Development of the next generation of fuel-efficient and environmentally-responsible advanced electric drive vehicles is one of the nation’s top priorities. The State of Indiana plays a major role in the design, development, and manufacturing of these types of vehicles, such as electric vehicle (EV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) or plugin hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), or their components. This is a very technically intensive and competitive field that requires multidisciplinary approaches. Expertise in the HEV technology will be greatly needed to meet the demands in the hybrid vehicle sector of the automotive industry.
This certificate program is designed to address industry's increased needs for engineers having expertise in EV/HEV/PHEV. It will prepare today's engineers to be competitive in taking on the new challenges facing the industry so that the companies in automotive sector can compete globally.
The certificate is a Purdue University certificate that would appear on a student’s transcript upon completion.
Who should join the program?
Practicing engineers who joined the workforce after bachelor’s degree and graduate students would be interested in obtaining training on these new technologies in order for them to be current in solving complex hybrid drive related problems. The proposed certificate program will provide them with the necessary technical skills.
What are the requirements to complete the graduate certificate program?
1. Total requirement: 12 credit hours
2. GPA requirements
a. Minimum overall GPA
Successful completion of the certificate requires at least a B average over all courses counting towards the certificate.
b. Minimum grade:
Courses with a grade of C- or less must be taken again to count towards the certificate. The minimum grade that will be accepted in any single course is C. For transfer credits only the courses taken that result in a grade of B or better may be transferred for this certificate program.
3. Curriculum
There are a number of courses in both the primary and related areas. The certificate requires two courses in the primary area and the remaining two courses from either the primary or related areas.
The primary area courses consist of:
- ME 50104 Powertrain Integration
- ME 50105 Hybrid and Electric Transportation
- ME 51201 Energy Storage Devices and Systems
- ME 57301 Air Pollution and Emission Control
- ECE 61000 Energy Conversion (required for students in ECE)
The related courses include:
- ME 50400 / ECE 58500 Automotive Control
- ME 54800 Fuel Cell Science and Engineering
- ECE 51501 Smart Grid
- ECE 58000 Optimization Methods for Systems and Control
Are there on-line options for these courses?
Yes. The majority of the graduate courses are offered in late afternoon hours to accommodate the needs of part-time students. In addition, a number of course lectures may be available in both live lecture and online via video streaming modes.
Will any of these four courses count toward a graduate degree?
Yes! All four courses may be used toward the requirements for a graduate degree in mechanical engineering, if one wishes to pursue a formal degree program.
What are the requirements for admission to the certificate program?
In order to be eligible for this certificate program, the students must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in an area which provides the necessary mathematical preparation for an engineering degree with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0. A conditional admission may be offered for applicants not meeting this criterion who have superior overall credentials. Applicants with non-engineering degrees, including mathematics, physical sciences, and engineering technology, may be required to take undergraduate mechanical engineering courses before admission to the program. Appropriate work experience also will be taken into account in making decisions about admission. Students will be required to submit a statement of interest and three letters of recommendation. A minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper based) / 77 (internet based) or higher is required for international applicants whose native language is not English. Applicants taking IELTS must score at least 6.5 on the academic module.
Students admitted directly to the Purdue University graduate program can be considered for this certificate program, provided the student formally applies for the certificate program and receives admission. Courses completed under certificate program are not automatically transferred to a graduate degree program, unless the student makes a petition to the graduate committee in respective departments. A student already enrolled in a graduate degree program may complete the certificate irrespective of his / her major so long as the requirements of the certificate are fulfilled.
I have completed a few graduate courses in the past. Can I use the credits toward the certificate program?
If you have already earned credits for one or more of the equivalent courses from another institution or another certificate program, you may request to transfer up to a maximum of three credits of these courses toward this certificate. A maximum of 6 equivalent credit hours taken prior to admission to the certificate program, including 3 credit hours taken from another institution, may be counted towards the certificate. The rest of the courses must be completed at IUPUI within a three-year period from the time of admission. Any waivers or substitutions require approval. No undergraduate courses can be applied to this certificate program.
How do I apply for admission to the certificate program?
To apply for admission, contact Monica Stahlhut, MEE Graduate Programs Assistant by telephone at (317) 278-4960 or by email: mstahlhu@iupui.edu.
Program Course Listing and Descriptions
ME 50104 - Powertrain Integration (3) Class: 3 Lab: 0 Rec: 0
The holistic view of powertrain development that includes engine, transmission, and driveline is now well accepted. Current trends indicate an increasing range of engines and transmissions in the future with, consequently, a greater diversity of combinations. Coupled with the increasing introduction of hybrid vehicles, the scope for research, novel developments and new products is clear. This course discusses engines, transmissions, and drivelines in relation to their interfaces with chassis systems. This course also explores the concept to market evolution as well as powertrain and chassis integration. Novel concepts relating, for example, to continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) and hybridization are discussed, as well as approaches to modeling, analysis, and simulation.
ME 50105 - Hybrid and electric transportation (3) Class: 3 Lab: 0 Rec: 0
This course will cover fundamentals of hybrid electric and battery electric transportation systems with particular emphasis on automotive vehicles. It will cover basic powertrain configurations of Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV), and Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV). The principal elements of these powertrain will be discussed: Battery, Electric Motor, Engine, and Transmission.
ME 50400 / ECE 58500 Automotive Control (3) Class: 3 Lab: 0 Rec: 0
Concepts of automotive control. Electro-mechanical systems that are controlled by electronic control modules via an appropriate algorithm (such as fuel injection timing control, emission control, transmission clutch control, anti-lock brake control, traction control, stability control, etc.), In-depth coverage on modeling and control of these automotive systems, MATLAB/SIMULINK modeling and simulation.
ME 51201 Energy Storage Devices and Systems (3) Class: 3 Lab: 0 Rec: 0
Fundamental principles of battery science and engineering (battery reactions, charge and mass transport in batteries, battery safety, battery management, and materials development in the batteries, battery system designs and integrations), current state-of-the-art battery technology and the current technical challenges on the development of batteries, codes and standards for safe handling of batteries.
ME 54800 Fuel Cell Science & Engineering (3) Class: 3 Lab: 0 Rec: 0
This course is designed as the introduction to fuel cell science and engineering for both graduate and undergraduate students (senior). The course is 3 credit hours (3 credits for lecture). It is intended for students in the mechanical and electrical engineering, materials science and chemistry. The course will cover the fundamentals of the fuel cell science; emphasis will be placed on the fuel cell reactions, charge and mass transport in fuel cells, water transport management, and materials development in the fuel cells, fuel cell system designs and integrations. The current state-of-the-art fuel cell technology will be introduced as well as the current technical challenges on the development of fuel cells. Codes and standards for safe handling of fuel cells will also be emphasized.
ME 57301 Air Pollution and Emission Control(3) Class: 3 Lab: 0 Rec: 0
This course is designed to promote creativity through immersive experience. It will integrate the real-world problem solving experience into the course curriculum through traineeship in the industry / lab environment. Students will study the environmental pollution sources and fundamental mechanisms of their impacting the environment and human health, and how automotive emission can be measured and controlled. In particular, measurement of particulate emission deposited in a diesel particulate filter will be studied. Here the students will have a chance to creatively design functional shapes of the sensor components. The course topic is chosen in this context that align with the local industry / lab. Topics in emission control technologies, including sensors, control mechanisms, remedial systems will be taught and combined into the course projects that students will accomplish over the course of a semester.
ECE 58000 Optimization Methods for Systems and Control (3) Class: 3 Lab: 0 Rec: 0
Introduction to optimization theory and methods, with applications in systems and control. Nonlinear unconstrained optimization, linear programming, nonlinear constrained optimization, various algorithms and search methods for optimizations, and their analysis. Examples from various engineering applications are given.
ECE 51501 Smart Grid (3) Class: 3 Lab: 0 Rec: 0
The course introduces students to the history of the U.S. power grid and to the basic concepts of the current electric power system. The main challenges of the transition from the traditional power system with unidirectional power flow to the new and complex system connected to renewable sources and bidirectional power flow capability is also presented in this course. In addition, the impact of distributed generation and electric vehicles is discussed along with cybersecurity and information privacy issues inherent in this new power grid.
ECE 61000 Energy Conversion (3) Class: 3 Lab: 0
Basic principles of static and electromechanical energy conversion. Control of static power converters. Reference frame theory applied to the analysis of rotating devices. Analysis and dynamic characteristics of induction and synchronous machines. State variable analysis of electromechanical devices and converter supplied electromechanical drive systems.