Chapter 13: Department of Engineering Management and Leadership

Chapter 15: Power Systems and Sustainable Energy Program

Chapter 14: Department of Mechanical Engineering

Professor Emeritus: Terry E. Shoup
Associate Professor Emeritus: Timothy K. Hight
Professors: Christopher Kitts (William and Janice Terry Professor), M. Godfrey Mungal, Elaine Scott, Kendra Sharp (Dean, John M. Sobrato Professor)
Associate Professors: Mohammad Ayoubi, Drazen Fabris, On Shun Pak, Panthea Sepehrband, Michael Taylor (Department Chair)
Assistant Professors: Michael Abbott, Jun Wang, Xiaoou Yang
Associate Teaching Professor: Robert Marks
Lecturers: Sina Heydari, Mahantesh Hiremath, Sthanu Mahadev, Michael Neumann, Peter Woytowitz
Professor of Practice: Michael Neumann

Overview

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is dedicated to delivering up-to-date, high-quality courses across a broad range of the discipline to meet the needs of both part- and full-time graduate students. These courses are concentrated in five emphases: (1) dynamics and controls; (2) design and manufacturing; (3) mechanics and materials; (4) mechatronic systems engineering; (5) thermofluids and energy; and (6) AI+X. Educational efforts are channeled to expand the skills of prospective and practicing engineers, not only in understanding fundamentals but also in developing competence in analyzing engineering systems. The department offers graduate degrees at the master, engineer, and doctorate levels, as well as certificates.

Master of Science Programs

An M.S. degree requires a minimum of 46 units of study with an overall GPA of 3.000 or higher. The student must select one of the five areas of emphasis and develop a program of studies with an advisor. Courses taken to satisfy any particular requirement may be used to simultaneously satisfy additional requirements for which they are appropriate. Master of Science degrees must include the following:

Engineering Core: Please refer to Chapter 6 for the core list. Students must take one course from each of these two areas:

Engineering and Society
Professional Development

Math requirement: 8 units composed of MECH 200 and 201, or MECH 202, and an approved two-course sequence or equivalent four-unit course in applied math

Depth Requirement: 8 or more units depending on the chosen emphasis

Breadth Requirement: 4 units in other emphases outside one’s chosen emphasis. No double dip is allowed.

At least 28 units from graduate courses in mechanical engineering.

All emphases offer a culminating experience, which can be pursued by taking MECH 290 (Graduate Research/Project) and/or MECH 299 (Master’s Thesis). Up to 6 units of MECH 290 can be taken and counted toward the 46-unit requirement. Those who write a thesis or publish an article in a peer-reviewed journal can take 6 more units of MECH 299. Some emphases may require the culminating experience.

The student may take any additional graduate courses, as needed, offered by the School of Engineering to meet the minimum 46-unit requirement.

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Design and Manufacturing

Advisors: Dr. Michael Abbott, Dr. Sthanu Mahadev, Dr. Panthea Sepehrband, Dr. Jun Wang, Dr. Peter Woytowitz, Dr. Xiaoou Yang

The Design & Manufacturing (DM) emphasis in the Department of Mechanical Engineering allows students to develop abilities and skills in mechanical design and aspects of manufacturing in achieving competence in product development.

Core Courses (Students need to take at least 8 units out of these courses)

MECH 251 Finite Element Methods I (4 units)
MECH 275 Design for Competitiveness (2 units)
MECH 281 Elasticity, Fracture, and Fatigue (4 units)
MECH 285 Computer-Aided Design of Mechanisms (2 units)
MECH 325 Computational Geometry for Computer-Aided Design and Manufacture (2 units)
MECH 415 Optimization in Mechanical Design (2 units)

Other Related Courses

MECH 252 Finite Element Methods II (4 units)
MECH 257 Engineering Simulation and Modeling (4 units)
MECH 259 Engineering and Design with Applied Machine Learning (4 units)
MECH 276 Design for Manufacturability (2 units)
MECH 293 Special Topics in Design & Manufacturing (2-4 units)
(Tentative Topics: Designing with Plastic Materials; Processing Plastic Materials; CNC Machining; Additive/Hybrid Manufacturing; Advanced Manufacturing Lab)
MECH 371/372 Space Systems Design and Engineering I, II (4 units each)

Dynamics and Controls

Advisors: Dr. Mohammad Ayoubi, Dr. Christopher Kitts

The Dynamics and Controls (D&C) emphasis in the Department of Mechanical Engineering provides a foundation for students to utilize physics-based or data-driven techniques to model, identify, analyze, and regulate the behavior of dynamical systems. The important feature is to achieve the specified objectives in an optimal fashion while coping with the disturbances and model uncertainties.

Core Courses (Students need to take at least 8 units out of these courses)

MECH 214 Advanced Dynamics (4 units) or MECH 305 Advanced Vibrations (4 units)
MECH 323/324 Modern Control Systems I, II (2 units each)
MECH 429/430 Optimal Control I, II (2 units each)

Other Related Courses

MECH 220 Orbital Mechanics (4 units)
MECH 222 System Identification (2 units)
MECH 232 Multibody Dynamics (4 units)
MECH 296 Special Topics in Dynamics and Controls
MECH 337/338 Robotics I, II (2 units each)
MECH 340/ECEN 333 Digital Control (2 units)
MECH 423/424 Nonlinear Systems and Controls I, II (2 units each)
MECH 431 Spacecraft Dynamics and Control (4 units)

Mechanics and Materials

Advisors: Dr. Sthanu Mahadev, Dr. Robert Marks, Dr. On Shun Pak, Dr. Panthea Sepehrband, Dr. Michael Taylor, Dr. Peter Woytowitz

The Mechanics & Materials (MM) emphasis in the Department of Mechanical Engineering allows students to explore the science of materials and how those materials move and deform in response to thermomechanical loading.

Core Courses (Students need to take at least 8 units out of these courses)

MECH 251 Finite Element Methods I (4 units)
MECH 281 Elasticity, Fracture, and Fatigue (4 units)
MECH 330 Atomic Bonding, Crystal Structure, and Material Properties (4 units)
MECH 331 Equilibrium Thermodynamics and Phase Transformations (4 units)
MECH 377 Continuum Mechanics (4 units)

Other Related Courses

MECH 230 Statistical Thermodynamics (2 units)
MECH 252 Finite Element Methods II (4 units)
MECH 293 Special Topics in Mechanics and Materials
MECH 333 Experiments in Material Science (2 units)
MECH 350 Composite Materials (4 units)

Mechatronic Systems Engineering

Advisors: Dr. Michael Abbott, Dr. Christopher Kitts, Dr. Michael Neumann

The Mechatronic Systems Engineering (MSE) emphasis in the Department of Mechanical Engineering focuses on the methods and techniques relating to the design, control, and operation of complex modern engineering systems.

Core Courses (Students must complete 10 units of coursework as specified below in requirements A, B, and C.)

(A) Mechatronics: Students will need to complete the 6-unit graduate mechatronic sequence:

MECH 207 and 208 Advanced Mechatronics I, II (3 units each)

(B) Systems: In addition, students will need to complete a minimum of 2 units of coursework from the following list of “systems” courses; additional courses may apply based on approval from faculty in the emphasis area.

MECH 292 Special Topics in Mechatronic Systems Engineering (2-4 units)
(Tentative Topics: UAV Systems; Marine Systems)
MECH 311 Design and Control of Telerobotic Systems (4 units)
MECH 337/338 Robotics I, II (2 units each)
MECH 371/372 Space Systems Design and Engineering I, II (4 units each)
MECH 379 Satellite Operations (1 unit)

(C) Design Process: Students must also complete a 2-unit course in systems development. Courses that satisfy this requirement include:

MECH 275 Design for Competitiveness (2 units)
EMGT 380 Introduction to Systems Engineering Management (2 units)

Other Related Courses

MECH 209/210 Advanced Mechatronics III, IV (2 units each)
MECH 217 Introduction to Control (2 units)
MECH 218/219 Guidance and Control I, II (2 units each)
MECH 323/324 Modern Control System Design I, II (2 units each)
MECH 345 Instrumentation and Design of Experiment (2 units)

Culminating experience (Required): Students must complete a culminating project in the form of a capstone project (4-6 units) or a research-based thesis. The experiences take a minimum of two quarters to complete and should be discussed with faculty members in the emphasis area.

Thermofluids and Energy

Advisors: Dr. Drazen Fabris, Dr. Godfrey Mungal, Dr. On Shun Pak

The ThermoFluids and Energy (TFE) emphasis in the Department of Mechanical Engineering explores mechanisms and application of fluid motion at various scales and energy conversion.

Core Courses (Students need to take at least 8 units out of these courses)

MECH 228 Energy Conversion and Conservation (4 units)
MECH 242 Advanced Heat Transfer (4 units)
MECH 266 Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics (2 units)
MECH 268 Computational Fluid Dynamics (2 units)
MECH 270 Viscous Flow (2 units)
MECH 274 Microfabrication and Microfluidics (4 units) and MECH 274L (1 unit)
MECH 287 Energy Storage Systems (2 units)
MECH 377 Continuum Mechanics (4 units)

Other Related Courses

MECH 225 Gas Dynamics (2 units)
MECH 230 Statistical Thermodynamics (2 units)
MECH 269 Computational Fluid Dynamics II (2 units)
MECH 271 Turbulent and Convective Flow (4 units)
MECH 295 Special Topics in Thermofluids & Energy (2-4 units)

MECH 345: Instrumentation and Design of Experiment (2 units)

AI+X

Advisors: Dr. Mohammad Ayoubi, Dr. Sina Heydari, Dr. On Shun Pak, Dr. Jun Wang, Dr. Xiaoou Yang

The AI+X emphasis in the Department of Mechanical Engineering enables students to explore emerging AI techniques while building domain expertise in a technical area (X) within mechanical engineering. The requirements of the emphasis are structured into two components: (i) the AI component and (ii) the domain expertise (X) component.

AI Component

Students need to take at least 8 units of coursework in foundational and elective AI courses:

Foundational AI Course (required):

MECH 259 Engineering and Design with Applied Machine Learning (4 units)

Elective AI Courses (At least 4 units selected from the following):

MECH 260 Data-Driven Engineering Design (2 units)
MECH 262 Applied Reinforcement Learning in Mechanical Systems (2 units)
MECH 300 Data-Driven Modeling, Identification, and Control I (2 units)
MECH 301 Data-Driven Modeling, Identification, and Control II (2 units)
Other relevant courses with approval by the department chair

Domain Expertise (X) Component

To develop in-depth knowledge in a specific area of mechanical engineering, students complete at least 8 units of core courses in one of the following five emphases:

Dynamics and Controls
Design and Manufacturing
Mechanics and Materials
Mechatronic Systems Engineering
Thermofluid and Energy

Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering

Advisor: Dr. Mohammad Ayoubi

Required Core Courses (minimum 8 units)

MECH 214 Advanced Dynamics (4 units)
MECH 251 Finite Element Methods I (4 units)
MECH 281 Elasticity, Fracture, and Fatigue (4 units)
MECH 305 Advanced Vibrations (4 units)
MECH 323/324 Modern Control Systems I, II (2 units each)
MECH 377 Continuum Mechanics (4 units)

Required Aerospace Engineering Courses (minimum 12 units)

MECH 205/206 Aircraft Flight Dynamics and Control I, II (2 units each)
MECH 220 Orbital Mechanics (4 units)
MECH 313 Advanced Aerospace Structures (4 units)
MECH 371 Space Systems Design and Engineering I (4 units) or MECH 372 Space Systems Design and Engineering II (4 units)
MECH 431 Spacecraft Dynamics and Control (4 units)

Elective Courses (recommended)

MECH 222 System Identification (2 units)
MECH 232 Multibody Dynamics (4 units)
MECH 290 Graduate Research/Project (1–6 units)
MECH 291 Special Topics in Aerospace Engineering
MECH 299 Master’s Thesis (1–3 units)
MECH 340/ECEN 333 Digital Control (2 units)
MECH 355/356 Adaptive Control I, II (2 units each)
MECH 372 Space Systems Design and Engineering II (4 units)
MECH 420/ECEN 238 Model Predictive Control (2 units)
MECH 423/424 Nonlinear Systems and Controls I, II (2 units each)
MECH 429/430 Optimal Control I and II (2 units each)

Doctor of Philosophy Program

The Doctor of Philosophy degree is conferred by the School of Engineering in recognition of competence in the subject field and the ability to investigate engineering problems independently, resulting in a new contribution to knowledge in the field.

See Chapters 2 and 3 for details on admission and general degree requirements. The following departmental information augments the general School requirements.

Doctoral Advisor

A temporary academic advisor will be provided to the student upon admission. The student and advisor must meet prior to registration for the second quarter to complete a preliminary program of studies, which will be determined largely by the coursework needed for the preliminary exam.

Preliminary Exam

A preliminary written exam is offered at least once per year by the School of Engineering as needed. The purpose is to ascertain the depth and breadth of the student’s preparation and suitability for Ph.D. work. Each student in mechanical engineering must take and pass an exam in mathematics as well as in two areas from the following list: Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Strength of Materials, Dynamics, Design, Controls, Vibrations, Finite Element Analysis, Material Science, and Thermodynamics. The advisor must approve the student’s petition to take the exam. This exam should be taken within one year of starting the program.

Doctoral Committee

After passing the Ph.D. preliminary exam, a student requests his or her thesis advisor to form a doctoral committee. The committee consists of at least five members, each of which must have earned a doctoral degree in a field of engineering or a related discipline. This includes the student’s thesis advisor, at least two other current faculty members of the student’s major department at Santa Clara University, and at least one current faculty member from another appropriate academic department at Santa Clara University. The committee reviews the student’s program of study, conducts an oral comprehensive exam, conducts the dissertation defense, and reviews the thesis. Successful completion of the doctoral program requires that the student’s program of study, performance on the oral comprehensive examination, dissertation defense, and thesis itself meet with the approval of all committee members.

Time Limit for Completing Degree

All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within eight years following initial enrollment in the Ph.D. program. This includes leave of absence/withdrawals. Extensions will be allowed only in unusual circumstances and must be recommended in writing by the student’s doctoral committee and approved by the dean of engineering in consultation with the Research Program Leadership Council.

Engineer’s Degree Program

The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers an engineer’s degree program. Details on admissions and requirements are shown in Chapter 2. Students interested in this program should seek individual advice from the department chair prior to applying.

Certificate Programs

The Department of Mechanical Engineering offers a certificate in the five concentration areas (Design and Manufacturing; Dynamics and Controls; Mechanics and Materials; Mechatronic Systems Engineering; Thermofluids and Energy) as well as general mechanical engineering. The certificate program is designed for working professionals, who would like to deepen their understanding of disciplinary subjects and apply the knowledge toward real engineering problems. One can receive a certificate in Mechanical Engineering by taking 16 units of Mechanical Engineering graduate courses with a minimum GPA of 3.000 and a grade of C or better in each course. Candidates for a certificate in a specific concentration area must take at least 8 units of core courses from the concentration area, which is listed under the section “Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering.” Applicants must have completed an accredited bachelor’s degree program in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field of engineering. Up to 16 units earned in a certificate can be transferred toward another advanced degree program at SCU if they are accepted to the M.S. or Ph.D. program.

Mechanical Engineering Laboratories

The mechanical engineering laboratories contain facilities for instruction and research in the fields of manufacturing, materials science, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer, combustion, instrumentation, vibration and control systems, and robotic systems.

The Complex and Biological Fluids Laboratory employs tools of applied mathematics to investigate fundamental problems in fluid mechanics and its cross-disciplinary applications. Recent research explores low-Reynolds-number flows, biological flows, microswimmers, and complex fluids, contributing to both theoretical advancements and practical innovations.

The Computational Mechanics Laboratory develops in-house numerical tools to better understand complex nonlinear phenomena in the deformation of solids. Recent research includes the design and behavior of auxetic metamaterials, the investigation of wrinkling in thin films, and the fracture of shells and biomembranes using peridynamics.

The Design for Assistive Robotic Technologies (DART) Laboratory conducts research at the intersection of mechatronics, haptics, and biomechanics to develop innovative assistive technologies. The lab designs wearable robotic systems and haptic interfaces to enhance human mobility, dexterity, and sensory function, with a focus on improving quality of life and promoting independence for individuals with disabilities. Recent projects include the characterization of haptic feedback in upper-limb grasp assistance devices and the integration of continuously variable transmissions into body-powered prostheses.

The Dynamics and Control Systems Laboratory offers a vibrant and collaborative environment for undergraduate and graduate students to engage in physics-based and data-driven modeling, system identification, guidance, and control of dynamical systems. Current projects deal with theoretical investigation of highly complex and uncertain aerospace vehicles, mechanical, and biological systems.

The Geometric Informatics For Technology, Engineering, and Design (GIFTED) Laboratory aims to push the frontier of research in design and manufacturing by leveraging advanced techniques in geometric modeling, machine learning, and advanced manufacturing. Specifically, the lab focuses on overcoming scientific barriers in achieving Data-Driven Design/Simulation/Manufacturing (Inverse Design & Generative Design), Physics-Driven Design, and Design for Additive Manufacturing. The research objective is to leverage artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing power to generate diverse but performance-equivalent designs on short time scales, given functionality and manufacturability.

The Optimization, Human, Manufacturing, Innovation, Industry, Integrity, and Novel Design (OH-MI^3ND) Laboratory focuses on advancing research at the intersection of human-centered design, intelligent manufacturing, and system optimization. Our research integrates human factors with artificial intelligence to develop innovative manufacturing solutions that enhance productivity, safety, and worker well-being. Current projects include designing assembly-line assistive robots tailored to effectively support human operators and investigating multi-agent interactions within shared industrial workspaces to optimize efficiency and collaboration. Students involved in the OH-MI^3ND Laboratory gain hands-on experience in interdisciplinary research methods, automated design, and human-centered technology implementation.

The Materials Research Laboratory supports interdisciplinary research efforts related to process-structure-property relations in engineering materials. Its principal activities focus on the characterization, quantitative analysis, and modeling of nano- and micro-structural evolution in materials during thermal and mechanical processing.

The Micro Scale Heat Transfer Laboratory (MSHTL) develops state-of-the-art and thermal transport in thin films, experimentation in processes such as micro-boiling, spray cooling, and advanced electronic materials. Today, trends indicate that these processes are finding interesting applications on drop-on-demand delivery systems, inkjet technology and fast transient systems.

The Robotic Systems Laboratory is an interdisciplinary laboratory specializing in the design, control, and teleoperation of highly capable robotic systems for scientific discovery, technology validation, and engineering education. Laboratory students develop and operate systems that include spacecraft, underwater robots, aircraft, and land rovers. These projects serve as ideal testbeds for learning and conducting research in mechatronic system design, guidance and navigation, command and control systems, and human-machine interfaces.

The Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) and Prototyping Laboratory includes two machine shops that support undergraduate and graduate instruction, as well as university-directed design and research projects. Both shops are equipped with modern machine tools, including lathes and milling machines. The milling machines have two-axis computer numerically controlled (CNC) capability. The laboratory also features CNC vertical machining center (VMC) equipment to support advanced manufacturing instruction and an Epilog Fusion Pro laser cutting/engraver system for nonmetallic materials. Commercial CAM software is available to aid programming of the computer controlled equipment.

The Control Systems Laboratory is equipped with the Rotary Motion Platform, QUBE-Servo 2, Rotary Flexible Link, Ball and Beam, and Rotary Inverted Pendulum which are designed and manufactured by Quanser Company. All equipment works with the MATLAB/SIMULINK® environment and can be used to evaluate linear and nonlinear control algorithms.

The Fluid Dynamics Laboratory contains equipment to illustrate the principles of fluid flow and to familiarize students with hydraulic machines and their instrumentation. The lab also contains a subsonic wind tunnel equipped with a variable frequency axial flow fan to study aerodynamics.

The Instrumentation Laboratory contains multiple computer stations equipped with state-of-the-art, PC-based data acquisition hardware and software systems. A variety of transducers and test experiments for making mechanical, thermal, and fluid measurements are part of this lab. Additionally, this lab contains equipment to describe three modes of heat transfer. The temperature measurement of the extended surface system allows students to learn steady state conduction, and the pyrometer enables measurement of emitted power by radiation. The training systems for heat exchanger and refrigeration system are also placed in the lab.

The Materials Laboratory contains equipment for metallography and optical examination of the microstructure of materials as well as instruments for mechanical properties characterization including tension, compression, hardness, and fatigue testing. The Materials Laboratory also has a tube furnace for heat treating at controlled heating rates.

The Vibrations Laboratory is equipped with configurable torsional, rectilinear, and inverted pendulum test apparatuses (ECP Systems) allowing for exploration of both single and multiple degree-of-freedom forced and free vibration. In addition, the lab contains a portable laser doppler vibrometer (Polytec) to allow for non-contact measurement of vibration in continuous systems.

Courses Descriptions

An up-to-date listing of undergraduate courses offered by the Department may be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin.

Graduate Courses

MECH 200. Advanced Engineering Mathematics I

Method of solution of the first, second, and higher order differential equations (ODEs). Integral transforms include Laplace transforms, Fourier series and Fourier transforms. Also listed as AMTH 200. (2 units)

MECH 201. Advanced Engineering Mathematics II

Method of solution of partial differential equations (PDEs) including separation of variables, Fourier series, and Laplace transforms. Introduction to calculus of variations. Selected topics from vector analysis and linear algebra. Also listed as AMTH 201. Prerequisite: AMTH/MECH 200. (2 units)

MECH 202. Advanced Engineering Mathematics I and II

Method of solution of the first, second, and higher order ordinary differential equations, Laplace transforms, Fourier series and Fourier transforms, method of solution of partial differential equations including separation of variables, Fourier series, and Laplace transforms. Selected topics from vector analysis, linear algebra, and calculus of variations. Also listed as AMTH 202. (4 units)

MECH 205. Aircraft Flight Dynamics and Control I

Review of basic aerodynamics and propulsion. Aircraft performance, including equations of flight in vertical plane, gliding, level, and climbing flight, range, and endurance, turning flight, takeoff, and landing. Prerequisite: MECH 140. (2 units)

MECH 206. Aircraft Flight Dynamics and Control II

Developing a nonlinear six-degrees-of-freedom aircraft model, longitudinal and lateral static stability and trim, linearized longitudinal dynamics including short period and phugoid modes. Linearized lateral-directional dynamics including roll, spiral, and Dutch roll modes. Aircraft handling qualities and introduction to flight control systems. Prerequisite: MECH 140 or MECH 205. (2 units)

MECH 207. Advanced Mechatronics I

Theory of operation, analysis, and implementation of fundamental physical and electrical device components: basic circuit elements, transistors, op-amps, sensors, and electro-mechanical actuators. Application to the development of simple devices. Also listed as ECEN 460. Prerequisite: MECH 141 or ECEN 100. (3 units)

MECH 208. Advanced Mechatronics II

Theory of operation, analysis, and implementation of fundamental controller implementations: analog computers, digital state machines, microcontrollers. Application to the development of closed-loop control systems. Also listed as ECEN 461. Prerequisites: MECH 207 and 217. (3 units)

MECH 209. Advanced Mechatronics III

Electro-mechanical modeling and system development. Introduction to mechatronic support subsystems: power, communications. Fabrication techniques. Functional implementation of hybrid systems involving dynamic control and command logic. Also listed as ECEN 462. Prerequisite: MECH 208. (2 units)

MECH 210. Advanced Mechatronics IV

Application of mechatronics knowledge and skills to the development of an industry- or laboratory-sponsored mechatronics device/system. Systems engineering, concurrent design, and project management techniques. Performance assessment, verification, and validation. Advanced technical topics appropriate to the project may include robotic teleoperation, human-machine interfaces, multi-robot collaboration, and other advanced applications. Prerequisite: MECH 209. (2 units)

MECH 214. Advanced Dynamics

Partial differentiation of vector functions in a reference frame. Configuration constraints. Generalized speeds. Motion constraints. Partial angular velocities and partial linear velocities. Inertia scalars, vectors, matrices, and dyadics; principal moments of inertia. Generalized active forces. Contributing and non-contributing interaction forces. Generalized inertia forces. Relationship between generalized active forces and potential energy; generalized inertia forces and kinetic energy. Prerequisites: MECH 140 and AMTH 106. (4 units)

MECH 217. Introduction to Control

Laplace transforms block diagrams, modeling of control system components and kinematics and dynamics of control systems, and compensation. Frequency domain techniques, such as root-locus, gain-phase, Nyquist, and Nichols diagrams used to analyze control systems applications. Prerequisite: AMTH 106. (2 units)

MECH 218. Guidance and Control I

Modern and classical concepts for synthesis and analysis of guidance and control systems. Frequency and time domain methods for both continuous-time and sampled data systems. Compensation techniques for continuous-time and discrete-time control systems. Prerequisite: MECH 217, MECH 142, or instructor approval. (2 units)

MECH 219. Guidance and Control II

Continuation of MECH 218. Design and synthesis of digital and continuous-time control systems. Nonlinear control system design using phase plane and describing functions. Relay and modulator controllers. Prerequisite: MECH 218. (2 units)

MECH 220. Orbital Mechanics

This course provides the foundations of basic gravitation and orbital theory. Topics include the two-body problem, three-body problem, Lagrangian points, orbital position as a function of time, orbits in space and classical orbital elements, launch window, and calculating launch velocity. Rocket dynamics and performance, orbital maneuvers, preliminary orbit determination including Gibbs and Gauss methods, Lambert’s problem, relative motion and Clohessy-Wiltshire equations, and interplanetary flight. Prerequisites: MECH 140 or equivalent and AMTH 118 or equivalent. (4 units)

MECH 222. System Identification

System identification is the methodology to build mathematical models of linear dynamics systems based on observed data from the systems. Different types of models will be discussed. Parameter estimation and nonparametric methods, frequency domain data and interpretations, various ways to compute estimates, recursive estimation techniques, model validation, and case studies will be studied. Prerequisites: MECH 142 or equivalent. (2 units)

MECH 225. Gas Dynamics

Flow of compressible fluids. One-dimensional isentropic flow, normal shock waves, and frictional flow. Prerequisites: MECH 121 and 132. (2 units)

MECH 228. Energy Conversion and Conservation

Principles of thermodynamic laws and their application to energy conversion technologies. Concepts of exergy, power generation from cycles, and improvement of modern power plants will be covered. Prerequisite: MECH 121. (4 units)

MECH 230. Statistical Thermodynamics

Kinetic theory of gasses. Maxwell-Boltzmann distributions, thermodynamic properties in terms of partition functions, quantum statistics, and applications. Prerequisites: AMTH 106 and MECH 121. (2 units)

MECH 232. Multibody Dynamics

Kinematics (angular velocity, differentiation in two reference frames, velocity and acceleration of two points fixed on a rigid body and one point moving on a rigid body, generalized coordinates, and generalized speeds, basis transformation matrices in terms of Euler angles and quaternions), Newton-Euler equations, kinetic energy, partial angular velocities and partial velocities, Lagrange’s equation, generalized active and inertia forces, formulating equations of motion for a system of particles and hinge-connected rigid bodies in a topological tree. Linearization of dynamical equations, application to Kane’s formulation of the equations of motion of beams and plates undergoing large rotation with small deformation, and dynamics of an arbitrary elastic body in large overall motion with small deformation.. Prerequisite: MECH 140 or equivalent. (4 units)

MECH 242. Advanced Heat Transfer

Conservation equations to derive governing relations for fundamental heat transfer phenomena. More in-depth approach for Conduction; Convection; and Radiation. Prerequisite: MECH 123 or Undergraduate Heat Transfer. (4 units)

MECH 251. Finite Element Methods I

Introduction to finite elements; direct and variational basis for the governing equations; method of weighted residuals; elements and interpolating functions. Applications to general field problems: elasticity, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer. Extensive use of software packages. Prerequisites: MECH 45 or equivalent and AMTH 106. (4 units)

MECH 252. Finite Element Methods II

Solution of nonlinear problems using finite element analysis. Methods for solving nonlinear matrix equations. Material, geometrical, boundary condition (contact), and other types of nonlinearities and application to solid mechanics. Transient nonlinear problems in thermal and fluid mechanics. Application of commercial FE codes to nonlinear analysis. Prerequisite: MECH 251. (4 units)

MECH 257. Engineering Simulations and Modeling

Simulation and modeling of solids and fluids using modern computational methods. Application of finite element modeling techniques to analyze mechanical systems subjected to various types of loading. Heat conduction and fluid interaction effects with solids. Transient problems including vibrations. Practical experience gained in using commercial simulation packages and interacting with CAD systems. Review of basic finite element theory with particular attention to modeling loads, constraints, and materials. Prerequisites: CENG 43, MECH 122, MECH 123 (can be taken concurrently) or equivalent knowledge. (4 units)

MECH 259. Engineering and Design with Applied Machine Learning

Learn how to apply techniques from Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to solve engineering problems and design new products or systems. Design and build a personal or research project that demonstrates how computational learning algorithms can solve difficult tasks in areas students are interested in. Master how to interpret and transfer state-of-the-art techniques from computer science to practical engineering situations and make smart implementation decisions. The course is also listed as MECH 159. Prerequisites: MECH 103 or MATH 53 and MECH 45 or equivalent. (4 units)

MECH 260: Data-Driven Engineering Design

This course introduces graduate students to data-driven approaches for engineering design, with an emphasis on the use of generative models such as variational autoencoders and generative adversarial networks (GANs). Through hands-on projects, students will explore how to leverage machine learning to generate, evaluate, or optimize design solutions across engineering domains. Students will learn to collect and preprocess design data, train machine learning models, and integrate these models into the engineering design workflow. (2 units)

MECH 262. Applied Reinforcement Learning in Mechanical Systems

Introduction to the fundamentals of reinforcement learning (RL) with applications in mechanical and autonomous systems. Topics include Markov decision processes, model-free methods including temporal-difference learning and Q-learning, policy gradient and actor-critic algorithms, and deep RL. Emphasis on applying RL techniques to the modeling, control, and optimization of dynamic mechanical systems. (2 units)

Mech 266. Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics

Mathematical formulation of the conservation laws and theorems applied to flow fields. Analytical solutions. The viscous boundary layer. Prerequisite: MECH 122. (2 units)

MECH 268. Computational Fluid Mechanics I

Introduction to the numerical solution of fluid flow. Application to general and simplified forms of the fluid dynamics equations. Discretization methods, numerical grid generation, and numerical algorithms based on finite difference techniques. Prerequisite: MECH 266. (2 units)

MECH 269. Computational Fluid Mechanics II

Continuation of MECH 268. Generalized coordinate systems. Multidimensional compressible flow problems, turbulence modeling. Prerequisite: MECH 268. (2 units)

MECH 270. Viscous Flow

Derivation of the Navier-Stokes equations. The boundary layer approximations for high Reynolds number flow. Exact and approximate solutions of laminar flows. Prerequisite: MECH 266. (2 units)

MECH 271. Turbulent and Convective Flow

Similarity solutions, instability, fundamentals of turbulence, convective heat transfer. Analytical and approximate solution techniques. Prerequisite: MECH 123 or MECH 266. (4 units)

MECH 274. Microfabrication and Microfluidics

Microfluidics uses principles from a broad range of disciplines including fluid mechanics, material science, and optics, to achieve miniaturization and automation across a wide range of applications. This course introduces the fundamental physical and engineering concepts essential to microfluidics, with practical applications such as molecule and cell manipulation at the micro-scale. Through lectures and discussions of current literature, students will explore state-of-the-art microfluidic techniques (e.g., mLSI, droplet-based, and paper-based systems) and their significant roles in biomedical research and innovation. Also listed as BIOE 174 and MECH 174. Prerequisites: Junior and senior standing. Corequisite: MECH 274L. (4 units)

MECH 274L. Microfabrication and Microfluidics Laboratory

Multilayer soft-lithography will be taught and integrated microfluidic chips will be built. Basic pressure-driven microfluidic chip tests will be performed. A team design project that stresses interdisciplinary communication and problem-solving is required in this course. Also listed as BIOE 174L and MECH 174L. Corequisite: MECH 274. (1 unit)

MECH 275. Design for Competitiveness

Overview of current design techniques aimed at improving global competitiveness. Design strategies and specific techniques. Group design projects in order to put these design ideas into simulated practice. (2 units)

MECH 276. Design for Manufacturability

Design for manufacturability and its applications within the product design process. Survey of design for manufacturability as it relates to design process, quality, robust design, material and process selection, functionality, and usability. Students will participate in group and individual projects that explore design for manufacturability considerations in consumer products. (2 units)

MECH 281. Elasticity, Fracture, and Fatigue

Fundamentals of the theory of linear elasticity, formulation of boundary value problems, applications to torsion, plane stress & strain, flexure, and bending of plates. Introduction to three-dimensional solutions. Fracture mechanics evaluation of structures containing defects. Theoretical development of stress intensity factors. Fracture toughness testing. Relationships among stress, flaw size, and material toughness. Emphasis on design applications with examples from aerospace, nuclear, and structural components. Prerequisites: CENG 43 or equivalent, MECH 103 or MECH 200 or equivalent. (4 units)

MECH 285. Computer-Aided Design of Mechanisms

Kinematic synthesis of mechanisms. Graphical and analytical mechanism synthesis techniques for motion generation, function generation, and path generation problems. Overview of various computer software packages available for mechanism design. (2 units)

MECH 286. Introduction to Wind Energy Engineering

Introduction to renewable energy, history of wind energy, types and applications of various wind turbines, wind characteristics, and resources, introduction to different parts of a wind turbine including the aerodynamics of propellers, mechanical systems, electrical and electronic systems, wind energy system economics, environmental aspects and impacts of wind turbines, and the future of wind energy. Also listed as ECEN 286. (2 units)

MECH 287. Energy Storage Systems

Energy storage systems play an essential role in the utilization of renewable energy. They are used to provide reserve power under different circumstances and needs such as peak shaving, load leveling, and ancillary services. Power electronics equipment converts the battery power into usable grid power. The course will survey batteries, pumped storage, flywheels, ultracapacitors, etc., with an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages, and uses of each. Also listed as ECEN 287. (2 units)

MECH 288. Introduction to Alternative Energy Systems

Assessment of current and potential future energy systems; covering resources, extraction, conversion, and end-use. Emphasis on meeting regional and global energy needs in a sustainable manner. Different renewable and conventional energy technologies will be presented and their attributes described to evaluate and analyze energy technology systems. Also listed as ECEN 280. (2 units)

MECH 290. Graduate Research/Project

Research into topics of mechanical engineering; topics and credit to be determined by the instructor, report required, cannot be converted into Master or Ph.D. research. By arrangement. Prerequisites: instructor and department chair approval. May be repeated up to 6 units. (1–6 units)

MECH 291. Special Topics in Aerospace Engineering