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Center for Holographic Studies and Laser micro-mechaTronics (CHSLT)
NanoEngineering, Science, and Technology (NEST)
Mechanical Engineering Department
Worcester, MA 01609-2280
Cosme Furlong


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ME-3901.  Engineering Experimentation
Term D, 2012


GENERAL INFORMATION

COURSE No.:            ME-3901, D’2012


REQUIRED TEXT:   J.P. Holman, Experimental methods for Engineers, 8ed
                                     McGraw-Hill, 2012

RECOMMENDED

TEXT
:                        R.H. Bishop, LabVIEW 2009, Student Edition (with CD)

                                    Prentice-Hall, NJ, 2010

LECTURES:             M and W, 1:00 PM in Room HL-218

LABs:                        Tu and Th.  @ 09:00 AM (D03), @ 11:00 PM (D01), @ 1:00 PM (D02), Room HL-031
 

INSTRUCTORS:     C. Furlong, office: HL-151    (cfurlong@wpi.edu)

                                   C. Scarpino, office: HL-153  (cscarpino@wpi.edu)

OFFICE HOURS:

                                   C. Furlong, everyday from 9:00 to 9:50 in HL-151

                                   C. Scarpino, at the lab during laboratory sessions

TA’s:

              Ivo Dobrev and Peter White

 

TA's OFFICE HOURS:

                                    I. Dobrev, (ivo_d@wpi.edu), at the lab during laboratory sessions
                                 
  P. White, (pawhite@wpi.edu), at the lab during laboratory sessions

 


 

GRADING


The grade for the course will be based on: 20% FOR HOMEWORK, 20% FOR EXAMS, 50% FOR LABORATORY REPORTS, and 10 % FOR LABORATORY AND LECTURE PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE.


HOMEWORK

HOMEWORK IS ASSIGNED WEEKLY.  Homework will be collected on Mondays, the week after it is assigned.  Except April 16th, when homework will be collected on Tuesday.

All homework assignments are done by each individual without collaboration.


EXAMS

THERE WILL BE TWO (2) EXAMS: MIDTERM and FINAL.  Exams will be closed books and closed notes.

All exams are done by each individual without collaboration, unless indicated otherwise.


LABORATORIES


THERE WILL BE FIVE (5) LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS.  Each experiment requires laboratory efforts and the write-up of a report. 

All laboratory preparations are done individually and jointly within small laboratory groups (2 students per group.)

Data analysis, reduction, and synthesis are done individually and jointly within small laboratory groups.

Each laboratory group completes the laboratory reports jointly.  Laboratory reports are due Wednesday, the week after they are finished, unless indicated otherwise.


 

COURSE OUTLINE

Entire outline is here

First week:

DATE and
LECTURE/LAB

TOPIC

READING
ASSIGNMENT

HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENT





1. Mar 12, M




Course organization.  Introduction.

Units.  Accuracy, precision, and resolution. 

Measurement systems, example.

 

Introduction to LabVIEW



Holman (required)
:
Ch.1,

Ch.2: Sections 2.1 to 2.6

Bishop

(recommended):
Ch.1, 2



Holman (required)
:
Review

questions: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3

Bishop

(recommended):

E1.2, E1.3,
E1.4, P1.3
Here is the
"Learning" directory
of Bishop (ZIP'ed)

 

 

2. Mar 13, Tu
Lab

 

 

LabVIEW Demo.
Analog to digital conversion.

Lab #1: Digital Ohmeter
Hardware setup for LabView

 

Holman (required):
Ch.4: Sections 4.1 to 4.6

 


Bishop

(recommended):

Ch.2, 4


Holman (required)
:
Review

questions: 4.1, 4.2, 4.3

Bishop

(recommended):

P2.4, P2.7

3. Mar 14, W


Measurements.  Transducers.

Signal conditioning.  Standards for measurements.

Significant digits.


Holman (required)
:
Ch.14:

Sections 14.1 to 14.7

 

 


Bishop

(recommended):


Holman (required)
:
a) Review

questions: 14.1

(b) Example 14.1

(develop your own

solutions in detail)

 

(c) Problems: 14.4, 14.10


Bishop

(recommended):

4. Mar 15, Th
Lab


Lab #1: Digital Ohmeter
Write to file capability
Resistance measurements: your experiments

Finish lab.

Laboratory report: template, Lab 01

Holman (required):

Ch.3:

Sections 3.6 to 3.8

 


Bishop

(recommended):

 

Holman (required):
Examples: 3.11,

3.12, 3.13

(develop your own

solutions in detail)


Bishop

(recommended):

 

Second week:

DATE and
LECTURE/LAB

TOPIC

READING
ASSIGNMENT

HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENT

5. Mar 19, M


Error analysis.  Least squares fitting

Holman (required):
Ch.3:

Sections 3.1 to 3.3,

Sections 3.6 to 3.8

 


Bishop

(recommended):

Ch.2 and 4

 

 

 

Holman (required):
(a) Review

questions: 3.1 to 3.6

 

(b) Problems 3.10, 3.16



Bishop

(recommended):

Section 2.6, E4.1

 

6. Mar 20, Tu
Lab


Lab #2: Pressure Transducer Calibration



Holman (required)
:
Ch.6:

Sections 6.1 to 6.4

 


Bishop

(recommended):

Ch.6


Holman (required)
:
Examples: 6.4, 6.5

(develop your own

solutions in detail)

Bishop

(recommended):

Section 6.1





7. Mar 21, W



Uncertainty analysis
Pressure measurements

MathCad sample, curve fitting


Holman (required)
:
Ch.6:

Sections 6.5 to 6.6

 


Bishop

(recommended):


Holman (required)
:
Example: 6.6

(develop your own

solutions in detail)


Bishop

(recommended):



8. Mar 22, Th
Lab



Lab #2: Pressure Transducer Calibration

MathCad sample, curve fitting with T-Student computations

Finish lab

 

Laboratory report: template, Lab 02

 


Holman (required):
Ch.6:

Sections 6.7 to 6.14

 


Bishop

(recommended):

Ch.6


Holman (required):
(a) Review

questions: 6.1 to 6.5



Bishop

(recommended):

Section 6.6

 

Third week:

DATE and
LECTURE/LAB

TOPIC

READING
ASSIGNMENT

HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENT

9. Mar 26, M

Uncertainty analysis
Pressure measurements
(continued).

 

Holman (required):
Sections 3.11 to 3.17

 

 


Bishop

(recommended):

Ch.6

 

 

Holman (required):

a) Examples: 3.24, 3.25, 3.26

(develop your own

solutions in detail)


b) Problems 3.58, 3.59


Bishop

(recommended):

Section 6.2

 

 

10. Mar 27, Tu
Lab


Lab #3: Mechanical strain measurements

Soda can experiments


Holman (required)
:
Sections 10.5 to 10.7


Bishop

(recommended):


Holman (required)
:
(a) Review

questions: 10.6 to 10.9


Bishop

(recommended):





11. Mar 28, W



Uncertainty analysis (continued)


Strain measurements
Bridge circuits


Holman (required)
:
Section 2.12,

Sections 3.1 to 3.5


Bishop

(recommended):


Holman (required)
:
a) Examples: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3

(develop your own

solutions in detail)


Bishop

(recommended):



12. Mar 29, Th
Lab




Lab #3: Mechanical strain measurements
Soda can experiments

 

(Mid-term exam is next Tuesday)

 

 

Holman (required):

Section 2.12,
Sections 3.1 to 3.5

 


Bishop

(recommended):

 

Holman (required):
a) Examples: 3.4, 3.5, 3.6

(develop your own

solutions in detail)


Bishop

(recommended):

Section 11.2.2

 

 

 

Fourth week:

DATE and
LECTURE/LAB

TOPIC

READING
ASSIGNMENT

HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENT

13. Apr 02, M

Stain measurements
Bridge circuits (continued)


Curve fitting
Uncertainty analysis

 

Holman (required):

Ch.4: Sections 4.6

 

Bishop

(recommended):

Ch.11

 

Holman (required):

a) Examples: 4.2, 4.3

(develop your own

solutions in detail)

 

Bishop

(recommended):

Section 11.2.1

 

 

14. Apr 03, Tu
Lab


Midterm Exam.
  Includes everything
except strain.

 

Holman (required):

Ch.4: Sections 4.6

 

Bishop

(recommended):

Ch.11

 

Holman (required):

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):




15. Apr 04, W



Strain gages
Mohr's circle.  Rosettes
Bridge configurations

 

Holman (required):

Sections 10.8 to 10.11

 

Bishop

(recommended):

 

Holman (required):

Problems: 10.29, 10.32

 

Bishop

(recommended):



16. Apr 05, Th
Lab



Lab #3: Mechanical strain measurements
Soda can experiment

Finish lab

Laboratory report: template, Lab 03

 

 

Holman (required):

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):

 

Holman (required):

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):

 

Fifth week:

DATE and
LECTURE/LAB

TOPIC

READING
ASSIGNMENT

HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENT

17. Apr 9, M

Stain gages
Bridge output and calibration

Sample: uncertainty analysis in MathCAD

 

Holman (required):

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):

 

Holman (required):

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):

18. Apr 10, Tu
Lab



Lab #4: Vibration measurements
Beam experiments
Vibration measurements with strain gages

Recommended VIs (WinZip'ed)

 

Holman (required):

Ch.11: Sections 11.1 to 11.2

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):

 

Holman (required):

a) Examples: 11.1

(develop your own

solutions in detail)

 

Problems: 11.1, 11.2

 

Bishop

(recommended):

 




19. Apr 11, W




Dynamic response of structures
Motion transducers



Holman (required):

Ch.11: Section 11.3

 

Bishop

(recommended):



Holman (required):

a) Examples: 11.2, 11.3

(develop your own

solutions in detail)

 

Problems: 11.3, 11.4, 11.5

 

Bishop

(recommended):


20. Apr 12, Th
Lab



Lab #4: Vibration measurements
Beam experiments
Vibration measurements with MEMS


Laboratory report: template, Lab 04



Holman (required)
:

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):



Holman (required)
:

a) Examples: 11.4, 11.5

(develop your own

solutions in detail)

 

Bishop

(recommended):

 

 

 

Sixth week:

DATE and
LECTURE/LAB

TOPIC

READING
ASSIGNMENT

HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENT

21. Apr 16, M

Patriot's day
No classes





22. Apr 17, Tu


Lab #4: Vibration measurements
Beam experiments
Vibration measurements with MEMS


Holman (required)
:

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):

 

 

Holman (required):

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):




23. Apr 18, W


Dynamic properties of beams
Motion transducers

MEMS inertial sensors


Holman (required)
:

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):


Holman (required)
:

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):


24. Apr 19, Th
Lab


Project presentation day
No classes

 

 

Seventh week:

DATE and
LECTURE/LAB

TOPIC

READING
ASSIGNMENT

HOMEWORK
ASSIGNMENT

25. Apr 23, M

MEMS inertial sensors
Fourier analysis


Holman (required)
:

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):


Holman (required)
:

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):


26. Apr 24, Tu
Lab

  • 26.1.  Part 4 of 4: see previous Lab
  •          description & procedures


Lab #4: Vibration measurements
(continued)
Beam experiments:
Stain gages & MEMS

Determination of elastic modulus

Finish lab
Report due next Tuesday


Holman (required)
:

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):


Holman (required)
:

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):


27. Apr 25, W

Part - 1

Part - 2


Dynamic properties of beams
Determination of elastic modulus

Temperature measurements
Uncertainty analysis



Holman (required)
:

Ch.8: Sections 8.1 to 8.5

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):



Holman (required)
:

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):


28. Apr 26, Th
Lab



Lab #5: Calibration of a Thermocouple


Finish lab
Report due next Tuesday



Holman (required)
:

Ch.8: Section 8.5

 

Bishop

(recommended):



Holman (required)
:

 

 

Bishop

(recommended):

 


Peer Evaluation Form (Optional)
Please turn in completed form directly to the instructor

at the end of the Term


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