone design project is taken up to the point of prototype construction, testing and hardware specification. The specific skills and knowledge needed by practicing engineers in the product realization process are emphasized and developed. 3 Lecture hours. Prerequisite: ME 370. Senior Standing.
ME 468 Mechanical Engineering Design II 3 Cr.
Design completion of the capstone project initiated in ME 467 including hardware specification, instrumentation, laboratory testing, data reduction, and evaluation. Written design report required with oral presentation and defense. Prerequisite: ME 467.
ME 487 Mechanical Engineering Laboratory III 2 Cr.
A continuation of the Mechanical Engineering laboratory sequence with experiments stressing the performance characteristics of heat power equipment and the application of theory learned in thermodynamics and fluid flow. 1 Lecture hour and 2 Lab hours. Prerequisite: EG 303, ME 307 or concurrent enrollment.
ME 488 No Norwich Equivalent 6 Cr.
ME 490 Advanced Topics 3,4 Cr.
A course that provides specific work in an area of the instructor's special competence and indicated student interest. An extension of basic principles to applied areas such as HVAC, heat transfer, thermodynamics, stress analysis, environmental control, turbo-machinery, propulsion systems and aerodynamics. 1-3 Lecture hours. Course may be repeated no more than one time. Prerequisite: Senior standing. Offered: Occasionally.