Mission and Overview
Applied mechanics is the theoretical, numerical, and experimental study of the response of solids and fluids to external forces. Mechanics forms the underlying scientific foundation for a wide range of engineering endeavors. It bridges the gap between fundamental science and a wide variety of engineering disciplines. Students with graduate degrees in Mechanics are well positioned for high quality positions in industry, academia, and government.

Thrust Areas:

Multi-Scale Computational Mechanics

Experimental Mechanics

Bio Mechanics

Mechanics of Manufacturing

Failure and Fracture Mechanics

Dynamics and Vibrations

Structural Mechanics

Fluid Mechanics

Advanced Materials (composites, coatings, bio-materials, etc.)

Faculty Research

The research activity of faculty affiliated with the Applied Mechanics group covers a wide variety of numerical, experimental, and analytical analyses. Research within the thrust areas listed above has been used to aid in the development and use of advanced materials, to improve manufacturing processes, and to design better products. Automotive, biomedical, aerospace, plastics, nanotechnology, and manufacturing industries have bene. ted from the results of research by applied mechanics faculty.

 

Research work in applied mechanics thrust areas is being supported by a number of agencies including the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Federal Aviation Agency, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Army Research Office, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), the US Department of Commerce, DARPA, and the Ohio Department of Transportation. Research sponsors also include a variety of organizations and industrial sponsors including Alcoa, Arvin North American Automotive, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, Goodrich, Hyundai Motor Company, Battelle Memorial Institute, the National Textile Center, LSP Technologies Inc., Timken Company, and NexTech Materials Ltd.

Research Facilities

State-of-the-art computational and experimental facilities are available for the support of research in applied mechanics and include: the Computational Mechanics Research Laboratory, the Computer Applications of Mechanics Laboratory, the Dynamic Stability and Vibrations Laboratory, the Experimental Mechanics of Materials Laboratory, the High Strain Rate Laboratory, the Hydraulic Forming Simulator and Tester, the Materials and Structures Laboratory, the Mechanical Testing Laboratory, and the Micromechanics Laboratory. Applied mechanics research facilities are also available at the interdisciplinary Center for Automotive Research (CAR), the Gas Turbine Laboratory (GTL), Center for Accelerated Maturation of Materials (CAMM), and the Center for Advanced Polymer Composites Engineering (CAPCE).

Mission and Overview

The Design and Manufacturing interest group emphasizes the fundamental principles involved in the proper selection of materials, definitions of optimal shapes, and establishment of appropriate manufacturing processes necessary to meet today’s product demands.

Thrust Areas:

Biomechanics

Computer-aided design and manufacturing

Kinematics

Net shape manufacturing

Robotics

Tribology

Faculty Research

Research in the Design and Manufacturing group is a unique blend that spans many areas, including mechatronics, precision engineering, tribology, kinematics, net shape manufacturing, robotics, manufacturing processes modeling and design, modeling of manufacturing processes, fatigue and reliability of automotive and aerospace components, and computer-aided design and manufacturing. Faculty in the Design and Manufacturing group maintain thriving research programs involving theoretical, experimental, and computational investigations in a broad range of applications. Students have access to exceptional experimental and computer facilities in pursuit of their research. The work is supported by major grants from federal and industrial sponsors for graduate student funding and advanced research equipment. Design and Manufacturing faculty have received numerous national and international awards for research and teaching achievements, and many are fellows of major professional societies.

Research Facilities

The Department has extensive facilities available to support design and manufacturing activities. Computers are available for general research and teaching, and a large number of microcomputers are available in dedicated research areas. In addition, throughout the. Small-scale manufacturing can be done in the Rapid-Design Prototyping laboratory which has five tabletop CNC milling machines, five CNC lathes, and a Stratasys fused deposition modeling machine. The Department has a 4000 square foot tribology laboratory which includes a measurement and microtribology room, computer room, and general tribology and contamination room. The laboratory is environmentally and contamination controlled to a specification of Class 10,000. The laboratory is equipped with sophisticated research equipment including a scanning tunneling microscope, atomic force microscope, non-contact optical profiler, and microhardness tester.

Mission and Overview

Our mission is to educate students to be technical leaders in industry and academia, conduct research at the leading edge of the dynamic systems discipline, build on our thriving research base with continued expansion of state-of-the-art facilities, and sustain and advance our reputation as national and international leaders in dynamic systems research and education.

Thrust Areas:

Vibrations and Acoustics

Dynamic System Analysis

Control and Mechatronics

Signal Processing and Measurements

Faculty Research

Research in the Dynamic Systems group is a rich mixture that spans across vibration, acoustics, control, mechanics, mechatronics, and smart structures. OSU faculty maintain thriving research programs involving theoretical, experimental, and computational investigations in a broad range of applications. Students have access to exceptional experimental and computer facilities in pursuit of their research. The work is supported by major grants from federal and industrial sponsors for graduate student funding and advanced research equipment. Dynamic systems faculty have received numerous national and international awards for research and teaching achievements, and many are fellows of major professional societies.

Research Facilities

Dynamic systems faculty labs contain state-of-the-art computational and experimental facilities that are among the most advanced at any U.S. university. This exceptional equipment is a distinguishing feature of dynamic systems research at OSU. Some example equipment includes scanning and torsional laser vibrometers, hardware in the loop control systems, engine test cells, high-speed transmission dynamics test stands, anechoic chamber, hemi-anechoic facility with chassis dynamometer, modal testing instrumentation, near field acoustic holography, and advanced data acquisition systems. Faculty research takes advantage of the OSU Center for Automotive Research-Intelligent Transportation that is housed in a separate building with specialized automotive research facilities.

Mission and Overview

Effective fuel use, reduced emissions, improved performance, and cost effectiveness are critically important industrial and societal goals. Research and education in the areas of energy conversion, thermal systems engineering, and fluid and thermal sciences focuses on analytical, computational, and experimental techniques for achieving these goals.

Thrust Areas:

Aeroacoustics

Combustion and Propulsion

Diagnostics

Engineering Thermodynamics

Fluid Dynamics

Fossil and Nuclear Power Generation

Heat and Mass Transfer

Internal Combustion Engines

Micro/Nanofluidics

Physical Gas Dynamics

Two-phase Flows

Faculty Research

Research in the Energy, Fluid and Thermal Systems group ranges broadly over the field of energy conversion, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics and heat transfer. Faculty in the group are active in research programs involving experimental and computational investigations in a diverse range of theoretical and applied thrust areas. Research is supported by grants from federal, state, and industrial sponsors that provide for graduate student funding and access to exceptional experimental and computer facilities. Faculty have been recognized as fellows of major professional societies and by national and international awards for their research and teaching achievements.