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Undergraduate Course Catalog 2010-2011

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

» http://www.ceps.unh.edu


Mechanical Engineering (ME)

» http://www.unh.edu/mechanical-engineering/

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Chairperson: Todd S. Gross
Professor: Kenneth C. Baldwin, Barbaros Celikkol, Barry K. Fussell, Todd S. Gross, Robert Jerard, Joseph C. Klewicki, James E. Krzanowski, M. Robinson Swift, Igor I. Tsukrov
Affiliate Professor: Donald M. Esterling
Associate Professor: Gregory P. Chini, Diane L. Foster, Brad Lee Kinsey, John Philip McHugh, May-Win L. Thein
Affiliate Associate Professor: Vladimir Riabov
Assistant Professor: Yannnis Korkolis, Christopher M. White, Martin M. Wosnik
Affiliate Assistant Professor: Gary Lapham, Timothy Upton

The Mechanical Engineering Program at UNH is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012, (410) 347-7700.

Mission
In support of the University and college missions, the Department of Mechanical Engineering is dedicated to educating the highest quality engineering professionals and leaders. Graduates will be prepared to creatively solve engineering problems through the use of analysis, computation, and experimentation. Students completing the program should be well-informed citizens who have the ability to grow intellectually and are able to solve new, challenging problems with self-confidence. It is the department's intent to maintain a general and flexible curriculum that prepares students for both industrial practice and graduate education.

Educational Objectives
The goal of the UNH mechanical engineering program is to produce graduates who are good professionals and good citizens who 1) skillfully apply the fundamental principles of mathematics, science, and engineering; 2) solve engineering problems by integrating strong design, analysis, and experimental abilities with excellent communication skills; 3) successfully contribute to their respective corporate, government, or academic organizations; 4) demonstrate continuous growth by assuming positions of leadership in their profession, or by becoming successful entrepreneurs; by successfully completing advanced degrees and professional education; 5) are broadly educated citizens of society with an understanding of the impact of engineering solutions in a global/societal context; and 6) demonstrate a high level of personal and social integrity through their ethical behavior and service to their peers, employers, communities, the nation, and the world.

Mechanical engineering is a challenging profession encompassing research, design, development, and production of aerospace vehicles, underwater vessels, instrumentation and control systems, nuclear and conventional power plants, and consumer and industrial products in general. The profession also makes contributions through more fundamental studies of material behavior, the mechanics of solids and fluids, and energy transformation. Additional information can be found at the mechanical engineering Web site, www.unh.edu/mechanical-engineering.

 

The Program

The program begins with courses in physics, mathematics, chemistry, and computer-aided design. The department has a four-semester mechanics thread, a four-semester thread in the thermal/fluid sciences, and a three-semester thread in systems and controls. Modern experimental methods are taught in a two-semester course starting in the junior year. The two-semester senior design project requires students to utilize the skills they have learned in their courses and to learn how to function in an engineering team. The five technical electives offered in the program give the students the opportunity to focus on advanced technical areas of their choice.

With their advisers’ assistance, students should plan a program, based on the following distribution of courses, that totals not less than 128 credits. The outline that follows is typical only in format. Within the constraints of satisfying all the requirements and having all the necessary prerequisites, schedules may vary because of scheduling needs or student preference. Some mechanical engineering elective courses may not be offered every year.

The mechanical engineering program curriculum requires five technical elective courses of at least three credits each.  These may be selected from 600-700 level courses in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, except for one course that may be selected from one of the following 400-500 level courses: ME 442, ME 542, ENE 520, ESCI 501, and ECE 543. 

Two technical electives can be used for studying a focused area such as a foreign language, professional program, or minor, with department approval.  These five technical elective courses should be selected in consultation with a departmental advisor to lead to a balanced program that addresses chosen areas of interest. 

Students must satisfy the University’s Discovery Program requirements.  The following features are unique to students in the mechanical engineering program:


Some programs may require additional elective courses to reach the minimum of 128 credits required for graduation. Other programs may exceed 128 credits to include all the required courses.

In order to graduate in the mechanical engineering major, students must have at least a 2.0 grade-point average in all engineering and science courses, including required technical electives normally taken as department requirements after the start of the junior year. 

Predictor courses: To enter the junior-year courses in the mechanical engineering major, students must achieve a minimum grade-point average of 2.0 with no grade below C- in the following courses: PHYS 407, MATH 426, ME 525, ME 526, and ME 503.


Freshman Year

Abbreviation Course Number Title Fall Spring
MATH   425   Calculus I   4   -  
*CHEM   405   General Chemistry   4   -  
ME   441   Engineering Graphics   4   -  
Discovery Program Elective       4   -  
MATH   426   Calculus II   -   4  
PHYS   407   General Physics I   -   4  
Discovery Program Elective       -   4  
English   401     -   4  
Total       16   16  

*CHEM 403 and CHEM 404, General Chemistry, may be substituted for CHEM 405.

PHYS 407 or CHEM 405 satisfies the Discovery Physical Science (with lab) category.

MATH 425 satisfies the Discovery Foundation Quantitative Reasoning category.

ENGL 401 satisfies the Discovery Foundation Writing Skills category.

ME 441 satisfies the Discovery Inquiry requirement.



Sophomore Year

Abbreviation Course Number Title Fall Spring
**MATH   527   Differential Equations   -   4  
**MATH   528   Multidimensional Calculus   4   -  
ME   525   Mechanics I   3   -  
ME   503   Thermodynamics   -   3  
ME   561   Introduction to Materials Science   -   4  
PHYS   408   General Physics II   4   -  
Technical Elective       3-4   -  
ME   526   Mechanics II   -   3  
Discovery Program Elective       4    
Total       18-19   14  

**MATH 525 and 526, Linearity, may be substituted for MATH 527 and 528, and a technical elective course.



Junior Year

Abbreviation Course Number Title Fall Spring
Discovery Program Elective       4   -  
ME   608   Fluid Dynamics   3   -  
ME   627   Mechanics III   3   -  
ME   643   Elements of Design     3  
ECE   537   Introduction to Electrical Engineering   4   -  
ME   603   Heat Transfer   -   3  
ME   646   Experimental Measurement & Data Analysis   -   4  
ME   670   Systems Modeling, Simulation, & Control   -   4  
CS   410   Intro to Scientific Programming   4    
Total       18   14  


Senior Year

Abbreviation Course Number Title Fall Spring
ME   705   Thermal System Analysis and Design   4   -  
***ME   755   Senior Design Project I   2   -  
ME   747   Experimental Measurement & Modeling   4   -  
Discovery Program Elective       4   -  
Technical Elective       3-4   -  
ME   756   Senior Design Project II   -   2  
Technical Elective       -   3-4  
Technical Elective       -   3-4  
Discovery Program Elective       -   4  
Total       17-18   15-18  
Technical Elective         3-4  

***TECH 797, Undergraduate Ocean Research Project, may be substituted for ME 755 and ME 756. These courses satisfy the Discovery Senior Capstone Experience category. 



Mechanical Engineering Minor

The minor, administered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is open to all students of the University and offers a broad introduction to mechanical engineering.

Students must complete a minimum of six courses as follows: ME 441, ME 525, ME 526, ME 627, ME 503, and ME 608. Electrical and Computer Engineering majors should take the following courses: ME 441, ME 523, ME 526, ME 503, ME 608, and ME 561. Interested students should contact the mechanical engineering chair, Todd Gross (603) 862-2445.


Materials Science Minor

The minor, administered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is open to all students of the University and offers a broad introduction to materials science.

Students must complete at least 18 credits and a minimum of five courses as follows: ME 561 (required); ME 760 (required); and ME 730 (required); and two additional courses from the following: 731, 744, 761, 762, 763, and 795 (materials).

By mid-semester of their junior year, interested students should consult the minor supervisor, James E. Krzanowski, Department of Mechanical Engineering (603) 862-2315.


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