So you like computers?

You may be surprised to find out that computer science and computer engineering majors aren’t the only people in the College of Engineering who need top-notch computer skills. Keep reading to explore just a few ways computers are used in various engineering fields.  You can also click the links below to go right to the field you are interested in.

Aerospace Engineering

"In Aerospace Engineering, computers are mostly used for programming.  Fortran and C++ are implemented when Aerospace Engineers are presented with complicated problems that require multiple iterations.  They can write one program that can solve these problems quite easily, instead of going through each step over and over again by hand.  Matlab is another program that can do these iterations, but it can also easily do matrix operations and make graphs."

~ Erin Hammond, Graduated December 2003

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Agricultural and Biological Engineering

"In all of our ABE classes at some point or another a computer was needed for reasons in addition to typing reports.  Excel is probably the most popular program that is used for graphical analyses and seeing relationships between two things, such as the number of teeth in a gear and the overall power that gear transmits.  In machine design we also use Diamond Chain and TB Woods software for designing chains and chords. In ABE, we have a computer class where we learn how to use C++, Stella and Matlab.  I still use Matlab to solve higher-level differential equations.  I can see myself using Stella more when I get out into the real world and need to show something like the degeneration of water quality over time in a specific area, like I did in an Earth and Mineral Science class.  Currently, for a design project, we are using PPSA4, a structural analysis program.  This program is neat because once you figure out how to type in the dimensions and geometry of the structure, including the forces acting on it, it can produce results of where deflection will occur, how much, and also find the internal moments.  Another popular choice for this particular project is using CAD to draw the structure. GIS is another program used in ABE, mostly by graduate students."

~ Diana Maimone, Graduated December 2003

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Architectural Engineering

"The AE department provides two computer labs for all AE’s and a thesis studio containing 30 more computers for the 5^th year students. New computers are provided to the thesis studio every year, and previous ones are cycled through the other two computer labs. The software that is provided is typically more current than what is being used in industry.

 Freshmen anticipating AE take EG 130, instead of ED&G 100, where they are provided with the basics of AutoCAD. A more in-depth teaching is continued in the second year. Programs taught in the third year include:

• STAAD for analysis of structures

• CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) for building environment analysis

• Lithonia for lighting analysis

• EES (Engineering Equations Solver) for programming and solving complex multi-variable equations

• Primavera for construction management scheduling analysis

In the fourth and fifth years, after students have chosen their field of concentration, more specific programs related to options are taught."

~ Jaclyn Ambrocik, Graduated December 2003

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Bioengineering

"Computers are used in BioE quite a bit, especially when trying to simulate things such as the beating of the heart, the pressure in the arteries, blood pressure, etc.  In the lab I have now, we use MatLab and Simulink to do these simulations.  The project we are currently working on is a simulation of respiration with a respirator where breathing is driven from the mouth and not from the chest like in normal breathing." 

~ Erica Zerfoss, Graduated May 2005

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Chemical Engineering

"Computers are now used in ChemE as early as sophomore year.  During this time, students generally just work with Mathematica and Excel.  Excel is highly used in almost every ChemE course.  In upper level courses, especially senior design courses, computers become essential.  HYSYS is used for simulations, various drawing programs are used and ICARUS is used for cost estimations."

~ Julie Fisher, Graduated May 2003

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Civil Engineering

"Computers are mostly used in Civil Engineering for mechanical drawing.  Structural and Transportation Engineers, two types of Civil Engineers, use computers for analyzing and designing highways and buildings.  They use such programs as CAD, Computer Aided Drafting, and STAAD, Structural Analysis and Design.  CAD is used to aid in the oftentimes-tedious task of mechanical drawings by hand.  STAAD does the same, but also helps to minimize the many equations and calculations of analyzing a structure."

~ Heather Hammond, Graduated December 2003

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Electrical Engineering

"Computers are used frequently in the discipline of Electrical Engineering. Electrical engineers can use programs on computers like Matlab to work on projects and run simulations. Computers programs like P-Spice are used to simulate circuits, create schematics, and to help design circuit layouts. Programs like Microsoft Excel are used commonly to analyze data, perform calculations, and create graphs. Also, Electrical Engineers use computers to develop their own programs in different languages like C++, Fortran, and even in assembly language."

~ Colleen Matthews, Graduated December 2003

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Engineering Science

"Though E Sci is slightly different from most majors, all engineering curriculums require some knowledge of computers.  In E Sci we have two classes that are heavily based on using computers as tools to solve various computational problems. (In other non-computer classes we use computers for modeling.) Where computer science majors might care about how a computer works, we care about how the computer can do what we want. Our two computing classes are Computational Methods in Engineering and Computer Methods in Engineering Science.  The first class uses Fortran as a programming language, though the main emphasis of the class is not the programming aspect.  The second class also does not focus on teaching any specific analytical program; however, the students usually choose Mathmatica.  It seems that the students are expected to be able to learn how to use a program on their own and the professors concentrate on showing the students what applications and uses these programs have."

~ Thea McSweeney, Graduated May 2004

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Industrial Engineering

"The field of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering incorporates a broad set of principals to achieve production improvement.  In this field computers play an integral part of the curriculum from simulation to numeric machining.  A large part of Industrial Engineering is finding ways to produce things faster, better and cheaper. 

One of the most valuable tools in process improvement is simulation.  Here at Penn State students work with Arena Simulation Software to develop production models.  Simulation allows the students to develop an understanding of process flow and factory capabilities.   

Another tool that is incremental in processes improvement is an understanding of quality control.  Programs such as Mini Tab and Microsoft Excel are used to design experiments that test and monitor a manufacturing process’s performance. 

Manufacturing of machined parts is another key area that students gain experience in.  At Penn State students have the opportunity of working with Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) Machines, Penn State boast on of the best facilities in the country in CNC Machines.  These cutting edge machines are capable of using computer-generated drawings to produce parts." 

~ Claire Martin, Graduated May 2003

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Mechanical Engineering

"Computers are used a variety of ways in mechanical engineering. In courses such as mechanical design, mechanical vibrations and modeling dynamic systems, programs like Matlab and Simulink are used to model the behavior of various systems. Other courses utilize computer programs to analyze data and perform iterations to find results. Of course drafting packages such as AutoCAD are important for every mechanical engineer to learn. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a program used by mechanical engineering students studying fluid dynamics. Fluent, a trade name for a CFD program, is used in several lab courses. Coursework is also available to the mechanical engineer who wants to study finite element analysis. The engineer who is familiar with both the physical world of mechanical engineering and the software that can analyze it will be in a good position for both the job market and graduate school."

~ Michelle Poulos, Graduated December 2002

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Nuclear Engineering

"Computers are used in every aspect of the undergraduate nuclear engineering curriculum at Penn State.  Unlike other majors, FORTRAN is the dominate programming language in the nuclear field. Students learn to program in FORTRAN 90 and write many programs to solve the iterative problems.  For our senior design class, we are running two Westinghouse codes, ANC and COBRA, which are used in the design and analysis of reactor cores.  Once a week, members from Westinghouse come to Penn State and teach us to use their codes.  Even in a field where no new nuclear plants have been built in the US in the last 25 years, and some research reactors still use 386 K processors, computers are still a vital part to education of nuclear engineers."

~ Kaydee Kohlhepp

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