Mechanical Engineering Curriculum Research Articles

Incorporating Electrochemistry and Battery Technology in an Undergraduate Materials Science Course

Electrochemical devices and systems are ubiquitous in many engineering disciplines, yet basic electrochemistry principles are rarely covered in the typical undergraduate engineering curriculum. This presents a barrier for young engineers aspiring to make contributions to this fast-growing field, as well as primary investigators in electrochemical engineering at undergraduate-only institutions. In the field of mechanical engineering, one of the oldest and arguably the broadest engineering disciplines, energy storage and conversion are covered in depth at the undergraduate level. However, electrochemical energy storage and conversion are only briefly glanced, if at all. As part of curriculum development in a new undergraduate mechanical engineering program, electrochemistry fundamentals, with a focus on applications to battery technology, were deliberately incorporated into a second-year materials science course.Undergraduate materials science courses typically focus on general process-structure-property relationships of different engineering materials, and this course is no different. Instead of covering only traditional materials, significant time is also devoted to battery materials, which are very relevant and poised for exponential growth in this era of electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. The course includes instruction on basic electrochemical principles, a survey of functional materials used in common electrochemical devices and their properties, as well as a short lab project where students are guided through the steps of constructing a simple coin-cell lithium-ion battery, arguably the most dominant of all battery chemistries. Classroom discussion also includes the environmental impacts of sourcing raw battery materials and end-of-life disposal practices, which, given current projections, will lead to a substantial sustainability problem as the battery market grows with electric vehicle uptake. Emerging battery technologies that seek to address the challenges of the current generation of batteries are also introduced. Students are also asked to give a short presentation after researching additional topics in the field that are of interest to them. Overall, the course aims to help modernize the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum by incorporating electrochemistry principles and battery technology into a core course.

Leveraging Marker-based Augmented Reality to Enhance Simplified Representation Learning in Mechanical Drawing : A Practical Studies in The Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

This study aims to develop AR technology of simplified representations based on ISO standards and to quantify the efficiency and contribution of developed AR technology in assisting students in learning mechanical drawing. This research proposed a marker-based AR application development, intended for teaching simplified representations, named Augmented Reality Penyederhanaan Gambar - ARPeGa, and an experimental study to quantify the user experience (UX) using the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). A pilot study involving 38 mechanical engineering students was conducted to evaluate the impact of AR involvement on user experience. In addition, the UEQ data analysis tool version 11 was used. The UEQ results showed attractiveness was excellent (1.87), while efficiency, dependability, stimulation, and novelty were good (1.63, 1.60, 1.63, and 1.22 respectively). And perspicuity was categorized as “above average” (1.51). This study’s outcomes demonstrate that using 3D model visualization in the AR application strengthens user experiences to understand simplified representations. Overall, the application has a ‘good’ level in some categories: efficiency, dependability, stimulation, and novelty.

Integration of Energy Conservation Principles Across Mechanical Engineering Curriculum: A Work-in-Progress Project

The conservation of energy, mass, and momentum stands as fundamental laws in physics, resonating deeply within engineering education. This ongoing project, now in its third year of implementation, aims to seamlessly integrate energy conservation principles across the mechanical engineering undergraduate curriculum. Across various courses, including dynamics, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics, students delve into the diverse forms of mechanical energy. From kinetic and potential energy in dynamics to fluid flow energies and thermodynamic principles in fluid dynamics and thermodynamics courses respectively, the overarching principle remains: energy is neither created nor destroyed but instead transfers between different forms, maintaining a constant total within a fixed domain. The project emphasizes the energy balance equation introduced in the first Thermodynamics course, laying the groundwork for subsequent exploration. Students are guided through the transition from the first law of thermodynamics to Bernoulli's equation in Fluid Mechanics, bridging theoretical concepts with practical applications. This integration continues into Heat Transfer and elective courses such as Industrial Hydraulics and Aerodynamics. To assess student comprehension, direct and indirect assessments are conducted, measuring understanding through principle and practical examples. Feedback and questionnaire responses indicate enhanced understanding of energy conservation principles through the synchronization of energy balance concepts across multiple courses. This presentation showcases the evolution of our work-in-progress project, initially presented at the 2022 and 2023 WVAS meetings. By fostering a holistic understanding of energy conservation principles, our aim is to empower students with a comprehensive foundation to tackle real-world engineering challenges.

Don’t say “modal analysis:” A backdoor introduction to vibrations via programming and numerical methods

As an undergraduate degree requirement, The Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin teaches a lower-division, introductory course on computer programming and numerical methods. The enrollment consists primarily of second-year mechanical engineering (ME) students, approximately half of whom enter the course with no prior programming experience. Due to its relatively early position in the ME curriculum, the course presents the unique challenge of teaching students to apply numerical methods to ME-relevant problems, with little background about the physics involved or the contexts in which they are likely to occur in practice. This talk presents an end-of-term project in which students use two numerical methods discussed earlier in the course, singular value decomposition and Runge-Kutta methods, to construct, simulate, and benchmark a reduced-order, dynamic model of a vibrating guitar string. In addition to reinforcing course outcomes associated with programming, mathematics, and data visualization, this project provides an introduction to acoustics, vibration, and modal analysis at a level that belies its position in the overall curriculum.

Transmedia storytelling in materials selection design: an interdisciplinary experience with undergraduate engineering students

ABSTRACT This article aims to present our experience with transmedia storytelling in the design of materials selection, integrating two disciplines within an undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum in Brazil. The students’ project involved developing a narrative within the fictional universe of superheroes while exploring material properties using Ashby’s methodology. The study aimed at answering two key questions: (1) Can transmedia storytelling contribute to student learning and skills development? and (2) What are the difficulties when using this methodology? Three evaluation approaches were used: test scores, students’ perceptions, and our observations of students’ skills development during this project. It was observed that participating students demonstrated significant test score improvements, indicating enhanced learning, with reported challenges in effort and skill development, particularly in story creation and teamwork. Ultimately, this project allowed students to achieve several cognitive learning objectives, fostering the development of crucial skills like communication and problem-solving. The use of transmedia storytelling in undergraduate engineering courses has the potential to facilitate the cultivation of essential competencies for future engineers across a varied range of cognitive levels, albeit requiring considerable time for planning strategies and creating content.

A study on Interdisciplinary Curriculum for Mechanical Engineering

Abstract— This paper describes a study on an interdisciplinary curriculum for mechanical engineering. The interdisciplinary strategy presented in the present research involves departments that haven't typically worked well together to provide learners with capstone design opportunities. Teams of students from the computer and mechanical engineering departments cooperate on completing a capstone design project that gets placements from industry. The method of defining relevant design projects that coordinate with the goals of the mechanical engineering curriculum is comprehensive, as well as the amount of involvement of the industrial partner. To demonstrate the interdisciplinary morality of the design projects and how they fulfil the program's goals and objectives, the automotive sector is examined by the students. Finally, the paper focuses on challenges faced by mechanical engineering students, improve their chances of securing placements and concludes with a model interdisciplinary curriculum. Keywords— Challenges, Curriculum, Interdisciplinary, Mechanical Engineering, Placements

Development of Interactive Virtual Reality Application for Simulating Experimental Tensile Test

Information technology has significantly transformed traditional educational systems into adaptable forms of learning. Experimental tension test is a practical study included in the mechanical engineering curriculum, specifically as a part of Material and Metallurgy. The fundamental issue arises from the deficiency in comprehending the understanding of mechanical properties, which is a result of traditional educational methods. Virtual reality (VR) technology enhances the comprehension of the study of material properties for students studying mechanical engineering. This study presents a virtual reality tool, called VR experimental tensile test. It is intended to be utilized in flexible learning. Students as a user can investigate and examine the utilization of the program for learning and conducting safety lab orientation. The application evaluation was conducted using the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). This study suggests that using 3D model visualization in the virtual reality application enhances user experiences in learning tensile test and follow its lab orientation.

Combining experiments, theory, and computer simulation: Application of dynamics analysis of unbalanced wheels rolling without sliding on horizontal paths

AbstractRigid solid body dynamics is a key element of the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum. In a context of reverse engineering and/or sustainable development, being able to analyze the mechanical and material properties of a system without damaging it is a required skill. In this work, two systems based on wheels rolling over horizontal paths without sliding are studied: an unbalanced hollow cylinder and a wheel with displaced mass assembly. Four generations of last year's bachelor's students in mechanical engineering, representing a hundred people a year, followed a total of 12 h of practical sessions working on such systems. Without focusing on the programming part, this paper aims at showing how computer tools can help and improve a rigid solid body dynamics course. The objectives were to develop, apply, and analyze this teaching sequence, allowing students to (i) perform and characterize experimental measurements, (ii) establish systems motion equations, and (iii) think about dynamics results through cross‐talks between different techniques such as geometrical and analytical methods as well as computer‐assisted design tools. Different analysis methods of these systems could be discussed in the context of the classes, successfully bringing pertinent reflections to the students. The possibility of transferring such discussions to other contexts proved to be wide, thanks to computer science, dynamics software, other analysis methods and applications.

Exploring the effects of learning assistants on instructional team–student interactions in statics

Within a mechanical engineering curriculum, Statics is often a barrier course for students, as their performance in Statics can impact their overall academic success. Recent efforts to enhance students’ learning in fundamental engineering courses have included integrating learning assistants (LAs), undergraduate peers who have previously excelled in the course, into the course's instructional team. The purpose of this study is to explore one enactment of a Statics classroom with LAs, the interactions that characterize it, and the impact it has on the students and instructional teams. A qualitative case study of a statics course with LAs was conducted leveraging Kranzfelder and colleagues’ teaching discourse moves framework to deductively and inductively analyze the data collected. The value of having LAs within Statics was prevalent throughout the interactions and from the perspective of the LAs, instructors, and students. However, the LAs remained an untapped resources for many in the course. The results of this study have implications for mechanical engineering departments, Statics instructors and LAs, and research.

A novel way to designing the undergraduate mechanical engineering curriculum using active stakeholder participation

Curriculums that are adaptable to the demands of the communities they serve are the most effective. Whether you intend to modify an existing curriculum or develop one from scratch, you must first undertake an evaluation. This article outlines the creative method utilised to develop the new curriculum in accordance with AICTE requirements. The first stage in formulating a plan is to determine the industries where graduates will find work and the skill sets they will require to be successful in those professions. The strategy emphasizes the need of including important stakeholders in curriculum development at an early stage. According to the findings of a survey given to a diverse group of stakeholders, there are issues with the current curriculum as it is assessed. This paper presents a case study of the development of the mechanical engineering curriculum at Tier-I institution from western Maharashtra for undergraduate (UG) students. Keywords— Curriculum Design; stakeholders’ involvement; active participation; Mechanical Engineering.

Students’ Experience of an Integrated Electrical Engineering and Data Acquisition Course in an Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Curriculum

<italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Contribution:</i> This article presents an innovative course sequence to integrate Electrical Engineering (EE) Fundamentals into the Mechanical Engineering (ME) Instrumentation and Data Acquisition (DAQ) course and reports students’ experience relevant to the sequence’s intended outcomes of helping students learn and connect EE concepts with ME applications and develop their engineering identities. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Background:</i> The ME Department at Seattle University was awarded a National Science Foundation Grant to revolutionize its undergraduate program. This project focuses on doing engineering to foster stronger engineering identities. This course sequence is part of the curriculum change for this project and includes open-ended, real-world labs incorporating both EE and DAQ. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Research Questions:</i> 1) <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Engineering Learning:</i> What evidence is there that students learned EE and DAQ concepts and integrated them with ME? 2) <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Identity Development:</i> How did the students connect the experience to their evolving identity as engineers? 3) <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Over-Time Experience:</i> How did students experience the course? <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Methodology:</i> A mix of quantitative and qualitative data was used: quantitative data (a standardized test) and qualitative data source (mini reflections that students provided over the course sequence) were analyzed to address the research questions that connect the educational design aspects and the intended outcomes. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Findings:</i> The new course sequence created an opportunity to do engineering in a rich way and provided fertile ground for developing engineering identities. Students understood and retained EE and DAQ concepts at a level equal to when the material was taught via separate courses.

An Experiential Learning Project to Bridge the Gap Between Programming and CAD

In the first two years of the Mechanical Engineering curriculum at The Citadel, students take a computer applications course related to programming and a separate course related to CAD modeling. Typical student feedback is very positive in the CAD course due to the hands-on nature and real world applications evident in the coursework, but students often struggle to appreciate the useful applications of programming, which leads to lower engagement in the course. In this paper, the authors present an independent study project that focuses on modifying an STL file in MATLAB to optimize its shape in response to applied forces, in an effort to bridge the gap between these software applications. Through this exercise, the student gained an understanding of data types, programming structures, algorithm development, and other coding best practices through a tangible, real-world application. The present paper will discuss the problem approach, a discussion of the applicable ABET outcomes to this project, as well as recommendations for adapting this independent study project into a course module.

A Critical Survey of Environmental Content in United States Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Curricula

This survey examines how mechanical engineers are being prepared to be responsible stewards of the environment by offering a multi-channeled look at a diverse collection of twelve US colleges and universities, with connections to the larger global context. This study enumerates the external influences of professional organizations, those responsible for program accreditation (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)), professional conduct (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), and licensure (National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, National Society of Professional Engineers). At the curricular level, this study presents current mechanical engineering curricula via core courses (required at most institutions) and non-core courses (required at a minority of institutions or elective courses). The curriculum study identifies fifteen core courses and uses the Open Syllabus Project and online bookstores to identify a representative textbook and classify the environmental content therein. Immediate results show the environment receiving sparse treatment in core course textbooks, institutions having zero environment-focused degree requirements, and a tendency towards offering electives that are narrowly focused on green technologies. Elective offerings mirror ABET’s recent move away from emphasizing the “broad education necessary to understand the impact” of engineering solutions to instead “consider the impact of” engineering solutions in an environmental context. Overall, the environmental education mechanical engineers are receiving is insufficient in amount and lacking in scientific and ethical foundation. Ideally, every mechanical engineering program should include coordinated environmental content throughout the curriculum and require at least one course that teaches both environmental design principles and the importance of environmental stewardship. A novel approach eschews the typical artes mechanicae course structure to teach environmental stewardship in the artes liberales educational tradition, emphasizing multi-dimensional thinking by employing great books style discussions of seminal scientific, ethical, and technological works.

Improving Student Learning of Energy Systems through Computational Tool Development Process in Engineering Courses

Advancements in computer and mobile technologies have driven transformations of classroom activities in engineering education. This evolution provides instructors more opportunities to introduce computational tools that can be effectively used and promoted in engineering education to advance students’ learning process when the tools are appropriately utilized in the classroom activities. This paper presents a methodology to improve student learning of energy systems through a class assignment implementing a self-developed computational tool using Microsoft Excel and utilizing the tool to enhance their learning experience. The proposed method, a student-centered learning approach, was applied in a technical elective course called “Power Generation Systems” within a mechanical engineering curriculum. In the course, students were guided to develop a computational tool by themselves based on their learning of the fundamental principles and governing equations of a thermodynamics cycle. The self-developed computational tool allows the students to focus on more design-oriented problems, instead of the calculation process. Using the self-developed tool, students can have an enhanced understanding of the energy system performance in varying design and operational conditions and can perform the parametric analysis and visualization of essential parameters. Feedback from the students and class instructors proves that the self-development and use of the tool can significantly improve the students’ learning experience in the implemented course, make the course more dynamic, and motivate the students to learn the material more iteratively. In addition, students feel confident using computational tools to perform analysis, and are willing to develop more tools for other energy-related engineering applications.

Implementing 3D Printing Education Through Technical Pedagogy and Curriculum Development

This study presents the development of a new pedagogical method, namely the model of technical pedagogy, for learning additive manufacturing (AM) due to the speed of the technological development. The speed of the technological devel-opment of AM is faster than of the educational one; curricula and teaching meth-ods have to evolve all the time in order to keep up with the development. The im-plementation of AM into the mechanical engineering curriculum in Lapland uni-versity of applied sciences (Lapland UAS) in Finland is used as an example in this study. The aim and purpose of this study is to create a model of technical pedagogy which gives universities the possibility to integrate AM into their cur-riculum more efficiently. This happens by combining traditional pedagogy into technical subjects in curriculum development work. This study also presents the learning concept of AM which shows the learning to be inversely proportional to the requirements of AM. Identification of the learning process of AM help the educators to plan AM education more efficiently.

Impact of commercially popular machine mechanisms using simulation tool in computer-aided design for improvements in mechanical engineering curriculum

The main content in the kinematics of machinery course includes kinematic analysis of machines and mechanisms and forms an integral part of the mechanical engineering curriculum. The conventional way of teaching students about the machine mechanisms is either by lecture notes/PowerPoint presentations/blackboard sketches finds it challenging to get an overall concept. Students find it challenging to understand the movements of machine parts due to a lack of visualization. The course can be taught in much lucidly and persuasively way by physical models or virtual mechanisms in a software ecosystem. There are several commercial and free software exists that can be used to complement the teaching and learning. In this paper, more straightforward, and more intuitive CAD software is reported, which has a very simple to use interface and a swift learning curve. A user can appreciate why and how the mechanism works by simulation of various mechanisms through CAD software.

Interactive freehand sketching as the means for online communication of design intent in conceptual design conducted by Brainwriting

Sketching is becoming an irrelevant activity of engineering studies. The availability of many software that aids designers in all phases of design, not only analytic but synthetic, push technicians, designers to use such tools, giving up the employment of a simple pencil and eraser on a sheet of paper. The productivity of software tools is obliged to speed and manage the whole design process; even freehand sketching remains the fundamental means to communicate the first ideas immediately. During Brainwriting sessions, the ability to explain by sketches first elaborations of a possible solution, that must be understood by co-designers, is the first step that allows more fruitful discussion and immediate adjustment towards a quick embodiment of valid proposals. The paper describes how such techniques has been introduced in the mechanical engineering curriculum. The case of study reports the experience of the Brainwriting online, which has been tested during lockdown due to the pandemic disease of COVID-19. Further in the paper it is suggested a new interpretation of the de Saussure general linguistic studies, in term of a communication that is associated to a drawing.

Teaching Manufacturing Process Design as a Means for Competitive Advantage in Chemical Process Industries

While manufacturing engineering curricula rightly borrows from both industrial engineering and mechanical engineering curricula, there is an increasing awareness in education that manufacturing engineering should be taught as a distinguishable engineering design activity. Doing so recognizes the potential for manufacturing engineering to drive deep sources of competitive advantage in product development through manufacturing innovation. This paper provides details on a pedagogy used to educate chemical engineers, without a background in discrete part manufacturing, about a design-oriented approach to manufacturing process selection, in the context of a four-day educational workshop on advancing chemical process innovations to market. The engineers were taught this manufacturing process design method in the context of designing and innovating chemical reactor components. E-books, in-lab process demonstrations, and spreadsheet cost models were all used as pedagogical tools to teach the method through a sequence of lectures, tutorials/laboratories, and class exercises. Survey results show that the chemical engineering participants scored the segment on selecting manufacturing processes higher than any other innovation segment in the four-day workshop. In-laboratory process demonstrations were scored high suggesting value in exposing chemical engineers to physical manufacturing processes during the workshop.

Approach to Remote Teaching for Mechanical Engineering Curriculum at COVID-19

Approach to Remote Teaching for Mechanical Engineering Curriculum at COVID-19

Working to Instill the Entrepreneurial Mindset Across the Curriculum

Over the past two decades, significant work has been done to increase the opportunities for engineering students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset (EM). These have included curricular, cocurricular, and extracurricular activities on many campuses. This article describes efforts to build the EM comprehensively into the mechanical engineering curriculum at Ohio Northern University. While several frameworks have been proposed related to the EM, the work here is motivated by the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network framework (KEEN). A core group of college faculty identified the institutional definitions of the KEEN student outcomes and identified courses for deployment of these outcomes to provide comprehensive, curriculum-wide exposure to the EM. This article discusses how the work was completed, incentive and reporting structures for onboarding faculty, the adopted strategies for program assessment of the EM outcomes, and efforts to ensure long-term sustainability of the curricular modifications. Observations, challenges, and unexpected benefits are discussed, as well as anticipated next steps for college-wide implementation.