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Solid Mechanics
An introduction to concepts of stress, strain, and shear forces.
In the lab portion of this course, we were tasked to conduct experiments on a variety of metals such as aluminum, mild steel, and cast iron to determine shear stress, Young's Modulus, and deflection values.
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To the right are some examples of analytical lab reports of conducted experiments.
Computational Methods
Utilizing Matrix Laboratory (or MatLab for short), numerical algorithms are presented to us and we are tasked to solve them! Main focus here is to gain experience utilizing the program on topics such as roots of equations, simultaneous equations, and other calculus means.
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Sample m file code along with paired output.
x=2:.1:20; %increment of .1 for graph smoothing
f=@(x) sin(x)+sin((2/3)*x);
y = f(x);
plot(x,y);
xlabel('x');
ylabel('y');
grid on;
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xl=4; xu=8; phi=(1+sqrt(5))/2; tol=1; fxmin1=min(f(xl),f(xu)); %initial guess value [4,8]
while(tol > 10^(-4))
d=(phi-1)*(xu-xl);
x1=xl+d;
x2=xu-d;
if f(x1) < f(x2)
xl=x2;
x2=x1;
d=(phi-1)*(xu*xl);
x1=xl+d;
fxmin=f(x1);
else
xu=x1;
x1=x2;
d=(phi-1)*(xu-xl);
x2=xu-d;
fxmin=f(x2);
end
tol=abs(fxmin-fxmin1);
fxmin1 = fxmin;
end
Input
Output
Thermodynamics I
An in-depth instruction of heat and other forms of energy transfer. The lecture covered the majority of the 1st Law of Thermodynamics and an introduction to the second law.
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Other topics that were discussed were physical properties, ideal and real gases, second law, reversibility, irreversibility and consequences of thermodynamic cycles.
Thermodynamics II
Thermodynamics II reinforced the teachings of thermodynamics by advancing into the second law.
Thermodynamic cycles, relations & generalized charts, mixtures of fluids, chemical reactions, chemical and phase equilibrium, and thermodynamic aspects of fluid flow concepts were introduced.
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The project required for this class was to determine the flow properties and thrust of a space shuttle main engine model. This required us to apply our knowledge of combustion reactions, compressible flows, and thermodynamic relations.
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Throughout the project, we were tasked to find the mass flow, pressure, and density, and temperature ratios for given Mach numbers. At the end, an extensive report and analysis was turned. Both the calculations and report can be viewed below.
Fluids
Fluid statics concepts, dimensional analysis, viscous flow, the Bernoulli Equation, and many other concepts were introduced to understand how fluids interact and intertwine with engineering systems.
Thermo/Fluids Lab
Fundamentals from both thermodynamics and fluids are applied to lab applications to prove phenomena such as basic flow. Measurement techniques for flow temperature, pressure and properties, and statistical means through report writing and data reduction methods were implemented.
Heat & Mass Transfer
Heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation between related materials and measurements are introduced through fundamental laws. Heat, mass, and momentum transfer laws are also introduced.
CAD-Design and Finite Element Analysis
The objective of this class was to study two commercially rated CAD software packages for engineering analysis and design. These program packages are multidisciplinary structural analysis programs used to perform static, dynamic, and thermal analysis for 1D, 2D, and 3-dimenesional objects. NASTRAN is an analysis and design optimization program, while PATRAN is the mesh generator for pre- and post-processing. PATRAN is similar to Autodesk's AutoCAD with its real-time drafting.
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Being completely honest, there were a lot of long nights developing designs and learning how to correctly analyze the given information. Each submission required very meticulous examination to correctly present the analysis. Points were lost here and there throughout the semester, but working with the professor and his TA's proved how rewarding the process can be in the end.
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The final project involved us developing a complete analysis on a traffic light pole fixture in three different situations: static analysis, vibrational analysis, and external dust/dynamic analysis. The light pole fixture was composed of a single vertical pole, two horizontal poles of different diameters, three light fixatures, a base plate which was bolted to the ground, and each of these separate parts had independent properties such as a Poisson's ratio, mass, and geometric dimensions. This was one of the largest and most challenging projects I've experienced, but ended up being one of the most rewarding and memorable. You can check it out down below to review the report!