Students in this course will learn about advanced topics within mechanical engineering through experiment. Students will conduct experiments on the microstructure and mechanical properties of heat-treated steels, the critical speed and balancing of rotation shafts, the vapor compression refrigerating machine, the visualization and velocity measurement of Karman vortex street, the energy release rate and fracture toughness, the active control of vibration, and the principle and characterization of fuel cells.
The main aim of this course is both to deepen students' understanding of mechanical engineering and improve critical thinking skills, practical skills, and problem-solving skills by conducting progressive experiments in mechanical engineering. In addition, students will learn teamwork, leadership, communication skills, data collection, processing, and organization methods, observation methods, and how to write reports through these experiments.
Students will acquire the following skills from taking this course.
1) Skills for explaining developmental aspects of mechanical engineering that cannot be learned just from classroom lectures
2) How to run experiments on advanced topics in mechanical engineering
3) Critical thinking skills, practical skills, and problem-solving skills
4) Teamwork, leadership, and communication skills
Heat treatment, Critical speed, Refrigerating cycle, Karman vortex, Farcture toughness, Active control, Fuel cell
✔ Specialist skills | Intercultural skills | ✔ Communication skills | ✔ Critical thinking skills | ✔ Practical and/or problem-solving skills |
At orientation in the first class, students will be explained about the frame of mind and suggestions for this course, as well as composition guidelines for experiment reports. Then students will be divided into 6 groups, and each research topic will be worked through sequentially. Reports must be submitted by the deadline. In addition, students are required to carefully read the experiment text in advance to ensure experiments are run safely and smoothly.
Course schedule | Required learning | |
---|---|---|
Class 1 | Orientation | Students will gain an understanding of course description and aims, methods for conducting experiments, and how to write reports. |
Class 2 | Microstructures and mechanical properties of heat-treated steels | Learning relationships between microstructures and mechanical properties of heat-treated steels. |
Class 3 | Critical speed and balancing of rotation shafts | Studying a mechanism of a critical speed of a rotating shaft, and the influence coefficient method as a vibration suppression technique. |
Class 4 | Vapor compression refrigerating machine | Deepen the knowledge of thermal cycle through the vapor compression refrigerating machine. |
Class 5 | Visualization and velocity measurements of Karman vortex street | Visualizing and measuring the flow field behind an object and discuss the relations with relevant nondimensional parameters. |
Class 6 | Energy release rate and fracture toughness | Understanding the fracture toughness and conduct an experiment of crack propagation under mode-I condition. |
Class 7 | Active control of vibration | Understanding the method for controlling vibration actively through experiment. |
Class 8 | Principle and characterization of fuel cells | Understanding the working principle and evaluating the characteristics of fuel cells. |
Experiment text is distributed by the instructor.
None
Students are required to attend all classes and perform all experiments and to submit all reports. Students will be comprehensively evaluated on the content of experiment reports, as well as activeness and seriousness when participating in experiments and exercises.
Students are required to have successfully completed Basic Experiments for Mechanical Engineering (MEC.P211.A) and Advanced Experiments for Mechanical Engineering (MEC.P211.A), or have equivalent knowledge.
The number of registering students will be limited because of experimental apparatus and safety reasons.