Facilities
Mechanical Engineering Lab
The Mechanical Engineering department is housed in the Lehman Engineering and Technology Center, a state-of-the-art facility that includes classrooms, faculty offices, and laboratories. Among the laboratory facilities located in Lehman and available to support research are the Robotics and Autonomous Vehicle Laboratory , the Autonomous Systems Laboratory, the Wind Tunnel Laboratory, the Materials Testing Laboratory, the Composites Laboratory, the Manufacturing Laboratory, the Structures Laboratory and the new Green Garage EcoCAR Hybrid Vehicle Laboratory. The Department is also an active participant in the Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion (FCAAP), which maintains hangar and laboratory space adjacent to the university and the airport. Additional laboratory space in Canaveral Hall is dedicated to the SAE Hybrid Formula program and the Mini-Baja team. Numerous other laboratories and facilities on campus are available for specialized research in areas ranging from infrastructure diagnostic monitoring to meteorology to advanced flight simulation. The campus is located adjacent to the Daytona Beach International Airport and the Daytona Speedway, offering exceptional access to the aviation and high-performance vehicle industries.
Labs, Classrooms, Buildings
Advanced Vehicles Green Garage
The Advanced Vehicles Green Garage is a state-of-the-art facility for advanced vehicle development. Built as a “Green Garage” for the EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge Competition, best environmental practices were integrated into the workspace. Student competition teams and courses on the high-performance vehicles track use this space.
Autonomous Vehicles Research Laboratory
The Autonomous Vehicles Research Laboratory is used in courses, student projects, and research in the field of autonomous vehicles.
Manufacturing or CNC Laboratory
The Manufacturing/CNC Laboratory is used by students in design courses to incorporate design for manufacturing into the design process. In addition, it is used for student and graduate research projects, student club activities, and research work for industry.
This lab is used to experimentally reinforce concepts and theory presented in engineering courses that support the AE, CIV, and ME degrees. Students routinely perform Tensile Tests, Hardness Tests, Heat Treatment, Microstructure Observation, Torsion, Fracture, etc.
With a Turbine Technologies jet engine and test stand, students get to observe the operation of a small turbojet engine as part of their study in the propulsion area. They take data describing the temperature and pressure variation through the various components of the engine. The data are obtained by pressure and temperature sensors located in the engine and transmitted to and displayed by the computer in real time, with the aid of the National Instruments “Virtual Logger” utility. The students then use this data to study the operational characteristics of the engine. Other equipment used for classes includes Turbine Technologies Pump lab, Turbine Technologies Rankine Cycler, and a Jet drill press.
The Wind Tunnel Laboratory is used as part of the Aerospace Engineering curriculum, as well as for research by faculty and students. Located on the first floor of the Lehman Building, its main entrance is from an interior hallway; there is also access to a loading dock on the exterior of the building.
