MECH 3900 Systems I

Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

Dalhousie University
Fall 2013

Instructor:
Ya-Jun Pan
Associate Professor, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Office C305, MECH Dept
Tel: 494-6788
E-mail: Yajun.Pan@Dal.Ca

Teaching Assistants: To be assigned.

BLS-Blackboard Learning System:

The assignment solutions will be posted regularly on the BLS. It is important that you
check the BLS regularly for important announcements as well. The link to log on is as:
https://dalhousie.blackboard.com/

Course Description:

This main objective of this course is to analyze various dynamic physical systems through
developing ordinary-differential-equation (ODE) based models. Various mechanical,
thermal, fluid and electrical systems are discussed in the course. Besides ODE models,
systems can be converted to transfer function and state-space representations as well.
System characteristics in the frequency domain through drawing Bode diagram are also
discussed. Systems are analyzed and simulated in the computer laboratory.

Textbook:
System Dynamics an Introduction, Rowell and Wormley, Prentice Hall, 1997.

Lectures: Tuesday/Thursday, 10:05 - 11:25 AM in MA121

Tutorial: Thursday, 01:35 PM - 04:25 PM, regular tutorial in MA121; labs with two
groups in B316A (Computer Lab) and C255 (Measurement lab) respectively.

Office Hours: TBA.

Grading:
Assignments 10%
Matlab Simulink Test 10% (Oct 10th, 2013)
Midterm Exam 30% (Oct 24th, 2013)
Final Exam 50% (Set by Exam Schedule: Dec, 2013)

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 There is no supplementary exam for the course.
For Midterm Exam, if anyone missed the exam due to medical reasons, the weight
of the exam will be added to the Final Exam. Requests must be received within two
weeks of the Midterm date upon proper justifications.
Midterm and Final Exams are open text-book. One 8.5x11 formula sheet (double-
sided) is permitted on the Midterm and on the Final Exam. The formula sheet will
need to be handed in with the exam answer booklets.

Calculators:
Only a basic, non-programming calculator capable of carrying out trigonometric,
logarithmic and arithmetic functions is allowed on the Midterm and Final Exam.
Calculators that have plotting capabilities or programming capabilities are not permitted.

Assignments:
There will be regular assignments in the course. Late assignments will not be accepted
unless you have prior permission from the instructor. Assignment solutions will be posted
once marked. All problem solutions must be presented in a form consistent with normal
professional standards of completeness, legibility and neatness.

For missing Assignments due to medical reason, requests to be prorated to the final exam
must be received before the last day of the class with proper justifications.

NOTE: If there are any students with special needs such as classroom or exam
accommodations, please come and see me as soon as possible.

MECH 3900 - Contents Covered in the Textbook:

(1) Introduction: 1.1~1.3.

(2) Energy and Power Flow in State-Determined Systems: 2.1~2.6.
(3) Summary of One-Port Primitive Elements: 3.1~3.5.
(4) Formulation of System Models: 4.1~4.6.
(5) State Equation Formulation: 5.1~5.7, 10.4.7.
(6) Energy-Transducing System Elements: 6.1~6.4.
(7) First and Second Order System Response: 9.1~9.3.
(8) The Transfer Function: 12.1~12.4, 12.7, 15.6, 15.7.
(9) Sinusoidal Frequency Response of Linear Systems: 14.1~14.7.

*Changes can be made to the above list as the term progresses.

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 MECH 3900 - Course Outcome

Through the course, you will be able to:

represent system mathematical models as ordinary differential equations (ODE),

state-space equations and transfer functions for physical mechanical, thermal, fluid
and electrical systems;

analyze various dynamic systems through developing system mathematical models

for physical mechanical, thermal, fluid and electrical systems;

simulate system mathematical models in the Matlab/Simulink software environment

on the computer to identify time- and frequency-domain system characteristics;

understand what the effects of an open-loop and closed-loop controller can have on
the system for better understanding of control system performance;

analyze the response of first order and second order systems to various inputs such
as step input and sinusoidal input to help understand the advantages and limitations
of lower order linear systems;

plot bode diagrams (the frequency domain characteristics of a system) by hand and
by computer to study the frequency response of a system.

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