ME 454
DYNAMIC MECHANICAL SYSTEMS LABORATORY

Course Description

Design, implementation, and use of portable digital data acquisition systems for characterization and control of dynamic mechanical systems. Emphasis on durable systems developed for harsh environments.

Topics

• Frequency content of dynamic signals, spectral analysis using Fourier transform, LabVIEW review
• Discrete sampling, sampling-rate theorem, effects of sampling rate on apparent waveform and frequency
• Dynamic response of transducers, signal conditioning, amplifiers and filters
• Dynamic behavior of measurement systems, step and sinusoidal input responses
• Data acquisition timing and synchronization, triggering and data storage in autonomous systems
• Digital output for control of switches, data port communication, and waveform generation. Statistical treatment of data, measures of central tendency and dispersion, regression, curve-fitting
• Uncertainty analysis, sources of measurement error, estimating measurement precision
• Using experimental data in project planning

Learning Outcomes

The student, upon completion of this course, will be able to:

• Design digital data acquisition systems for dynamic measurements of mechanical signals.
• Calculate sampling frequencies using Fourier Transform methods and select analog signal filters.
• Select transducers suitable for dynamic measurements of acceleration, displacement, and strain.
• Develop protective packaging for portable measurement systems deployment in harsh environments.
• Analyze and interpret dynamic data in both time and frequency domains.