ME Course Column

ME Course Column: Mechanics of Cancer

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 18:53:37 +0000

ME Course Column: Mechanics of Cancer Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/27/2022 - 12:53

Rachel Leuthauser

The ME Course Column is a recurring publication about the unique classes and labs that mechanical engineers can take while at the University of Colorado Boulder. Follow the series to understand the core curriculum, discover elective course options and learn the broad applications of mechanical engineering skills.

Professor Maureen Lynch

In order to comprehend certain aspects of cancer biology, the mechanics driving the disease need to be understood. The mechanics of cancer can teach engineers a lot about how the cells interact with each other and form solid tumors.

Students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering are learning how those solid and fluid mechanics play a role in the course MCEN 4228/5228: Mechanics of Cancer. Taught by Professor Maureen Lynch, the class examines the experimental systems and technical evaluations of solid tumors to model and test cancer-related processes.

The course starts with Lynch reminding students of what the most common way that breast cancer is diagnosed – by feeling it.

“These changes in stiffness or density are a mechanical piece for diagnosis,” said Lynch. “Not only is it an indication that there is a tumor present, but it also plays a role in examining how quickly the tumor is developing, if the tumor going to spread or which treatments the tumor is sensitive to. Physical cues matter.”

The mechanical engineering students taking this course come in with the basic knowledge of what stiffness is in engineering terms. Their understanding expands as the course dives into how they can measure those density changes and connect them to tumor progression.

“We measure everything from the tissue level, which you can see with your eyes, down to the microscopic or nanoscale where you can’t see what you’re measuring,” said Lynch. “You need to know whether you’re measuring a single cell or a single protein and what scale to use.”

Flowchart showing how mechanics influence cancer progression.

Lynch explained that students also learn to examine the speed of fluids as it relates to cancer spread, since tissues are mostly made up of water. Fluid could potentially carry tumor cells to different parts of the body.

“The students like the connection that this class makes to their other engineering classes,” said Lynch. “I will pull up figures from their sophomore or junior year classes and explain how they are useful in biology. We use our engineering skills in a brand-new way.”

As the semester wraps up, the students are conducting final presentations on technical topics of their choice surrounding the mechanics of cancer.

“I give a lot of latitude with those presentations, so I always learn something because we can’t cover everything about the mechanics of cancer in one semester,” said Lynch. “The students pick what they want to research and what they want to talk about.”

MCEN 4228/5228: Mechanics of Cancer is generally offered in the spring semester. It is open to juniors, seniors and graduate students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and admits some students from the Biomedical Engineering Program.

ME Technical Elective & Graduate Courses

Students learn how solid and fluid mechanics play a role in how cancer cells interact and form solid tumors. Taught by Professor Maureen Lynch, the class examines the experimental systems and technical evaluations of the disease to model and test cancer-related processes.

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ME Course Column: Mechanics of Snow

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Mar 2022 15:45:29 +0000

ME Course Column: Mechanics of Snow Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/17/2022 - 09:45

Rachel Leuthauser

Most mechanical engineers will work with materials such as metals, polymers, ceramics and composites during their careers. However, a course taught by Department of Mechanical Engineering Professors Francois Barthelat and Franck Vernerey asks students to draw inspiration from another material – snow.

“I am a backcountry skier and as such, you have to learn a lot about avalanches and take courses for safety,” Vernerey said. “You realize there is so much mechanics involved with snow.”

Above: Professors Francois Barthelat and Franck Vernerey
Header image: Barthelat and Vernerey guide students through a slide test.

MCEN 4228/5228: Mechanics of Snow motivates students to look at their environment and the materials around them in an analytical way. The idea behind the course is to teach students the science behind certain phenomena by looking at the fundamentals of snow and ice from the atomic level to the mechanics of the snowpack.

“Snow in itself is an interesting material to study, you do not necessarily think of looking at snow in the context of mechanics of materials, but there is a lot to learn from this approach,” Barthelat said. “This is a great a way to expose students to state-of-the-art experimental and modeling techniques that people use in engineering.”

While studying the properties of natural versus artificial snow, the mechanics of sliding on skis and snowboards, or the conditions that trigger avalanches, students also master theoretical tools such as fracture mechanics and heat transfer. They also learn about the relationship between molecular structures, thermodynamics, and micromechanics, including viscoelasticity.

The professors explained that applying these critical engineering concepts to snow helps students better understand the information. It allows them to see that these concepts are real and happening in our environment.

“We often teach mechanics of materials and students are not always connected to the course because they have not worked with the materials before,” Vernerey said. “They learn the equations but may have difficulties connecting them to the real world. This course allows them to better connect because they already have an idea about the material. They are much more motivated to learn.”

Mechanical engineering students conduct slide tests on a snowboard.

Students in Mechanics of Snow conducted their own research out in the elements on March 10, after Boulder received about four inches of snow. They measured the densities of the fresh and old snow, assessed their compressive strength and calculated the snow’s coefficients of friction on skis and snowboards.

The class will take one more field trip outside to conduct strength and fracture tests on the snow before completing final projects to wrap up the semester. Some students are looking at avalanche conditions, while others are studying the impact mechanics of snowballs or snow construction such as igloos and walls.

“A big takeaway from this course is that students will be exposed to a vast number of topics in engineering and physics,” Barthelat said. “If they need these in their professional life later on, they know that the concepts exist and where to find more information.”

Mechanics of Snow is a technical elective open to upper-level undergraduate and graduate mechanical engineering students.

View all the Mechanical Engineering Technical Elective Courses

MCEN 4228/5228: Mechanics of Snow motivates students to look at natural materials in an analytical way. The idea behind the course is to teach students the science behind certain phenomena by looking at the fundamentals of snow and ice from the atomic level to the mechanics of the snowpack.

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ME Course Column: Bio-inspired Robotics

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Feb 2022 16:19:38 +0000

ME Course Column: Bio-inspired Robotics Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 02/25/2022 - 09:19

Rachel Leuthauser

Bio-inspired robotics is the interface of biology and engineering – motivating the development of technology from artificial muscles and medical devices to gecko-inspired adhesives and robots that run, fly and swim.

Professor Kaushik Jayaram

Header image: Students remodeled CAD hand using bio-inspired robotics.

The field focuses on solving technical problems with designs inspired by nature – going beyond the idea of simply copying existing biological solutions.

MCEN 4228/5228: Bio-inspired Robotics introduces engineers to this area of study. Taught by Professor Kaushik Jayaram, the course compels students to develop useful solutions for societal issues by combining mechanisms in biological solutions with best human practices. Students learn to translate the principles of function, performance and aesthetics from biology to human technology.

“At a very high level, this course is about understanding the philosophy of what bio-inspired engineering is,” Jayaram said. “Since this is a fundamentally interdisciplinary field, we cannot do bio-inspiration in isolation.”

Jayaram introduces students to a series of projects and case studies to understand successful approaches to bio-inspired robotics. One of the projects involves students modifying 3D-printed hands with biological inspirations from an animal of their choice.

“Basically, they start off with a CAD model and then add to it,” Jayaram said. “For example, koalas have six fingers – two thumbs on each hand. Some groups get inspiration from that and find their model is better at gripping."

Bio-inspired Robotics culminates in students designing and building their own bio-inspired devices. They start by identifying a novel biological discovery that can be translated to an application for technology.

Students have developed ideas to advance robotic locomotion. They have channeled biological solutions like webbed feet and fins for better movement in water or wings for maximum energy motion in flight.

Other projects have resulted in algorithms and simulated software inspired by how rats use their sense of touch and smell to navigate complex mazes. Another group looked at the surface of leaves and their condensation abilities to build a water filter for desert areas.

CAD hand remodeled with fingers oriented in different directions for flexible gripping.

“There is a wide range of examples from animals to plants and in both hardware and software,” Jayaram said. “Somebody who is working in this field needs to have a strong understanding of biology, a strong understanding of different kinds of engineering and potentially have an understanding about art, ethics and society.”

While the inventive and technical processes of Bio-inspired Robotics prepare students to enter a variety of engineering fields, the creative and insightful aspects also strengthen their prospects in entrepreneurship.

Jayaram wants to eventually open the course to students outside of science fields because of the interdisciplinary nature of bio-inspired engineering. This would mean including students with diverse backgrounds such as business, humanities and the arts.

Bio-inspired Engineering is currently open to juniors, seniors and graduate students in mechanical and biomedical engineering, as well as those studying engineering management.

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ME Course Column: Design for Inclusion

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 16:09:49 +0000

ME Course Column: Design for Inclusion Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/25/2022 - 09:09

Rachel Leuthauser

Professor Janet Tsai

The racial reckoning in summer 2020 led to an awakening in our consciousness – a need for everyone to look inward and tackle our own unconscious biases. Professor Janet Tsai is asking students to question these preconceived notions when it comes to mechanical engineering as well.

In MCEN 4228/5228: Design for Inclusion, Professor Tsai encourages students to “consider alternate approaches to design, to question how equitable and inclusive technologies can be built within a society and culture that has no shortage of inherent biases and exclusive traditions.”

The course challenges mechanical engineers to recognize that despite the diverse world we live in, engineering can be biased. The first unit of the course is dedicated to analyzing those prejudices in the engineering field.

“I try to pull in historical angles to show that some designs were not always chosen because they were the best idea, but because it was the idea they went with,” Tsai said. “As a result, all of these other ideas have cascaded down, and it can be hard to envision something new.”

Tsai points to the transgender bathroom movement as an example. The gender binary has been rooted in society for centuries, which has made it difficult for some people to see other options.

“It’s so eye opening when you start to question these assumptions and realize it doesn’t actually have to be that way,” Tsai said. “As a designer, it’s really powerful to come up with alternatives. We realize some of these constraints were never actual constraints, they’re just defaults and biases.”

The second unit moves into thinking about the consequences of engineering designs that cater to certain people while excluding others. Students discuss groups that have been harmed by technology, such as people living through the Flint, Michigan water crisis.

Once students are comfortable talking about these issues, the course’s third unit is more outward looking. The class focuses on applying the responsibility of equitable design to their future careers and communicating these ideas with the public.

“If we do care about making a difference, talking to people about the ethics of these designs and considering deeply how do I make a better design for everybody, then how do we engage the public in these big topics?” Tsai said she asks students.

The course culminates with students presenting public-facing showcases to familiarize themselves with public engagement and outreach through action. Various mechanical engineering alumni and industry partners attend the showcase each spring.

Learn More

Design for Inclusion is open to juniors, seniors and graduate students in mechanical engineering.

Undergraduate Program Course Curriculum

Graduate Program Courses

Design for Inclusion is the first course Tsai has designed from scratch. She is considering developing an industry training program with the same topics, after various mechanical engineering alumni reached out about design ethics and societal impacts in the workplace.

Throughout the course, Tsai’s focus is on people – the people that engineers are designing technology for and the engineers themselves. Tsai regularly invites diverse speakers to present to the class and students are encouraged to share their own experiences in engineering, many expressing fears of not fitting the mold of a ‘traditional engineer.’

Tsai’s strength in developing Design for Inclusion is giving students the space to talk and be vulnerable with their peers.

“I’ve really tried to model that in the class,” Tsai said. “On the first day, I tell students that I wanted to quit engineering many times. We don’t always feel like we belong. Knowing they’re not alone is helpful. We forget that students just need to hear that sometimes.”

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ME Course Column: Component Design

Anonymous — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 16:17:12 +0000

ME Course Column: Component Design Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 12/14/2021 - 09:17

Rachel Leuthauser

From bicycles and scooters to mock race cars and firetrucks, drill-powered vehicles built by Component Design students zoomed around Kittredge Pond this fall for the first time since the pandemic began.

The Component Design Runoff returned on Dec. 8, outside of the Idea Forge, with many Department of Mechanical Engineering faculty, staff and students all in attendance. Everyone was excited to see the event back on campus.

“It was really great to have the drill-powered vehicle runoff back after a three-semester hiatus,” Professor Derek Reamon said. “Huge thanks to all the folks at the Idea Forge who helped the student teams design, build and test their vehicles.”

The runoff is the final project for upper-level students, mostly juniors, taking MCEN 3025: Component Design. The course focuses on the theory and application of mechanical components – subjects like material properties, fatigue conditions and component design parameters.

At the end of the semester, student teams are tasked with using those concepts to build their own drill-powered vehicle to compete in the runoff. The functionality, aesthetics, safety and performance of the vehicle are all judged to determine the winning team.

The team ‘Mad Max’ won the Design Achievement Award at the fall 2021 runoff. The drill-powered vehicle was low to the ground, with two small front wheels and one larger wheel in the back. As the team’s name suggests, the vehicle was inspired by the movie Mad Max.

Each team also competed in at least one of three races during the fall 2021 runoff – the Hill Climb, the Maneuverability Challenge or the Endurance Challenge.

Each race required the vehicles to have certain features. In the Hill Climb, the vehicles rode down a hill, then needed to come to a full stop before climbing back up the hill. The most successful vehicles in that challenge emphasized braking, high torque and load carrying capabilities. ‘Bike Bandits’ won that race with a time of 1 minute and 6 seconds.

The Maneuverability Challenge called for successful steering and braking designs to complete a slalom course, drive through a tunnel and finish with two tight U-turns. The team ‘Brushless’ completed that race in 39 seconds to win the challenge.

Finally, in the Endurance Challenge, the teams circled a 1,100 ft. racecourse as many times as possible within 30 minutes. Teams were out of the race when the vehicle came to a stop or when the driver touched the ground. Students were not allowed to change the drill battery during the race, so they needed low weight and efficient vehicle designs. The team that won this challenge was ‘Chain Gang,’ who completed 14 laps in all.

Header image: Team 'Mad Max' wins the Design Achievement Award.

From bicycles and scooters to mock race cars and firetrucks, drill-powered vehicles built by Component Design students zoomed around Kittredge Pond in fall 2021 for the first time since the pandemic began.

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ME Course Column: Design of Coffee

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 23:17:15 +0000

ME Course Column: Design of Coffee Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/22/2021 - 16:17

Rachel Leuthauser

This is the first article in the ME Course Column series, a recurring publication about the unique classes and labs that mechanical engineers can take while at the University of Colorado Boulder. Follow the series to understand the core curriculum, discover elective course options and learn the broad applications of mechanical engineering skills.

Students start with beans, roast them and brew them to make their own coffee.
Header image: Dulce Gonzales-Beltran, Christian Polanco and Yiwen Shen tasting the coffee they brewed.

Mechanical Engineering Course Curriculum

For some mechanical engineering students, coffee is what gets them through those long nights of studying. It can become a necessity for a good day. Have you seen how long the line can get at Gravity Café in the Engineering Center? Enough said.

Those with a love for coffee can find their place in MCEN 4228/5228: Design of Coffee. Taught by Carmen Pacheco-Borden, the course shows junior, senior and graduate-level students how to use their training to solve problems outside the traditional engineering field by roasting and brewing coffee.

“I always tell students you should really like coffee to join this class,” Pacheco-Borden said. “It is a popular course, and it is not an easy one, so I want to have students who really do have a passion for coffee.”

Each week begins with an instructor-led discussion about a different engineering principle, with a focus on how that principle is manifested in the production of coffee. Students learn about the global sourcing of coffee beans, examine farming practices and study the science behind making a cup of coffee from bean to cup.

Elijah Miller, a graduate student taking the class, explained that they have learned where various coffee beans have come from, how the beans differ country to country and the different ways coffee beans are processed.

“There is the washing method or the drying method,” Eli said. “Coffee beans are actually picked with a red fruit around them. The washed method uses water to wash the fruit off the bean before drying, while the dry method allows the bean to dry while inside the fruit until it becomes a raisin. Then you pull the bean out. Each method will deliver a different taste.”

The class is followed by a lab later in the week where students perform experiments in the Williams Village Teaching Kitchen. They are tasked with designing efficient ways to make a good cup of joe. They use principles such as heat transfer, mass transfer, thermodynamics, materials science, sustainability, water quality, biomedical engineering and device design evaluation before giving their coffee a sip.

Graduate students Demi Dayton, Osmar Aguirre and Bex Mikofsky track watts used while roasting.

The course culminates in a competition where student teams design the best tasting coffee using the least amount of energy. They need to choose which coffee beans they want to start with based on what they learned in class – which country of origin and which processing method, for example. Then, the students move on to finding efficient ways to roast and brew.

Nearing the end of the fall 2021 semester, the teams have started their design and taste trials.

“We are basically tracking the energy parameters so that we can duplicate the coffee we make,” said graduate student Bex Mikofsky while roasting her team’s beans. “We use watt monitors to track and graph how much energy is being used during each roast. We want to keep the energy usage as low as we can.”

Mikofsky and her teammates, graduate students Osmar Aguirre and Demi Dayton, were testing a machine coffee bean roaster. Other teams were using popcorn makers during the trial, which is an effective way to roast beans.

Senior Jose Soto explained that they first tried using the coffee bean roaster before moving to the popcorn maker. He and his team, fellow undergraduates Ashley Atkins and Cordelia Kim, found the popcorn maker used less energy, but as they drank their coffee, the team discovered that it did not taste as good.

The way the team brewed their coffee could be a factor as well. Each team has multiple brewing options, including the use of a French press, a dripper or an AeroPress. Each one will result in a different flavor or potency.

Design choices are key in this competition. The final blind taste panel to choose the best cup is on Wednesday, Dec. 8.

Ashley Atkins and Jose Soto roast coffee beans with a popcorn maker.

Students were able to get some inspiration from OZO Coffee Company in Boulder. The class toured the company’s roastery to observe the roasters and to cup their own coffee.

“I want to recognize OZO Coffee Company for allowing our students to tour their amazing roastery and for giving the hands-on workshops,” said Pacheco-Borden. “I think this is an experience that students really appreciated and would like to see more of in the future.

Design of Coffee is offered in the fall semesters. In spring 2022, Carmen Pacheco-Borden will be teaching MCEN 4228/5228: Food Engineering. The course focuses on fundamental engineering principles and quantitative analyses of techniques used to process commercial foods and beverages. Students learn innovative and sustainable ways to improve food quality while reducing energy, water and other inputs in food processing. The course will feature entrepreneur guest lectures and industry tour visits both on and off campus.

Those with a love for coffee can find their place in MCEN 4228/5228: Design of Coffee. The course shows junior, senior and graduate-level students how to use their training to solve problems outside the traditional engineering field by roasting and brewing coffee.

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