Fundamental instrumentation course for undergraduate aerospace and mechanical engineering

Abstract

As part of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering curriculum, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Prescott, AZ) has developed a combined lecture / laboratory (lab) course to give students an introduction to the fundamental principles of instrumentation and tools necessary to perform measurements while reducing the data obtained. This Measurements and Instrumentation course will provide essential knowledge and skills that students can use for complimentary engineering lab courses such as Thermal Fluid Sciences [1], Experimental Space Systems, and Experimental Aerodynamics as well as during their yearlong capstone course and numerous student clubs / research activities. Topics covered in this course are measurement uncertainty, probability and statistics (including confidence intervals), operating principles of sensors such as thermocouples, strain gages, and pressure transducers, and basic signal conditioning. In addition, transient response of measurement systems is evaluated. Students apply the knowledge learned in the lecture portion into measurements taken in the lab while reporting and interpreting the results. Lab experiments range from pre-assembled to open-ended. Students are introduced to the basic principles of data acquisition and use simple data acquisition hardware and software. Subjects included in this aspect of the course are sampling theorem, quantization, and code width of the measurement device. Students are introduced to the National Instruments (NI) compact data acquisition (cDAQ) platform and the NI LabVIEW programming environment. Additional cDAQ hardware used in this course is available for use outside of the course for student research activities and capstone projects. In addition to the technical components of making measurements, this course has a very strong communications and teaming component. Students are challenged to critically think about the measurements made during the lab period and report not only the results, but interpret the meaning and significance of the results. Students must report these findings in a clear and concise manner thoughout the term in several different formats.