ME 435Mechanical Engineering Systems Lab

3 credits · Mechanical Engineering · Penn State

This course studies fundamental mechanical engineering subjects, including mechanics, dynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, material science, and control in a holistic approach, through real-world systems in topics, such as energy and sustainability, autonomy and robotics, and big data. Students will analyze and divide complex thermal and mechanical problems into manageable subtasks, devise, and conduct hands-on experiments to solve engineering problems. This course will give students experience with data acquisition and analysis, evaluating the strength and limitations of theoretical predictions using computational tools, and interpreting data to support a conclusion. In particular, the course emphasizes helping students develop skills in observation, problem-solving, analysis, and critical thinking. This course has weekly laboratory sessions as well as two weekly lectures to provide project background, reinforce knowledge, reflect and discuss experimental observations, and train communication, documentation, and presentation skills.