PROJECT ACTIVITIES / FINDINGS

The main tasks of this curriculum reform project were: the incorporation of emerging technologies and new teaching strategies into the courses of the Mechanical Engineering (ME) program at the City College of New York. To implement the changes effectively it was decided that the modification of courses will be carried out in stages, starting with seven courses in the first semester. The other tasks of this project were: introducing a new course in micro/nano technology, changing the science requirements and implementing other changes in the curriculum, establishing a new Energy Systems Laboratory, devising strategies for recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities and women and finally carrying out collaborative activities with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

These activities have now been completed. In this section we provide cumulatively the implementation activities previously described in the annual reports. In the findings section we will report the results of assessments carried out at CCNY and by ASME. The activities are reported under the six headings listed below.

I. Courses modified and taught in the new format

II. New course in Micro/Nano Technology

III. Changes in curriculum requirements

IV. Laboratory enhancements/ New equipment

V. Recruitment and Retention activities

VI. ASME activities

Implementation Activities

I. Courses modified and taught in the new format

Most of the courses in the curriculum have been modified and taught according to the plan presented in the project proposal. Courses which have not been modified are either conforming to intended reform or are electives which have not been offered since the project started. Below is a detailed description of the modifications carried out in each course.

ENGR 101 – Engineering Design I

This is the first engineering course that all engineering students must take. It was first developed in the early 1990’s with support from NSF to the ECSEL coalition. The course consisted of modules from various engineering disciplines to introduce the concept of design. The course was offered every semester in multiple sections. In view of new developments in engineering (such as globalization, environmental issues, sustainability) the School Engineering felt that our students should have a broader introduction to engineering complemented with hands-on design experience. Thus, in the new format one hour of the course is used for lectures by prominent and experienced speakers with the remaining two hours devoted again to hands-on design. Also, new modules have been introduced. A comparison of the old and new descriptions is shown in the table below.

Department: ENGR
From		To
Course #	10100	Course #	10100
Course Title	Engineering Design	Course Title	Introduction to Engineering
Description	An introduction to engineering practice through hands-on investigations, computer applications, design projects and student presentations in the fields of structures and robotics/electronics. The first segment of the course consists of a structural design module. In this module, the behavior of materials and structural members is explored. Concepts of structural safety and equilibrium are developed and students are introduced to structural analysis of a steel truss bridge and build a model bridge. The second portion of the course consists of a robotics or electronics module. The robotics module focuses on basic mechanisms, kinematics, feedback, and computer control by considering the operation of several robotic devices. Students then engage in a robotic design which may include software or hardware or both. The electronics module introduces students to Boolean algebra, number bases and binary arithmetic, logic circuits, timing diagrams, counters and display services. The students then design and construct a digital clock. All investigations and design projects are performed in groups and presented in oral and/or written form. Computers are used for documentation, data analysis and robot control.	Description	An introduction to the major engineering disciplines and contemporary issues impacting engineering. One hour per week will be devoted to lectures related to the above issues by prominent faculty and outside speakers. Two laboratory hours per week will provide an introduction to engineering practice through hands-on investigations, computer applications, design projects and student presentations. The laboratory experience will consist of a single 14-week module or a combination of a 10-week module and a 4-week module in various engineering disciplines. Currently developed modules include a 14-week module in design and construction of an electrical device, four 10-week modules in structural design, robotic control, electronics and software development and two 4-week modules in software development and nanotechnology. All investigations and design projects are performed in groups and presented in oral and/or written form.
Prerequisite	None	Prerequisite	None
Pre/Corequisite	Math 19500 (min. C grade). Open only to transfer students who have not completed Math 20200 (or 20202).	Pre/Corequisite	Math 19500 (min. C grade). Open only to transfer students who have not completed Math 20200 (or 20202).
Hours	3 hrs./wk.	Hours	1 lec. hr./wk, 2 lab. hrs./wk.
Credits	1	Credits	1
Rationale	The course is being modified to give students an introduction to the various engineering disciplines and contemporary issues impacting engineering. This will be done through lectures by prominent faculty and outside speakers. The laboratory portion of the course includes additional newly-developed modules. The Schedule of Classes will list which modules are covered in each section so that students may choose those of greatest interest to them.

ENGR 23000 – Thermodynamics

Reform of Thermodynamics was begun in the Fall 2004 semester. Thermodynamic Relations for a Pure Substance, which was previously covered in this course, was moved to ME 43000 – Thermal Systems Analysis and Design. This opened a two-week period in which students could be given an introduction to statistical thermodynamics. The new topics covered include quantum mechanics considerations, Bose-Einstein, Fermi-Dirac and Maxwell-Boltzmann statistical models, microscopic interpretation of heat and work, and statistical concept of entropy. These topics will enable students to better understand subjects related to emerging technologies.

Another modification of the course is to require students to submit a written report on application of thermodynamic principles in the analysis of a modern electro/magnetic/mechanical device. Topics include a seismic isolator, magnetic cooling, a microwave oven, magnetic resonance imaging, a pressure cooker, magnetic levitation, superconductivity and superfluidity, and the operation of an inkjet printer head.

These changes were reported in detail in first year’s report.

ME 145 – Computer Aided Drafting

In the Fall 2004 semester, reform of ME 145 – Computer Aided Drafting was implemented. A reverse engineering project is now introduced at the beginning of the course, and carried out in parallel with the course.

At the beginning of the semester, the class is shown a small power tool which is either an electric drill or hammer drill. By examining the exterior of the tool, each student is asked to draw a free-hand sketch of what he/she thinks the interior looks like. The purpose of this exercise is two-fold. First, it forces the student to think and use his/her imagination. Second, it gives the instructor an indication of the student’s technical background and ability. In the following weeks, the class is divided into groups of four to five students and each group disassembles the tool. While disassembled, the students are required to draw two- and three-dimensional views of the parts and show how they fit together, first using free-hand sketching and then Pro-E. As a further step, students are asked to identify ways in which the individual parts or their layout could be improved. Students produce drawings of the redesigned part(s) or layout using Pro-E and make group poster presentations of their work and findings.

ME 246 Engineering Mechanics I - Statics

This course is taken both by Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering students. The planned modifications were fully implemented starting in Fall 2004 semester.

First the content of the course was modified to include forces in small structures and examples from biological systems. Next, greater emphasis was placed on computer modeling and simulation. The following changes were introduced:

- Coulomb’s Law was taught in addition to the universal gravitational law

- Examples from biological systems (including the human body) and systems involving small forces ( such as systems of charged particles) were included

- The software Working Model was made part of the course

To improve student learning individual and team projects were assigned. For team projects the students were grouped in teams of four to five students and a project requiring the use of the Working Model software was assigned. Each student was required to submit an individual report.

Since then the course has been offered every semester.

ME 247: Engineering Mechanics II – Dynamics

According to the proposed implementation plan, the following modifications were made in ME 247 during Fall 04 and Spring 05 semesters:

• Using Working Model as a visualization and design tool.

Students were encouraged to use the Working Model software. A team project using Working Model was assigned. Students were required to work in groups of three and submit their reports individually.

• In class demonstrations

A set of dynamic system was purchased from PASCO Company in Fall of 2004. An impact test was performed in class and the differences between elastic and plastic collisions were observed. More demonstrations were performed in Spring 05 semester such as spinning of a chair with arms stretched and down to study the effect of moment of inertia on conservation of angular momentum. The demonstrations are now part of the regular curriculum.

• Home Experiments

Two home experiments were intoduced. In the first, they are asked to measure the coefficient of restitution for a ball impacting a hard surface, while in the second they do the comparison between a frictionless block and a rolling sphere.

The details of the project, the home experiments and the in-class demonstrations are listed below:

The Project:

Using working model 2D software, analyze the one-cylinder engine system shown in Figure P15.C3 in terms of kinematics and kinetics. The 1-lb connecting rod is 8-in long and the 5.2-lb crank is 3-in long. The piston weighs 0.5-lb.

1- Plot the angular velocity and angular acceleration of the connecting rod for the values of θ from 0 to 360 degrees. Determine the maximum and minimum value of angular velocity and acceleration.

2- Plot the joint forces for the values of θ from 0 to 360 degrees. Determine the maximum value of the joint force and its relevant crank angle for each component.

3- From kinetics viewpoint what will happen if the aluminum piston is replaced by one made of cast iron?

The Home Experiments:

Measuring the Coefficient of Restitution for a Ball Bouncing from a Hard Surface: Description: Drop a ball from a known height (h₁). Measure the maximum height of the ball as it bounces back (h₂). Repeat the experiment 5 times and measure the heights h₁ and h₂ and write them down on a spreadsheet. Using the data, calculate the coefficient of restitution for each case and discuss the results. What are the sources of the error?

Observing the effect of the rotational term of the kinetic energy (1/2 Iw²), in a simple home experiment:

Description: Make an inclined surface with an angle between 20 to 60 degrees. From a specific point on the inclined surface let a ball fall without slipping (lower the angle if it slips). How long does it take for the ball to reach the floor? Do the same for a block on a frictionless surface. You can create a good frictionless surface with an ice cube. (a) Compare the measured times and discuss the difference. (b) Discuss the sources of the error.

In Class Demonstrations:

1- Impact: elastic and plastic impacts have been demonstrated using PASCO’s dynamic system.

2- Conservation of angular momentum: a student sitting on a rotating chair with arms stretched and down to observe the change in angular velocity.

ME 322 – Computer Methods in Engineering

In the Spring 2005 semester, reform of ME 322 – Computer Methods in Engineering was implemented. An interdisciplinary problem is now assigned requiring extensive computer programming for its solution.

In the Spring 2005 semester, the problem assigned was the unsteady flow of an incompressible fluid in a collapsible tube. Its solution involves a number of numerical techniques, including the numerical solution of a system of non-linear, coupled partial differential equations by an implicit finite differencing scheme, the solution of sparse systems of linear algebraic equations, and curve fitting of material properties from experimental data. The class was divided into five groups, with four or five students per group, and each group was required to write a subprogram to perform a subtask of the problem. Group 1 wrote a driver program which inputs the required data and calls the subprograms written by the other groups to perform the required tasks. Group 2 wrote a subprogram which uses curve-fitting of experimental data to relate the cross-sectional area of the tube to the pressure difference across the tube wall. This correlation was used to calculate the local propagation speed of a disturbance along the tube axis. Group 3 prepared a subprogram which sets up the system of linear algebraic equations which arises when the compatibility relations along the characteristic lines are written in finite difference form at each nodal point. Group 4 wrote a subprogram which solves the resulting quadradiagonal system of linear algebraic equations to obtain the fluid velocity distribution and local cross-sectional area of the tube at each time step. Group 5 was responsible for a subprogram to create an animation of the solution. The students completed the project successfully and at the end of the semester each group presented its work to the rest of the class. The value of the project lies in the fact that students not only learn to work in teams but also to coordinate their work with other groups. An animation of the project results developed by the students is posted in the Products section of this annual report. The project is now assigned regularly every semester.

ME 33000: Mechanics of Materials

Mechanics of Materials (MoM) is the first course in solid mechanics, which covers stress, deformation, material strength and its application in designing mechanical components. Topics include concepts of stress and strain, uni-axial loading, torsion, beam bending, column buckling and stress/strain transformation. As a mandatory course, it has far reaching effects on students’ future learning and career development. The intended reform was to incorporate modern technologies into curriculum and to achieve the following program outcomes:

A. An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering;

2. An ability to identify, formulate and solve real world engineering problems;
3. An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering;
4. An ability to communicate concepts, ideas, and results effectively with appropriate technical skills, including verbal, written, computer graphics or other information technology.

Because of the course’s fundamental nature, the contents of the course have been fixed for several decades. As a one-semester course, all the topics covered are indispensable. Therefore, the basic principle of the reform was to keep all the basic topics intact while adding more examples from emerging technologies. These new contents are used to illustrate basic concepts, to give a broad view on the applications of the course, especially in modern technologies, to make the course more interesting, and to provide working knowledge in emerging technologies.

To address all the program outcomes related to the course, a change in the teaching methods was also necessary.

Based on these considerations, we added more examples on the effect of thermal stress and the applications of beams in MEMS, introduced four simple home experiments and improved the teaching method.

Since Fall 2004, all of the above have been implemented in ME330.

Implementation

1. Real world applications of MoM

Traditional textbooks on Mechanics of Materials, such as the one by Beer et al, usually have very nicely set homework problems and examples. For example, a straight bar and some symbols at its ends represent a beam under certain supports at the ends. The advantage of these problems is that the student can directly apply newly learned concepts or techniques, without being distracted by other factors, which could be important but are not the central topic at the time. However, if all the problems were presented in this way, in their minds, students might use the abstract symbols to replace the real images of beam and its supports. On the other hand, modeling real applications into nicely set mechanics problems is an essential step in mechanical engineering practice. Based on this consideration, we added many examples of practical application as sample problems and also in the homeworks. Fig. 1 shows some of these examples. Through the practice, students are exposed to the applications of theory in the real world, learn how to make reasonable assumptions in making estimation, and how to design for strength. (Outcomes B and C)

Figure 1. Some examples illustrating the application of MoM in the real world.

2. A new chapter on thermal stresses

Residual stress is a pervasive issue in integrated structures, due to the composite nature of the structures. For example, in an integrated circuit board, there is metal, polymer, glass and ceramics. Before the curriculum reform, thermal stress was only briefly discussed in the chapter about uniaxial loading. Currently, it is taught after pure bending of beam. The examples are residual stress in a composite rod, thin films, solder joints in printing circuit boards, bi-metallic layers and its application in temperature sensing and as an actuator. Besides introducing the basic concepts and analytical skills in dealing with residual stress, the chapter also integrates the topics introduced in the previous chapters, including the concept of stress(solder joints), uniaxial loading (composite rod), bending, 3-D stress strain relations (thin film), and the linear superposition technique (bi-metallic layers). The analysis and application of bimetallic strip as an actuator and thermometer are discussed in detail. (Outcomes A, B) Fig.2 shows several topics involved in this chapter.

Fig. 2 Some examples of thermal stresses.

3. Applications of Beams in MEMS

Many MEMS structures are beams. Some of these may require the knowledge of electrodynamics, but some are pure mechanical devices and can be directly analyzed using the knowledge of beam bending. The examples included in this topic are the probe of Atomic Force Microscope for detecting adhesion force and surface profile, a bio-functionalized cantilever beam as a sensor for detecting molecules of biological interest, and beams for measuring elastic constants at small scale etc. Fig. 3 shows some of the applications of beams. In some cases, the concepts of surface adhesion and surface tension were also introduced.

Fig.3 Some examples of application of beams in MEMS.

4. Home experiments

Direct observation and hands-on experience can greatly enhance the understanding of basic concepts. Since there is no lab component in this course, we adopted four simple experiments for students to conduct at home. These experiments were designed previously in the department through another NSF sponsored grant. These experiments can address the following program outcome,

An ability to design and conduct experiment, as well as analyze and interpret data,

which is not currently listed as an outcome of ME 33000.

The four home experiments are: measuring Young’s modulus of a nylon line, determining the breaking strength of chalk by three point bending, verifying cantilever beam deflection curve, and determining the breaking strength of chalk by torsion loading. (Fig. 4)

Fig. 4 The four home experiments.

5. Other teaching improvements

One major difference of ME 330 from its pre-requisite ME 246 (statics) is on deformation. Besides home experiments, in the classroom, we demonstrated how beams bend, columns buckle, and a polymer tube being twisted. We used a tube with a cut, to demonstrate the axial shear interaction under torsion, and a book as a cantilever beam, to illustrate the shear interaction between different pages when it is under transverse loading. These demonstrations should help students gain some intuitive understanding on the concepts we taught in the class.

A considerable amount of time in class was devoted to solving example problems. Usually, the instructor solved all the problems. At the suggestion of a colleague, we allocated some time in each class for students to solve one or two example problems after we solved a similar one. Just like many people can not remember how to get to a place the second time, if they were led by other people at the first time, many students cannot follow exactly what we did in the first example. Through struggling in class and help from instructor, students can identify their deficiency, clear some misconceptions and grasp the content more effectively.

Conclusion

Reforming Mechanics of Material, the most fundamental course in solid mechanics, was necessary, since the content has been fixed for a century. Including modern examples, makes the course more interesting and motivating. It is obvious in the class that the new additions are attention-grabbing. Classroom demonstrations and home experiments helped students gain intuitive understanding. Examples from real world offer a missing link between the content and the real engineering world, help students learn how to grasp the working of real subjects, make reasonable assumptions, and reduce these examples into solvable mechanics problems.

ME 356 Fluid Mechanics

Here we describe the progress made in the implementation of emerging technologies and new pedagogy in ME 356 Fluid Mechanics. Fluid Mechanics is a course that introduces approaches to analyzing engineering problems in which the focus is on fluids that can be modeled as being in static equilibrium, and fluids in motion. Through committee discussion it was decided that the curriculum reform of ME 356 would entail

· Pedagogical enhancement using home experiments

o Gives hands-on experience with important fluid mechanics principles

o Provides students with common physics experiences – useful in initiating class discussions and questions

o Can be used to promote collaborations

o Experiments are done at home so class time can be used for discussion of physics. Emphasis is placed on writing, and thus, communication of what was learned

· Introduction of an important emerging technology: computational fluid dynamics (CFD)

o Flow visualization software (Flowlab) is used to teach students the introductory aspects of CFD

o Using Flowlab problems are solved with theory learned in class, and results are compared

o CFD is used in both academic research and industry, thus early introduction can be extremely important.

The aspects of curriculum reform in ME 356 as outlined above will now be discussed. The next section details the home experiments that were implemented in ME 356 in Spring 2005. Then the flow visualization software, Flowlab, which was introduced in Fall 2004, will be described. In this section, an example demonstrating how Flowlab is implemented will be presented. The key educational goals of the CFD introduction, and how using Flowlab helps to reach these goals will also be discussed. Writing is an important component of this course. Students are required to present the results of home experiments as a written report.

Home Experiments

Home experiments are self-paced projects, in which students perform experiments involving various aspects of fluid mechanics in their own homes. The projects are designed to be simply constructed using common household products, thus requiring low cost and small time commitment. Five (5) home experiments have been developed and assigned during the Spring 2005 semester. The five projects are described below:

Measuring the Viscosity of Ketchup

In this experiment students bore a hole in the bottom of a plastic cup to make a viscometer. The viscometer is calibrated by filling the cup with fluids of known viscosities, and measuring the time required for those fluids to drain out. By creating a viscosity vs. time curve, an unknown viscosity is determined by measuring the drain time. This experiment was performed by the students at the beginning of the semester, and thus was an excellent point of reference throughout the course anytime the discussion was related to viscosity.

Discharge Velocity

Here a tall plastic soda bottle, with a hole near its base is filled with water. The velocity of the water exiting the hole is determined by measuring the volumetric flow rate of water through the hole. The exit velocity of the water is theoretically determined using Bernoulli’s equation and the experimental and theoretical results are compared. Figure 1 shows the basic setup of this experiment.

Falling Balloon

A balloon is dropped from the ceiling and the time it takes to fall to the floor is measured. By approximating the balloon as a sphere, the drop time is theoretically determined using Newton’s law of motion, and by employing empirical relationship between the drag coefficient of a sphere and the relevant flow parameters. The theoretical results are compared to the experimental results.

Laminar Flow Through a Tube

A hole is made in an empty milk carton, and a straw is inserted snuggly into the hole. Several more straws are attached end-to-end to the straw extending from the hole, to form a long horizontal tube. Tape is used to seal joints. A picture of the final assembly was provided by a student, and is shown in Fig. 2. The carton is filled with water, and the flow rate through the horizontal tube is measured. Assuming the flow is a laminar fully developed flow, the flow rate is theoretically determined using Bernoulli’s equation.

Flow Down an Inclined Plane

To perform this experiment a channel is constructed from a milk carton, and with approximately a 10° incline. Water is allowed to flow down the incline and the film thickness is measured using a ruler. A picture of an assembly created by an ME 356 student for this experiment is shown in Fig. 3. For this flow situation, assumptions can be made about the boundary conditions that reduce the Navier‑Stokes equations to a form for which exact solutions are attainable allowing for straightforward analytical analysis.

The experiments discussed above are performed by the students as home assignments, and written up in report form. The written report is graded not only for completeness, but also content and structure. To aid the students in developing the reports, a document titled “Report Guidelines” is provided to give students formatting requirements and grammatical suggestions.

Flowlab Flow Visualization Software

The Flowlab visualization software was successfully introduced into ME 356 in Fall 2004, and was used, first, to introduce students to three key aspects of CFD, and second, to reinforce the theoretical concepts learned in the classroom. The following paragraphs will detail how the software is used in these two capacities

CFD Integration

Flowlab is a graphical user-friendly package that serves as a front end to the commonly used CFD package FLUENT. FLUENT is a CFD package used in academia and industry to solve complicated fluid mechanics problems, however it has a very steep learning curve and thus is not appropriate for use in an undergraduate course. The Flowlab software has a variety of fluid mechanics templates, which are problems that are pre-formulated for solution using FLUENT. The Flowlab software facilitates adjustment of far fewer parameters by the user, than what would be required of FLUENT, through a graphical user interface. Thus using the Flowlab software, CFD is introduced by focusing on three key aspects:

1. volumetric descretization of the geometry that describes the flow of interest
2. specifying flow initial conditions and boundary conditions
3. accuracy and convergence of solutions

The exploration of the three aspects listed above is predominantly performed by the students in self-paced laboratory assignments; however, this work is supplemented with classroom discussion.

Flow Visualization of Classroom Theory

Flowlab also has the advantage of generating various forms of graphical output for solutions to several flow problems. In the classroom approaches to solving several problems are formulated usually from first principles, and by employing several assumptions about the nature of actual flow. The home experiments are very useful in solidifying theoretical concepts learned in class by comparing theoretical results to actual flows. When experiments of the types of flow problems examined in class are not possible, it is helpful to reinforce theoretical concepts by comparing the results to computational solutions, which can be very accurate. Also, since generating the computational results using Flowlab is a hands-on experience, and because these computational results are compared to homework solutions that the students solve, the flow visualization can be a substantial learning experience. An example of this approach to utilizing Flowlab visualization capabilities is shown in Fig. 4. Figure 4a shows a sketch of an expansion flow problem. The flow through an expansion problem is typically solved in ME 356 using, in this case, continuity, Bernoulli’s equation and the integral form of the momentum equations. For this particular problem, students must sketch the flow streamlines as shown in Fig. 4a, and identify characteristics of the pressure throughout the flow. The students then use Flowlab to solve this problem, where the pressure and velocity distribution can be displayed graphically. The Flowlab graphical solution of the velocity distribution is shown in Fig. 4b, and flow results from an actual experiment is shown in Fig. 4c.

Conclusion

During the Fall 2004 and Spring 2005 semesters, home experiments and Flowlab visualization software were introduced in ME 356. The inclusion of home experiments reflects the pedagogical enhancement of the course originally proposed in the curriculum reform grant. The Flowlab flow visualization software was used to introduce CFD as an important emerging technology, also as proposed in the curriculum reform grant. Additionally, the flow visualization capabilities of Flowlab provide useful teaching opportunities by facilitating hands-on computationally based problem solving, in which solutions can be compared to theory.

Water

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

a

b

c

Fig. 4

ME 41100: System Modeling, Analysis & Control

Abstract

Reform aimed at a required course - ME 41100: Systems Modeling, Analysis and Control (4 credits, 3 lecture hours and 3 laboratory hours) was conducted in a pilot Spring 2005 session. The main objective of the course reform is to help students acquire knowledge and abilities necessary for success in their future professional careers (including graduate studies) and life-long learning. In lieu of traditional exams, three approaches were adopted for the course reform: (1) comprehensive homework linking the training of mathematic skills, computational techniques and engineering design capabilities, (2) integral analytical-numerical-experimental approach to engineering problems and (3) student initiated final group presentation and report. Students who complete the course are expected to have developed abilities to identify and formulate real-world engineering problems, to carry out background research, to think creatively, to work individually and in teams, to synthesize information of various attributes, to assess results, and to communicate with others effectively. Indeed, the reform result is very encouraging. The score of the internal ABET course survey of the course has improved from mid-60’s to mid‑80’s.

1. Introduction

The required course - ME 41100: Systems Modeling, Analysis and Control (4 credits, 3 lecture hours and 3 laboratory hours) is one of three courses in the area of mechatronics and controls offered in the undergraduate curriculum of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at City College of New York. The other two courses are ME 31100: Fundamentals of Mechatronics (required, 3 credits, 2 lecture hours and 3 laboratory hours) and ME 51100: Advanced Mechatronics (technical elective, 3 credits, 2 lecture hours and 2 laboratory hours).

As shown in the figure above, ME 41100 lies at the center of the Mechanical Engineering curriculum. The pre-requisites required for this course include mathematics (calculus, differential equations, complex variables, linear algebra, etc.), engineering sciences (dynamics, mechanics of materials, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, electric circuits, etc.), MATLAB‑based computer and numerical techniques, and mechatronics-based laboratory techniques (e.g., knowledge of various electro-mechanical-optical sensors, digital data acquisition, characteristics of measurement systems, engineering statistics and regression analyses, etc.). In short, this course serves as the culmination of our engineering science portion of curriculum. Students are expected to apply the knowledge acquired from this course to almost all advanced courses during their senior year. These courses include, but not limited to, senior design projects, advanced mechatronics, mechanical vibrations, robotics, aircraft stability and control, vehicle dynamics, HVAC, etc.

One of the major activities the Department undertook for the preparation of ABET visit in Fall 2004 was the reform of ME 41100. Previously, this course was split into two required courses - ME 42100: Systems Modeling, Analysis and Control (3 credits, 3 lecture hours) and ME 54300: Dynamics and Controls laboratory (1 credit, 3 laboratory hours). These two courses were sequential; that is, ME 42100 was the pre-requisite of ME 54300. As illustrated in the figure on the previous page, students need extensive background in analytical, numerical and experimental skills to learn well in ME 421, the system dynamics and control course. However, in the old curriculum, this course was offered as a traditional engineering-science type of course with only 3 hours for lecture, which was not enough to cover the whole gamut of mechanical-engineering related systems, such as translational, rotational, electrical, electromechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic, thermal systems, etc.

The reform result is very encouraging. The score of our ABET course surveys of ME 41100, compared with those of ME 42100 and ME 54300, has risen steadily from mid-60’s to mid‑80’s. Such a drastic change is NOT merely due to the change of sequential offering of ME 42100 and ME 54300 to the version of parallel offering. It is our belief that the improvement is mainly due to the implementation of several educational-reform activities, which are related to the NSF-funded curriculum reform project, into the new version of ME 41100. The implementation of these reforms are reported below.

2. Objectives and Strategies of the Course Reform

The main goal of the course reform in ME 41100: System Modeling, Analysis and Control is to help students gain useful knowledge and skills in the general area of system dynamics and control. Such knowledge and skills are necessary for success in their future professional careers (including graduate studies) and for the continuation of their life-long learning. In order to achieve this goal, students in this class solve problems and explore issues in system dynamics and control area using engineering analysis, computation and experimental techniques. Students who complete the course are expected to have developed abilities to identify and formulate real-world engineering problems, to carry out background research, to think creatively, to work individually and in teams, to synthesize information of various attributes, to assess results, and to communicate with others effectively.

To accomplish these objectives, we adopted a strategy emphasizing: (1) collaborative learning by student teams for problem solving, (2) just-in-time integral learning using analytical, computational and experimental approaches, (3) close linkage between mathematics skills and engineering applications, (4) student-initiated knowledge exploration, including exposure to emerging technologies. In short, this course reform places learning in students’ own hands; emphasizes communication skills (both oral and written); encourages team work and development of people skills; and enhances their ability for life-long learning.

The first step taken in this course was the revision of grading system. In the old mode when the course was split in two sequential courses:

ME 42100 (3 credits, 3 lecture hours) and ME 54300 (1 credits, 3 laboratory hours). The grading system for the former was: homework (10%), mid-term exams (60%), and final exam (30%), whereas for the latter the grading system was: exam (20%) and lab reports (80%). In the current mode: ME 41100 (4 credits, 6 lecture-laboratory hours), the grading distribution is homework (36%), lab reports (24%), exams (20%) and final group presentation and report (20%).

Traditionally exams are used as the main assessment tool to evaluate a student’s progress. However, since most, if not all, students tend to prepare for an exam seriously only a few days before the exam, their learning usually is sporadic and the hastily acquired knowledge may be easily forgotten after the exam. Hence, two exams, each counting as 10% of the course grade, are held in the middle and at the end of the semester. On the other hand, in order to reflect the new grade distribution system, the current course reform emphasizes comprehensive homework assignments, integral analytical-computational-experimental lab reports and final group presentation and report, which together count for 80% of the course grade. We believe that knowledge gained through these three non-exam oriented assessment tools will achieve the afore‑mentioned educational objectives.

3. Comprehensive Homework Approach

As stated above, homework assignments in the old mode count only as a small fraction of the grade. In general each problem represents a simple practice and is only intended to cover a single concept of the chapter. To get the answer very often students need only to choose a proper equation given in the chapter. Since these concepts, though closely connected, are dispersed in the homework problems, for most of students it may be difficult to see the overall picture showing how these concepts related with each other and linked with other subjects in the curriculum, i.e., the pre- and co-requisites. In this course reform, innovative homework assignments were designed to induce students’ learning from past experience, i.e., prerequisites as well as future advanced study. For instance, in one of the homework assignments, students were asked to find the equivalent spring constant and mass of a simply-supported beam loaded with a concentrated mass, as shown in the figure below.

The problem is related to one of the prerequisites of the course: ME 33000: Mechanics of Materials. In order to find the equivalent spring constant and mass, students will need the results of beam deflection due to an equivalent concentrated force. Such a beam deflection may be obtained from a conventional Mechanics of Materials textbook. To demonstrate that background knowledge from Mechanics of Materials, students are asked to solve this problem through the following steps:

(a) Generate a free-body diagram to determine if the beam is statically determinate or indeterminate.

(b) Find the reactions and the shear and moment distributions if the beam is statically determinate.

(c) Obtain the beam deflection and slope based on the results in Step (b) if the beam is statically determinate. On the other hand, if the beam is statically indeterminate, obtain the reactions, the shear and moment distributions, and the beam deflection and slope using the more complicated approach.

(d) Determine the equivalent spring constant and mass of the beam using the concept of energy equivalence.

In the old mode of teaching, Steps (a) to (c) were considered covered in ME 33000: Mechanics of Materials. Only Step (d) was considered to belong to the course of system dynamics and control. However, without a thorough review of Steps (a) to (c) and acquiring the segmented knowledge by executing only Step (d), a typical student may have difficulty to visualize the full picture linking these two basic subjects in engineering science: Mechanics of Materials and System Dynamics and Control.

Another feature of the comprehensive homework approach is to guide students through uncharted territory. In this approach, students were asked to work on homework assignment based on not only the knowledge they acquired in this course, but also additional reading assignment taken from advanced study in system dynamics and control. For instance, the textbook adopted in this course is: K. Ogata, System Dynamics, 4^th ed., 2004, which is suitable for a junior course such as ME 41100. Using this textbook students learn basic dynamics for pneumatic systems as well as fundamental concepts in the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control. In one of their homework assignments: Pneumatic PD Controller (as shown in the figure above), students are asked to study the section of Control of Pneumatic Systems, taken from an advanced textbook by the same author, Modern Control Engineering, 4^th ed., 2002, pp. 158-175, which is more suitable for a first-year graduate level course in feedback system control. The functions, construction, applications and limitation of a pneumatic proportional (P) controller is explained fully in this self-study reading assignment. Students are asked to extend this self-study knowledge to explain the pertinent attributes of a pneumatic proportional-derivative (PD) controller.

4. Integral Analytical-Computational-Experimental Learning

In the old sequential mode of the curriculum, students did not conduct experiments in system dynamics and control until they had completed the learning of all the theories and analytical/numerical techniques. This approach may hamper most, if not all, students from acquiring knowledge in engineering without hands-on experimental experience. Furthermore, since theory and experiments were learned in two separate courses: ME 42100 (theory) and ME 54300 (experiments), in the past a few students, though in minority, postponed the taking of ME 54300 several semesters after they took ME 42100, thus diminishing the effect of learning the subject in continuation.

With the augmented credits and hours in this reformed course, we now have the flexibility to teach subjects in an integral analytical-computational-experimental approach and make it easy for students to have full understanding of the subjects. As an example, the figures below show the experimental apparatus of an unrestrained torsional mechanical system as well as its experimental and numerical (MATLAB) time responses due to a step torque input.

5. Final Group Presentation and Report

In lieu of traditional final exam, students were asked to make a final group presentation with a report. Indeed, the team, which usually consists of three to four students, was formed at the beginning of the semester and is the basis for the afore-mentioned collaborative learning and experimental group. Topics of the final presentation must be related to proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control. Each student team needs to define its engineering problem and comes up with the governing equations of the problem for analysis and design. Specifically, the presentation should conform to feedback control of a physical plant subject to reference, disturbance and noise inputs in the form of step, ramp and parabolic functions. The resultant controlled output and the actuating error signal are of particular interest. Strong encouragement was given to topics of interdisciplinary nature and/or applications in emerging technologies (e.g., MEMS/mechatronics, nanotechnology, intelligent systems, smart structures, adaptive materials, biomedical engineering, innovative energy-power systems, etc.). The rationale of having this learning activity at the culmination of the semester, as mentioned earlier, is to help students develop abilities to identify and formulate real-world engineering problems, carry out background research, think creatively, work individually and in teams, synthesize information of various attributes, assess results, and communicate with others effectively. In a nutshell, it places learning in students’ own hands after they have accumulated enough background knowledge. Such training is very crucial for their capability for life-long learning. In this past semester (Spring 2005) the following topics were studied:

· Control of valve-seat deflection in a pneumatically actuated microvalves

· A river-dam control system for irrigation

· Pneumatronic control of a climbing robot

· Dynamics and control of a mechanical arm

· Cornering control in a vehicular steering system

· Modeling and control of a driveline system in a vehicle

An unrestrained torsional mechanical system

Open-loop time response in disk position closed-loop PD response in disk position

Analytical-computational (MATLAB) solutions.

ME 430-Thermo-System Analysis and Design

This course has been offered for the first time during Spring 2005. As part of our reform effort it has evolved from our Thermodynamics II course.

From ideal gas and isentropic processes, the subject is raised to real gas and real thermodynamic processes. Students are given estimates in numbers for the calculations of internal energy, enthalpy, and entropy for real case and ideal case and educated with parameters causing these differences. Calculations of pressure, volume and temperature are also explained for real and ideal cases. The differences from ideal to real could be as high as 100 percent depending upon the variation of real effects over ideal state.

These concepts are then used to design thermodynamic cycles for steam turbine and gas turbine power plants for applications to electric power generation, transportation and other industrial uses. The concept of hybrid cycles is also introduced at this level which can enhance efficiencies of individual cycles by 50 percent. Each student is assigned his individual parameters to design and optimize various parameters such as reheat pressure and exhaust pressure, temperature and pressure ratios etc. for maximum cycle efficiency.

At this point the students are taken into the subject of thermo fluid interaction through the use of energy equation and concept of total stagnation, static properties and also concept of speed of sound. Students are explained the major role of Mach number in thermo-fluid design of hypersonic, supersonic and subsonic nozzles and diffusers. These are all stationary devices. Although isentropic processes are emphasized in these processes, the students are introduced to the concept of choking, efficiency and other evaluating parameters for the devices.

To further the knowledge of thermo-fluid interaction, students were introduced to rotating devices, such as, pumps, fans, compressors and impulse turbines. Thermodynamic fluid based performance parameters and design similarity laws were developed to evolve prototypes of machines. All students were given, with separate parameters, a second detailed project to design the first stage (which is usually an impulse stage) of a large steam/nuclear power plant. Students were given material as how to convert a given amount of enthalpy to work through a steam turbine and explained calculation procedure for velocity triangles, choice of angles, blade profiles, choice of number of blades etc.

Students were required to prepare thorough project reports as per ASME paper format to give them writing skills for a technical paper preparation.

Finally, the last part of this course was dedicated to fuels and combustion processes. Students were given thorough understanding of inorganic and organic fuels to generate energy. The process of oxidation of various hydrocarbon and coal fuels was explained. Material from authors own work (ASME Paper 82-GT-166) on coal application was given to explain to the students how complex the coal structure is. The effect of temperature on combustion was explained. Details were given on the environmental effect of combustion products, specifically hazardous particles and toxic carbon monoxide, and sulphurdioxide and oxides of nitrogen. In addition, students were introduced to fuel to air ratio, enthalpy of formation any combustion, adiabatic flame temperature and second and third law applications to reversible work and absolute entropy.

ME-433 Heat Transfer

This classical undergraduate course covers the three modes of heat transfer: conduction, convection and radiation. Our objective in modifying this course was to incorporate topics on emerging technologies. This was accomplished by eliminating certain topics while preserving the fundamentals of conduction, convection and radiation. The added material was carefully selected such that no new mathematical tools or physical laws are required.

The following new material was added to the course:

(1) Conduction with Phase Change

(2) Heat Transfer in Living Tissue

(3) Heat Transfer in Microchannels

(4) Home Experiment: One dimensional solidification

(5) Software Utilization: Using COMSOL to solve heat transfer problem

A summary of these topics follows.

(1) Conduction with Phase Change. Recent interest in this area has focused attention on applications to thermal storage, cryosurgery, cooling of microelectronics and processing of nuclear waste material. Although mathematical solutions are complex due to the non-linearity of the problem, a common simplified model based on the quasi-steady approximation makes it feasible as an undergraduate subject. Students learn to analyze and solve problem such as the freezing of steak, thawing of an apple and freezing of a lake.

(2) Heat Transfer in Living Tissue. The past two decades have seen significant expansion of bioengineering. Knowledge of basic biology and physiology is essential in tackling certain interdisciplinary bioengineering problems. Although heat transfer in living tissue is usually treated in graduate courses, a simplified treatment was specifically developed for our undergraduate students. Vascular architecture and blood flow is presented with the aid of Fig. 1. One of the key requirements for analyzing heat transfer in tissue is the formulation of an appropriate bioheat equation. The simplest and most popular model is Pennes bioheat equation. Pennes equation (1) is formulated with emphasis on its analogy with the familiar fin equation.

(1)

This equation is used to analyze heat transfer in the arm and digit. By modeling certain organs as fins, this equation is used to study heat transfer in the rat tail (Fig. 2), elephant ear (Fig. 3) and the armor of dinosaur Stegosaurus (Fig. 4).

Fig. 2 Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Another important application is tissue freezing associated with cryosurgical probes. This application makes use of conduction with phase changed presented above. Figure 5 is a one-dimensional model of tissue freezing over a planar probe.

Fig. 5

(3) Heat Transfer in Microchannels. The need for efficient cooling methods for high heat flux components focused attention on the cooling features of microchannels. Microchannels are used in a variety of mico-elecro-mechanical systems (MEMS) such as micro heat exchangers, mixers, pumps, turbines, sensors and actuators. Material on this emerging technology was specifically prepared for undergraduate students. Basic concepts such as continuum and thermodynamic equilibrium are reviewed and the Knudsen number is defined. To avoid complications, consideration is limited to ideal gas. In addition, the analysis is limited to the slip flow regime where the range of the Knudsen number is between 0.001 and 0.1. This is an important case since for such microchannels the continuum model is valid while the no slip boundary condition fails. Similarly continuity of temperature at a boundary also fails and is replaced by a temperature jump condition. Based on these considerations, analysis of flow and heat transfer in the following microchannels is examined:

(i) Circular Couette flow. This common problem is modeled as a rectilinear Couette flow, shown in Fig. 6, with velocity slip and temperature jump at the two surfaces.

Fig. 6

(ii) Poiseuille flow: Uniform surface flux. Velocity and heat transfer solutions for Poiseuille flow between parallel plates are obtained taking into consideration velocity slip and temperature jump at the boundaries. The variation of the Nusselt number with Knudsen number is determined. Figure 7 shows the dramatic decrease in Nusselt number as the Knudsen number is increased from the macro case of Kn = 0 to the micro case of Kn = 0.12.

Fig. 7

(iii) Poiseuille flow: Uniform surface temperature. The previous case is repeated with specified surface temperature and a plot of Nusselt number vs. Knudsen number is obtained.

(4) Home Experiment: One dimensional solidification. A simple experiment was designed to compare theoretical prediction of planar solidification with experimental data. The experimental setup is shown in Fig. 8. This experiment can be performed in a household freezer without the need of special instruments. Although approximate data is obtained, the experiment provides an opportunity to review the material on conduction with phase change presented in section (1) above.

Fig. 8

(5) Software Utilization: Using COMSOL to solve heat transfer problem. COMSOL is a powerful software program used to solve flow and heat transfer problems. This program was purchased and installed in our computer laboratory for use by students. Modules were prepared as assignments to students. The modules deal with material covered in the course and are designed to illustrate and reinforce important concepts in heat transfer.

ME 441 – Advanced Stress Analysis

ME 441, Advanced Stress Analysis is an elective design course. It is a course between Mechanics of Materials and Elasticity Theory. One major objective of the course is to understand the concepts of stress and its analysis in general mechanical components, to meet the mechanical safety requirements in design.

Starting in Fall 2005, the following improvement and changes were made:

1) More time was spent on the understanding of the concept of stress. More exercises were designed to help students fully understand the concept.

2) Reasonable exercises were designed in modeling practical problems into solvable boundary value problems. As we identified early when we implemented changes in ME330, mechanical modeling process is an important link between the content we offered in conventional class and reality.

3) Finite element stress analysis was added to the course. Since finite element method (FEM) has become a standard stress analysis tool in industry, we have to teach our students how to use the tool. Due to course structure and time limitation, FEM theory was not taught, instead FEM software was treated as a toolbox and the effort was focused on how to set up a problem, what is the necessary input, how to describe the geometry, the material, the boundary conditions and loading history, how to choose the outputs and interpret the results. A free software, FEAP, was distributed in class so that students can run it from their own computer.

4) More exercises were added on how to express boundary conditions for problems to be solved analytically or numerically. With the presence of FEM, knowing how to set up a problem is now more important than knowing how to solve.

5) Some examples in modern technologies were included. For example the stress analysis of thin film, thermal stresses in a conductor line embedded in glass matrix, etc. were introduced.

6) Basic concepts in fracture mechanics, such as stress intensity factor, energy release rate and fracture toughness, were introduced. This change is based on the fact that fracture toughness has become a standard material property and is usually considered in mechanical design.

7) More practical design problem were assigned. Previously our design projects were limited to those that have simple structures and are analytically solvable, such as shafts or pressure vessels. With the help of FEM, now problems with more complex geometries can be assigned. For example, students designed traffic light poles which span and road signs which can sustain certain wind pressure.

ME 46100 – Engineering Materials

This course was modified extensively.

A. Hands-on laboratory experiences: The course was revised to incorporate several new laboratory experiences, and to convert demonstration experiments into hands-on mode. The new experiences included fatigue and torsion testing; experiments that were done for the first time in hands-on mode included tensile testing of metals and polymers and advanced fiber materials, three-point bending of metals and glass, metallography, micro- and macrohardness testing. Due to safety concerns, three additional experiments were performed only partially in hands-on mode: cooling curves and phase diagrams, Charpy impact test, and Jominy test for hardenability. Table 1 summarizes the new and prior formats of the laboratory portion of the course.

B. Schedule: The course schedule was revised to accommodate the new lab format. Four of the fourteen weeks of the course were dedicated entirely to the lab. During each of these lab weeks, there were three experiments, for a total of twelve. The original enrollment of 24 was divided into six groups of four each; the groups were paired into three double groups of eight each, and each of the double groups was assigned experiments on a round-robin basis, for the first three labs, because each experiment used a different piece of equipment. During the last lab week, all three experiments required the use of the Instron tensile test machine; consequently, each double group performed only one of the experiments. Nevertheless, all students learned about all three experiments because the reporting was done by oral presentations to the entire class.

NOTE: The scheduled addition of one hour to the course will make it possible to divide the lab so that each experiment is performed by only one group.

C. Lab manuals, reports and assignments: New manuals have been written for the tensile, three-point bending, Charpy, torsion, fatigue, Rockwell, Knoop, Jominy and fiber tests. Laboratory assignments have been written or revised for all of these experiments, plus temperature-dependent stress-strain, metallography, and brittle failure statistics. Students are required to submit written reports for all experiments except for the last group of three, which requires an oral presentation by each group on one of the three experiments. Table 1 summarizes the report requirements. All lab manuals and assignments, as well as the report formats and a typical report are included in the Appendix to this report.

D. Incorporation of emerging technologies: The final project has been revised to require a focus on emerging technologies, and/or laboratory experiences more advanced than those required in the rest of the course. A copy of the revised Final Project assignment is included in the Appendix. As examples of assigned Final Projects we list the following: Polymer Liquid Crystals, Magneto-rheological (MR) fluids, Metal Matrix Composites (MMC’s), Carbon-fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP’s), and Amorphous Metals.

E. Evaluation: On May 17, 2005, the students evaluated the entire course, including the new hands-on lab format, in a large-group session chaired by a student. To assure candor, the instructor was not present during the discussion, and all findings were reported anonymously. The findings are reported below.

Table 1: Summary of Revisions to ME 461 Laboratory

Lab Topic	Prior to Curriculum Reform			Current
	Lab experience	Mode	Report	Lab experience	Mode	Report *
Stress-Strain Curves & Young’s Modulus	Yes	demo	LP #1	Yes	hands-on	LP #1
Torsion	No	--	--	Yes	hands-on	LP #1
Strength, toughness, resilience, ductility	Yes	demo	LP #2	Yes	hands-on	LP #2 **
Macrohardness	Yes	demo	LP #2	Yes	hands-on	LP #2 **
Microhardness	Yes	demo	LP #2	Yes	hands-on	LP #2 **
Charpy impact	Yes	demo	LP #3	Yes	demo/ hands-on	LP #3
Three-point bending of metals	Yes	demo	LP #3	Yes	hands-on	LP #3
Fatigue	No	--	--	Yes	hands-on	LP #3
Cooling curves and phase diagrams	Yes	demo	LP #4	Yes	demo/ hands-on	LP #4
Metallography	Yes	demo/ hands-on	--	Yes	hands-on	LP #4
Hardenability of steel alloys	Yes	demo	LP #5	Yes	demo/ hands-on	LP #4
Statistics of Brittle Failure	Yes	demo	LP #6	Yes	hands-on	LP #5A *
Temp-dependent stress-strain of PMMA	No	--	--	Yes	hands-on	LP #5B *
Advanced fibers	No	--	--	Yes	hands-on	LP #5C *

* LP (Lab Project) #1 - #4 are individual written reports; LP #5A, B & C are oral reports by one or two groups each.

** LP #2 (as well as LP # 1) is based on data from Lab Week

ME 461 Course Evaluation

May 17, 2005

At the end of the last class, all students in the course were asked as a group to do an anonymous evaluation of the course. The instructor was not present during this session, which was chaired by Ramiro Borja, one of the students. They were asked to respond to the three questions: (1) What went well in the course ? (2) What didn’t go so well? (3) What would you change about the course to make it better? After the evaluation session, the students’ answers to these questions were presented to the instructor in written form. These comments are reproduced below:

1. What went well?

• Lab and experimental use of equipment
• Visual aids and examples presented in class
• Process for understanding and writing projects was thought out and well organized

2. What didn’t?

· Lab Project 5A (temperature dependent stress-strain of PMMA) was not clear

· Some lecture material was presented too far ahead of the projects

· Lab Project #4 was too long

· Lecture period is too long

3. What would you change?

· Grading should be easier

· Lab Project #4 should be separated into two projects

· Data from the experiments should be posted on Balckboard.com course web site

ME 462 – Manufacturing Processes

This course was revised to include micro-manufacturing as one of the 14 lecture topics. To make room for this revision, Bulk Metalforming and Sheet Metalforming, previously two topics, were incorporated into one. The new lecture on Micro-manufacturing begins with an overview of micro-manufacturing applications, including microelectronics and MEMS technologies. It then focuses on the processes required for production of a typical integrated circuit: crystal and wafer production, lithography (including optical, x-ray, laser and E-beam methods), additive processes (including CVD, oxidation, thermal diffusion, ion implantation and metallization), and packaging. The lecture concludes by showing how these processes are integrated into the production of a typical MOSFET integrated circuit.

M.E. 471 - Energy Systems Design

This course has been substantially modified. The modified course has been offered for the first time in Spring 2005.

The major modifications to the course have included the addition of statistical data on energy production and consumption world wide and in USA. Also included were data on various sources and various means of use of energy.

There was addition of chapters on conventional and nuclear fuels, and alternate sources of energy.

A chapter was also added on environmental effects of power plant emissions such as carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, particulate, and other toxic products. Data were presented on national and international codes for control of these hazardous products of emission.

The chapter on cost effective planning of power plant design and construction was strengthened in view of modern development of hybrid (combined cycle) gas-stream turbine and other combined cycles.

The remaining chapters such as steam generating system and furnaces, steam turbines and cooling towers remained unchanged.

ME 472 - Mechanical Systems Design

A) Introduction of new teaching strategies

This course is a classical design course with many major topics that must be covered in class. For example, topics such as gears, bearings, brakes, or other machine elements need to be taught to a mechanical engineer. However, the time spent on the strength of material section of the course was reduced and replaced with new teaching methodology, namely reverse engineering and design. Through this method lectures were prepared for re-engineering an existing product and how to improve it. For example, in Fall 2005, students were assigned to re-engineer and motorize a staple-gun (purchased from Home Depot) as their final project. The students were required to write a report for their analysis and re-engineering of the stapler. This was a success and students enjoyed it very much.

B) Incorporation of emerging technologies (MEMS Design)

Lectures on MEMS and Micro Systems Design were developed. These lectures were taken from several books and journal articles on manufacturing research in this area.

During the last two weeks of classes the following topics were covered:

MEMS applications, materials used in MEMS, micro-machining and micro-fabrication processes and methods. Design methods of micro-motors and accessories such as micro gears, linkages, transmissions, bearings, pins, joints, levers and many other machine elements were also discussed. In addition, students were introduced to micro turbine and steam engine design and applications.

These topics were well received by the students.

ME 473/474 Senior Design Projects

As part of the proposed task, modules developed by ASME regarding Professional- Practice-Curriculum (PPC) were incorporated into the Senior Design Courses. As a pilot study and as the first step, during the summer of 2004 four ASME-PPC modules thought to be important to students were studied and evaluated. After review, it became clear that the modules were designed for practicing engineers and they were not suited to the needs of undergraduate students. Specifically, they were too long, with scattered information so that the students would lose interest and thus would not learn the essence of the module. This thought was shared with ASME (Ms. Marian Heller, who is responsible for these modules) and we proposed to create a more focused and condensed version of the modules to be used by students only. Ms. Heller agreed, and we introduced two icons to each module on the website, one for the faculty as a teaching guide (and for dissemination), and the other one for the quiz to assess students’ knowledge of the subject.

During the summer the student version of three modules were developed and in the Fall of 2004 a fourth module was developed. The developed modules are:

Module I:   Engineering Ethics

Module II:  Product Planning

Module III: Product Development

Module IV: Project Management

During the Spring 2005 term, as a pilot study these modules were made available to the students and quizzes were administered. The students were very receptive and learned from these modules. These modules and others were incorporated into ME 473/474 the Senior Design Project courses.

Recently, emerging technologies have been incorporated into this course.

In recent senior design projects new technologies such as mechatronics, and partnership with industry were incorporated. This was accomplished by introducing two projects: Automatic louver system, Active Lock out relays, and Design of a Climbing Robot. These projects heavily involved mechatronics and electromechanical systems. In fact the climbing robot was done in direct collaboration with Electrical Engineering students.

ME 51500 – Orbital Mechanics

In the Fall 2003 semester, the department introduced a new 3-credit engineering design elective in the curriculum, ME 51500 - Orbital Mechanics. Since then, the course has been offered three times.

The topics covered in the course include:

• formulation for the gravitational interaction of N-bodies
• solution of the two-body problem which includes elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic trajectories
• orbital maneuvers and rendezvous techniques
• the effect of atmospheric drag on satellite orbits
• Lagrange’s solution of the three-body problem
• interplanetary trajectories

Students use a powerful, commercially available, software called Satellite Tool Kit (STK) which is also used by NASA to simulate orbital motion of satellites. The software is installed on 30 Sun workstations in our unix lab.

The students also do a design project.

• In the Fall 2003 semester, the project was to design a sequence of maneuvers the Space Shuttle could use to rendezvous with the ISS as quickly as possible, but with minimal fuel consumption, in the event of an emergency.
• In Fall 2005, the project was to design a space elevator, which would provide safe and easy access to space.
• In Fall 2007, the project was to design the sequence of maneuvers required for the shuttle to rendezvous with the Hubble Space telescope.

For these projects, the students submitted individual written reports, which were graded on originality and the thought process used to arrive at the final design.

ME572 Aerodynamic Design

The implementation of the reform plans included the introduction of a sequence of 1.5 lectures entitled, “From Large Scale to Small Scale Flyers: Unsteady Aerodynamics of micro planes and insects”. This lecture included the following topics:

• 1. Scaling and geometric similarity

• 2. Vortex dominated unsteady aerodynamics, maneuvering and insects

• 3. Aeroelastic coupling and its importance

• 4. Open loop control of separated flows

• 5. Active flow control techniques and flapping flight

• 6. Computational fluid dynamics model with integrated feedback control

In addition FLUENT/GAMBIT was formally introduced in the class and is being used to design a set of winglets on existing aerofoil/wing configurations to reduce the induced drag. Students are assigned a project and are required to present their work orally.

II. New course in Micro/Nano Technology

A new course in Micro/Nano Technology was offered on experimental basis in the Fall 2004 semester. The course was taught by Prof. Maribel Vazquez of the Biomedical Engineering department. Students from various disciplines, namely from mechanical, biomedical and chemical engineering registered for the course. Student feedback was positive. The course has been made a required course for mechanical engineering students and the content of the course is given below.

ME 46300: Micro/Nano Technology: Mechanics, Materials, and Manufacturing

The aim of this course is to introduce students with diverse technical interests to the emerging area of micro and nano phenomena in science and engineering. Micro-Electrical Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and Nanotechnology continue to revolutionize research in the engineering and science communities requiring newcomers to familiarize themselves with these fundamental principles. This course will address synthesis and manufacturing techniques of micro/nano devices, relevant mechanics concepts (such as fracture and contact mechanics, elasticity), material property determination at small scales (e.g. size-scale strength effects), and engineering difficulties with manipulation and control of materials and phenomena on scales less than 1000 times the width of a human hair. The course will be centered upon a series of investigational exercises including microfludics experiments, electro-mechanical testing of microdevices, transport and deposition of macromolecules (e.g. DNA, proteins), nanolithography, and manipulation of carbon nanotubes. Course material will also briefly discuss the evolution of select micro/nano innovations and their impact and applications in applied sciences, medicine, space development, policy, and the environment.

Prerequisite: ME 46100. Pre- or coresquisite: ME 46200 (2 cl. Hr., 2 lab hr.; 3 cr.)

Starting with the Fall 2007 semester the course is being taught in the ME Department by a new hired faculty member, Prof. Ioanna Voiculescu. The course has also been modified with the addition of MEMs manufacturing and other topics. The revised description is given below.

ME 463- New description: The goal of this course is to provide the students the background to comprehend the existing technology to fabricate microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanodevices and their applications. Students will become familiar with the principles and applications of various generic microfabrication techniques, like photolithography, thin films deposition, and etching, which are used in microelectronics, MEMS, and microfluidics. The course also includes fabrication techniques for nanoscale structures such as e-beam lithography, molecular beam epitaxy and self assembly monolayers. Finally MEMS applications as pressure, acceleration, flow sensors, optical- mirror arrays, bio/chem sensors will be introduced. Devices based on single and multi walled carbon nanotubes, nanorobotics, self-assembly of nano elements and quantum dots are presented with emphasis on their unique electronic and mechanical properties.

III. Changes in curriculum requirements

The major changes in the ME curriculum were approved by the School of Engineering (SOE) during Spring 2004 ( please see first year’s annual report ) and were implemented during the 2004-2005 academic year. During the same academic year some additional changes were approved by the SOE. The most important change was the addition of one credit and one contact hour to ME 461 – Engineering Materials to facilitate the hands-on experiences introduced into the course. The approved changes are listed below.

CURRICULUM CHANGES

PROPOSED BY

THE DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

(Approved by the Mechanical Engineering Department on March 8, 2005)
(Approved by the School of Engineering Curriculum Committee April 14, 2005)

(Approved by the School of Engineering Faculty on May 12, 2005)

The following modifications to the Mechanical Engineering Curriculum have been approved by the ME Faculty and SoE Curriculum Committee, and are being submitted for approval by the Faculty of the School of Engineering. These changes would take effect in the Spring 2006 semester.

1. Prerequisite changes

• For ME 311(Mechatronics): Add Math 392 as pre- or corequisite; Add ME 322 as prerequisite.
  
  JUSTIFICATION: MATLAB is used in ME 311 as a computational tool; students learn to write MATLAB code in ME 322 (Numerical Analysis). Matrix operations are needed to develop curve fitting techniques; matrices are taught in Math 392 (Linear Algebra).
  
  
• For ME 411 (Systems Analysis, Modeling and Controls): Add ME 330 (Mechanics of Materials) as prerequisite.
  
  JUSTIFICATION: Analysis of simple mechanical systems requires an understanding of solid mechanics.

• For ME 463 (Micro/Nano Technology): Add ME 356 or Ch E 341 (Transport Phenomena 1) as prerequisite; Drop ME 461 (Engineering Materials) as prerequisite.
  
  JUSTIFICATION: Many phenomena at micro- and nanoscale are related to fluid flow; ME 461 is redundant as prerequisite, because ME 462 is already pre- or corequisite.

• For ME 474 (Senior Design I): Add ME 436 (Aero/Thermal Fludis Lab) as pre- or corequisite.
  
  JUSTIFICATION: Many senior design projects require understanding of complex systems, and ability to conduct experiments.

2. Change ME 401 (Review of Engineering Fundamentals) from required to elective course; eliminate pass/fail grading.

JUSTIFICATION: The FE Exam is not required for many ME graduates, and the exam does not play a major role in program assessment. Those students who plan to take the FE exam should have the option of taking the review course. .

Add l lab hour and 1 credit hour to ME 461 (Engineering Materials), changing it from 3 credits, 3 class hrs., 2 lab hrs. to 4 credits, 3 class hrs., 3 lab hrs.

JUSTIFICATION: A hands-on lab has recently been introduced in the course, raising safety concerns, as well as increasing the workload. Adding a lab hour and a credit would address both issues. Items #2 and #3 together reduce the total number of contact hours by 2, while leaving the total number of credits unchanged.

Since then the following additional changes were approved by the GSOE faculty during the Spring 2007 Semester.

1. Add ME 32200 (Computer methods) as prerequisite for ME 37100 (CAD).

An understanding of the finite-element method (FEM) requires knowledge of matrix computation methods such as LU decomposition and solution of the characteristic equation. Adding ME 32200 as prerequisite would eliminate the need to duplicate this material in ME 37100.

2. Add ENGL 21007 as prerequisite for ME 46100 and ME 43600.

3. Both ME 46100 and ME 43600 require extensive report-writing; adding ENGL 21007 would help to improve students' facility in written English before they take these courses.

IV. Laboratory enhancements / New equipment

To enhance the laboratory experience of students a fatigue testing machine and a torsion testing machine were purchased and incorporated into the materials laboratory. Students used both machines in their Engineering Materials course. The development of the Energy Systems Lab is continuing and the recently developed heat exchanger experiment was used in the Aero/Thermo laboratory course. Additional equipment planned for the labs were purchased during the 2005- 2006 and 2006-2007 academic years. They include a CNC lathe (for the manufacturing laboratory), a microhardness indenter (for the materials laboratory), a linear analyzer (for the mechatronics laboratory) and a 3-D printer (for the senior design projects and manufacturing). With the addition of these items students’ laboratory experience will be enhanced significantly.

Finally an impact tester was added to the Materials Lab. The Instron Model SI-1D3 SATEC pendulum-type impact testing machine is designed to perform both Charpy & Izod tests on 10mm x 10mm specimens in accordance with ASTM-E23 standards for measuring impact toughness. The testing system that we purchased includes light and heavy hammer assemblies and has been retrofitted to work with our existing Dynatup Impulse Data System.

V. Recruitment and Retention Activities

Several activities were initiated to launch our recruitment and retention drive. Particular attention was focused on women’s issues. These activities include the following:

(1) Community College Students’ Participation in Design Competitions. In conjunction with the STEP Program cooperation was initiated with the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) to enable their students to participate in ASME’s regional design competition. One team from BMCC participated in the regional competition and took first place. They competed nationally in November 2007 at Seattle.

(2) Women’s Lounge.  A room to serve as a gathering place to interact, study, and rest was dedicated for use by female student members of the department.  The room’s facilities include a computer, printer, and telephone.  

(3) The Honors Program. Taking advantage of the college’s Honors Program, contacts were made with unsuccessful applicants who expressed interest in engineering. Scholarships were offered to encourage women to consider enrolling in our department.
The department chair and two other faculty members attended a dinner given to prospective Honor’s Program students and their parents to attract them to Mechanical Engineering.

(4) Open House. The department participated every year in the annual School of Engineering Open House with special attention paid to female visitors. Mechanical engineering faculty and students organized demonstrations and events.

(5) Faculty Appointment. The department searched and appointed a recent woman graduate as Assistant Professor. She will play an important role in interacting with our women students.  

VI. ASME Activities

The activities carried out by ASME are summarized in the following report submitted by ASME.

CCNY/ASME Departmental Reform Project

ASME Report

May 2008

Principal ASME staff and volunteers engaged with the project:

Thomas Perry, P.E.	Director, Education and Professional Development, ASME
Amy Bentow	Manager, Education, ASME
Marian Heller	Manager, Education, ASME
Tom Kenney, Ph.D.	Staff Technical Specialist, Powertrain Research Laboratory, Ford Motor Company
Noel McCormick	President, McCormick Stevenson Corporation
Joe Sussman, Ph.D.	Vice President, SAP Development Center, Information Systems, Bayer Corporation
Glenn W. Ellis, Ph.D.	Associate Professor, Picker Engineering Program, Smith College
Jerry Samples, Ph.D.	Professor, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Col. Kip P. Nygren, Ph.D.	Head of the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, U.S. Military Academy, West Point
John Lamancusa, Ph.D., P.E.	Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Learning Factory, Penn State University
Janet Stocks, Ph.D.	Assistant Vice Provost for Education, Carnegie Mellon University

The CCNY/ASME collaboration over the course of the project was carried out in four activity areas:

A. Incorporation of ASME Professional Practice Curriculum modules into the ME curriculum

B. Faculty Development

C. Industry Advisory Board

D. Dissemination of CCNY Curriculum Reform Results

PROJECT RESULTS

A. Incorporation of the ASME Professional Practice Curriculum into the ME curriculum.

The ASME has developed over nearly 50 online educational modules related to the practice of mechanical engineering and known as the ASME Professional Practice Curriculum (PPC). The modules deal with professional issues as diverse as ethics, leadership, project management, product life-cycle management, environmental impact, entrepreneurship, and many others. Under the grant, CCNY ME students were provided access to the complete module series, and selected modules were incorporated into the CCNY senior mechanical engineering design course. The department provided student and faculty feedback to ASME that was used in improving the modules.

The department also developed a faculty guide to facilitate incorporation of the ASME Professional Practice Curriculum PPC into undergraduate ME courses. The guide, developed with CCNY Professor Sadegh, focuses on the implementation of modules in the senior capstone design courses ME 473 & 474 and was implemented in Fall 2004. The modules featured in the capstone courses were included Ethics, Safety and Risk Assessment, and Project Management.

After review and feedback from students and faculty, it became clearer that the modules were designed more suitably for practicing engineers and the CCNY faculty collaborated with ASME staff to produce condensed versions for student use. Pilot studies of the revised modules and quizzes on content were conducted during the Spring 2005 term. The students were very receptive and learned from these modules. These modules and others in the series have been incorporated into ME 473/474 the Senior Design Project courses.

B. Faculty Development

During each of the three years of the proposed grant the ASME conducted special versions of the ASME Essential Teaching Workshop and a special student–focused instruction symposium at CCNY for regular and adjunct faculty and graduate students in the mechanical engineering department.

In March 2004 and April 2005 the workshop was led by Dr. Jerry Samples, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Topics focused on the interests of the CCNY ME faculty, a very diverse faculty teaching an equally diverse, often first generation English-speaking student population, and included:

· Introduction to Learning Styles

· Assessment Techniques

· Class Preparation and Organizational Skills

· Non-Verbal Communication Skills

· Writing and Speaking: The Fundamental Elements

· Involving Students in the Learning Process

· Technology Usage in the Classroom

· Teaching Methods: Large Classes

· Student-Teacher Learning Teams

· Developing Evaluation Instruments

Virtually all of the ME department faculty participated in the workshops and evaluations were excellent. The third faculty development program used a symposia format based on issues of interest to the faculty. The one-day program, Beyond the Textbooks: A Student-Focused Symposium for Engineering Faculty, featured:

· Learner-Centered Pedagogy: Gender Equity in Engineering -- Glenn W. Ellis, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Picker Engineering Program, Smith College

Applying the findings of cognitive science to develop learner-centered pedagogy for engineering education. the effects of this pedagogy on women engineering students, and the content issues related to attracting and retaining women in engineering programs.

· Educating Leaders in Engineering – Why, What, and How -- Col. Kip P. Nygren, Ph.D., Head of the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, U.S. Military Academy, West Point

The future requires leaders with an understanding of technology to help move society in humane, productive, and sustainable directions. Leaders can be developed in an undergraduate program that provides opportunities for students to understand and practice leadership. The group explored the concepts of and how can leader development be a part of engineering education.

· Preparing Students for Industry -- John S. Lamancusa, Ph.D., P.E., Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Learning Factory, Penn State

The typical undergraduate curriculum emphasizes engineering science fundamentals and is excellent preparation for graduate study. By and large, the vast majority of B.S. graduates who will take jobs in industry are expected to learn the non-analytical, professional skills on their own, or on the job. Several universities have attempted to bridge this gap between the way we like to teach, and the actual practice of engineering and the session examined some of these initiatives and their applicability to CCNY.

· Getting Students Excited about Research -- Janet Stocks, Ph.D., Assistant Vice Provost for Education, Carnegie Mellon University

Research is inherently exciting to faculty members who are engaged in creating new knowledge. The group explored ways to translate that excitement to undergraduate students and create successful undergraduate research experiences, including such issues as: How do we get them started? How do we support and challenge them appropriately, and eventually move them to a level where they are taking some intellectual ownership over a portion of the work they are doing?

C. Industry Advisory Board (IAB)

In support of the project, ASME formed an industrial advisory board independent from the ME department to provide input and feedback about the curriculum reform effort. The advisory board was convened by ASME once a year physically and multiple times as needed through teleconferencing. The department presented its reform plan and the implementation activities to the advisory board for comments and suggestions. The feedback was used to modify the plan and adjust the implementation as warranted.

The Industrial Advisory Board members were Tom Kenney, Ford Motor Company; Noel McCormick, McCormick Stevenson Corporation; and Joe Sussman, Bayer Corporation. Both Drs. McKenney and Sussman were also senior ABET Program Evaluators for ASME, so in addition to bring the industry perspective, they were also very experienced in the role of quickly coming up to speed and assessing ME department plans and processes.

The board held its inaugural face-to-face meeting at CCNY on April 23, 2004, and subsequently issued a report of its observations and recommendations to the CCNY ME Faculty. In this and the subsequent meetings IAB both challenged and commended the CCNY faculty for excellent progress on the integration of emerging technologies into existing undergraduate courses without compromising fundamental principles. The group formally urged the department to include refinement of methods for assessing outcomes and the establishment of measurable recruiting and retention objectives related to the curricular reform. The department was encouraged and undertook to apply improved methods and metrics of assessment than are required by ABET accreditation (a minimum standard) to determine and monitor the benefits and problems that are being created by the changes that are being made.

In addition to the Industry Advisory Board, ASME staff members Tom Perry, Marian Heller and Amy Bentow have participated in regular update meetings at CCNY and met via teleconference with CCNY faculty to plan and coordinate activities.

The following is a sampling of the IAB reactions to the CCNY program and curriculum reform project which represents not only the accolades but the challenges to the ME faculty as they progressed through the curriculum project and great many of the challenging issues were resolved or at lease moderated in the view of the IAB over the course of the grant project:

“My first impression is that the ME program is very well supported. The laboratories and computers are among the best that I have seen on any ABET visit. The enthusiasm for the NSF curriculum reform project is impressive. I applaud the program for engaging in this project and looking to the future.”

“After reviewing the materials and participating in the discussions, I still do not understand who among the program's constituents is requesting the program content changes that are being made, why the requests are being made and what depth of coverage is being requested.”

“The program should consider the following questions (not an inclusive list) before making curriculum changes:

a. What are the desired abilities of all program graduates in these areas?

b. What are the desired abilities of program graduates specializing in these areas?

c. Can meaningful specialization be realistically provided?

d. How will these educational outcomes and objectives be stated and progress be measured?”

“My impression is that the proposed changes look interesting and should be explored. The program should consider conducting appropriate pilot studies. Meaningful and successful out-of-class experiments will require a lot of work by both the faculty and students. Throughout their lives, students must know how to think without a computer and how to evaluate information (extract nuggets and recognize garbage) when conducting research. Consequently, the program must continue to provide a strong fundamental understanding of the underlying engineering principles so that the students can deal with new information effectively and successfully.”

“Emerging technologies can provide interest and spice to the curriculum, but must not dilute the fundamentals. What concerns me is that the undergraduate Mechanical Engineering curriculum has always lacked much of the practical training required by industry, and I fear that additional emphasis on new technologies will only serve to further erode the hands-on "journeyman's" training that MUST be provided by someone (if not academia, then industry). A "survey" of new technologies, coupled with an effort to integrate new technologies into the existing curriculum (as example problems, etc.) might be appropriate. However, I would advise against going very far down this path. As a business owner and engineering project manager, I would prefer, for example, that my associates have more training in "basic beam theory" than in "microstructures".

“I was VERY impressed with CCNY's lab facilities, and would encourage an increased emphasis here. As we all know, Engineering is the embodiment of scientific principle, and any time spent in physical contact with the tools of the trade is time well spent. It's also fun and motivational, and may help to increase retention as well.”

“We need to create a feeling of "community" among engineers on campus. We need to make everyone involved feel welcomed and appreciated. A more integrated curriculum, with a substantial "engineering design" course every semester, beginning with incoming freshmen, would go a long way toward creating the engineering community I'm advocating.”

“The view we were given, primarily of the laboratories, was quite impressive. One's imagination suggests that they, the department/program, have a very good chance of delivering a quality output.”

“I can readily agree that students graduating from an ME program in the twenty first century should know that there are engineering applications in the micro/nano/bio areas.....but they had also better REALLY know something about statics, dynamics, heat transfer, mass, momentum, energy, etc., etc., etc.”

“One area I would like to see have more emphasis is interdisciplinary learning and experiences. I know that MEs don't necessarily care for electrical engineering or chemical engineering, however based on my experience with the ASME design competition, a working knowledge, not just an appreciation, of other fields will go a long way toward improving their engineering education. Projects, competitions and design classes should bring students from different disciplines together to create and build a design using a holistic approach. For example, in building a robot there are several systems: propulsion, structure, and control/electrical. The mechanical student should be responsible for the control/electrical aspect and consult with the EE of the team and similarly the EE could be responsible for the structure/chassis component of the project while consulting with the ME of the team.”

“One additional "teaching strategy" that I would recommend is an active relationship with industry. Identify local businesses and individuals willing to offer speakers, tours and even formal classroom instruction. The payoff would be threefold (at least):

a. Instructor diversity.

b. Formalized contact and communication between the university and a key constituency (industry).

c. Specific exposure of the student body to business leaders.

The University should not only prepare graduates to make a contribution to industry, but should make a point of introducing the two.”

“My report for this visit is much shorter than the last one. I think the ME department at CCNY is doing some good pedagogical stuff, and they've allayed my fears about everything coming up nano-micro-geo-bio-enviroholistic”

D. Dissemination

ASME has significant institutional resources and ability to dissemination to mechanical engineering community and strong ties to the engineering education community, in general, and made significant efforts to publicize the reform effort and its results.

Event dissemination

It has been the objective of ASME over the course of the project to organize sessions and presentations by representatives from the CCNY ME department to expose the ME education leadership community to the CCNY reform strategy, the available results, the structure and process of conducting the reform and to solicit comments and ideas. Nine (9 such) dissemination events have occurred in various forms and formats to keep the progress of the project visible to the ME education leadership:

· ASME Department Heads Forums (at the International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition), 2005 (Anaheim), 2006 (Chicago) and 2007 (Seattle). (80 ME department heads avg/per Forum)

· ASME International Mechanical Engineering Education Conferences, 2005 (San Diego), 2006 (Beijing) and 2007 (Puerto Rico) (110 ME Department Heads avg/conference)

· Mechanical Engineering Department Heads Summer Meeting at the ASEE Annual Conference, 2004 (Salt Lake City), 2005 (Portland), 2006 (Honolulu). (50 ME Department Heads avg/meeting)

Mass Dissemination

In addition to event-based dissemination, significant efforts have been made and continue to be made in dissemination the work of the CCNY curriculum reform project to the broader ME education community, but domestically and internationally, such as:

· Promotional links were made between the ASME Center for Education website and the CCNY curriculum reform website

· Announcements on new developments and events were distributed via the ASAME ME Department Heads Listserv, which during the course of the project grew from about 300 department heads to over 700 worldwide.

Announcements and updates of the project and links to the CCNY site were sent to the ASME database of over 6,000 mechanical engineering/engineering technology educators and to ASME’s list of Engineering Deans in the U.S.