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Mechanical Engineering Courses - Page 13

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The 3D Printing Revolution
This course will demonstrate how 3D printers work, show what people make with them, and examine the 3D printing ecosystem. It will also explore the future of 3D printing and discuss how this technology will revolutionize our world. The course materials include informative video lectures, on-location interviews with a variety of 3D printing experts, and engaging hands-on exercises. Learners who complete this introductory course will have a solid understanding of 3D printing and its revolutionary potential, and will be able to print and customize 3D designs. This course was listed in the top 50 MOOC's of all time by Class-Central (https://www.class-central.com/report/top-moocs/)
Fundamentals of Fluid Power
Fluid power has the highest power density of all conventional power-transmission technologies. Learn the benefits and limitations of fluid power, how to analyze fluid power components and circuits, and how to design and simulate fluid power circuits for applications. In this course, you will be introduced to the fundamental principles and analytical modeling of fluid power components, circuits, and systems. You will learn the benefits and limitations of fluid power compared with other power transmission technologies; the operation, use, and symbols of common hydraulic components; how to formulate and analyze models of hydraulic components and circuits; and how to design and predict the performance of fluid power circuits. This course is supported by the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power, and is endorsed by the National Fluid Power Association, the leading industry trade group in fluid power.
Modern Robotics, Course 2: Robot Kinematics
Do you want to know how robots work? Are you interested in robotics as a career? Are you willing to invest the effort to learn fundamental mathematical modeling techniques that are used in all subfields of robotics? If so, then the "Modern Robotics: Mechanics, Planning, and Control" specialization may be for you. This specialization, consisting of six short courses, is serious preparation for serious students who hope to work in the field of robotics or to undertake advanced study. It is not a sampler. In Course 2 of the specialization, Robot Kinematics, you will learn to solve the forward kinematics (calculating the configuration of the "hand" of the robot based on the joint values) using the product-of-exponentials formula. Your efforts in Course 1 pay off handsomely, as forward kinematics is a breeze with the tools you've learned. This is followed by velocity kinematics and statics relating joint velocities and forces/torques to end-effector twists and wrenches, inverse kinematics (calculating joint values that achieve a desired "hand" configuration), and kinematics of robots with closed chains. This course follows the textbook "Modern Robotics: Mechanics, Planning, and Control" (Lynch and Park, Cambridge University Press 2017). You can purchase the book or use the free preprint pdf. You will build on a library of robotics software in the language of your choice (among Python, Mathematica, and MATLAB) and use the free cross-platform robot simulator V-REP, which allows you to work with state-of-the-art robots in the comfort of your own home and with zero financial investment.
Rigid Body Dynamics
This course teaches dynamics, one of the basic mechanics subjects of Mechanical Engineering. Students would be able to organize their knowledge about force and motion, work-energy, impulse-momentum in view of Newton's 2nd law and its integration over time and displacement. The Engineering Dynamics consists of two parts: particle dynamics and rigid body dynamics. This is the second part of the dynamics: rigid body dynamics The class will consist of lecture videos, which are about 15 min length (or a bit longer). These contain a couple of practice problem solving. There will also be standalone homeworks that are not part of video lectures, and a final exam.
Non-Equilibrium Applications of Statistical Thermodynamics
Course 5 of Statistical Thermodynamics explores three different applications of non-equilibrium statistical thermodynamics. The first is the transport behavior of ideal gases, with some discussion of transport in dense gases and liquids. It starts with simple estimates of the transport properties of an ideas gas. It then introduces the Boltzmann Equation and describes the Chapman-Enskog solution of that equation in order to obtain the transport properties. It closes with a discussion of practical sources of transport properties. Spectroscopic methods have become increasingly common as a way of determining the thermodynamic state of a system. Here we present the underlying concepts of the subject and explores how spectroscopy can be used to determine thermodynamic and flow properties. Chemical kinetics are important in a variety of fluid/thermal applications including combustion, air quality, fuel cells and material processing. Here we cover the basics of chemical kinetics, with a particular focus on combustion. It starts with some definitions, including reaction rate and reaction rate constant. It then explores methods for determining reaction rate constants. Next, systems of reactions, or reaction mechanisms, are explored, including the oxidation of hydrogen and hydrocarbon fuels. Finally, computational tools for carrying out kinetic calculations are explored.
3D Printing Hardware
This course will provide an in-depth exploration of desktop 3D printing hardware. It will examine the history of desktop 3D printing and demonstrate how 3D printers are made and how they work. This course will also provide step-by-step instructions for how to use and repair a 3D printer. It will also explore the different types of materials that can be 3D printed and will demonstrate how you can create various objects using these tools and materials. Learners who complete this course will be able to successfully operate, repair, and upgrade a 3D printer. In addition, learners who enroll in the course certificate will be able to purchase a desktop 3D printer at a discounted price (provided by Ultimaker). If you enjoy this business course and are interested in an MBA, consider applying to the iMBA, a flexible, fully-accredited online MBA at an incredibly competitive price offered by the University of Illinois. For more information, please see the Resource page in this course and onlinemba.illinois.edu.
Introduction to Acoustics (Part 2)
Learners might have learned the basic concepts of the acoustics from the ‘Introduction to Acoustics (Part 1).’ Now it is time to apply to the real situation and develop their own acoustical application. Learners will analyze the radiation, scattering, and diffraction phenomenon with the Kirchhoff –Helmholtz Equation. Then learners will design their own reverberation room or ducts that fulfill the condition they have set up.
FEM - Linear, Nonlinear Analysis & Post-Processing
In this hands-on project, you will learn about the Finite Element Method (FEM) and perform a linear & nonlinear static analysis study using the cloud-based simulation tool SimScale. We will set up simulation cases with provided geometries to learn the fundamentals of the Finite Element Method and how a static linear and nonlinear analysis is approached in the first place. We will walk through the classical three step process of every simulation which includes the pre-processing, processing and post-processing step. SimScale is an engineering simulation platform that is revolutionizing the way engineers, designers, scientists, and students design products. The SimScale platform is accessible completely via a standard web browser, with an easy-to-use interface which supports numerous simulation types including solid mechanics (FEM), fluid dynamics (CFD) & thermodynamics. This course runs on Coursera's hands-on project platform called Rhyme. On Rhyme, you do projects in a hands-on manner in your browser. You will get instant access to pre-configured cloud desktops containing all of the software and data you need for the project, for this project you need no special setup or any data. Everything is already set up directly in your internet browser so you can just focus on learning! Notes: - This course works best for learners who are based in the North America region. We’re currently working on providing the same experience in other regions.
Modern Robotics, Course 6: Capstone Project, Mobile Manipulation
The capstone project of the Modern Robotics specialization is on mobile manipulation: simultaneously controlling the motion of a wheeled mobile base and its robot arm to achieve a manipulation task. This project integrates several topics from the specialization, including trajectory planning, odometry for mobile robots, and feedback control. Beginning from the Modern Robotics software library provided to you (written in Python, Mathematica, and MATLAB), and software you have written for previous courses, you will develop software to plan and control the motion of a mobile manipulator to perform a pick and place task. You will test your software on the KUKA youBot, a mobile manipulator consisting of an omnidirectional mecanum-wheel mobile base, a 5-joint robot arm, and a gripper. The state-of-the-art, cross-platform V-REP robot simulator will be used to simulate the task.
Introduction to Thermodynamics: Transferring Energy from Here to There
COURSE DESCRIPTION This course provides an introduction to the most powerful engineering principles you will ever learn - Thermodynamics: the science of transferring energy from one place or form to another place or form. We will introduce the tools you need to analyze energy systems from solar panels, to engines, to insulated coffee mugs. More specifically, we will cover the topics of mass and energy conservation principles; first law analysis of control mass and control volume systems; properties and behavior of pure substances; and applications to thermodynamic systems operating at steady state conditions. COURSE FORMAT The class consists of lecture videos, which average 8 to 12 minutes in length. The videos include integrated In-Video Quiz questions. There are also quizzes at the end of each section, which include problems to practice your analytical skills that are not part of video lectures. There are no exams. GRADING POLICY Each question is worth 1 point. A correct answer is worth +1 point. An incorrect answer is worth 0 points. There is no partial credit. You can attempt each quiz up to three times every 8 hours, with an unlimited number of total attempts. The number of questions that need to be answered correctly to pass are displayed at the beginning of each quiz. Following the Mastery Learning model, students must pass all 8 practice quizzes with a score of 80% or higher in order to complete the course. ESTIMATED WORKLOAD If you follow the suggested deadlines, lectures and quizzes will each take approximately ~3 hours per week each, for a total of ~6 hours per week. TARGET AUDIENCE Basic undergraduate engineering or science student. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - What are the prerequisites for taking this course? An introductory background (high school or first year college level) in chemistry, physics, and calculus will help you be successful in this class. -What will this class prepare me for in the academic world? Thermodynamics is a prerequisite for many follow-on courses, like heat transfer, internal combustion engines, propulsion, and gas dynamics, to name a few. -What will this class prepare me for in the real world? Energy is one of the top challenges we face as a global society. Energy demands are deeply tied to the other major challenges of clean water, health, food resources, and poverty. Understanding how energy systems work is key to understanding how to meet all these needs around the world. Because energy demands are only increasing, this course also provides the foundation for many rewarding professional careers.