USC Schedule of Classes

Gateway to the bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. Introduction to mechanical engineering disciplines and practice; graphical communication and layout of machine parts; introduction to computer-aided drafting and drawing.

Gateway to the Aerospace Engineering major. Introduction to flight vehicle performance and propulsion. Elements of the physics of gases. Laboratory: computers and graphics; model rocket and glider test flights.

Analysis of forces acting on particles and rigid bodies in static equilibrium; equivalent systems of forces; friction; centroids and moments of inertia; introduction to energy methods.

Stress, strain and deflection of mechanical elements due to tension, shear, bending, or torsion; combined loads; energy methods, statically indeterminate structures; strength-based design.

2-D and 3-D kinematics and dynamics of particles and rigid bodies; systems of particles and rigid bodies; coupled rigid bodies; introduction to vibrations.

Modeling of lumped parameter elements and systems; free and forced response of first and second order systems; design oriented approach to dynamic systems. Prerequisites: MATH 245. Recommended preparation: AME-309 or CE-309; AME-301 or CE-325.

Design and analysis of mechanical elements including shafts, bearings, springs, screws, belts, and gears; strength, fatigue, and deflection considerations in machine design.

Introduction to the finite element method; practical application of computer analysis tools for structural analysis and design. Prerequisite: AME 204. Corequisite: AME 301.

Fluid statics; conservation of mass, momentum, and energy in integral and differential form; applications. Laminar and turbulent pipe flow; compressible flow; potential flow over bodies.

Fundamental laws of thermodynamics applied to actual and perfect gases and vapors; energy concepts, processes, and applications.

General principles underlying heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation; steady and transient conditions; heat exchangers. Prerequisite: AME-310. Co-requisite: AME-309 or CE-309.

A coordinated laboratory and lecture sequence on aeromechanical instrumentation and device control stressing the symbiotic integration of mechanical, optical and electronic components.

Mathematical aspects of the solutions to typical advanced mechanical engineering problems. Modeling, simulation, computational aspects, computer solutions, and computational tools. Recommended preparation: FORTRAN, MATLAB, and Maple

Design of mechanical systems using advanced graphics techniques; computer-aided drafting, design optimization, elements of computer graphics, solids modeling; introduction to computer-aided manufacturing. Prerequisite: AME 204 or CE 225. Recommended preparation: AME 308.

Product planning and task clarification, voice of customers, quality function deployment, conceptual and embodiment design, axiomatic theory of design, product quality and manufacturability, design decision-making. Junior standing. Recommended preparation: AME 305

Physics of turbine operation; design and analysis for the development of turbine hardware for propulsion and power generation. Recommended preparation: Familiarity with Matlab.

Design methodology for thermal systems; boilers, condensers, air conditioning, power generation, air pollution control, combustion and alternative fuels. Prerequisite: AME-331; Recommended preparation: AME-312.

Individual engineering projects designed and constructed to model and test a physical principle or system.

Transform methods, block diagrams; transfer functions; stability; root-locus and frequency domain analysis and design; state space and multiloop systems. Prerequisites: AME 302 and MATH-245. (Duplicates credit in EE-482)

Laminar and turbulent boundary layer flow with and without heat transfer; boundary layer separation, stability, transition and control; introduction to compressible fluid flow.

Applications of basic aerodynamics to aircraft and missile performance, power and thrust, stability and control, compressibility effects.

Concepts of petroleum geology, interpretation of downhole surveys and measurements including well logs, MWD, mud logs and samples

Properties of porous rocks; capillarity effect, single-phase and multiphase fluid flow through porous media; diffusion and dispersion, miscible displacement, heat transfer. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours.

Theory and practice in drilling technology; mechanical properties of reservoir rocks; well completion; acidizing and fracturing, oilproduction gechnology. Lecture, 3 hours; laboratory, 3 hours

Design, qualification, and workmanship verification of aerospace structures. Analysis for assessing buckling and crippling, welds, and analysis of connections and thin-walled structures.

Individual research and readings. Not available for graduate credit.

Analysis, design, fabrication, and evaluation of devices intended for entry in local and national design competitions. Intended for students with prior project experience. Upper division standing. Graded CR/NC.

Current topics in Aerospace Engineering are addressed by a number of industry panelists. Students, under panelists' supervision and guidance, complete independent research reports and briefings. Recommended preparation: AME 261, AME 441, AME 481 or equivalents. Genuine interest in design of flight vehicles. Open only to Senior, Master, and Doctoral students.

Specific problems and methods of analysis in mechanical systems design.

Analysis of stress and strain; constitutive equations for elastic materials; plane stress and strain; torsion; introduction to plates and shells; energy methods.

Thermochemistry, equilibrium, chemical kinetics, flame temperature, flame velocity, flame stability, diffusion flames spray combustion, detonation. Equations of motion including reaction, heat transfer, and diffusion.

Multi-degree of freedom systems; modal analysis. Rayleigh's quotient. Continuous systems; modal analysis. Beams, rods,membranes. Colocations, Gelerkin, Rayleigh Ritz methods; finite elements.

Lagrange equations; nonlinear maps and differential equations; fixed points; periodic motion; qualitative/quantitative and local/global analysis; higher order systems; stability; bifurcations; chaos; fractals.

Principle of virtual work, constraints, Lagrange's equations, Gibbs-Appell equations, Guass's principle, theory of rotations, dynamics of rigid bodies, Hamiltonian mechanics, Hamilton-Jacobi equation. Recommended preparation: AME 521, AME 525.

Typical engineering problems discussed on a physical basis. Vector analysis; functions of complex variables, infinite series, residues.

Typical engineering problems discussed on a physical basis. Fourier series; Fourier integrals; Laplace transform; partial differential equations; Bessel function.

A unified discussion of low-speed fluid mechanics including exact solutions; approximation techniques for low and high Reynolds numbers; inviscid flows; surface waves; dynamic stability; turbulence.

Convergence, consistency, stability: finite difference, finite element, and spectral methods; direct and iterative procedures for steady problems; linear diffusion and advection problems; nonlinear advection problems. Recommended preparation: AME 526.

State space representation, linearization, solution of state equations; controllability and observability; state feedback, state observers; optimal control; output feedback.

Introduction to systems architecture in aerospace, electrical, computer, and manufacturing systems emphasizing the conceptual and acceptance phases and using heuristics.

Recent developments and research in aerospace and mechanical engineering and related fields. Oral and written reports.

Mechanical properties of materials; macroscopic mechanical behavior related to structure and microstructure of the material; elementary dislocation theory related to basic strengthening mechanisms; fatigue and fracture; nanomaterials. Recommended preparation: MASC 310.

Alternative energy/power conversion including fuel cells, photovoltaic, batteries, and biologically inspired energy processes; biomass conversion and utilization; environmental implications of alternative energy processes.

Materials selection in relationship to design and fabrication, economic considerations, methodology of selection, performance parameter; case studies.

Research leading to the Master's Degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Thesis.

Credit on acceptance of Thesis. Graded CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Thesis.

Course content will be selected each semester to reflect current trends and developments in the field of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering.

Research leading to the doctorate. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the department. Graded CR/NC.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation.

Credit on acceptance of Thesis.

Credit on acceptance of Dissertation.