1993 Catalog Data: 14:650:350 Mechanical Engineering Measurements, (3 credits)

Theory of instrumentation, selection, calibration, use of instruments. Error Analysis. Sensors, signal conditioners, data acquisition and processing systems. Design project.

Pre- or corequisite: 14:330:373. Corequisite 14:650:349.

Textbook: Experimental Methods for Engineers, 6th Edition by J. P. Holman, McGraw Hill, 1994

Instructor: V. Sernas, Professor or Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Goals:

This course introduces the junior level mechanical engineer to the experimental method, and to the instruments used by mechanical engineers. The course also provides the necessary background for the experiments performed in the co-requisite laboratory, 650:349.

Prerequisites by topic:

1. Mechanics of materials
2. Electric circuits.

Topics:

1. Measurement of Temperature (2 weeks) - thermocouples, thermopiles, thermistors, transient response of thermocouples.
2. Error Analysis (3 weeks) - uncertainty of result, gaussian error distribution, Student's t-distribution, chi-square distribution, hypothesis testing.
3. Measurement of Strain (1.5 weeks) - strain gages, rosettes.
4. Measurement of Force and Torque (1 week) - load cells, dynamometers.
5. Measurement of Pressure (1 week) - manometers, pressure gages.
6. Measurement of Flow (1 week) - Pitot tubes, various flow meters.
7. System Response (1 week) - first and second order systems.
8. Signal Processing (1.5 week) - filters, data acquisition.
9. Testing (equivalent class time of 2 weeks) - quizzes, mid-term exam, final exam.
10. Design Project (equiv. class time of 1 week) - design methodology, report writing.

Design Project (9 weeks long):

Students (in groups of three) had to do one of the following projects:

a) Design a dashboard mounted instrument that would read the tire pressure in an automobile.

b) Design an instrument with which the NJ Division of Motor Vehicles could automatically measure the depth of the tread on the tires of cars being inspected at the DMV Inspection Stations.

c) Design an apparatus to measure the heating value of new fuels (such as garbage).

Students had to submit Concept Report, Progress Report, and Final Engineering Report. First two reports provided individualized feedback from instructor to students.

ABET category content:

Engineering Science: 2 credits or 67%

Engineering Design: 1 credit or 33%