MECH 391 Instrumentation
Course Goals, Content
Course Goals
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Introduce students to measurement and data reporting concepts, and help them
develop practical skills needed to successfully complete open-ended experiments
that are a part of the senior year courses.
Content
Students gain practical experience using the following devices:
 Computer Data Acquisition and Control system using LabVIEW: analog to digital
(A/D) and digital to analog (D/A) converters, signal conditioners, and solid state
relays
 Solid mechanics: strain gages, extensometers, load cells, accelerometers
 Thermal/Fluids: thermocouples, pressure transducers, fluid flow rate nozzles, and
fluid velocity meters.
Measurement Concepts
 Physical operation of the devices listed above.
 Static Calibration of Instruments: random and bias errors, interpretation of
commercial instrument specifications
 Statistical Analysis of Measured Data, mean, standard deviation, histograms, data
fitting and quality of fit
 Propagation of Uncertainty: reporting how uncertainty in measured data affect the
level of certainty in calculations that use the data
 Discrete Sampling Theory: Calculating derivatives, Fourier Analysis, Hann
windowing, discretization errors
Practical Skills
 Use of strain gages, load cells, extensometers, accelerometers, pressure
transducers, thermocouples, flow meters, fluid velocity probes
 Programming and use of computer data acquisition and control systems (using
National Instruments LabVIEW and hardware).
 Use of Microsoft Excel for tabulating and plotting data, performing calculations
and fitting to curves
Drawing Conclusions Based on Data
 Reports in this course consist only of a cover page, a concise abstract, data tables
and charts, and one-sentence conclusions for each table and chart.
 Emphasis is place on presentation of data using tables and chart, and drawing
conclusions based on data (comparison with theory, suggesting improvements)
 Senior-level courses will emphasize open-ended laboratory assignments that
require students to design experimental programs. Detailed verbal reporting of
the experimental methods, data and conclusions will be emphasized on those
courses.
Format
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3 units (12 hours/week). One three-hour laboratory experience, two one-hour
lectures, and one four-hour homework assignment per week
Twelve well-defined labs during the term, performed in groups of two.
All measurements are preformed, analyzed and reported during the three-hour lab
period, with the help of lab instructors.
Visit one local industrial test facility (Ebara International, which builds and tests
large cryogenic petroleum product pumps).
Lectures and homework are designed to prepare students for the lab assignments.
One midterm and one final exam (in the future, replace final by a lab practicum)
Website for downloading lab manual, lecture handouts, homework solutions,
sample Excel workbooks and LabVIEW virtual instruments, and example lab
reports. Will also be used to upload lab data reports.
Lab Schedule
Week
Current Lab (2002)
1
1. Measure UNR Quad Area
2
2. Analyze UNR Quad Area,
Excel Tutorial
3
3. Bourdon Tube Pressure
Gage Calibration
4
5
4. Strain Gage Installation
5. Elastic Modulus
Measurement
6
7
6. Instron Tester
7. Data Acquisition
8
8. Temperature of Boiling
Water in Reno
9
10
Midterm
9. Boiling Water Heat
Transfer
Spring Break
Spring
Break
11
Field Trip: Ebara International
12
10. Hot Film Probe
Calibration
13
14
11. Von Karmon Vortex
Street
12. Temperature Control
15
Final
Future Lab (2004)
1. LabVIEW Programming1
(Tutorial on front and back
panel, programming interface)
2. Function Generation Using
LabVIEW (sinewave, sawtooth,
square, oscilloscope) 1
3. Data Acquisition Using
LabVIEW
(Derivatives, Fourier Analysis2,
Hann windowing2)
4. Strain Gage Installation
5. Elastic Modulus of an
Aluminum Beam using
LabVIEW
6. Vibrations using LabVIEW1
7. Electronic Pressure
Transducer Calibration using a
Manometer1
8. Hot Film Probe Calibration
using a Pitot Probe and Flow
Nozzle
Midterm
9. Von Karmon Vortex Street
Frequency using LabVIEW
Spring Break
Field Trip: Ebara International
10. Temperature of Boiling
Water at an Elevation of 4500
ft using LabVIEW
11. Transient Heat Transfer in
Boiling Water using LabVIEW
12. Proportional Temperature
Control using LabVIEW
Final
1New
Lab
2New
Content
Future Plans
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Eliminate course prerequisites and move to the sophomore year (MECH 291).
This will improve retention of mechanical engineering juniors. However, it will
require more lab sections to be offered (more TA support) or more laboratory
stations because there are many more sophomores than juniors.
Offer as a service course to other UNR undergraduate majors that require
measurement experience (will require more TA’s and/or equipment)
Offer to local industry (will require lectures to be offered at Noon, and an evening
Laboratory Section).
Recourses
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$4000/year to replace broken and outdated computers, and replenish supplies
(thermocouples, strain gages, pressure transducers, heaters, solid state relays,
signal conditioning hardware)
One time $13,000 investment to replace outdated computers and construct a new
small-scale wind tunnel (and a shake table for a vibrations experiment)
Two graduate teaching assistant (In the future, use one graduate TA and one
undergraduate tutor who has taken MECH 391 in the past. The tutor could be
compensated by a combination of pay and MECH 499 credit)
One course release for the professor in charge in order to design new lab
experiences, write lab handouts, train teaching assistants, purchase supplies and
construct new equipment (in addition to preparing and presenting lectures)