The mission of the University is to train students who can actively contribute to the industrial and economic progress of Hong Kong and its region, and conduct research and development which are relevant to this progress. The objective of the Department is to help accomplish this mission by providing society with competent mechanical engineers and to become one of the world's leading mechanical engineering departments. The Department recruits high quality faculty and students, develops innovative and efficient teaching methods, carries out relevant research and development, and builds close ties with ~ndustry. It provides quality education to both undergraduate and postgraduate students and contributes to society, industry. and the knowledge base of engineering practice.
Departmental programmes aim to train students to deal with the technological issues of mechanical systems and advance the state of knowledge in the profession. The purpose is to prepare them to become productive and contributing members of their profession and future leaders. Four degree programmes are offered: Bachelor of Enaineerina (BEna), Master of Science (MSc), Master of Philosophy (MPhil), and Doctor of philosop& ( P ~ D ) . The BEng in Mechanical Engineering prepares students to enter professional practice or continue study in a technical or management field aftergraduatlon.
Faculty
Acting Head of Department:
Matthew Ming-fat YUEN, BSc Hong Kong; PhD Bristol Professors:
Jay-Chung CHEN, BS Cheng Kung; MS, PhD California lnst of Tech (Director of Research Centre)
Yiu-Wing MAI, BSc, PhD Hong Kong
Pin TONG, BS National Taiwan; MS, PhD California lnst of Tech Senior Lecturers/Associate Professors:
Chin-Tsau HSU, BS, MS National Taiwan; MS, PhD Stanford
See-Chun KOT, BS Univ of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; MEng, PhD Cornell Matthew Ming-Fai YUEN, BSc Hong Kong PhD Bristol
Lecturers/Assistant Professors:
Li-Long CAI, BS Tianjin; PhD Toronto
Chih-Chen CHANG, BS National Taiwan; MS, PhD Purdue Jang-Kyo KIM, BSc Seoul National; MS Monash; PhD Sydney Steve Hon-Keung LEE, BS Cooper Union; MS, PhD Rutger
Ricky Shi-Wei LEE, BS National Taiwan; MS Virginia Polytech & State Univ, PhD Purdue
Yang LENG, BS Chongqing; MS Michigan Tech; PhD Virginia
Wei-Ping LI, BS BeijingUnivofAeronautim& Astronautics; MS, PhD Massachuettes lnst of Tech
Wai-Ming TO, BSc Glasgow, PhD London
Tong-Yi ZHANG, MS, PhD Univ of Sci & Tech, Beijing
Yitshak ZOHAR, BS, MS Technion-Israel lnst of Tech; PhD Southern California
Visiting Scholars:
Anselm C. K. DIU, BS, MS, PhD State Univ of New York, Buffalo
Kai Tak WAN, BS New South Wales; PhD Univ of Maryland, College Park Research Associate:
Pu CHEN, BS, MS Peking; PhD Technische Hochschule Darmstadt
Undergraduate programme
The purpose of undergraduate education in the Department is to equip students with a capability for self-learning and produce broadly-educated individuals with a basic knowledge of engineering and sufficient specific skills. This allows students to start their careers in engineering or professional services, or to carry on to postgraduate study.
Mechanical engineers apply their knowledge of materials behaviour and the principles of dynamics, mechanics, control, heat and mass transport, thermodynamics, system analysis, and experimental methods to the design, analysis, manufacture, and operation of mechanical systems. Modern mechanical engineers face many more challenges: designing for manufacturability, quality control, and engineering for high quality products at low cost. Electronics, optics, and computers have become an integral part of mechanical systems. There is also a variety of sophisticated tools for computer aided design and analysis. Practising engineers today are expected to effectively utilise these tools. Because of the importance of balancing social needs, economic costs and benefits, and environmental concerns in all engineering decisions, engineers must also be trained in the humanities, social sciences and management.
Engineering in Hong Kong and the region facessome particularchallenges. Most companies are small, highly flexible and adapt quickly to ever changing market demands.
Students must be equipped with both a broad background and relevant experience in order to be effective very soon after graduation. The Department promotes self-learning with a curriculum to train students to think on their own, a skill increasingly important with rapid technological change. One way to accomplish this is to have students involved in design as one of the first-yearcourses in thecurriculum and followthrough to the final year design project to further strengthen their design and synthesis capabilities.
The undergraduate programme is structured in three stages. The first concen- trates on the fundamentals of mechanical engineering in solid mechanics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, thermal sciences, manufacturing, materials processing, and design. It also provides students with the basic knowledge of modern electronics and computers. The second stage integrates engineering sciences with laboratory work and exposes students to state-of-the art tools and eauiument. The third staae comorises electives that ~ r o v i d e students with sufficient depth'in one or more areas of ~~ec'ialisation and with research opportunities. Integration and synthesis are emphasised throughout all three stages.
Admission Requirements 1995-96
In addition to the general entrance requirements of the University, acceptable grades are required in either (1) two AL subjects (Pure Mathematics, plus Physics or Engineering Science) and two AS subjects or (2) three AL subjects (Pure Mathematics, plus Physics or Engineering Science, and one other AL subject).
School of Engineering
Curriculum for BEng i n Mechanical Engineering
First Year
Statics and Dynamics [3-1-0:3]
Engineer~ng Materials I [3-1-1:3]
Eng~neering Computation [2-1-0:2]
Basic Electronics [3-1-3:4]
Language Skills Enhancement I 10-3-1 :O]
Introduction to Multivariable Calculus [2-1-0:2]
Introduction to Linear Algebra [2-1-0:2]
lntroduct~on to Ordinary Differential Equations (2-1-0:2]
18 credits
ELEC 152 R Microprocessors and Applications 13-1 -3:4]
18 credits
R
Mechanisms and Dynamics of Machinery 13-1-0:3]R Engineering Materials II 13-1 -0131
R Engineering Design II [3-0-2:3]
C Laboratory l [I -0-6:3]
E Humanities and Social Science Elective [3-0-0:3]
R Introduction to Numerical Methods [2-1-0:2]
R lntroduction to Partial Differential Equations [2-1-0:2]
19 credits
R Mechanics of Solids II [3-1-0131
R Heat and Mass Transfer [3-1-0131
R Control Principles [3-1-0:3]
R Manufacturing Processes and Systems [2-0-3:3]
C Laboratory ll [I -0-6:3]
E Humanities and Social Science Elective [3-0-0:3]
18 credits
Third Year Fall Semester
MECH 396 R Design Project l [0-1-5:2]
MECH 398 C Project Laboratory l [I -0-6:3]
MECH E Mechanical Engineering Elective [3-0-0:3]
MECH E Mechanical Engineering Elective [3-0-0:3]
H&SS E Humanities and Social Science Elective [3-0-0131 SB&M E Business and Management Elective [3-0-0:3]
17 credits Spring Semester
MECH 397 R Design Project ll [O-1-5121
MECH 399 C Project Laboratory ll [I -0-6:3]
MECH E Mechanical Engineering Elective [3-0-0:3]
H&SS E Humanities and Social Science Elective [3-0-0:3]
SB&M E Business and Management Elective [3-0-0131 14 credits (1) Students may be exempted from this course by the Lanugage Centre.
A minimum of 104 credits is required for the BEng programme in Mechanical Engineering.
Postgraduate Programmes and Research
The Department offers postgraduate programmes leading to the degrees of Master of Science (MSc), Master of Philosophy (MPhil), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Mechanical Engineering. The programmes aim at equipping students with the necessaryskillsand knowledge to meetthe challenges of Hong Kong's present and future development needs. Master's programmes focus on strengthening the students' back- ground in mechanical engineering, increasing their mathematical proficiency, and expos- ing them to the environment of engineering research and development. The PhD programme aims at imbuing students with depth in mechanical engineering and the capability of formulating and conducting independent and original research and develop- ment in their chosen specialisation.
Applicants for admission to the postgraduate programmes normally should have completed a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field. Qualified students may be admitted directly to the PhD Drooramme. Students must demonstrate a sufficient command of ~ n ~ l i s h in addition to hiving a basic knowledge in mechanics, dynamics, thermodynamics, materials, electronicsandcircuits, and design. All studentsare required to complete at least one postgraduate course in each of solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, and mathematics.
Master of Science (MSc) i n Materials Science a n d Engineering
This multi-disciplinary programme is jointly offered by the Departments of Chemistly, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. For details, please refer to page 99.
Master of Science (MSc) i n Mechanical Engineering
The MSc is a taught programme for students who intend to pursue further studies or advanced work in industry. The programme normally requires one and a half years of full-time studles. The student is req;ireb to complete 30credits of approved course work.
Up to nine of the credits may be a design project under the supervision of an advisor from either the University or industry.
Master of Philosophy (MPhil) i n Mechanical Engineering
The MPhil is a research programme that differs from the MSc programme with students required to complete only 12 credits of postgraduate course work. In addition, students must complete a thesis to demonstrate competence in engineering research. If the student participates in an industrial project and writes the thesis on a work-related topic, the work will be supervised jointly by a faculty member of the Department and a representative from the participating company. The MPhil degree normally takes one and a half years.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) i n Mechanical Engineering
The PhD degree is awarded upon the successful completion of an advanced study programme which includes a minimum of 24 credits of postgraduate subjects, 16 in the student's major, eight in a minor field, and a thesis of significant original research.
Students entering with a master's degree in engineering may be granted a partial waiver of credits towards fulfilling the PhD requirements.
Thedoctoral programme usually takes a minimum of three years of full-timestudy beyond the bachelor's degree, or a minimum of two years beyond the master's degree.
After a student enters the PhD programme, a doctoral committee will be established to supervise the programme of study and thesis. To become a doctoral candidate, the student must pass a qualifying examination no later than the end of the fourth semester of postgraduate study at HKUST. The qualifying examination consists of an oral and/or a written part. This examination, which covers undergraduate and first-year postgraduate materials, evaluates the student's preparation for postgraduate study in mechanical engineering. The examination is normally taken in the third semester of postgraduate study. Another oral examination is given by the doctoral committee afterthe student passes the qualifying examination. The purpose of this is to establish the student's ability to formulate and conduct original research in the chosen discipline.
Upon completion of the postgraduate study programme and the thesis, the candidate is required to defend the thesis before a thesis examination committee.
Research Activities
Hong Kong's industry is in transition and the Department is responding by supporting technology transfer and developing new technologies in the areas of manufac- turing, energy, transportation, environment, and health care. Research also contributes to fundamental knowledge, engineering practice, and technology.
School of Engineering
The main thrust of the Department's research is in manufacturing and design, supported by disciplinary research in materials, solid mechanics and thermo-fluid me- chanics. Research is conducted in manufacturing, materials, and design; energy and environment; and micro-mechanical systems. The first two are well-established in the Department while the third is an emerging research area.
Efforts in manufacturing processes place emphasis on flexibility and an inte- grated approach to design for manufacturability, inspection, maintenance, and repair.
Robotics and control research emphasises applications in the existing factory environ- ment such as designing automated workcells to manufacture families of products.
Management of energy and resources is important in the transition of Hong Kong's industry from low- to high-technology, and a successful transition cannot be achieved without assessment of the environmental impact of energy utilisation and manufacturing process. Departmental research seeks to improve energy efficiency, minimise the consumption of natural resources, and abate the discharge of pollutants. In particular, industrial development in the Pearl River Delta region poses a serious environmental threat. Industrial wastes are discharged into the estuary where the transport, dispersion and sedimentation processes of toxic wastedepend on tides, current and waves. The Department undertakes research in sedimenttransport both theoretically and experimentally, actively participates in the Institute for Environmental Studies and plays a key role in the study of atmospheric dispersion, noise, and air and water pollution.
With the support of China Light and Power, the Department is building an environmental wind-waves channel to serve as avital facility for studying wave dynamics, air-sea interaction, current generation, wind engineering and atmos~heric dis~ersion in order to improve the management of the air, coastal a i d ocean environment,' including typhoon conditions. The combination of intense development and unusually high wind loading makes Hong Kong one of the most challenging locations for applications of structural dynamics.
Micro-mechanical systems is an area of special interest to the Department, and concentrates on the applications of micro-mechanical technology, primarily microsensors, and the fundamentals of micro-mechanics.
The field of computational mechanics has steadily grown into one of the most important engineering disciplines and the Department is further developing its strong research group.
Faculty Research Interests
Professor Jay-Chung CHEN, Director of Research Centre
Structural dynamics, including the development of analytical and experimental methods, testlanalysis correlation criteria, dynamic test of complex structural systems, structural system identification, damage assessment and structure-control interaction.
Professor Yiu-Wing MA1
Mechanical behaviour of materials; fracture mechanics; composite technology, biomaterials; tribology.
Professor Pin TONG
Solid mechanics; fracture, finite element methods; structural integrity; micromechanics;
and computational mechanics.
School of Engineering
Dr Chin-Tsau HSU, Senior Lecturer
Heat and mass transfer in porous medium; microelectronic cooling; ocean wave dynam- ics: air-sea interaction.
Dr See-Chun KOT, Senior Lecturer
Computational and environmental fluid mechanics, field studies; physical and computer modelling of atmospheric dispersion in urban areas; airport wind shear.
Dr Matthew Ming-Fai YUEN, Senior Lecturer
Design theory, computer-aided design and manufacturing, intelligent CADICAM sys- tems, numerical control of machine tools, novel manufacturing processes, vibration control.
Dr Li-Long CAI, Assistant Professor
Robotics; nonlinear system control; automation of manufacturing processes.
Dr Chih-Chen CHANG, Assistant Professor
Dynamics and control of structures under random loads; random vibration, simulation, reliability, static and dynamics of plate and shall structures and finite element methods.
Dr Jang-Kyo KIM, Assistant Professor
Polymeric composite materials; finite element methods; materials engineering; metal forming.
Dr Steve Hon-Keung LEE, Assistant Professor
Experimental and computational fluid dynamics; heat transfer; optical fibre processing.
Dr Ricky Shi-Wei LEE, Assistant Professor
Mechanics of composite materials; impact dynamics; fracture and damage tolerance;
material characterisation and modelling.
Dr Yana LENG, Assistant Professor
~ e c h a i c a l behaviourlmicrostructure relationships; metal matrix and polymer compos- ites; advanced alloys; fracture and fatigue at elevated temperature; novel processing of new materials.
Dr Wei-Ping LI, Lecturer
Manufacturingsystem automation, mechatronics (manufacturing system control), nonlinear system control, CADICAMICNC systems.
Dr Wai-Ming TO, Lecturer
Experimental modal analysis; sensitivity analysis of mechanical structures; model updat- ing and vibro-acoustic study.
Dr Tong-Yi ZHANG, Assistant Professor
Materials science and engineering; relationships of microstructure and properties in materials and defects in crystals.
Dr Yitshak ZOHAR, Assistant Professor
Fluid mechanics of micromachines; microsensors; turbulent shear flows; boundary layers; unsteady aerodynamics; flow control.
Dr Pu CHEN, Research Associate
Engineering application of computional mechanics; structural dynamics; parallelcomput- ing.
School of Engineering
Dr Kai-Tak WAN, Visiting Scholar
Fracture mechanics; thin films; surface physics.
School of Engineering