Labs
The mechanical engineering undergraduate laboratories at Mississippi State are designed to expose students to a wide variety of experiments and experimental techniques. Three classes in the mechanical engineering curriculum are devoted to experimental engineering education:
► ME 3701 Experimental Orientation
► ME 4721 Experimental Techniques I
► ME 4731 Experimental Techniques II
In Experimental Orientation, students learn about engineering measurements and the devices with which these measurements are made. In Experimental Techniques I, experimental design and uncertainty analysis are introduced. Experimental Techniques II requires the application of principles learned in Experimental Orientation and Experimental Techniques I to design, build, and run several different experiments. Many experiments are also integrated into other classroom subjects. Experiments are used to reinforce instruction presented in classes such as
► ME 4223 Automation
► ME 4623 Mechanical Control Systems
► ME 4993 Casting and Joining
| Mechanics and Materials Laboratory | Room 11 | Carpenter Building |
| Automation and Dynamics Laboratory | Room 306 | Carpenter Building |
| Fluids and Heat Transfer Laboratory | Room 311 | Carpenter Building |
| Experimental Orientation Laboratory | Room 7 | Carpenter Building |
Mechanics and Materials Laboratory – Room 11, Carpenter
Apparatus
|
Classes
|
Apparatus
|
|---|---|---|
| Tensile Test Machine | ME 3403 ME 3701 ME 4721 ME 4731 |
Two Instron tensile test machines. The machines are used to demonstrate aspects of materials such as yield strength, ultimate strength, modulus of elasticity, and percent elongation. They are also used to demonstrate force measurements and strain gage applications. |
| Sample Polishing Tables
|
ME 3403 ME 4993 ME 4721 |
Two Buehler manual turntable polishers. These are used to prepare samples for hardness testing or microscopic observation. |
| Small Melting Furnaces | ME 3403 ME 4731 ME 4993 |
One Thermolyne F6010 furnace and two Jenrus small charge (0.1 Liter) Melting Furnaces. These furnaces are used to make small castings for purposes of heat treatment (using other furnaces), hardness testing, microscopic observation, or cooling curve analysis. |
| Heat Treating Furnace | ME 3403 ME 4721 ME 4731 ME 4993 |
A Linburg Blue heat treating furnace. This furnace is used to demonstrate techniques in heat treating. The furnace has a programmable temperature controller that allows many concepts of heat treating and aging to be explored. |
| Fatigue Tester | ME 3403 ME 4731 ME 4993 |
A TecQuipment HSM20 alternating bending fatigue machine. This apparatus is used to investigate bending fatigue in cantilevered specimens. |
| Metallurgical Microscope with Image Acquisition Capabilities
|
ME 3403 ME 4731 ME 4993 |
An Olympus PME3 metallurgical microscope and computer with a National Instruments IMAQ PCI-1408 image acquisition system. This system is used to help students investigate aspects of engineering materials such as alloy microstructure and casting porosity. Students can also perform basic image analysis of images obtained with the acquisition system. |
| Hardness Testers | ME 3403 ME 4731 ME 4993 |
A Wilson 3 JR Rockwell hardness tester, a 4 JR a RB Rockwell hardness tester, a King Portable Brinell hardness tester, a 1 Wilson Tukon Knoop microhardness tester. These instruments are used to investigate the hardness and strengths of engineering alloys. |
| Cut-off Saw | ME 3403 ME 4731 ME 4993 |
A LECO LSM 250 cut-off machine. This instrument is used to section specimens to be examined using the hardness testers and metallurgical microscope. |
Automation and Dynamics Laboratory – Room 306, Carpenter
Apparatus
|
Classes
|
Apparatus
|
|---|---|---|
| Coupled Tanks Experiment
|
ME 3613 ME 4623 |
A TecQuipment CE105 Coupled Tanks Apparatus. This device is used to demonstrate pressure measurement systems, modeling of fluid systems, and control systems (P, PI, and PID control systems). |
| Vibrating Beam Experiment
|
ME 3701 ME 4721 ME 4731 |
An in-house manufactured device used to demonstrate accelerometers and vibrations. |
Mass-Spring-Damper Experiment |
ME 3613 ME 4721 ME 4731 |
A Sanderson Laboratory Systems Ltd. Mass-Spring-Damper demonstration unit. This apparatus is used to demonstrate many aspects of mechanical systems modeling. Students can determine damping ratios and spring constants using the system responses to unit inputs. |
| Hydraulic Power Experiment
|
ME 4643 | A TII Technical Educational Systems hydraulic power apparatus. This apparatus is used to demonstrate the principles of hydraulic systems, automated systems, PLC controllers, and ladder logic programming. |
| Industrial Control Trainer | ME 4643 | A Bytronic ICT1GH Industrial Control Trainer with gauging head. This apparatus is used to demonstrate many aspects of industrial automation, PLC programming, and microcomputer programming of control systems. |
| Critical Revolutions Apparatus | ME 3701 ME 4721 ME 4731 |
A Terco MT 3016-116 critical revolutions machine. This apparatus is used to demonstrate whirling of rotating shafts. |
| Planetary Gear Train
|
ME 3423 ME 4403 |
This instrument is used to demonstrate planetary gear systems, gear ratios, transmission systems, and clutch systems. |
Thermal and Fluids Laboratory – Room 311, Carpenter
Apparatus
|
Classes
|
Apparatus
|
|---|---|---|
Internal Combustion Engine Experiment |
ME 3701 ME 4721 ME 4731 |
A Cussons P8250 engine test set. This experiment is used to demonstrate many aspects of engine performance. The concepts of power and torque curves, air/fuel ratios, and brake specific power can be explored. The test engine is also used to demonstrate the use of orifice flow meters and thermocouples. |
Convection Apparatus |
ME 3701 ME 4721 ME 4731 |
An Armfield HT14 combined convection and radiation apparatus with HT10X-B heat transfer service equipment. This apparatus is used to demonstrate the principles of natural convection, forced convection, radiation, and combined radiation and convection. It is also used to demonstrate the use of turbine or vane flow meters. |
Fan Performance Experiment |
ME 3701 ME 4333 ME 4721 ME 4731 |
An in-house manufactured fan testing apparatus. This apparatus is used to verify manufacturer’s specifications of flow rate versus head for a commercial centrifugal fan. It is also used to demonstrate pitot probe usage, duct velocity profiles, and linear potentiometer usage. |
Centrifugal Pump Performance Experiment |
ME 4333 ME 4721 ME 4731 |
A Plint Engineering TE 47 single stage centrifugal pump test set. This apparatus is used to introduce the student to the concepts of total head, pump efficiency, suction head and cavitation, and venturi flow meters. The experiment has been upgraded recently for computerized data acquisition. Students can now see the results of their experiments in real time using LabVIEW. |
6-Pass Heat Exchanger Experiment |
ME 4333 ME 4721 ME 4731 |
A Hampden Engineering Corp. H-6878X 6-pass heat exchanger. This apparatus is used to demonstrate the operation and theory of heat exchangers. The apparatus contains double pipe heat exchangers, a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, and a cross-flow heat exchanger. The double pipe heat exchangers have copper or aluminum inner pipes and can be used in both parallel-flow and counterflow situations. |
Condensing Furnace Experiment |
ME 4721 ME 4731 |
A Bryant Plus 90 condensing furnace with ductwork. This apparatus is used to demonstrate the concepts of higher and lower heating values, first law efficiencies, duct and vent design, and square duct velocity profiles. |
Air Conditioning Demonstration Experiment |
ME 3523 ME 4721 ME 4731 |
A Carrier air conditioning demonstration unit. This apparatus is used to demonstrate the principles of real vapor compression refrigeration cycles. Because of the new restrictions on CFC refrigerants, the apparatus uses R-409A; thus, it is also used to demonstrate characteristics of multi-component refrigerants. |
Fluid Friction Apparatus |
ME 3701 ME 4721 ME 4731 |
An Armfield C6 Fluid Friction Apparatus. This apparatus is used to demonstrate the principles of fluid friction losses in various pipes, fittings, and flow measurement devices. The friction losses associated with straight pipe, artificially roughened pipe, bends, elbows, T’s, Y’s, expansions, contractions, and valves can be investigated. In ME 3701 the apparatus is also used to demonstrate to operation and usage of venturi flow meters, orifice flow meters, and Pitot-static probes. |
| Radiant Heat Transfer Apparatus | ME 4721 ME 4731 |
An Armfield HT13 Laws of Radiant Heat Transfer and Radiant Heat Exchange Apparatus. This instrument demonstrates the laws of radiant heat transfer and radiant heat exchange. The apparatus is used to demonstrate the inverse square law, the Stefan-Boltzmann Law, the concept of emissivity, the Kirchoff Law, the concept of area factors, the Lamberts Cosine Law, and the Lamberts Law of Absorption. |
