Undergraduate Courses | Mechanical Engineering

The importance of materials science and engineering and material needs. The relation between structure, properties, and performance of materials' atomic structure, interatomic bonding, crystal structures, and imperfections in solids. Diffusion in solids. Mechanical properties, strengthening mechanisms and failure of materials. Phase diagrams, phase transformations and heat treatment processes. Materials selection and environmental issues.

The design process in the broad context of engineering enterprise, conceptual design including visualization, problem definition, information search, and project planning, intermediate design including modeling and simple analysis, decision making concepts, design documentation, teamwork and communication, use of computer tools in engineering design, case studies and examples from industry, engineering ethics.

Graphical, analytical and computer aided analysis and synthesis of basic mechanism, cam design, analysis and design of gears, gear trains.

Introduction to system concepts, modeling of lumped elements, free response of first and second order systems, forced response of first and second order systems, electrical/electromechanical and fluid systems, frequency response.

Integrated use of mechanical, electrical and computer systems for information processing and control of machines and devices, system modeling, electromechanics, sensors and actuators, signal processing and conditioning.

Second Law analysis of engineering systems, gas power cycles, Vapor and Combined power cycles, Refrigeration cycles, thermodynamic property relations, gas mixtures, gas vapor mixtures and air conditioning, chemical reactions.

Introduction to environmental issues related to engineering. Review of selected multilateral agreements and, in particular, review of the Montreal Protocol and Kigali Amendment with emphasis on compliance strategies and discussion of current status of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS). Current and future cooling technologies. Green, clean, efficient and climate friendly sustainable cooling. Management of ODS programs, good practices and safety issues.

Fluid Statics, introduction to fluid dynamics, conservation laws, Bernoulli equations, dimensional analysis and similitude, internal viscous flows, introduction to external flows.

Applications and characteristics of engineering materials: metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. Corrosion and degradation of materials. Electric, thermal, magnetic, and optical properties of materials. Materials selection and design considerations. Economic, environmental, and societal issues in materials science and engineering.

Meaning of design, design considerations, codes, and standards economics. Safety. Professional ethics. Stresses due to Torsion, bending and shear forces. Stress concentration. Beams with asymmetrical sections. Stresses in cylinders. Contact stresses. Deflection and stiffness. Buckling. Selection of materials in design. Fracture and propagation of cracks.

Principles of manufacturing processes including casting, metal forming, material removal, and joining, engineering and economic analysis of manufacturing processes.

Planning, scheduling, and control of projects using project management techniques including PERT and Gantt representations, management of organizations, goal setting, performance review and appraisals, budgeting, leadership and engineering project team building, computer applications of project management software.

Training on the use of computer in preparation of reports and graphs. Theory and Practice of Measurement and Experimental Data Collection. Laboratory Evaluation and Demonstration of Components of the Generalized Measurement Systems and their Effects on the Final Results. Applications of Basic Methods of Data Analysis as well as Basic Instrumentation for Sensing, Conditioning and Displaying Experimental Measurements. Basic Measurements of Physical and Mechanical Properties and Basic Experiments on Motion and on Material Testing.

Student should attend a field training program at one of the approved institutions engaged in mechanical engineering practice. The objective is to gain practical experience in real engineering applications. The student should submit a formal report related to the program attended at the end of the training period. A minimum of 200 hours of supervised training is required for the course.

Review of Newtonian Mechanics in plane motion, motion of rigid bodies in three dimensions, gyroscopic effects, principle of virtual work, D'Alembert's principle, Lagrange's equations of motion, case of impulsive forces, conservation laws, Lagrange's multipliers, variational calculus, Hamilton's principle, Hamilton's equations, Canonical transformations, The Hamilton-Jacobi equation.

Fundamentals of vibratory linear and torsional systems, harmonically excited systems, balancing, whirling of shafts, vibration measuring instruments, transient response of dynamic systems, two degree-of-freedom systems, multi degree-of-freedom systems, introduction to continuous systems, approximate methods, vibration control.

Sound levels, effects of noise, noise control criteria, instrumentation, sources of noise, room acoustics, enclosures and barriers, acoustical materials, vibration control, malfunction diagnosis.

Review of modeling and simulation of dynamical systems. Stability, transient and steady-state response analysis. Feedback control system analysis and design using methods such as root-locus, state-space, pole placement, and frequency response techniques. Applications include thermal, fluid, robotics, electromechanical, vehicular, and manufacturing systems.

Special topics to be selected by the department to reflect interests in special areas of mechanical engineering.

Analysis and performance characteristics of energy conversion systems, based on thermodynamics and fluid flow, fossil fuels, thermodynamics limitations, electrical energy from fossil fuels, thermodynamics limitations, electrical energy from fossil fuels, nuclear energy: fission, solar energy (collectors, photo voltaic solar cells, applications), water, wind and geothermal power (electrodynamic generators), magnetohydrodynamics.

Basic concepts of conduction, convection, and radiation, steady state, one and two dimensional heat conduction, heat transfer from extended surfaces, transient conduction, natural and forced convection with applications for external and internal flows, heat exchangers, black and gray body radiation, shape factors and radiation exchange between surfaces.

Engine overview, two and four strokes engines cycles, fuels and combustion thermochemistry, knocking, spark and compression ignition engines, turbocharging and supercharging, performance and testing, alternative fuels and fuel cells, after-treatment systems, emissions and safety, lubrication, assessments (optimization of fuel economy, energy, friction, etc.), maintenance and reliability, design of thermal systems.

The finite element method. Governing equations of heat and fluid flow. 2D and 3D, steady and unsteady conduction. Steady and unsteady fluid flow. Forced and natural convection. Turbulence modeling. Forces on structures. Modeling of phase-change processes. Thermal stresses. Flow through porous media. Multiphase flows. Non-Newtonian fluid flow. Visualization techniques, streamlines, and particle tracing. Numerics: stability, consistency, and convergence.

Analysis of vapor compression refrigeration systems, air conditioning systems, moist air properties and psychrometric processes, solar radiation, cooling load, space air distribution, fans selection and air duct design.

Mechanical vapor compression refrigeration cycle (single-stage and multi-stage), compressors, condensers, evaporators and metering devices, selection and balancing equipment, absorption refrigeration systems, refrigeration of foods, cold store construction and refrigeration load, refrigeration systems.

Energy conservation measures and energy auditing, energy analysis tools, indoor air quality, building envelope, efficient lighting, fenestration and shading devices, efficient HVAC systems, heat recovery systems, thermal energy storage systems, cogeneration systems, compressed air systems, water management, building energy code.

Nature and availability of solar energy, spectral distribution of solar radiation, solar angles and solar radiation on horizontal and tilted surfaces, transmission through transparent media and absorption by opaque surfaces, flat plate collectors, solar concentrates, solar water heating systems (design using f-chart method), solar cooling systems, energy storage systems, other applications.

The application of the principles of thermodynamics and transport phenomena to the analysis of power plants systems and its component: Special emphasis on the conventional steam power plants, gas turbines power plants, and co-generation power desalting plants used in Kuwait.

The application of the principles of thermodynamics and transport phenomena to the analysis of Desalination systems by distillation (evaporation and condensations) and by membrane processes with special emphasis on the Multi Stage Flash (MSF), and Reserve Osmosis Desalting methods to desalt seawater in combination, conventional steam power plants, gas turbines power plants, and co-generation Power desalting plants used in Kuwait.

Compressible Flow. Unsteady-flow problems. Kinematics of fluid flow. Boundary layer flows. Turbomachines. Fluid Power control

An introduction to chemical thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, reacting systems, detonation and deflagration, laminar and diffusion flames, droplet evaporation and burning, combustor applications and design considerations, pollutant emissions and control.

Two-dimensional Incompressible Inviscid Flows. Potential Flows. Incompressible, Compressible and Supersonic Flows over Airfoils and Finite wings. Elements of Airplane Performance and Design.

Jet Propulsion: Compressible Flow, Shock wave, Sonic, Subsonic and Supersonic speed, Rayleigh and Fanno flow. Jet Engine Components (diffuser, compressor, combustor, turbine and nozzle). Jet Engine performance: Energy and Exergy. Ramjet, turbojet, turbofan and rocket.

Review of properties of engineering materials. Structure and Deformation. Stress-strain relationships. Principles of elasticity, plasticity and viscoelasticity. Failure criteria. Fracture, fatigue and creep. Failure of machine elements.

Principles of reinforcement and matrix materials, mechanics and mechanical properties. failure analysis and strength, design with composites.

The course covers the various fundamentals of corrosion in metals theories with emphasis on the following topics: Corrosion and society, Forms of corrosion including aqueous corrosion, dissimilar metal corrosion, selective attack, crevice corrosion, pitting corrosion, erosion corrosion, intergranular corrosion, stress corrosion cracking and corrosion fatigue. It will introduce methods of corrosion testing and prevention.

Introduction to applied elasticity, thermoelasticity, energy methods, torsion, unsymmetrical bending, failure criteria, shear center, curved beams, beams on elastic foundation, bending of plates and shells, elastic stability.

Material discontinuities, management and evaluation of non-destructive evaluation (NDE), visual inspection and basic test methods, vision and optical sensors, fundamental methods of NDE, liquid penetrant methods, magnetic particle tests, ultrasonic methods (immersion and contact), radiography inspection and other advanced methods of NDE.

A systems engineering approach to robot dynamics and control. Fundamentals of pose and orientation, trajectories, mobile ground and aerial vehicles, navigation and localization, manipulator arm kinematics, velocity relationships, along with introduction to applied dynamics and control.

Design of Screws (Power Screws, Fasteners and Connectors). Design of Permanent Joints (Welded, Brazed and Bonded Joints - Riveted Joints). Design of Mechanical Springs. Design of Rolling-Contact Bearings. Lubrication and Journal Bearing (Hydrodynamic Theory of Lubrication, Bearing Type, Temperature Effects and Design Considerations). Design of Gears (Force Analysis, Stress and Strength Considerations, Various Factors affecting Strength and Reliability). Design of Clutches, Brakes, and Flywheels.

Use of computers in modeling, simulation and design, introduction to finite element method, optimization techniques, applications in thermal, fluid and mechanical system design.

Fundamentals of industrial automation, numerical control (NC) systems, part programming, robotics in manufacturing, materials handling and automated storage systems, group technology, automated identification and inspection systems, flexible manufacturing systems.

Methodological application of the design process through case studies and team projects. Project management and product planning, including cist evaluations, risk, and safety management. Engineering standard and ethics.

Application of design process through a team project. Problem definition, developing a project plan, gathering available information, design analysis and synthesis, prototype construction, testing, and refinement.

Types of maintenance management, planned and scheduled maintenance, maintenance by use of computer, maintenance cost measurement techniques, sensing devices for maintenance diagnoses.

Introduction to Computational Intelligence (CI); types of knowledge-based systems; knowledge acquisition and representation; search strategies and inference process; expert systems, evolutionary algorithms, swarm intelligence, artificial neural networks and other implementation tools of CI; case studies and applications in robotics, manufacturing, thermal sciences and process engineering.

A broad study of condition monitoring of rotating and reciprocating machinery, presenting condition monitoring techniques (vibration, oil, electrical current, thermal, corrosion, manual inspection), emphasis on vibration and signal analysis, data acquisition, recording, sensing, balancing, fault diagnosis and conditioning, case studies, and applications.

Use of simulation to build, analyze, improve, implement and test systems in the service and manufacturing industries, methods for using a simulation language, introduction to statistical aspects to simulation.

Introduction to the field of failure analysis including real-world practical investigations and solutions to actual failure problems with technical products, equipment and systems, product liability issues, failure prevention techniques, remedial design, engineering ethics, the engineer as an expert witness.

The quality function in computer integrated manufacturing, in-depth analysis of control charts and other statistical process control techniques, organization and managerial aspects of quality assurance, attributes and variable acceptance sampling plans.

Experiments, analysis, and writing reports, includes experiments covering the fields of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and fluid machinery.

Experimental techniques in the study of mechanical vibrations and dynamics of machines, analysis and discussion of experimental results in formal reports.

Experiments, analysis, and writing reports, includes experiments covering the field of heat transfer and air conditioning.

Experimental methods for system identification, control design, and analysis of controlled systems, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic systems are considered, calibration of sensors, analysis and discussion of experimental results in formal reports.

Vision systems, Image pre-processing, Segmentation, Shape representation and description, Object recognition, Image understanding, 3D vision, Images Transforms and Texture.

Special topics to be selected by the department to reflect interests in special areas in mechanical engineering.

Mechanisms of friction, wear, and lubrication that govern interfacial behavior, applications of basic theories to solutions of friction and wear problems

Introduction to the mechanical behavior of biological tissues and systems. Analysis of human movement by utilizing basic principles of engineering mechanics, functional biomechanics based on human anatomy and physiology, influence of material properties on the structure and function of biological systems. Mechanics of biological tissues including bone, muscle, and connective tissues.

Workplace model of occupational safety, safety laws and regulations, definition of occupational injuries and diseases, measurement of hazard potential and safety performance, statistical analysis of safety, safety programs.

Nuclear fission, reactor criticality, reactor power and rating, fuel consumption and burn up, fuel cycles, reactor operation and radiation shielding, conversion, and breeding, fast reactors, nuclear power plants, power generation, heat transfer in nuclear reactors, thermodynamic power cycles, economics of nuclear power plants.

Modes of heat transfer, basic design methods of heat exchangers, classification of heat exchangers, heat transfer and flow friction characteristics, compact, shell-and-tube and plate-type heat exchangers performance analysis, fouling and its effect on the life cycle analysis, maintenance methodology, flow-induced vibration and noise in heat changers.

Principles of airflow and airflow measurement techniques. Industrial process exhaust systems. Selection and design of exhaust hoods (general and specific applications). Make-up and supply air ventilation systems. Dilution ventilation systems. Selection and design of ducts, fans, stacks, and air cleaners. Monitoring and testing of ventilation systems.

Thermodynamics and principles of thermal systems. Performance and analysis of thermal components. Systems simulations. Design and optimization of thermal systems.

Thermodynamics and principles of thermal systems. Performance and analysis of thermal components. Systems simulations. Design and optimization of thermal systems.

The student undertakes an independent project (theoretical and/or experimental) under the supervision of a faculty adviser. The objective is to provide the student with an opportunity to integrate and apply the knowledge gained throughout his/her course of study in an actual problem. The student must document his/her study in a technical report and give an oral presentation of the results.