Rice Course Schedule, Fall 2000
Mechanical Engineering (MECH)

See also: Building Codes | Registration Information

NOTE: Course web pages are available for some MECH courses.

MECH 211   ENGINEERING MECHANICS                    Credits 3.00  Fall 00
The study equilibrium of static systems, the dynamics of a particle and
particle systems, and rigid-body dynamics.  Includes elements of vibrational
analysis.  Required for mechanical engineering and materials science and
engineering majors.
PHYS 101 or 125, MATH 101 and 102.
001 RL 201 - MWF 11:00AM - 11:50AM      Staff                     Enr: 26 Max: NA
002 RL 231 - MWF 09:00AM - 09:50AM      Staff                     Enr: 10 Max: NA
003 RL 201 - MWF 10:00AM - 10:50AM      Staff                     Enr: 19 Max: NA

MECH 340   INDUSTRIAL PROCESS LAB                   Credits 1.00  Fall 00
Practical experience in, and observation of, selected industrial processes.
Must sign up in department office.  Open only to mechanical engineering majors.
 Required for mechanical engineering majors in B.S. program.
Mech major
001 TBA - MW 02:00PM - 05:00PM
RL 19 - Gesenhues, Joseph P       Enr: 14 Max: NA

MECH 371   FLUID MECHANICS I                        Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Introduction to fluid statics and dynamics.  Includes the development of the
fundamental equations of fluid mechanics and their application to problems of
engineering interest.  Required for mechanical engineering majors in B.S.
program.
Mech 200, 211, Math 212.
001 ME 123 - MWF 10:00AM - 10:50AM      Meade, Andrew J.          Enr: 20 Max: NA

MECH 401   MECHANICAL DESIGN APPLICATIONS           Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Applications of the principles of mechanical design to the analysis and design
of machine elements.  Required for mechanical engineering majors in B.S.
program.
Civi 300.
001 ME 123 - TTH 08:00AM - 09:15AM      McStravick, David M.      Enr: 26 Max: NA

MECH 403   COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN                    Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Investigation of the integration of the computer into the area of design.
Includes such subjects as optimization, simulation, finite elements, and expert
systems.  Required for mechanical engineering majors in B.S. program.
Caam 211.
001 ML 254 - TTH 01:00PM - 02:15PM      Akin, John E.             Enr: 31 Max: NA

MECH 407   MECHANICAL DESIGN PROJECT I              Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Team projects to develop designs for mechanical devices.  Various areas of
interest for designs are available for the student.
001 TBA - TTH 02:30PM - 03:50PM         Cunningham, Robert A.     Enr: 20 Max: NA
002 TBA - TBA                           Cunningham, Robert A.     Enr: 0 Max: NA
003 TBA - TBA                           McStravick, David M.      Enr: 1 Max: NA
004 TBA - TBA                           Cunningham, Robert A.     Enr: 0 Max: NA
005 TBA - TBA                           Cunningham, Robert A.     Enr: 0 Max: NA

MECH 411   ANALYTICAL DYNAMICS                      Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Application of energy methods in the study of particle and rigid-body dynamics,
electric circuits, electromechanical systems, and continuous dynamic systems.
Required for mechanical engineering majors.
Mech 211.
001 ME 123 - TTH 10:50AM - 12:05PM      Ghorbel, Fathi            Enr: 30 Max: NA

MECH 431   SENIOR LABORATORY I                      Credits 1.00  Fall 00
Laboratory instruction in heat transfer, thermodynamics, and engine cycles.
Students work in small groups doing experiments with emphasis on applied
thermodynamics and vibration analysis.  Required for mechanical engineering
majors in B.S. program.
001 TBA - MW 02:00PM - 05:00PM
TBA - T McStravick, David M.      Enr: 29 Max: NA

MECH 435   ELECTROMECHANICAL DEVICES & SYSTEMS      Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Introduction to the physical and engineering aspects of electromechanical
sensors and actuators.  Includes underlying physical phenomena, practical
devices, electrical and mechanical interfacing, and control of
electromechanical systems.    Also offered as Elec 435.
Elec 241, 242, or 243.
001 AL A126 - MWF 02:00PM - 02:50PM     Wise, James D.            Enr: 3 Max: NA

MECH 452   FINITE ELEMENT METHODS IN FLUID MECHANIC Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Fundamental concepts of finite element methods in fluid mechanics, including
spatial discretization and numerical integration in multidimensions,
time-integration, and solution of nonlinear ordinary differential equation
systems.  Advanced numerical stabilization techniques designed for fluid
mechanics problems.  Strategies for solution of complex, real-world problems.
Topics in large-scale computing, parallel processing, and visualization.
Mech 371 or consent of instructor.
001 ME 123 - TTH 09:25AM - 10:40AM      Tezduyar, Tayfun Ersin    Enr: 3 Max: NA

MECH 471   APPLICATIONS OF THERMODYNAMICS           Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Applications of thermodynamics to various systems of interest in mechanical
engineering, with  emphasis on energy conversion, refrigeration, and
psychrometrics.  Required for mechanical engineering majors in B.S. program.
Mech 200.
001 ML 251 - TTH 09:25AM - 10:40AM      Chapman, Alan J.          Enr: 18 Max: NA

MECH 501   ANALYTICAL DYNAMICS                      Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Graduate version of Mech 411.  Term project required.
001 ME 123 - TTH 10:50AM - 12:05PM      Ghorbel, Fathi            Enr: 0 Max: NA

MECH 503   COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN                    Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Graduate version of MECH 403. Additional work required.
Prereq- CAAM 211
001 TBA - TTH 01:00PM - 02:15PM         Akin, John E.             Enr:  Max: NA

MECH 525   PARALLEL COMPUTING METHODS IN COMPUTATIO Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Introduction to analysis techniques in computational mechanics that exploit
high-performance computing. Overview of discretization methods, approximation
issues, computational costs and capabilities. Memory hierarchies, scalar
optimization, cache reuse. Shared-memory programming using compiler directives
and data-parallel compilers. Distributed-memory programming using
message-passing libraries. Aspects of parallel finite difference and finite
element implementations.
Prereq- Knowledge of FORTRAN or C programming , and familiarity  with the UNIX
operating system.
001 KH 105 - MF 03:00PM - 04:15PM       Behr, Marek               Enr: 0 Max: NA

MECH 554   FINITE ELEMENT METHODS IN FLUID MECHANIC Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Graduate version of MECH 452. Additional work required.
Mech 371 and 517 or consent of instructor.
001 ME 123 - TTH 09:25AM - 10:40AM      Tezduyar, Tayfun Ersin    Enr: 3 Max: NA

MECH 563   ENGI APPROACH TO MATH PROGRAM            Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Study of the minimization of fuctions of varibles that are either
unconstrained, subject to equality consraints, subject to inequality
contraints, or subject to both equality and inequality constraints.  Includes
analytical and computational methods.  Also offered as Caam 563.
001 ME 123 - TTH 04:00PM - 05:20PM      Miele, Angelo             Enr: 0 Max: NA

MECH 593   MECH ENG'G PROBLEMS                      Credits   Fall 00
No description.
001 TBA - TBA                           Staff                     Enr: 0 Max: NA

MECH 595   MODELING TISSUE MECHANICS                Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Independent study and seminar course which focuses on modeling the mechanical
properties of biological tissues. Data from experiments will be used to refine
the predictions of nonlinear mathematical computer  models. Aimed at juniors,
seniors, and graduate students. Laboratory work performed at Baylor College of
Medicine, computer work at Rice University.
001 TBA - TBA                           Boriek, Aladin M.         Enr: 4 Max: NA

MECH 601   SPECIAL TOPICS                           Credits 3.00  Fall 00
No description
001 TBA - TBA                           Miele, Angelo             Enr: 1 Max: NA

MECH 602   SPECIAL TOPICS                           Credits 3.00  Fall 00
No description
001 TBA - TTH 10:50AM - 12:05PM         Spanos, Pol D.            Enr: 0 Max: NA

MECH 604   SPECIAL TOPICS                           Credits 0.00  Fall 00
No description
001 TBA - TBA                           Staff                     Enr: 0 Max: NA
002 TBA - TBA                           Staff                     Enr: 0 Max: NA

MECH 605   SPECIAL TOPICS                           Credits 0.00  Fall 00
No description
001 TBA - TBA                           Staff                     Enr: 0 Max: NA
002 TBA - TBA                           Staff                     Enr: 0 Max: NA

MECH 606   GRADUATE SEMINAR                         Credits 0.00  Fall 00
No description
001 ME 123 - WF 02:00PM - 04:00PM       Tezduyar, Tayfun Ersin    Enr: 4 Max: NA

MECH 608   SPECIAL TOPICS                           Credits 1.00  Fall 00
NEW COURSE
001 TBA - TBA                           Cunningham, Robert A.     Enr: 0 Max: NA
002 TBA - TBA                           Cunningham, Robert A.     Enr: 0 Max: NA

MECH 673   ADV FLUID MECHANICS I                    Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Conservation equations for viscous compressible fluids. Applications to viscous
and inviscid flows. Simple flows of non-Newtonian fluids.
001 ME 123 - TTH 01:00PM - 02:15PM      Meade, Andrew J.          Enr:  Max: NA

MECH 678   ADVANCED SCHOLASTIC MECHANICS            Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Nonlinear random vibrations, Statistical Linearization, ARMA filters modeling,
Monte Carlo Simulation, Wiener-Volterra series, time-variant structural
reliability, and Stochastic Finite Elements are presented from a perspective of
usefulness to aerospace, civil, marine, and mechanical applications.
Prereq- Civi 512, Civi/Mech 523.
001 RL 231 - TTH 10:50AM - 12:05PM      Spanos, Pol D.            Enr: 2 Max: NA

MECH 682   CONVECTIVE HEAT TRSF                     Credits 3.00  Fall 00
Rigorous study of the transfer of heat by free and forced convection.  Not
offered every year.
001 TBA - TBA                           Bayazitoglu, Yildiz       Enr: 2 Max: NA

MECH 800   RESEARCH AND THESIS                      Credits 1.00  Fall 00
No description
001 TBA - TBA                           Staff                     Enr: 20 Max: NA

MECH 800   RESEARCH AND THESIS                      Credits   Fall 00
No description
001 TBA - TBA                           Staff                     Enr:  Max: NA