T. KORAKIANITISInternal combustion engines (ME 147) |
"Korakianitis" is pronounced phonetically |
| email: tk@me.wustl.edu |  link:
[ 183 kB audio wav] |
T. KORAKIANITISInternal combustion engines (ME 147) |
"Korakianitis" is pronounced phonetically |
| email: tk@me.wustl.edu | link:
[ 183 kB audio wav] |
ME 147 Internal Combustion Engines
This class is highly recommended as a 100-level elective to all undergraduate
students. It is intended to be a "fun" class that provides an overview
of modern disciplines, enabling students to better focus their future choices
of courses, not only in engineering, but also in philosophy, politics,
economics etc. In the process students may also learn how to discuss what
maintenance their car needs with the local car mechanics. Here are some
issues we may look into:
Lectures are held on seven to eight Friday afternoons during the
term. The remaining weeks we organize 5-6 laboratories scheduled conveniently
around everyone's schedule.
The class starts with a Ferrari madly dashing through the streets of early-morning Paris, and ends with discussions of the performance, efficiency, and emissions of gasoline engines (automotive), slow speed diesels for ship propulsion, gas turbines, and steam power plants. In the process we discuss these types of power-producing machines, energy and environmental issues, alternative fuels, the effects of government regulation, "renewable", "inexhaustible" and "alternative" sources of "energy", fuel cells, and other contemporary issues.
About half the class time is spent in our Internal Combustion Engines Laboratory where groups of students take a small engine apart, review dynamometer types, test the performance and emisions characteristics of gasoline engines, and the performance of a turbocharger. The structure of the laboratory exercises is such that those ``who have taken engines apart before'' have absolutely no advantage over those ``who do not know the business end of a screwdriver''. The formal course requirements are minimal.
A side benefit is that we see examples of where and how engineers apply abstract theoretical concepts we learn in other classes to products used in everyday life. As such the class makes students look forward to (and appreciate the content of) classes in physics and chemistry, computer programming, mechanics, structural design, dynamics, thermodynamics, fluids, energy conversion, electrical and electronic engineering, environmental and policy issues, design approaches and philosophies, and other engineering concepts.
The class is open to all Washington University students, and can satisfy 100-level engineering-course electives. There are no prerequisites. If you have any questions call me at 935-4346 and leave a message (I will return the call, but please note I rarely check my cec email).
August-December 2000
Lectures: Fridays 2:30-4:30
Help: ask questions in class
Office: Jolley Hall room 318
Open-door office hours: Tu, Th 10:30-11:30,
others by appointment, tel 935-4346
Teaching Assistant: Robert L. Isaacs
Office: Jolley 217, email rli1@cec.wustl.edu
Open-door office hours: TBA
| Month | Day(s) | Location | Topic |
| Sep | 01 (Friday) | classroom | Introduction |
| Sep | 08 (Friday) | classroom | Thermodynamics and engine power plants |
| Sep | 15 (Friday) | classroom | Engine performance characteristics |
| Sep | 18-22 (week) | Lab 1, Jolley 105 | Lab 1: Compression ratio, valves |
| Sep | 25-29 (week) | Lab 2, Jolley 105 | Lab 2: Introduction to dynamometers |
| Oct | 02-06 (week ) | Lab 3, Jolley 105 | Lab 3: Magnetic dynamometer, small engine |
| Oct | 13 (Friday) | classroom | Combustion, emissions, fuels |
| Oct | 20 (Friday) | - | Fall Break / no class |
| Oct | 23-27 (week) | Lab 4, Jolley 105 | Lab 4: Engine efficiency |
| Nov | 03 (Friday) | classroom | Energy sources and powerplants |
| Nov | 06-10 (week) | Lab 5, Jolley 105 | Lab 5: Engine emissions |
| Nov | 17 (Friday) | classroom | Modern powerplants, gas turbines |
| Nov | 24 (Friday) | - | Thanksgiving recess / no class |
| Nov-Dec | 27-01 (week) | Lab, Jolley 105 | Lab 6: Turbocharger performance |
| Dec | 08 | classroom | Concluding overview (do not miss) |
GRADING will
be based on:
60% 6 lab reports
40% a final examination (see below)
Class conduct: Those of you who attend the lectures will find yourselves at a distinct advantage in performing the labs, writing the lab reports, and sailing through the final exam. It is therefore strongly recommended that you do not miss class. Lab reports represent individual effort.
Laboratory examples/reports:
The class will be divided into laboratory groups. These groups will meet
during the lab weeks at times individually arranged with the groups, the
same ones for each group, every lab week. Once assigned to a lab
group, please perform the lab with your assigned group the same day
of every lab week. Each student will be involved with some
aspect of performing the lab, and obtaining some measurements. The final
measurements will be shared by the group, and each student will write an
individual lab report, covering all
aspects of the lab. The report should include a description of the
objectives of the lab, the method used to achieve the objectives, a description
of the apparatus, the measurements taken in tabular and/or graphical form,
detailed discussion of the measurements taken, and conclusions.
The laboratory reports will be due by 12:00 noon the Wednesday after the week of the lab in the assistant's mailbox in Jolley 305. Lab reports turned in late will not be graded. The graded lab reports will be returned to your pentaflexes by Friday afternoon.
Final examination: There will be a multiple-choice final examination during the final exams week, or at an earlier date if unanimously agreed upon by everyone in the class.
Reference texts: We will follow the class notes, and there is no required text. The following two texts are for reference only. ``Internal Combustion Engine Fundamentals'' by J. B. Heywood, McGraw Hill, 1991; and ``The Design of High-Efficiency Turbomachinery and Piston Engines'' by D. G. Wilson and T. Korakianitis, Prentice Hall, 1998. These are graduate-level texts on these topics, and they are not required for the course.
The
following is a site navigation map. Each click/link will open a new browser
window. 
 T.
Korakianitis' main page |
| Archival
publications |
Click the left arrow 
to return to T. Korakianitis' main page