Mechanical Engineering (MECH)
Graduate Studies
570-577-3193
www.bucknell.edu/MechanicalEngineering
Professors: James W. Baish (co-chair), Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania. Keith W. Buffinton (co-chair), Ph.D. Stanford University. Thomas P. Rich, Ph.D. Lehigh University. Steven B. Shooter, Ph.D. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Associate Professors: Charles W. Knisely, Ph.D. Lehigh University. Peter C. Stryker, Ph.D. University of Minnesota. Constance W. Ziemian, Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University.
Assistant Professors: M. Laura Beninati, Ph.D. University of Iowa. Charles J. Kim, Ph.D. University of Michigan. Christopher L. Mordaunt, Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University. Mala M. Sharma, Ph.D. Pennsylvania State University.
Requirements
The mechanical engineering department requires six graduate level courses and a thesis for the master’s degree. Of these six courses, five must be in the department of mechanical engineering; one may be a graduate level course in physics or in the College of Engineering.
Research Areas
Faculty research interests are in the following areas: acoustics, bioengineering, bluff body aerodynamics, building energy conservation, combustion processes, composite materials, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), computer-aided design, computer-aided materials testing, computer-based mechanics, computer modeling of engineering systems, design theory and methodology, energy for transportation, flow-induced noise and vibration, fluid dynamics, fracture mechanics, heat transfer, hybrid powertrains, internal combustion engines, robotics, air-borne contaminant transport modeling, history of technology, nano materials, environmental degradation, materials processing.
Thesis
The master’s thesis is regarded as both education for the candidate and a contribution to public knowledge. This requirement of a 1.5 course credit thesis in the mechanical engineering department may be satisfied by:
- an exercise utilizing novel approaches to solve a practical engineering problem;
- an exercise designed to develop research ability and to demonstrate research performance;
- an experimental or theoretical research project. A final oral examination must be passed at least two weeks before the degree is to be received. The students must defend a thesis proposal prior to registration for thesis credit.
Facilities and Courses
Thesis work may be conducted in the following laboratories: hybrid powertrain laboratory, bioengineering, composite materials, compressible flow, computeraided engineering and design, computational mechanics and fracture mechanics, materials characterization and nondestructive evaluation laboratory, heat transfer, product development, thermal-fluids-energy, robotics, and wind tunnel facilities.
Courses Offered
622. Advanced Energy Conversion (I or II; 4, 0)
Application of thermodynamic principles to alternate energy sources and advanced energy systems. Investigation of solar, geothermal, wind, tidal, and hydroelectric power and the operation of fuel cells, magnetohydrodynamic generators, and photovoltaic, thermoelectric and thermionic devices. Open to
seniors and graduate students only. Prerequisite: MECH 216 or permission of the instructor.
624. Internal Combustion Engines (I; 4, 0)
Description of internal combustion engines, methods of evaluating performance, the thermodynamics of combustion, engine testing and design. Prerequisites: MECH 216 and MECH 312 or permission of the instructor.
632.Compressible Fluid Dynamics (I or II; 4, 0)
Compressible flow, shock wave phenomena, potential flow, two-dimensional flow, numerical methods, acoustic wave propagation. Selected laboratory exercises. Prerequisites: MECH 213, MECH 313, and ENGR 214 or permission of the instructor.
635. Aerodynamics (I or II; 4, 0)
Two-dimensional flow theory; vortex and momentum theories of finite wings; viscous flows, boundary layers and drag; high lift devices; lectures augmented by wind tunnel studies. Prerequisite: MECH 313 or permission of the instructor.
645. Engineering Acoustics and Noise Control (I or II; 4, 0)
Fundamentals of sound; instrumentation for noise measurement and analysis; sound sources, sound power; sound in enclosed areas; acoustic enclosures; muffling devices; vibration control; noise control of typical devices. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
646. Flow-induced Noise and Vibration (I or II; 4, 0)
Classification of flow-induced vibration; turbulence excitation; gust excitation; vortex shedding; galloping and stall flutter; flutter; impinging shear layers; cylinders and tube bundle vibrations; resonators and noise generation. Prerequisite: ENGR 222 or MECH 313 or permission of the instructor.
652. Advanced Dynamics (I or II; 4, 0)
Kinematics and dynamics of particles and rigid bodies. Degrees of freedom. Partial velocities. Generalized active and inertia forces. Kane’s equation. Lagrange’s equation. Numerical simulation of motion. Prerequisite: MECH 252 or permission of the instructor.
653. Robotics (I or II; 4, 0)
History, evolution, capabilities, and applications of robotic devices. Introduction to robot kinematics, dynamics, and control. Research into current topics in robotics. Development and implementation of robotic operations using model and industrial robots. Prerequisite: MECH 252 or permission of the instructor.
660. Engineering Optimization (I or II; 4, 0)
Applied methods of linear, nonlinear, discrete, and global optimization. Numerical techniques for constrained and unconstrained problems. Emphasis on engineering applications and solution methods using Matlab. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
662. Computer Integrated Manufacturing (I or II; 4, 0)
Issues of integrated information in manufacturing systems. In-depth study of solid modeling. Computer control of manufacturing processes, computer-aided quality control, and computer-aided process planning. Prerequisite: MECH 355 or permission of the instructor.
663. Introduction to Mechatronics (I or II; 4, 0)
Mechatronics is a multidiscipline technical area defined as the synergistic integration of mechanical engineering with electronic and intelligent computer control in the design and manufacture of industrial products and processes. This design-directed course covers topics such as actuators and drive systems, sensors, programmable controllers, microcontroller programming and interfacing, and automation systems integration. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as ELEC 663.
664. Mechanism Design (I or II; 3,0)
Design of traditional and compliant mechanisms. Topics include kinematics, analytical and graphical synthesis methods, and topics in research. Prerequisite: MECH 353, MECH 392, or permission of the instructor.
666. Applied Fracture Mechanics (I or II; 4, 0)
Fundamentals of fracture mechanics and its applications to the design of damage tolerant structures. Case studies in the fields of aerospace, pressure, vessels, rotating machinery, railroads, etc. Illustrating fracture mechanics principles in design. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
667. Finite Element Methods (I or II; 3, 2)
Fundamental theory and applications for civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and engineering mechanics stress analysis problems. One-, two-, and three-dimensional elements, and axisymmetric elements, and their formulations; stress recovery techniques; modeling considerations; convergence criteria and error estimates, includes use of commercial and developmental finite element analysis problems. Prerequisite: CENG 402 or permission of the instructor. Crosslisted as CENG 408.
668. Applied Finite Element for Mechanical Design (I; 2, 3)
Practical uses of finite element software for problems common in research and mechanical design. Applications include sub-structure modeling, contact problems, stress concentrations and crack defects, elastic-plastic problems, and problems with dynamic loading. Prerequisite: MECH 302 or permission of the
instructor.
670. Engineering Composite Materials (I or II; 4, 0)
Fundamental composite mechanics, including micromechanics and laminated plate theory. Design and analysis of composite structures; composite manufacturing techniques; current research topics in composite area. Prerequisite: MECH 353 or permission of the instructor.
676. Biomechanics (II; 4, 0)
Principles of mechanics applied to biological systems. Background in anatomy, physiology, and cell biology will be presented. Mechanical behavior of hard and soft biological materials. Topics in cellular, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, implant, and sport/motion biomechanics. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
681. Engineering Analysis (I or II; 4, 0)
Advanced topics in mathematics and its applications in engineering. Both analytical and computational techniques may be included. Topics will be helpful to students considering graduate school. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
685. Advanced Engineering Problems (I or II; R; 2, 3) Half to full course An investigation under the direction of a staff member. Topics not covered in other courses may be studied in this course. Prerequisite: permission of the instructor.
686. Environmental Fluid Dynamics (I or II; 3, 0)
Environmental fluid flow in lakes, rivers, oceans, and the atmosphere; contaminant transport; mixing; reaction and particle dispersion processes; applications to natural and engineering systems. Prerequisite: MECH 313 or ENGR 222 or ENGR 233.
Courses offered occasionally: MECH 621 Advanced Engineering Thermodynamics; MECH 623 Thermal Environmental Engineering; MECH 630 Advanced Heat Transfer; MECH 631 Boundary Layers and Convection Heat Transfer; MECH 633 Advanced Fluid Mechanics; MECH 640 Turbomachinery; MECH 641 Gas Turbines; MECH 651 Vibration Analysis; MECH 665 Advanced Mechanics of Solids; MECH 671 Advanced Material Characterization; MECH 684 Special Topics
