Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• ENG ME 537: Product Realization
  This course focuses on the essential and challenging process of getting a design from the drawing board into the hands of a customer. Cases are drawn from a range of industries, technologies and development speeds (everything from hardware startups to aircraft). It includes topics such as Design for Manufacturing, validation testing, cash flow modeling, in vs outsourcing, setting up a factory, selecting supplier partners, distribution, and ongoing product support. There will be a semester long project to build and prototype a small production line.
• ENG ME 538: Introduction to Finite Element Methods and Analysis
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: ENG ME 305, Linear Algebra, Ordinary differential equations. - This class serves as an introduction to linear finite element method, and its application to static and dynamic problems with an emphasis on solid mechanics. The first half of the course will use the stiffness and energy approaches to developing the finite element equations as applied to bars, beams and trusses. Lab sessions will focus on learning how to utilize commercially-relevant finite element software to find numerical solutions to problems in solid mechanics. The second half of the course will focus on developing the finite element method as one that is applicable as a general numerical method for solving ordinary and partial differential equations that arise in all areas of science and engineering, including solid and fluid mechanics, thermal systems and electrostatics.
• ENG ME 541: Classical and Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGME304) - First law and second law. Entropy. Extremum principles. Gases, liquids, and solids. Phase transition. Solutions. Kinetics. Fields and internal degrees of freedom. Non-equilibrium systems. Radiation. Biological systems. Small systems. Stability theory. Critical phenomena. Statistical mechanics.
• ENG ME 542: Advanced Fluid Mechanics
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: ENG ME 303 - Incompressible fluid flow. Review of control-volume approach to fluids engineering problems, with advanced applications. Differential analysis of fluid motion. Derivation of full Navier-Stokes, Euler, and Bernoulli equations. Unsteady Bernoulli equation. Velocity potential and its application to steady 2D flows. Vorticity and vortex motion.
• ENG ME 543: Sustainable Power Systems: Planning, Operation and Markets
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Senior standing or consent of instructor. - Breakthroughs in clean energy generation technologies and the advantage of exploiting efficiently the available work in fossil fuels will render electricity the dominant energy form in a sustainable environment future. We review the key characteristics of Electric Power Transmission and Distribution (T&D) networks and the associated planning and operation requirements that ensure supply adequacy, system security and stability. Capital asset investment and operation cost minimization is discussed in a systems engineering context where the assets as well as the dynamic behavior of generators, T&D networks, and loads interact. Recent developments in the formation of competitive wholesale markets at the High Voltage Transmission system level, the associated market participation and clearing rules and the market clearing optimization algorithms are presented and analyzed in terms of their effectiveness in fostering cost reflective price signals and competitive conditions that encourage optimal distributed/not-centralized investment and operating decisions. Finally, we present T&D congestion and supply-demand imbalance related barriers to the widespread adoption of environmentally friendly and economically efficient technological breakthroughs, and propose a systems engineering and real-time retail-market based coordination of centralized as well as decentralized generation, storage and load management resources that is able to achieve desirable synergies and mitigate these barriers. Same as ENG EC 543 and ENG SE 543. Students may not receive credits for both.
• ENG ME 544: Networking the Physical World
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: ENGEC312 & ENGEC450 or equivalent. ENGEC441 is desirable. C programmin g experience. - Considers the evolution of embedded network sensing systems with the introduction of wireless network connectivity. Key themes are computing optimized for resource constrained (cost, energy, memory and storage space) applications and sensing interfaces to connect to the physical world. Studies current technology for networked embedded network sensors including evolving protocol standards. A laboratory component of the course introduces students to the unique characteristics of distributed sensor motes including programming, reliable communication, sensing modalities, calibration, and application development. Experience with the C language is required.Same as ENG EC 544 and ENG SE 544. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG ME 545: Electrochemistry of Fuel Cells and Batteries
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGME505) - Topics covered include Fundamental Electrochemistry of solid-state materials as well as aqueous and non-aqueous systems including molten salts. Thermodynamics and kinetics of electrode reactions and associated mass transport in electrochemical systems. Measurements techniques (dc polarization, ac impedance spectroscopy, blocking electrodes, etc.) used in characterizing electrochemical systems. Design of devices including fuel cells, batteries, and sensors. Electrochemical processes including membrane separation and electrolysis. Same as ENG MS 545. Students may not receive credits for both.
• ENG ME 546: Introduction to Micro/Nanofluidics
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGME303 & ENGME419) or consent of instructor - This course is an introductory graduate course in mechanical engineering. It is aiming to introduce unique transport phenomena and major applications of micro/nanofluidics to senior undergraduates and new graduate students. Topics include overview of micro/nanofluidics, scaling laws, intermolecular forces, lubrication theory, surface tension and Marangoni flow, chaotic mixing, electrowetting, electrokinetics, dielectrophoresis, chemical reaction in confined space, micro/nano fabrication, etc. Special emphasis will be focused on understanding fundamental mechanism of transport phenomena at the micro/nanoscale.
• ENG ME 547: Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, first course in flui d mechanics - This course will prepare students in the fundamentals of the computational approach to study fluid flow problems, and will provide a deeper understanding of the physical models and governing equations of fluid dynamics. It will also present an opportunity to learn the basic skills of programming solutions to differential equations, and present an overview of essential numerical techniques. Students will develop finite difference based computer models as part of the "12 Steps" to numerically solving the laminar Navier-Stokes equations. Consistency, stability and convergence of the numerical methods will be discussed. Extensions to turbulent flows will be considered. The students will be introduced to an open source CFD code and will explore numerical solutions to problems in fluid mechanics using the code.
• ENG ME 549: Structures and Function of the Extracellular Matrix
  This is an introductory course dealing with the detailed structure of the basic units of the extracellular matrix including collagen, elastin, microfibrils, and proteoglycans as well as the functional properties such as elasticity at different scales from molecule to fibrils to organ level behavior. The biological role of these components and their interaction with cells is also covered. Interaction of enzymes and the matrix in the presence of mechanical forces is discussed. Mathematical modeling is applied at various length scales of the extracellular matrix that provides quantitative understanding of the structure and function relationship. Special topics include how diseases affect extracellular matrix in the lung, cartilage, and vasculature. The relevance of the properties of native extracellular matrix for tissue engineering is also discussed. Same as ENG BE 549 and ENG MS 549. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG ME 555: MEMS: Fabrication and Materials
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Graduate status or consent of the instructor. - This course will explore the world of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and NEMS. This requires an awareness of design, fabrication, and materials issues involved in micro/nanosystems. We will go over this through a combination of lectures, case studies, and individual homework assignments. The course will cover fabrication technologies, material properties, structural mechanics, basic sensing and actuation principles, packaging, and MEMS markets and applications. The course will emphasize the fabrication and materials of micro/nanosystems. This is not because the other parts aren't important. Instead, it is because with fabrication and materials expertise there is something concrete you can do that will always help. When we exam special topics and case studies, a lot of these other pieces will be put together. Same as ENG MS 555. Students may not receive credit for both.
• ENG ME 557: Additive Manufacturing
  This course will teach the fundamentals of Additive Manufacturing (AM) theory and how AM is being used in industry to accelerate product development and replace more traditional low-volume and high volume manufacturing processes. Topics will cover the technologies, methods and applications or a range of additive methods including FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling), SLA (Sterolithography) and MLS(Metal Laster Sintering), methods for designing for additive will be covered, and implications of additive manufacturing in the complete product life-cycle. We will use the equipment in EPIC to demonstrate and practice the design and production of additive parts.
• ENG ME 559: Manufacturing Processes for Design and Production
  Prerequisites: ENGME305, 306 and 360. - Good product design requires an engineer to simultaneously consider the function of the product, the materials from which it is made, and how it how it will be manufactured. This course will train students, using both theory and hands-on experience, how materials selection and manufacturing processes affect design decisions, and vice versa. The students will learn how the combination of Function, Form, Material and Manufacturing all impact Cost, Quality, and Schedule. In addition to an advanced introduction to major manufacturing methods, the course will review a number of related topics critical to the design process including: material selection, tolerancing (GD&T), metrology, Design for Manufacturing, Design for Assembly, part and production costing, assembly and automation, and designing an assembly production line. The learnings will be reinforced through multiple hands-on projects in EPIC and will culminate with a multi-week capstone project incorporating the above.
• ENG ME 560: Precision Machine Design and Instrumentation
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Senior or graduate standing with basic CAD experience or consent of in structor. - This interdisciplinary course teaches the student how to design, instrument, and control high-precision, computer-controlled automation equipment, using concrete examples drawn from the photonics, biotech, and semi-conductor industries. Topics covered include design strategy, high-precision mechanical components, sensors and measurement, servo control, design for controllability, control software development, controller hardware, as well as automated error detection and recovery. Students will work in teams, both in-classroom and out-of-classroom, to integrate and apply the material covered in class to a term-long multi-part design project in PTC Pro-Engineer or other comparable CAD system, culminating in a group presentation at the end of the class.
• ENG ME 566: Advanced Engineering Mathematics
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASMA225 & CASMA226) Senior standing, and consent of instructor. - Introduces students of engineering to various mathematical techniques which are necessary in order to solve practical problems. Topics covered include a review of calculus methods, elements of probability and statistics, linear algebra, transform methods, difference and differential equations, numerical techniques, and mathematical techniques in optimization theory. Examples and case studies focus on applications to several engineering disciplines. The intended audience for this course is advanced seniors and entering MS engineering students who desire strengthening of their fundamental mathematical skills in preparation for advanced studies and research.
• ENG ME 568: Soft Robotic Technologies
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CAD, Instrumentation (electronic boards-reading/acquiring signal), bas ic Material science, structural mechanics, basic fluid mechanics, Matl ab programming - Thia course will introduce students to the field of soft robotics and more generally to non-conventional actuation (e.g. shape memory alloys, soft fluidic actuators, electroactive polymers, etc.) and sensing technologies (soft and flexible technologies based on resistive, capacitive, and optics). They will learn the fluid physics principles that drive them and how they can be designed, manufactured, and integrated into functional soft robotic systems. The class will have a substantial experimental hands-on component during which students will learn challenges and opportunities in the design, manufacturing, modeling, and control of such systems. They will also learn how to apply these technologies to address current shortcomings of traditional rigid robotics.
• ENG ME 570: Robot Motion Planning
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: CASMA226, ENGEK103 and ENGEK121 or ENGEK125 - Provides an overview of state-of-the-art techniques for robot motion planning. The emphasis is on the algorithms. It covers topology of configuration spaces, potential functions, roadmaps, cell decompositions, sampling-based algorithms, and model checking approaches to robot motion planning and control.
• ENG ME 571: Medical Robotics
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Consent of Instructor - Graduate Prerequisites: Mechanical Design (CAD), Experience in Fabrication, Experience with Pr ogramming/Automation, Technical Communication (e.g. writing and presen tation). Consent of Instructor - This course will be composed of lectures, tutorials, and group work. We will study the design, mechanics, materials, manufacturing, and control of robots and associated technologies for medical applications. We will cover theory, on medical robotics and case studies, including examples from medical companies and research groups.This class is aimed toward graduate students in engineering; no medical background is required. We will study and explore design principles of different mechatronic components and systems for medical robots. We will cover in-depth especially the meso-scale actuators, sensors, and body construction methods.
• ENG ME 576: Nanomanufacturing and Hierarchical Materials
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: (ENGME304 & ENGME305 & ENGME306) Senior, or graduate standing - Nanoscale materials are often celebrated as having unique properties that exceed their bulk counterparts. However, leveraging such nanoscale materials as components in bulk materials is challenging as it requires (1) making enough material to be relevant on bulk scales and (2) incorporating nanomaterials at a bulk scale in amannerso as to maximize their effect. The structural ordering of these nanomaterials can range from disordered, as in the case of nanocomposites, to highly ordered, as is generally the case in metamaterials. This course is designed to communicate he state-of-the-art, challenges, and opportunities of constructing hierarchical materials with nanoscale constituents. Same as ENG MS 576. Students may not receive credits for both.
• ENG ME 579: Nano/microelectronic Device Technology
  Undergraduate Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. - The main physical processes and manufacturing strategies for the fabrication and manufacture of micro and nanoelectronic devices will be covered, mostly for silicon, although exciting materials such as graphene and carbon nanotubes will also be covered. A key emphasis here will be on electron- hole transport, band structure, basic quantum effects, and the use of engineering and physical effects to alter semiconductor device performance. Photolithography, a significant factor in manufacturability, will be covered in some detail, and to a lesser degree, so will doping methods, diffusion, oxidation, etching, and deposition. The overall integration with methods and tools employed by device and circuit designers will be covered. Same as ENG EC 579; students may not receive credit for both.