T. KORAKIANITIS Mechanical engineering design (ME 404/404a/404b)	"Korakianitis" is pronounced phonetically
email: tk@me.wustl.edu	link: [ 183 kB audio wav]

T. Korakianitis' main page

Research in piston engines	Research in turbomachines	Engineering practice	Opinions on education
Internal combustion engines laboratory Emissions Combustion Piston dynamics Valve train dynamics Nutating-disk engine Turbochargers	Airfoil and blade design Stator-rotor interactions Aircraft inlets Combustion Emissions Gas-turbine transients Gas-turbine performance	Machine design topics Thermofluids design Blood flow in human heart Surgical instruments Power generation Aeronautical applications Piston engines	Graduate thermodynamics (ME 512) Graduate piston engine design (ME 578) Graduate turbomachinery design (ME 574) (you are here) Senior design course (ME 404/404a/404b) Junior thermodynamics (ME 320A) Freshman internal combustion engines (ME 147)

Archival publications

Frequently-given clarifications:

1.	Mechanical engineering design may include innovation, but it should not be confused with innovation. This course encourages but does not require or claim to educate in innovation. However, it will educate you in formal methods to create and evaluate alternative solutions to mechanical engineering design problems.
2.	Although the class encourages innovative solutions, all the course credit is based on the above definition. An innovative solution with no engineering content will obtain a high grade in an innovation class, but will simply fail this mechanical engineering design class.
3.	Do not worry that there may be other similar designs available in the open market to the one you finally converge on. The purpose of the course is to educate you on how to integrate scientific and engineering principles to produce designs. For example if after graduation you work for a well known automotive company and your employer asks you to design a new tire rim under certain constraints, the purpose of this course is to enable you to generate, consider, evaluate, design, test and finally produce a new tire rim that meets the constraints. When you are finished, your new rim will look similar to existing rims on the market.

Scope of 404A: Each student will develop and evaluate a feasibility study and preliminary design for a mechanical design project.
Scope of 404B: Projects proposed by students in 404A have been evaluated for substance, feasibility, educational content and relevance to the course (some projects in 404A may prove infeasible, or we may simply decide they are not suitable for 404B). Groups of 1-3 students will be formed to complete the design of approved 404A projects. Complete design means that we could give your report and engineering drawings to a machine shop, and they will be able to purchase stock material and produce your designs from your drawings.

Sources of projects:
a. Local and other industries, consultants, etc.
b. Creative proposals by faculty and students.
c. Participation in design competitions.

Project definition: The projects will be the original design or creative redesign of a mechanical component or equipment or system under technical, cost, safety, legal, environmental, ethical, aesthetic, and other constraints, in a competitive environment. For this mechanical engineering design course each project must rely significantly on the application of engineering science principles, (i.e. solid mechanics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, heat transfer, materials, dynamics, automatic control, etc.), in at least four dissimilar areas (e.g.. mechanics, material selection, combustion and heat transfer). The projects and their scope will be approved, described in writing in a one-page report, and signed by the students and their educator based on the above criteria in open class discussion.

404A lectures: Design Methodology, Design Procedures.
404B lectures: Embodiment Design and Detailed Design Procedures, Manufacturing, Assembly and Disassembly Issues, Environmental Issues, Product Liability, Design Ethics, Professional Registration, Organization of Engineering Projects, Case Studies, Modeling Engineering Problems (as necessary for projects, in design conferences).
Lecturers: Faculty and invited guests.

Texts: recommended (not required): Pahl and Beitz, Engineering Design; Nigel Cross, Engineering Design Methods.

Available to students in the Department: Ben-Zion Sandler, Creative Machine Design; Atila Ertas and Jesse C. Jones, The Engineering Design Process; S. Pugh, Total Design; V. Hubka, Case Studies in Mechanical Design; N. Orlov, Fundamentals of Machine Design.

Patent and intellectual property policies: University policies apply. Refer to  the Washington University Center for Technology Management web pages.

Reporting: The student reports progress in three ways:
a. A short informal written report every week, due at the design conference. At each conference meeting the projects are reviewed and discussed in detail. Students' participation in the discussion of all projects is part of the course grade.
b. Oral presentations, as planned.
c. Written formal reports, as planned.

Design conferences: You are required to participate in the design conferences, as described above. At the beginning of the conference each student will hand in an informal written report of project activities since the last conference. It is also required that you keep a bound design notebook to take notes, collect data, brainstorm, doodle, create mind maps, make lists, etc. This is an important tool for collecting and organizing your ideas. The notebook is due with your final report and will contribute to your homework grade.

ME 404 A & B oral presentations

An oral presentation of your work will be given at the middle and a second one near the end of each course. These oral reports are primarily used to inform your fellow students and the faculty of progress on your project. Thus, your attendance is required at these presentations. These reports will be 6 (7) minutes long with a maximum of 2 (3) minutes of discussion. (TIME LIMITS WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED, SO PRACTICE!).

In good presentations the speaker is familiar with the presentation content and speaks confidently without excessively looking at the visual presentation while speaking. You should have a limited number of overheads (or slides) concentrating on the most important features of your design. In the mid-term presentation focus on: development of specifications; generation of design alternatives; review of the main design alternatives; evaluation and choice of the best alternative (use evaluation matrix); and recommendation on the feasibility of the proposed design. In the final presentation focus on: brief overview of the design project; summary of design alternatives (from mid-term report); specifications and embodiment of the final design; analytic techniques used; evaluation of the efficacy of your design in meeting the specifications; illustrate the detailed-design aspects of your work (analysis, synthesis and final engineering drawings);  and cost analysis.

The oral (visual) presentations are graded on:

1. Communication with the audience. Start each presentation assuming this is the first time the audience has heard of your design. Do not assume you are continuing from the last presentation. Make eye contact. Be enthusiastic without being overly excited. Speak clearly, and use speech emphasis as necessary. Keep your hands out of your pockets, keep hand communication to acceptable US - rather than Mediterranean- standards, and make sure your body does not block the presentation surface from the audience.
2. The technical content of your work. Emphasize the quality and quantity of your design work. Use the most important points in your written report to decide what information to present. (Description of the design problem, specifications, constraints, design approach, and alternative designs considered). In the preliminary-design presentation conclude with the evaluation of design alternatives and choice of the best alternative. In the final-design presentation illustrate (with figures) the embodiment-design process, and conclude with a review of assembly drawings of your final design, a detailed description of the operation of your design, key issues of your detailed-design contributions, critically evaluate how the final design meets the specifications and constraints, a cost analysis, and a critical (realistic) evaluation listing the strengths and weaknesses of your design.
3. Efficacy of conveying to the audience your design information. One figure or picture is worth many words. Use short bullets of information on slides to prompt you, rather than reading text from your overheads.
4. All presentation is visible from the back of the room. Use the ASME "8-foot'' rule. If using slides or MF^(TM) powerpoint^(TM) choose text and line colors that contrast with the background. Use heavy line weights in plots and figures. Avoid showing complicated tables (highlight only the important data in evaluation tables).
5. Use the main, additional or backup slides (of the same quality as the main ones) to describe key engineering analyses, subassembly design, and component design. Have backup slides ready to use in the question and answer period.

1. Attendance will be taken at each presentation and will affect your Homework/ Class Participation grade.
2. If you do not show up for your own presentation, you will receive a zero grade for that presentation.
3. Presentations should be well planned and rehearsed. Only overhead or projection slides should be used; no writing on the board will be allowed, except during the question and answer portion. The use of Microsoft Powerpoint has also been used to create very nice visuals. However, there have been a number of mishaps with computer equipment in past semesters. If you would like to use a computer to enhance your presentations, you are responsible for the equipment set up and its performance.
4. Groups may present together, but each student will be graded on individual performance.
5. TIME LIMITS WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED; WHEN YOUR 6 (7) MINUTES IS UP, YOU WILL HAVE ANOTHER 30 SECONDS TO GO OVER YOUR CONCLUSIONS WITHOUT SUFFERING A GRADE PENALTY. HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE STILL TALKING AT THE END OF THESE 30 SECONDS, YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZERO GRADE FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

TIME LIMITS

ME 404 A & B written reports

The format and content of the written reports will be discussed at one of the 404A lectures. Both the mid-course and final written reports are to be submitted at the beginning of class, on the day of oral presentations. Note: You will be penalized 20 % of the report grade for each 24-hour period that a report is late, starting from the due date and time.

• All the following are SUGGESTIONS to help you with the content of the report.  Feel free to change the following to meet the specific issues associated with your design project. It is your report and it should reflect your writing and presentation style. I do not care about the placement of the caption above or below figures or tables, portrait or landscape etc. Concentrate on the substance and technical content of your report, rather than the form. However, I become enthusiastic with correct spelling and syntaxis, and I favor completeness and succinctness. (Do not fall into the traps of brevity at the expense of ease of reading, or mindless repetition). Edit the contents and re-distribute sections of the reports until they flow logically and succinctly.  Phrases such as "As it was mentioned above" mean you have not worked on the logical sequence of your report (eliminating the phrase without reshuffling the content does not improve the logic flow). Phrases such as "Note that" and "It should be mentioned that" are superfluous. I am paying careful attention to what you are writing and you should not be writing anything that should not be mentioned.
• Assume that the audience is a team of engineers with diverse backgrounds (many are not mechanical engineers).
•  Submit one copy of the preliminary reports (it will be returned with comments) and TWO COPIES of the final feasibility and final course reports.  One copy should be bound and turned in to be graded. This copy will be given back to you. The second copy should be unbound (but held together, preferably by clip or staple). We will produce a catalog including all final reports at the end of the semester, and will use this copy.
• If you are working in a group, you must obtain prior approval in order to submit a joint report. Such approvals are given in rare circumstances. If a joint report is approved, you must detail the division of work on the project very explicitly.

1. Title, author name, course and Professor, date, abstract.
2. Nomenclature, table of contents, list of figures etc.
3. Introduction (background, problem definition and specifications, literature review, review of feasibility study).
4. Development of Design. This part may be split into several sections, different in each project. Use your own style, and be creative. (In the feasibility report this is simply a review of the generation and evaluation of alternative designs). In the final report this section becomes a significant percentage of your report, including but not limited the following checklist items: Most of the feasibility report, perhaps in its own separate section. Description of the overall design (include assembly drawings, parts list, and major subassemblies). Description of components and subassemblies, including design analysis and synthesis. (Engineering analyses used to determine critical dimensions and operating conditions. Outline methods used (assumptions, methods of solution, results), and include detailed calculations, computer output etc. in appendices. Review the detail design, including justification of material selection, sizing of manufactured parts, and selection of purchased components.
5. Discussion of the design, showing with calculations how it will meet the specifications.
6. Cost Estimate for the overall product (including assembly and manufacturing costs). Marketing analysis if appropriate.
7. Discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the design.
8. Conclusions.
9. Recommendations for future design work.
10. References and Bibliography
11. Appendices. Detailed calculations for engineering analyses. Detail drawings for all parts to be manufactured (fully dimensioned w/ appropriate tolerances, surface finishes etc.) One drawing should be included per manufactured part, no matter how simple. If you have too many (over ten) parts, then discuss with the instructor which ten parts should be included. Specification sheets for all purchased components (including size and grade for standard fasteners).

 
Design Drawings: Detailed design drawings are required for every project, including a bill of materials and a cost estimate. Drawings included in reports must be 8.5" x 11" or, if larger, folded inside envelopes to fit this size. These drawings are an integral part of the report, where they may be referenced as necessary.

ME 404A: Report outline:

1. Abstract (write this item last)
2. Introduction (write this item just before last)
3. (Here is where you first start working on the report) Restate the problem and/or the problem definition in your own clear, concise, concrete terms, (include preliminary specifications).
4. Patent search.
5. Literature survey (most times the patent survey is included in the literature survey).
6. Market survey, if applicable. (Many times items 4, 5 and 6 are included in the report in item 2)
7. Develop a set of technical specifications to be met by the design, (quantify, for example, the requirements for power, force, weight, size, cost, etc.). (You should be at least this far for the mid-course report).
8. Develop numerous design alternatives, (a final report with less than 10 design alternatives is not a well developed design; not all design alternatives need to be detailed, however). In the mid-course report you should be very close to this step, and include some of your design alternatives.
9. Produce a decision matrix, including all of your design alternatives, unless obviously not feasible, (see sample below).
10. Reduce design alternatives in a rational manner, (regardless of your own likes/ dislikes).
11. Choose the best design.
12. Re-define technical specifications, as necessary.
13. Final design evaluation.
14. Make a clear statement on feasibility, (i.e. state: "This design is/ is not feasible.").
15. Make a proposal for continuation of your chosen design in ME 404 B, if feasible, (number of engineers required, whether or not a prototype will be built, approximate cost of prototype, etc.).
16. Conclusions and recommendations.
17. References and bibliography.
18. In the main body of the report, calculations are not usually reported in detail. We state the main assumptions, the method of solution and the results. The detailed analyses, theoretical derivations, calculations, computer simulations, etc., are presented in one or more appendices.

 
Other Hints:
• In the introduction use several figures to illustrate the major concepts. For example, if your design is for a heat pump,  illustrate the thermodynamic engine operating between the hot and cold temperature reservoirs, show the equations of energy, entropy and work flow, show the temperature-entropy diagrams and component
• arrangements for vapor compression, absorption, and other pertinent heat-pump concepts.
• The patent search is part of the literature search and does not need to be listed separately unless it is warranted by the nature of the project or report. If you have found a few patents, then (in most cases but not all) you have not performed a sufficiently-wide search. For example, if you searched for "instantaneous" plus "water heater", then expand "instantaneous" with words like "fast", "quick", "transient" and "large capacity", and consider if by "water heater" you also mean "heat exchanger".
• If you have found many pertinent patents, then they should be categorized by major concepts. Again use several figures to illustrate the major points.
• You can list the specifications in a table, but you must discuss and justify the reasoning for each specification in the text.
• You can list the alternatives in a table, or describe them in a sequence of paragraphs, but you must outline the logic pattern for the generation of alternatives. Describe the "spreading" and "re-gathering" of concepts to generate the alternatives.
• Use several figures to illustrate the operating principles of the various alternatives under consideration.
• You can list the evaluation matrix in a table, but you must discuss and justify the reasoning for the weighting factors in the text.

{Scores range 0 to 10, with 10 signifying the best, 0 the worst}.

ME 404B: Report outline:

1. Abstract (write this item last)
2. Introduction (write this item just before last. A 404A report is likely to be referenced).
3. (Here is where you first start working on the report) A critical assessment of final design specifications.
4. A thorough description of the design concept (for a new project or a continuation from ME404A)
5. Design synthesis, an analytical determination of major dimensions and operating conditions.
6. Detail design, a detailed sizing of all components based on strength, fluid and heat flow, etc.
7. Design analysis, a final analysis of the design to make sure that it performs as specified.
8. A complete set of design drawings. This consists of the following: (a) An assembly drawing (REQUIRED) with all components and only the major dimensions. A complete parts list should appear on the assembly drawing. (b) Drawings for all parts to be manufactured (not the off-the-shelf items) one drawing per part number (regardless of how simple the part is). If these parts are too many, your instructor will specify which part drawings you are required to make. (c) At least three detailed drawings including specifications for tolerances and surface finishes.
9. A cost analysis and a bill of materials.
10. Market analysis
11. Conclusions and recommendations.
12. References and bibliography
13. In the main body of the report, calculations are not usually reported in detail. We state the main assumptions, the method of solution and the results. The detailed analyses, theoretical derivations, calculations, computer simulations, etc., are presented in one or more appendices.
14. The whole report has to be written in a word processor.

OTHER COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Maintenance of a design notebook to take notes, collect data, brainstorm, create lists, organize thoughts etc. The purpose of the notebook is to encourage you to keep dated records of your work, which is good professional practice. The contents of this notebook are reviewed periodically (typically the days of oral presentations).
2. In 404B, every Monday turn in a dated bullet item list of progress on your design project.
3. In class discussion of case studies assigned.
4. Periodic homeworks (e.g.. patent search) and quizzes (design approaches the first/last day of class) as assigned.
5. On July 24th turn in essay answers to the same design questions assigned the first day of class.
6. On July 24th turn in a short paragraph evaluating the influence of this class in your engineering education.

Building Prototypes: When feasible, a serious effort should be made to have enough of the design completed early, in order to build a prototype. Do not purchase materials for a prototype until you have approval from Prof. Korakianitis, if you wish to be reimbursed for your expenditures. Also, YOU are expected to build the prototype, not a machine shop.

Class Announcements: e-mail will be the primary method for exchanging information and making announcements. You are strongly advised to check you e-mail daily.

Grading: (Split percentages reflect: mid-course/final)

Item	% of grade
Technical Content of Written Report	10/30
Quality of Written Reports	10/10
Oral Presentations	10/10
Class and Conference Participation	10
Homework	10

Useful INTERNET Links:

• ASME Mechanical Design Programs
• ASME Design Contests
• Univ. of Edinburgh Engineering virtual library  
• Patent Search Sites
• U of Massachusetts Design Programs
• THOMAS Register on Line
• Grainger catalog of supplies On-Line
• McMaster Catalogue On-Line
• Winfred Berg On_line Catalogue
• Multi-Media Handbook for Engineering Design , Design Information Group, University of Bristol.
• The Machine Design Journal on-line Handbook
• Miscellaneous Material and Equipment vendors (courtesy, Univ. of Minnesota)

Engineering Ethics:

• ASME Code of Ethics
• National Society of Professional Engineers - NSPE
• Engineering Ethics at Texas A&M
• The Online Ethics Center for Engineering & Science (also see  Case Study: The Challenger Disaster)
• Missouri Board for Architects, Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Code of Professional Conduct