Eng g 100:

Why MecE is the Best!

Jason Carey
Professor, Associate Chair (Undergrad Program)
BME Option Director
 Overview of MecE Program

What makes MecE the best is

• the people,
MecE
• the students,
• the program options
• the fun, and
• the opportunities!
What is Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical engineers are concerned with the

research and development,
design,
manufacture,
installation,
operation,
maintenance
of all kinds of machines and systems of machines to
perform a wide variety of functions.

Mechanical Engineers are often on the management

side of the profession.
What is Mechanical Engineering?
Mechanical Engineering involves elements of each of the core disciplines
which opens every door!
Structures Oil and Gas

Motion Environment

Fluids Biomedical

Heat transfer Production

Design Management

Manufacturing Construction

Electronics Consulting

Controls Aerospace

Management Resource indust.

Mechanical
Problem solving Engineer New areas

Many more skills Many more

 Typical Jobs and Careers

• Resource industries (oil and gas, pulp and

paper, forestry, agriculture, mining)
• Energy (production, utilization, renewable &
sustainable)
• Utilities (production and distribution of electricity,
gas, water)
• Construction (building systems, HVAC)
• Transportation (aerospace, automotive, rail,
marine, engines and propulsion, structures)
• Manufacturing (equipment and processes)
• Management (project installation, startup,
operations)
• “New Areas” (biomechanics, forensics,
mechatronics, nanotechnology, alternative energy)
APEGA Registration who live in
Alberta - Jobs
 MecE Faculty and Staff

• Currently ~40 academic staff and growing

• Young and dynamic department: More than half
here less than 10 years
• World renowned experts
• Diverse range of research interests and outside
activities (see rolling presentation)
o Aerospace o Materials
o Biomechanics o Solid mechanics
o Controls o Thermofluids
o Engineering management o Quality control
• Dedicated and approachable support staff and
shop personnel
 Cagri Ayranci
Multifunctional Composite Materials

• Shape Memory Polymers (SMPs)

• Easy to process
• Light weight
Top view Side view
• High strain rates
• Low mechanical properties

Temporary Heat application Recovered

shape (SME trigger) shape
• Shape Memory Polymers Composites (SMPCs)
• Higher mechanical
properties
• Better shape memory
properties
Heat application
• Higher recovery stress
Temporary Recovered
shape (SME trigger) shape
(x30 times)
• Limited research has
been conducted
Kajsa Duke
Biomechanics

Dr. Duke’s research is in the area of

biomechanics with a strong focus in
orthopaedics and design.
Warren Finlay
Thermo Fluids & Biomechanics & Nano &
Microtechnology

Aerosol Research Laboratory of Alberta

Amit Kumar
Engineering Management & Thermo Fluids &
Energy Environment

Research Interest

Conventional and non-conventional

energy systems and greenhouse gas
mitigation working towards cleaner
solutions for energy creation and energy
consumption.
 Carlos F. Lange

•Study of Water Vapour Cycle on Mars (Phoenix Mars Lander

Mission), funded by the Canadian Space Agency.
•Analyze the effect of winds on meteorological instruments.
Andre McDonald
Energy & Environment & Nano & Microtechnology

Do you want to do this? Join Mechanical Engineering!

 Pierre Mertiny
Solid Mechanics, Polymer Composites & Nanotechnology

Energy storage flywheel in hybrid car

Research on polymer
composites for applications
in the energy sector
(pressure vessels/piping,
energy storage flywheels)
Walied Moussa
Nano & Microtechnology & Biomechanics

Sub-modeling Methodology

ANSYS model of the thermal induced stress distribution

within turbine blades
 Jason Olfert
Energy Environment & Nanotechnology & Thermo
Fluide

• Understanding the effect of nano-sized

particles on climate and environment.
• Particulate matter generated from
internal combustion engines is of
particular interest.
 Dan Sameoto
Polymer Microfabrication Technologies

Nanogram epoxy robot

500 m 500 m 500 m

Above: self-assembled RF antenna designs made

of epoxy (images and designs courtesy of Sae-
Won Lee)
Ongoing research into using
commercial plastics and polymers as
low-cost microfabrication
technologies
New materials and fabrication
processes are being developed
Plexiglas Micro-channels

Contact: sameoto@ualberta.ca
Tian Tang
Mechanics and Materials - Nano and biomaterials

Cancer treatment through gene therapy leads to award

 MecE Program Considerations

• Flexible sequencing of core courses (see MecE

web site for program patterns)
• Broad based education rather than highly
specialized streams (adaptable to many career paths)
• Program requirements covered in core (program
electives offer more alternatives)
• Many hands-on lab and shop opportunities
• Industry sponsored design projects MecE
is for me!
• Unique courses
• Unique research opportunities
• Dedicated teaching assistants
• Great Student Engagement (MecE club, projects)
 Programs in MecE

1. Mechanical Engineering (Traditional) BME

2. Mechanical Engineering (Co-op)
3. Mechanical Engineering (BME)
All programs share a common core.

Through the Traditional MecE program I was exposed to a huge variety of

topics.  The 2nd year design course is unique throughout North America.  I
would highly recommend this program to anyone looking to study a diverse
range of subjects in their engineering program. – D. Romanyk
Mechanical engineering Co-op provides an excellent opportunity for hands on
learning.  This program gives you the opportunity to apply the skills that you
are learning in class and helps to put your career as an engineer in
perspective. - G. Melenka
 Elective Streams

Selection of technical electives can let you focus on

a stream:
• Biomedical engineering (electives from EE, BME, Medicine)
• Engineering management (electives from engineering and
business faculties)
• Aerospace engineering

You do not have to take all program

electives within a given stream;
the choice is yours.
 BME Program – linking
engineering and biology
• 100% of compulsory MecE • adds 5 courses for
courses taken specializing in biomedical
• 3 coop WKEXP engineering, one less co-
op term
• Specialized clinical work
term with biomedical
experts
• Tech electives BME or
MecE options

The mixture of mechanical engineering with biological systems was very

interesting, and the clinical placement was a great experience where I got the
opportunity to work on some very cutting-edge and exciting projects.  The whole
program…gave me all the tools to succeed both in mechanical engineering and
biomedical engineering. – N. Maeda
 BME Program – linking
engineering and biology
MecE is the department with the largest
Biomedical Engineering program

The BME program is great - it lets students learn the biomedical side of
engineering, while still providing all the core mechanical courses - resulting in a
very robust degree. – K. Evans
 Student Competition Projects

• MecE is historical home

to the student projects

• Hands-on activities and

shop access

• Industry-sponsored
design projects

• Aiming to provide course

credit for these soon!
Student Competition Projects
• Formula Car
• Heavy Lift Aircraft
• Solar Vehicle Project
• Glider Project
• Future Truck
• Autonomous Robotic Vehicle
• Clean Snowmobile
 Did anyone say DESIGN?

MecE 265 MecE 260

Engineering Mechanical Design How to design.
Graphics & CAD I
Try and build!

MecE 360
Mechanical Design
II
Design for a client
Bidding process
MecE 460 Senior
Real outcomes
Design Project

MecE 463
Thermal Systems
Design
MecE 265 Engineering Graphics
and CAD
 Log Delivery Vehicle, Fall 2012

Design Build
Mec E 265 Mec E 260

Design & rendered image Vehicle built by students in

created in Solid Works Machine shop
Image & Photo from Brett Haldane, Hassan Bokhary, Xi Ye, Kenwick Ng
MEC E 260 Design Project - Build

Soccer machines

Gold cup

Lumberjack
MecE 360 – Design Projets

BATMAN lifting mechanism

MEC E 360
Kitchengizmo and BATMAN
460 Design Team Achievements – Jan 2007 Term

al
t ion er
Na nn
E Wi
M n
CS esig
D
 Added value of the design
stream
• Design Method
• Manufacturing
• Design Mentorship
• Real life problems with real
industrial partners
• Communication skills
• Awards and cash
 Course Options (sample)

• turbomachines
• finite element analysis
• nanotechnology and MEMS
• engineering management
• advanced materials
• combustion & energy conversion
• aerodynamics
• computational fluid dynamics
• production and operations management
• plus many others from other departments
 Other MecE unique learning
opportunities

UA MecE has courses not

taught anywhere else in
Canada, and maybe even
… in the WORLD
Here are a few
 MecE 390: Numerical methods
of mechanical engineers
• We learn how to use computers to solve the
equations such as those that govern processes in
heat transfer and fluid flow

(Video shows a turbulent exchange flow of fluids of different

temperatures)
MEC E 420: Feedback Control Design of
Dynamic Systems
• MECE 420 Feedback Control: a combination of theory,
physical modeling, simulation and experiments
• 7 Hands-on control labs using a small DC Motor
• One of the labs is a Haptics Lab where feedback:
– to a human interface allows better control a system
– For example: to balance a ball on beam in a remote location feedback of
the weight helps the operator
– useful for tele-robotics
 MecE 443: Energy conversion

How does a fuel cell

zero-emission vehicle
work? In MECE443 you
will
• test-drive a remote
controlled hydrogen
vehicle
• Play with its hydrogen
refueling station
• see how fuel cells work
Dr Secanell and toys
MecE 485: Biomechanical Modeling
of Human Systems and Tissues
MEC E 415: Busting myths
with analysis
Loosely based on “Mythbusters”
The only such course in Canada and beyond
Only for UA MecE students
Outside the box thinking course/forensics engineering

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mythbusters_title_screen.jpg
 Testimonials

• "In your degree you learn a lot of theoretical knowledge and equations
that you don't really apply to real world problems, MecE 415 teaches
you how to approach new problems and actually solve them“

• "The funnest class I took in my undergrad was MecE 415“

• "Its a class where you learn to be a real engineer, one that actually
solves problems. (Problems regarding phonebooks and tanks or the
dangers of water heater rockets, but problems nonetheless!)“

• "Busting Myths with Analysis doesn't teach you more "theoretical stuff",
it teaches you how to put the "theoretical stuff" the faculty spent the
last four years shoe-horning into your head to good use solving
problems you've never seen before and can't find in a normal boring
textbook"

•
 List of some myths tackled
• Ice bullet
Can a car drive on the ceiling?
• Run or water
Under walk inbullet
the rain/shelter
cold
• Plane and
Bullet on conveyor
guns in ovenbelt are deadly
• Pennyaway
Blown dropped from building is deadly
• Water shot
Bullet bottlevertically
jet liftoff are deadly
• BorderBond’s
James slingshot bullet deviating magnetic watch
• Using a
Cable pulls
bomb off blast
car axleto land safely from freefall without a parachute
• Birds on
Drive shaft
a truck
polewillvault
lighten the load if they fly
• Explodingstraight
Skidding pressurized
or turnballoons
to avoidused
a wall
forcollision
lawn chair flight
• Swing set straight
Compressed air cylinder
360 can power a boat
• Break step bridge
Compressed air cylinder can break through a cinder block wall
• Bath tub vortex always
Exploding/rocket water rotates
heater counter clockwise
• Faster
Pop cantoexplode
freeze hot if left
water
in abucket
hot or cold
than car
cold one
 Interested to dive in deeper?

• MecE Professors offer

research opportunities
– Summer jobs
– Dean’s Research
Awards
– Talk to them
 For Advice on our UG
Program

Don Raboud Dan Sameoto Glen Thomas

2nd yr Advisor 3rd yr advisor 4th yr advisor
Senior tutor

Kate Mahoney Jason Carey

MecE Office: 4-9 MecE building, Associate Chair (UG),
mecehelp.undergrad@ualberta.ca BME program director
 THANK YOU

QUESTIONS?
Jason.carey@ualberta.ca
Contact me anytime

See you at MecE first year night for free food and prizes!!