Syllabus for
ME 444—Experimental Methods
3 Credit Hours Spring 2021
I. COURSE DESCRIPTION
Introduction to experimental methods including design, measurement techniques,
instrumentation, computer-aided data acquisition and data analysis in mechanical and thermal-fluid systems.
Restriction: Junior standing Course fee: $100
III. COURSE GOALS
The student who successfully completes this course will become familiar with experimental methods from theory and hands-on laboratory experience.
IV. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THIS COURSE
As a result of successfully completing this course, the student will be able to do the following:
A. Plan experiments.
B. Conduct experiments.
C. Analyze and report experimental results.
V. TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER LEARNING RESOURCES
A. Required Materials
1. Textbooks:
Alan Morris & Reza Langari, Measurement & Instrumentation. 3rd Ed., Academic Press, 2020, ISBN 9780128171417.
2. Other None B. Optional Materials 1. Textbooks None 2. Other None
VI. POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
A. University Policies and Procedures
1. Students and faculty at Oral Roberts University must adhere to all laws
addressing the ethical use of others’ materials, whether it is in the form of print, electronic, video, multimedia, or computer software. Plagiarism and other forms of cheating involve both lying and stealing and are violations of ORU’s Honor Code: “I will not cheat or plagiarize; I will do my own academic work and will not inappropriately collaborate with other students on assignments.” Plagiarism
is usually defined as copying someone else’s ideas, words, or sentence structure and submitting them as one’s own. Other forms of academic dishonesty include (but are not limited to) the following:
a. Submitting another’s work as one’s own or colluding with someone else and submitting that work as though it were his or hers;
b. Failing to meet group assignment or project requirements while claiming to have done so;
c. Failing to cite sources used in a paper;
d. Creating results for experiments, observations, interviews, or projects that were not done;
e. Receiving or giving unauthorized help on assignments.
By submitting an assignment in any form, the student gives permission for the assignment to be checked for plagiarism, either by submitting the work for electronic verification or by other means. Penalties for any of the above infractions may result in disciplinary action including failing the assignment or failing the course or expulsion from the University, as determined by department and University guidelines.
2. Final exams cannot be given before their scheduled times. Students need to check the final exam schedule before planning return flights or other events at the end of the semester.
3. Students are to be in compliance with University, school, and departmental policies regarding the Whole Person Assessment (WPA) requirements. Students should consult the WPA handbooks for requirements regarding general education and the students’ majors.
a. The penalty for not submitting electronically or for incorrectly submitting an artifact is a zero for that assignment.
b. By submitting an assignment, the student gives permission for the assignment to be assessed electronically.
B. School Policies and Procedures
1. Attendance at each class or laboratory is mandatory in the School of Engineering at Oral Roberts University. Excessive absences can reduce a student’s grade or deny credit for the course.
2. Any student whose unexcused absences total 33% or more of the total number of class sessions receives an F for the course grade.
C. Course Policies and Procedures
1. Evaluation Procedures Homework + Quizzes 10% Labs 40% Application Project 15% Final Project 15% Final Exam 10% Lecture 10% Total 100%
Lowest homework, quiz, and lab grades will be dropped. 2. Whole Person Assessment Requirements
3. Other Policies and/or Procedures
a. The first three absences (excused or unexcused) do not result in a grade reduction. Each absence thereafter results in a 1% reduction in the final score (100% maximum), which determines the grade. Perfect attendance results in a 1% increase in the final score. The number of absences allowed prior to grade reduction is designed to accommodate
emergencies, illnesses, and so on and is not designed for indiscriminate use.
b. Students are expected to be prompt for classes. A tardy means missing more than 10 minutes of a class (e.g., arriving late or leaving early). Two tardies equal one absence.
c. Homework is to be turned in at the beginning of class on the day it is due. No points are awarded for late homework unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor.
d. Students may collaborate together on homework assignments but are expected to work all assignments themselves first before consulting with fellow students. Students should not be merely copying others work. e. Extra points may be earned for presenting problems to the class. f. Application project:
(1) This is designed to be an ongoing project where the students apply knowledge gained as we go along in the course. Students recommend what measurements should be made and what techniques should be used to make the measurements, including specific instruments (e.g., Fluke model ABC multimeter) and how much they cost. If appropriate, consider what
measurements should be made for safety purposes. This includes where and how often the measurements are made and how the data are collected. There are not necessarily right or wrong answers, but students need to justify their choices. These can be done by teams of 1 or 2 students.
(2) Select a topic by the date shown on the syllabus (first come, first served):
1. New gas turbine engine prototype design for an airplane. 2. New stealth fighter jet prototype design made of
advanced materials using a proven conventional engine, where the exhaust gas temperature, and composition are important for stealth operation.
3. New diesel engine prototype design for a long-haul truck.
4. Energy-efficient natural gas-fired production glass melting furnace.
5. New high speed train made of a new lightweight metal subject to high temperature swings.
6. Advanced refrigeration system using a new refrigerant to cool meat in a packing plant.
7. New high-speed, large-bore underground drill for railway tunnel construction.
8. Ultra-energy efficient demonstration house including solar panels for both electricity generation and water heating.
9. Production flare in a refinery where noise, thermal radiation, and smoke generation must be monitored. 10. Solar-powered ultralight prototype aircraft made of a
new lightweight composite material with a small auxiliary gasoline-powered engine.
11. Prototype hybrid car designed to run on hydrogen fuel and/or electricity stored in a new type of battery design. 12. Remotely-controlled production robot designed to
operate at high ocean depths, which can be used to cap an oil well leak.
13. New fuel-efficient recreational boat designed for fishing and water-skiing that runs on alternative fuels.
14. Process (including mixing raw materials, melting materials, getting proper composition, and forming into continuous sheet) for making a new alloy metal that is lightweight and strong.
15. Process for burning hazardous waste in a kiln used simultaneously for making cement.
16. Miniature remote-controlled drone designed to take photos inside tight spaces.
17. A four-wheeler that can convert into a small boat and go from land to water in a short time.
18. Single person helicopter powered by natural gas. 19. Combination car/airplane – see www.aeromobil.com. 20. Power generation plant using wind turbines and solar
panels.
21. Robotic arm used at the bottom of a deep ocean (very high pressures, salt water).
22. Robotic arm used on the moon (very low pressures, must be able to survive trip to the moon).
23. Extreme weather event(s) such as a tornado, hurricane, volcano, etc.
24. A topic of the student’s choice (must be approved by the instructor).
(3) Remember that accuracy is more important and cost is less important for a prototype but just the opposite for production equipment where many may be sold (e.g., production flare). (4) An outline is due as noted on the syllabus before the
presentation. The outline should include what you want to measure (e.g., pressure, temperature, flow, etc.), where (locations), and why those measurements. You do not need to specify the instruments, their locations, and their measurement frequencies. The outline is worth 10% of the grade.
(5) Prepare a PowerPoint presentation with your recommendations to be presented to the class. Include pictures, drawings, graphs, videos, animations, tables, etc., as appropriate. The PowerPoint is worth 90% of the grade and is due before the presentation is delivered (late penalty if received after that)
(6) Be as specific as you can as to what instrument you would use and why (e.g., accuracy, size, cost, etc.). Select actual
each instrument and how frequently you would make
measurements. You should include actual cost information if it is available.
(7) You must include experimental objectives for your proposed experimental testing.
g. Final project: (choose one of the following; done in teams of 1 or 2 students):
Topic: some type of advanced engineering experimental method (not discussed in much detail in the text) and must be approved in advance. Some possible topics include: Absorption
Spectroscopy, Coherent Antistokes Raman Scattering (CARS), Degenerate Four Wave Mixing (DFWM), Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Gas Chromatography, Laser-Induced
Fluorescence (LIF), Laser-Induced Incandescence (LII), Laser Diffraction, Mie Scattering, Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF), Planar Elastic Light Scattering Imaging (PELSI), Raman Scattering, Rayleigh Scattering, Resonantly Enhanced
Multiphoton Ionization (REMPI), Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS), laser vibrometry, surface flatness (e.g., as measured by a variation gauge), and industrial moisture measurement (microwave, neutron moderation, low-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance, refractometer, ultrasonic, & mechanical).
(1) Paper:
(a) 2,500-3,500 words in length, double-spaced with a minimum of 5 references (journal articles, reports, books, or theses; web references do not count toward the 5) and 2 graphics (e.g., tables, figures, etc.). Make sure to include headings and proper citations.
(b) The paper should include example applications of the method and advantages and disadvantages compared to other methods used to make the same measurement. (2) Presentation:
(a) At least (15) slides not including title, outline/agenda, references, questions/thank you, etc. slides
(b) Must include a minimum of 5 scholarly references (journal articles, reports, books, or theses; web references do not count toward the 5)
(c) Must include at least (10) images or tables, none from the text count towards these, and at least (1) video or animation
(3) Video:
(a) Produce an instructional video on an advanced
experimental technique that is no more than 7 minutes long and includes relevant tables, figures, graphs, photos, pictures, and/or videos. This cannot be simply a PowerPoint with narration.
(b) Must include a minimum of 5 references (journal articles, reports, books, or theses; web references do not count toward the 5) cited at the end of the video.
Lab:
(4) New Lab:
An appropriate mechanical engineering (not physics, chemistry, biology, etc.) lab that could be conducted by a future class where the required equipment would cost no more than approximately $300. This lab cannot already be used in another course that ME students would take. The paper should discuss everything needed to set up and conduct the experiment and the type of analysis needed to analyze the data. The lab manual for the experiment that could be actually used by students should be included in an appendix. The project should include a short (3 min. maximum) instructional video done by the students. The purpose of the video is for future students to be able to watch it before doing the lab so they will be better prepared. It should include text, arrows, background music, etc. as appropriate to help students better learn what they will be doing. Credits should be included at the end with the name(s) of the student(s) who made the video and that they are engineering students at ORU in Tulsa. The video should be sent to the instructor. R.R. Moore Fatigue Test Lab
(5) Improve an existing lab:
Detailed instructions (e.g., fabrication drawings), procedures, and costs (if applicable) on how to improve one of the existing labs. If possible, the improvements should actually be made. Other:
(6) Develop an app:
Develop some type of phone app that can be used to make some type of measurement, which could use apps already developed to conduct some type of lab, or which could be used to explore a topic covered in class in more depth including some type of assessment.
Project outline is worth 10% of grade, project is worth 90%.
Projects will be presented to the class. Written papers are due as shown on the syllabus. Late papers will not be accepted.
h. Lecture:
(1) Students will prepare a brief lecture (15-20 minutes) on an experimental method in the book that will be covered in class. The lecture will be delivered at the time the topic is covered in class. Students sign up for a topic at the beginning of the semester.
(2) Students are expected to supplement the materials in the book (e.g., with pictures or videos from vendors and new
developments in technology etc.) and not repeat what is already covered in the text. There should be little if any duplication of content from the text. You will go into more depth than the text on a particular topic and discuss actual equipment and usage. (3) At least 1 application of the experimental method must be
included in the presentation which should include 1 or more pictures/videos demonstrating the method in actual use. (4) Provide a hard copy of the presentation materials (e.g.,
presentation (failure to do so will result in lost points). An electronic copy of the presentation is due by the end of the day of the presentation (failure to do so will result in lost points). Handouts for the class are required. No written paper is required.
(5) You must include some type of student engagement (e.g., quiz, calculation for them to complete, fill-in-the-blank notes, game, demonstration, experiment, etc.) which is different from the handout described above. If you use a quiz, it should be worth 5 points and will be graded by the presenter.
(6) There should be a summary/comparison table that shows the pros and cons of your method compared to similar methods of measuring the same thing, as well as any other relevant information such as the instrument range.
(7) You will need to pick a lecture to present. Lectures may be presented in teams of 1 or 2 students.
VII. COURSE CALENDAR
All homework is due at the beginning of class period. No late homework will be accepted.
Week Date Topic Reading Due Assignments Due Presentation Presenter
1 1/14 Course Introduction, Safety Select lecture topic
2 1/18 Martin Luther King Holiday
1/21 Basic Concepts 2.1 – 2.6, 2.12 HW #1
3 1/25 Analysis of Experimental Data 3.1 – 3.9 HW #2 1/28 Report Writing & Presentations 15.1 – 15.10 HW #3, Select
application project topic
4 2/1 Lab 1: Darts HW #4, Syllabus quiz
2/4 Displacement & Area Measurements Pressure Measurements
5.1 – 5.9 6.1 – 6.7
Select final project topic 5.2 – 5.9 6.3 – 6.7
5 2/8 Pressure Measurements 6.8 – 6.14 HW #5 6.9 – 6.13
2/11 Lab 2: Orifice Calculator
Flow Measurement 7.1 – 7.6
Lab 1 report HW #6
7.2, 7.3, 7.5 – 7.6
6 2/15 Lab 3: Air Jets Lab 2 report
2/18 Flow Measurement 7.7 – 7.12 HW #7 7.7 – 7.12
7 2/22 Lab 4: Wind Tunnel Lab 3 report
2/25 Flow Measurement 7.13 – 7.17 HW #8 7.13 – 7.16
8 3/1 Lab 5: Taylor-Couette Flow Lab 4 report
3/4 Temperature Measurement 8.1 – 8.5 HW #9 8.3 – 8.5
9 3/8 Temperature Measurement 8.6 – 8.11 HW #10 8.6 – 8.10
3/11 Thermal- & Transport-Property Measurement 9.1 – 9.5 HW #11 9.1 – 9.5 10 3/15
Spring Break 3/18
11 3/22 Experimental design exercise Lab 6: Process Heater Simulator
Thermal- & Transport-Property Measurement 9.6 – 9.10
Lab 5 report HW #12
9.6 – 9.10 3/25 Force, Torque, & Strain Measurements
Motion & Vibration Measurement
10.1 – 10.7 11.1 – 11.5 Application Project Outline HW #13 10.3 – 10.7 11.2 – 11.5
12 3/29 Lab 7: Pasta Bending Lab 6 report
4/1 Thermal Radiation Measurements 12.1 – 12.5 HW #14 12.2 – 12.5
13 4/5 Lab 8: Radiation Measurements Lab 7 report
4/8 Air Pollution Measurement 13.1 – 13.10 HW #15; Lab 8 Report 13.6 – 13.10
14 4/12 Application Project Presentations HW #16;
Week Date Topic Reading Due Assignments Due Presentation Presenter 4/15 Application Project Presentations
Experimental design exercise
15 4/19 Final Project Presentations Final Project PowerPoint
4/22 Final Project Presentations 16 4/26 FINAL EXAM
Instructor Contact Information:
Instructor: Chuck Baukal, Ph.D., P.E.
Work: (918) 234-2854
Cell: (918) 629-5811
Course Inventory for ORU’s Student Learning Outcomes ME 444 Experimental Methods
Spring 2021
This course contributes to the ORU student learning outcomes as indicated below:
Significant Contribution – Addresses the outcome directly and includes targeted assessment.
Moderate Contribution – Addresses the outcome directly or indirectly and includes some assessment. Minimal Contribution – Addresses the outcome indirectly and includes little or no assessment. No Contribution – Does not address the outcome.
The Student Learning Glossary at http://ir.oru.edu/doc/glossary.pdf defines each outcome and each of the proficiencies/capacities.
OUTCOMES & Proficiencies/Capacities Significant
Contribution Moderate Contribution Minimal Contribution No Contribution
1 Outcome #1 – Spiritually Alive
Proficiencies/Capacities
1A Biblical literacy X
1B Spiritual Formation X
2 Outcome #2 – Intellectually Alert
Proficiencies/Capacities
2A Critical thinking, creativity, and aesthetics X
2B Global & historical perspectives X
2C Information literacy X
2D Knowledge of the physical and natural world X
3 Outcome #3 – Physically Disciplined
Proficiencies/Capacities
3A Healthy lifestyle X
3B Physically disciplined lifestyle X
4 Outcome #4 – Socially Adept
Proficiencies/Capacities
4A Ethical reasoning and behavior X
4B Intercultural knowledge and engagement X
4C Written and Oral Communication X
4D Leadership capacity X
