MECH 461 – Research Project
This course provides an opportunity for students to work individually on an engineering research project with staff members of the Department. The topic is selected by the student in consultation with a Department supervising faculty member by the end of the Fall term. The projects are laboratory-based to be completed by the end of the Winter term with a major report and presentation of the work.
MECH 481 – Wind Energy
An introductory course on wind-turbine operation and aerodynamics. Topics include: the Betz limit; the Blade Element Momentum method; characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer; unsteady aerodynamic theory; gusts and blade aeroelasticity; blade noise and health effects; and wind-park siting and planning. Extension of some of these topics to small wind turbines, run-of-the-river water turbines and off-grid systems will also be presented.
MECH 492 – Biological Fluid Dynamics
An introductory course on biological flows across a broad range of scales from flagellar motility to the beating heart. Topics range from the dynamics of classical biomedical flows such as the circulatory and respiratory systems (e.g. wall compliance, pulsatility, and transition to turbulence) through to cellular-level motility and bio-propulsion in general over a range of Reynolds numbers. Topics relating to comparative biology (e.g. allometry and evolutionary convergence) and common imaging techniques used for biological flows (e.g. acoustic, nuclear magnetic resonance, optical and x-ray techniques) will be covered as well.
MECH 830 – Experimental Fluid Dynamics
A review of measurement theory including: static and dynamic characteristics of signals, spectral analysis and filtering methodologies, response of systems, and statistical/uncertainty analyses. Based on this review, the course then provides insight into traditional as well as contemporary techniques ranging from single-point scalar/vector measurements (e.g. hot-wire, Laser Doppler Anemometry, Phase Doppler Anemometry) to fully-temporal and spatially-resolved Lagrangian Particle Tracking and Tomographic-Particle Image Velocimetry. Finally, post-processing and data-manipulation strategies for these contemporary techniques along with a discussion of future opportunities will be presented.