9451191 Sullivan The purpose of this project is to provide mechanical engineering students with a highly interdisciplinary lab experience in the area of instrumentation and control. The lab content is divided into three sections; (1) generic characteristics of instrumentation systems, (2) Transducer systems, and (3) interfacing and control. In the first section of material, dead weight pressure testers are used to introduce static calibration concepts, while spring-mass-damper systems are used to illustrate the dynamic characteristics of instrumentation systems. In section (2), common transducer systems, (e.g. LVDTs, strain gauges, thermo-couples etc.), are demonstrated. The third section of labs introduces basic signal processing and control ideas. Noise reduction techniques will be explored for measurement systems, and micro-computers will be used in temperature control and motor speed control applications. The lab program described here is designed to accelerate learning in the area of modern instrumentation and control by drawing on students existing background in mechanical engineering. Student projects based on case studies from industry will be user to provide realistic experiences. The intended result is that mechanical engineering students would gain very practical knowledge of instrumentation and control not usually included in a mechanical engineering curriculum.
