Numerical Computation for Mechanical Engineers

Lecture Date    Title    Lecturer    Brief Description
September 18, 2013   Statistical Methods for Tolerance and Error Analysis   Dr. R. Hamilton Shepard  

An overview of key statistical concepts relating to error analysis including probability distributions, RMS and RSS errors, how uncertainty translates through functions, and random number generators. These concepts are then applied to tolerance stack-ups and a Monte Carlo Simulation using examples from Opto-mechanical Engineering.

 
November 4, 2013   Star Processing   Dr. Jonathan K. Holm   An overview of what can be learned from the stars and what is needed to do so.  This course provided a crash course on the stars, a brief history of star processing and a brief overview of the Milky Way.  It is important to identify what is and is not a star. and correcting sensor distortion. Determine sensor orientation from the starr, what do to when you have a decent initial guess and what about when you have no idea?
December 6, 2013   Random Vibration Analysis   Dave Crompton   Walked students through random vibration analysis methodology including: Finite element modeling, eigenevalues and eigenvectors, transfer functions and response evaluation. Random vibration analysis and test methods are used when it is easier to describe the environment statistically rather than deterministically.
December 9, 2013   Numerical Schemes in Fluid Mechanics   Dr. Thomas Sebastian   Walked the students through all of the parts of a computational fluid mechanics model and gave a case study using a wind turbine. Also spent some time discussing the trade that can exist between computational cost and physical realism, and how it can play a major role in real world engineering problems.