Energy Curriculum Fall 2007

ME140. Combustion
Introduction to the subject of combustion, covering a broad range of topics important to the fields of energy conversion, engines, pollution and fires. It consists of classroom lectures and laboratory demonstration. It treats the fundamental processes occurring in combustion systems and emphasizes on technological-problem solving skills. The laboratory demonstrations provide practical experience with real combustion systems. The course also uses computer programs to aid the students in the calculations and analysis, especially in thermodynamics and chemical kinetics.

ME142. Thermal Environmental Control
The course teaches the fundamentals of air conditioning design with the end result of being able to calculate heating and cooling loads in different structures from structure and inhabitants information. The course also teaches fundamentals of refrigeration system design.

ME145. Computer-Aided Thermal Design
Introduces students to advanced computational methods used in engineering practice for thermal analysis of component and system performance. Develops the student’s ability to synthesize computational methods with fundamental principles from the thermosciences to achieve the goal of an optimized component or system design. The course will also aim to enhance the ability of students to analyze and communicate design issues through use of computer graphics tools.

ME146 Energy Conversion Principles
Provides students with an understanding of the thermophysical principles that govern energy conversion processes of different types, and will introduce them to modern computational methods for modeling the performance of energy conversion processes, devices and systems. The course is a capstone experience for ME students, synthesizing thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer and computational analysis tools to facilitate engineering design analysis. This course will provide a foundation for design analysis of energy conversion systems encountered in a variety of applications.

ME 241B. Ocean-wave Energy
Provides students with a sufficient introduction to each of the topics of the course so that they will be able to understand the background of current literature in the hydrodynamics of marine vehicles, offshore engineering, and other ocean-related activities.

ME 252. Heat Convection
Students develop an understanding of the physical mechanisms and how to apply methods to analyze and predict the transport of heat and mass in fluids in motion; free and forced convection in laminar and turbulent flow over surfaces and within ducts.

ME 253. Thermal Radiation
Students review of theories for the generation of thermal radiation and for the transmission of electromagnetic waves through various media. The course also covers extension of techniques for the calculation of radiant energy interchange.

ME 254. Thermodynamics I
The course develops thermodynamics theory using a combined macroscopic and microscopic framework.  The microscopic component includes basic quantum mechanical description of atomic and molecular structure.  Students develop tools for statistical-mechanical evaluation of thermodynamic properties of gases, liquids and solids. Students are also introduced to the elementary kinetic theory of gases and evaluation of transport properties.  The course emphasizes application of theoretical tools to energy conversion systems.

ME 255. Energy Transfer in Gaseous and Condensed Phases
Introduces students to dynamical view of molecular interaction. The emphasis will be placed on the underlying and unifying theme of microscopic energy transfer. Practical aspects of application of the theory to realistic systems will be emphasized.

ME 256. Combustion
Students explore a variety of methods for combustion modeling.  Models typically are based on multicomponent conservation equations with reactions. Coverage includes laminar and turbulent deflagrations, application of the Rankine Hugoniot relations, diffusion flames, boundary layer combustion, ignition and stability.  Course emphasis is on appropriate integration of chemical thermodynamics with fluid mechanics and heat and mass transfer to describe combustion systems.

ME 257. Advanced Combustion
Students explore advanced methods for combustion modeling. Coverage includes critical analyses of combustion phenomenon, conservation relations applied to reacting systems, reactions analysis using asymptotic and numerical methods, and use of real and approximate hydrocarbon kinetics for combustion analysis. Flame propagation theory and experiments are discussed in detail for both laminar and turbulent flows in engines.

ME 258. Heat Transfer with Phase Change
Students in this class will explore the non-equilibrium thermodynamics, interfacial phenomena and heat and mass transfer associated with nucleation and phase-change processes.   Special features of boiling and condensation are considered in detail, and methods of predicting transport for these processes are developed.  Students will use model analysis tools to predict performance in design analysis of boilers, condensers, evaporators, and heat pipes that facilitate energy conversion in thermal management and power systems. 

ME259.  Microscale Thermophysics and Heat Transfer
This course will introduce students to advanced topics in statistical thermodynamics, nonequilibrium thermodynamics and kinetic theory, which play central roles in analysis of the thermophysics of micro scale systems. The second goal is to describe specific applications in which microscale transport processes are important and demonstrate how models of transport can be constructed.

ME 290E. Green Product Development: Design for Sustainability
Students acquire the understanding “green” product development processes as well as useful tools, techniques and organizational structures that support sustainable design and environmental management practice.