ME Graduate Studies
The graduate research areas of emphasis in the Mechanical Engineering at CSU are grouped into five areas: Energy Conversion, Bioengineering,Advanced Materials Processing and Plasma Engineering, Motorsport Engineering, and Dynamic and Industrial Systems Engineering.
Energy Conversion
This area deals with energy conversion, internal combustion engines, combustion, building energy use, and industrial pollution prevention. Representative sponsored projects include: pollutant formation and control, formation of hazardous air pollutants, optical combustion diagnostics, alternative ignition, neural networks for controlling buildings, intelligent control of networked distributed energy resources, thermal storage in building materials, and solar water purification.
Bioengineering
The Bioengineering program focuses on biomechanics, human performance, biomaterials, bioinstrumentation, and computer modeling. Active research in these areas include: gait/motion analysis, tissue engineering and growth factor therapy for cartilage and bone repair, enhancing wearing resistance of polymeric orthopedic implant bearing materials, computer modeling of anatomy, and 3D scanning and rapid prototyping applications.Students can earn an MS/PhD in Mechanical Engineering with an emphasis in Bioengineering or apply to the new Interdisciplinary MS/PhD in
Bioengineering.
Advanced Materials Processing and Plasma Engineering
This area includes topics such as: photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturing, space propulsion, composite materials, fracture mechanics, and plasma processing. A representative list of sponsored projects in this area include: rapid vapor deposition of thin film cadmium sulfide/cadmium telluride PV materials, fracture mechanics of inhomogeneous materials, distortions in processing composite materials, casting of metal matrix composites, broad beam ion sources for space propulsion, spacecraft charging and control surface engineering. Research is conducted in the Materials Engineering Lab, the Composite Materials, Manufacture and Structures Lab, and the Electric Propulsion and Plasma Engineering Laboratory.
Motorsport Engineering
This Motorsport program includes topics such as racecar vehicle dynamics, advanced engines technology, fluid dynamics, and advanced materials. The research topics are directly related to the Motorsport Industry.
Dynamic and Industrial Systems
This area focuses on topics including industrial engineering and operations research, robotics, networks, controls, manufacturing engineering, mechatronics, dynamic modeling and simulation and industrial assessment. Research is conducted at the Robotics and Autonomous Machines Lab and the Industrial Assessment Center.