MCE 401
Application of engineering skills using a team-based approach. Design process methodology and communication of solutions to real-world engineering problems. First of a two-course sequence. (Lect. 2, Lab. 3).
Prerequisites: MCE 302, 366, 448, CHE 333, IME 240. Must be taken in the semester immediately preceding MCE 402. Not for graduate credit.
MCE 402
Application of engineering skills using a team-based approach. Design process methodology and communication of solutions to real-world engineering problems. Second of a two-course sequence. (Lect. 2, Lab. 3).
Prerequisites: MCE 401. Must be taken in the semester immediately following MCE 401. Not for graduate credit.
Relationship to ABET Objective
Criterion 4. Professional Component
Students must be prepared for engineering practice through the curriculum culminating in a major design experience based on the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier course work and incorporating appropriate engineering standards and multiple realistic constraints.
Relationship to Program Outcomes
This course measures Department and ABET outcomes C, D, F, G, H, I, and J.
Please visit the Department's ABET website:
http://www.mce.uri.edu/abet1/
or the ABET Accreditation Policy and Procedure Manual:
http://www.abet.org/forms.shtml
for the definition of these outcomes.
Course Outline
Objectives:
To prepare students for engineering practice through an experience wherein they will participate in a major design project. The students will use knowledge and skills acquired in all the earlier course work present in their engineering curriculum, and will incorporate appropriate engineering standards and multiple realistic constraints. No new technical or scientific subjects will be covered in the course.
Textbooks:
Required:
Engineering Design: Dieter, George. 4th Ed., 2008, McGraw-Hill. ISBN-13: 9780072837032. ISBN-10: 0072837039.
Suggested references:
Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design, Richard Budynas, and J. Keith Nisbett. 8th Ed., McGraw-Hill, 2006.
Design of Fluid Thermal Systems, William Janna, 2nd Ed., Thomson-Engineering, 1998.
Design and Optimization of Thermal Systems, Yogesh Jaluria, 1st Ed., McGraw Hill, 1997.
Technical Writing: Principles, Strategies, and Readings, Diana C. Reep, 6th Ed., Longman, 2003.
Topics:
- Introduction to course and presentation of projects
- Design process – Need identification and problem definition
- Project management and teamwork
- Patent and product review
- Concept generation and evaluation
- Engineering standards
- Economic considerations
- Engineering specifications
- Product design phase
- Ergonomics
- Legal and ethical considerations
- Safety considerations
- Prototyping and project realization
- Manufacturing and assembly
- Product generation
- Budgeting and cost evaluation
- System reliability
- Performance evaluation
- Product launching
- Technical writing
- Product reliability
- Product support
Contribution to Professional Component:
100% Engineering Design
Relationship to Program Outcomes:
This course assessment measures department outcomes C, D, F, G, H, I, and J.
Course Assessment Plan:
The Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design course is conceived such as to provide mechanical engineering students with an opportunity to synthesize the knowledge acquired in all the courses of the engineering curriculum. Components of electrical circuits, manufacturing and materials sciences, thermal, fluid, and mechanical systems are all necessary for the successful outcome of the assigned year-long projects. It is also devised to specifically address and fulfill several of the ABET outcomes not previously covered by other courses.
ABET outcome C states that students will demonstrate “an ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability”.
Students are assigned realistic design projects in the course, several of which being generated and funded by local industries, to help them solve current problems they are facing. As part of this process, each team is required to produce several reports including a comprehensive Final Design Report that must include each of the nine above-mentioned considerations identified by ABET. Indeed, the overall design will not be considered complete or successful unless it conforms to each of these criteria. Furthermore, each of these criteria will be graded individually and will be reported to the department ABET committee.
Further, note that these subjects are also covered in class:
Economics (Item 7 of 'Topics')
Environment (Item 11 of 'Topics')
Social impact (Item 11 of 'Topics')
Political impact (Item 11 of 'Topics')
Ethics (Item 11 of 'Topics')
Health (Item 10 of 'Topics')
Safety (Item 12 of 'Topics')
Manufacturability (Item 14 of 'Topics')
Sustainability (Item 22 off 'Topics')
ABET outcome D states that students will demonstrate “an ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams”.
This requirement is at the core of the assigned projects, as students are required to work in teams of four. The teams are composed of students who have strengths in different area of mechanical engineering, with each having the responsibility of fulfilling their assigned tasks and bringing them together in a coherent design and report. Final grade for the project will be partly based on its success, which cannot be achieved without collaboration between the team members. In addition, students within each team are required to rate each other’s performance as team members. This will provide clear feedback upon the success of the team experience. Another goal of the course is to further extend the definition of “multi-discipline” to include other departments of the college. This is often the case for industrially submitted projects. Again the department ABET committee will receive direct feedback on the appraisal of this outcome.
ABET outcome F states that students will demonstrate “an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility ”.
Again this subject is covered in class (MCE 401: week 12), and is graded separately in the Final Design Report.
ABET outcome G states that students will demonstrate “an ability to communicate effectively”.
The students are required to write at least four technical reports, thereby a means of evaluating their written communication skills. Also four presentations and a poster session must be prepared and delivered by each team. Evaluation of the students’ verbal communication skills will thus be recorded.
ABET outcome H states that students will demonstrate “the broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context ”.
Please refer to item C above for this assessment.
ABET outcome I states that students will demonstrate "a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning”.
Several lectures delivered by the course instructors, as well as invited speakers, will inform the students of available opportunites for improving their knowledge and abilities through short courses, graduate courses, professional registration, and membership in professional societies. Surveys will be administered to verify the level of understanding of the subject, acquired by the students
ABET outcome J states that students will demonstrate "a knowledge of contemporary issues.
Please refer to items C and H above for this assessment. |
