Energy Concentration
The energy concentration prepares you for a career developing energy sources that are cost effective, efficient and environmentally friendly.
Preparing You for Success
The energy concentration continues mechanical engineering’s quest to harness energy. Societies once relied on humans and animals for power, for farming, manufacturing, and transporting. Mechanical engineers invention of steam engine revolutionaized those sectors of the economy, replacing muscle energy with other forms of energy, resulting in an ever expanding need for energy sources. Engineers are finding new methods to meet global energy demands in ways that are environmentally safe and socially responsible. In addition to fossil fuels, modern societies now use the wind, sun, fuel cells, nuclear and other sources for energy to maintain and further enhance the quality of life.
Your mechanical engineering courses bring these innovations to life as you explore foundational math, science, economic and physics principles. These fundamental tools can be applied to practical systems to determine the optimum energy system. You’reexposed to practical applications in labs, shops and classroom activities as early as your first year. You continue hands-on learning throughout your experience in preparation for your senior capstone. That project is a yearlong team effort in which you develop a product or solution for a local, regional or international company or compete in a design competition.
By the time you graduate, your experiences may include:
- Networking, professional development and skills competitions through the department’s Honors Program, motorsports club, Engineers Without Borders, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers and other organizations
- Opportunities to collaborate with business students
- Community engagement through Habitat For Humanity design projects
- Research mentored by faculty
- An internship or part-time job for an industrial business such as Allegion LCN, Caterpillar Inc., Deere and Co., Precision Planting or Siemens Corp.
Making Your Mark
Knowledge of energy systems equips you to be a problem solver in power generation, sustainable energy, renewale energy, nuclear energy and energy management. In recent years, almost all ME majors found jobs or continued to graduate school within six months of graduation. They’re working for Fortune 50 companies and U.S. government organizations like Caterpillar, General Electric, Honda, Trane, and the U.S. Navy. Others have attended graduate school at the University of Illinois, University of Michigan, University of Southern California and Georgia Tech.
Accreditation
Bradley's mechanical engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org.
Concentration Requirements
The energy concentration requires the completion of the undergraduate mechanical engineering major with the following exceptions:
Energy Electives (choose four) - 12 hrs.
- ME 407: Power Plant Design - 3 hrs.
- ME 501: Advanced Thermodynamics - 3 hrs.
- ME 507: Nuclear Energy - 3 hrs.
- ME 515: Intermediate Heat Transfer - 3 hrs.
- ME 520: Gas Dynamics - 3 hrs.
- ME 521: Intermediate Fluid Mechanics - 3 hrs.
- ME 533: Propulsion Systems - 3 hrs.
- ME 534: Environmental Engineering-Air Conditioning - 3 hrs.
- ME 535: Environmental Engineering-Refrigeration - 3 hrs.
- ME 536: Industrial Pollution Prevention - 3 hrs.
- ME 537: Building Energy Management - 3 hrs.
Technical Electives (choose one) - 3 hrs.
- ME 280: Introduction Biomedical Engineering - 3 hrs.
- ME 354: Principles of Materials Science Laboratory Practices - 3 hrs.
- 1ME 409: Mechanical Engineering Projects - 1-4 hrs.
- ME 448: Computer Aided Design in Mechanical Engineering - 3 hrs.
- 2ME 491: Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering - 3 hrs.
- ME 502: Problems in Advanced Dynamics - 3 hrs.
- ME 503: Internal Combustion Engines - 3 hrs.
- ME 509: Solar Engineering - 3 hrs.
- ME 540: Advanced Mechanical Vibrations - 3 hrs.
- ME 544: Mechanical Systems Analysis (3 hours)
- ME 547: Fluid Power Control Systems - 3 hrs.
- ME 548: Optimization of Mechanical Systems - 3 hrs.
- ME 549: Microprocessor Interfacing in Mechanical Systems - 3 hrs.
- ME 554: Fracture of Solids (3 hours)
- ME 556: Mechanics of Composite Materials - 3 hrs.
- ME 557: Advanced Design of Machine Elements - 3 hrs.
- ME 560: Principles of Robotic Programming - 3 hrs.
- ME 562: Analysis and Design of Robotic Systems - 3 hrs.
- ME 573: Methods of Engineering Analysis (3 hours)
- ME 577: Advanced Design of Machine Elements - 3 hrs.
- ME 580: Biomechanics - 3 hrs.
- ME 582: Medical Imaging - 3 hrs.
- ME 588: Human Centered Design - 3 hrs.
- 2ME 591: Topics in Mechanical Engineering - 3-9 hrs.
- Other Approved Technical Electives
- Biology: BIO 310 to BIO 599
- Chemistry: CHM 252, 256, and CHM 316 to CHM 599
- Computer Science: C S 210, 321 to CS 599
- Computer Information Systems: CIS 377 to 446, CIS 545
- Mathematics: MTH 207, MTH 302 to MTH 599
- Physics: PHY 202, PHY 305 to PHY 599
- Civil Engineering: C E 310 to C E 599
- Electrical Engineering: ECE 301 to ECE 599
- Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering: IME 311 to IME 325, IME 341 to IME 599
- Entrepreneurship: ENT 381, ENT 385
- Business: BUS 361, BUS 362
- Turner School of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: SEI 300
1ME 409 may be repeated for technical elective credit. Only 6 hours of ME 409 will count towards the degree completion.
2ME 491/ME 591 may be repeated up to three (3) times (different topics) for technical elective credit.
Course Sequence
Sample program plan information is provided for sample purposes only. Students should consult with their academic advisor about their individual plan for course registration and completion of program requirements.
First Year - Fall Semester (16 hours)
- ME 101 Foundations of ME — 2
- Core Courses electives — 14
- EHS 120 University Experience
First Year - Spring Semester (16 hours)
- CE 150 Mechanics I (Statics) — 3
- CHM 112 Engineering Chemistry — 3
- ME 102 Engineering Design Graphics — 2
- Core Courses — 8
Sophomore - Fall Semester (17 hours)
- CE 250 Mechanics II (Dynamics) — 3
- ME 351 Engineering Materials Science I — 3
- MTH 223 Calculus III — 4
- PHY 201 University Physics II — 4
- Core Course — 3
Sophomore - Spring Semester (15 hours)
- CE 270 Mechanics of Materials — 3
- Core Course — 3
- ME 273 Computational Methods in ME — 3
- ME 301 Thermodynamics I — 3
- MTH 224 Differential Equations — 3
Junior - Fall Semester (15 hours)
- ECE 327 Fundamentals of EE I — 3
- ME 302 Thermodynamics — 2
- ME 303 Instrumentation and Measurement — 3
- ME 308 Thermodynamics of Fluid Flow — 4
- ME 341 Engineering Systems Dynamics — 3
Junior - Spring Semester (17 hours)
- ECE 328 Fundamentals of EE II — 3
- ME 344 Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines — 3
- ME 403 Mechanical Engineering Systems Lab — 2
- ME 415 Heat Transfer — 3
- ME 441 Mechanical Control Systems — 3
- Core Course — 3
Senior - Fall Semester (15 hours)
- IME 301 Engineering Economy — 3
- ME 342 Design of Machine Elements — 3
- ME 415 Heat Transfer — 3
- Elective — 3
- Technical elective — 3
Senior - Spring Semester (15 hours)
- Core Courses — 6
- Technical electives — 9