Course detail
Experimental Mechanics
FSI-REM Acad. year: 2025/2026 Winter semester
The course is concerned with the following topics: Fundamentals of methods of electrical measurement of mechanical quantities. Elaboration of continuous and discrete stochastic processes
in the time and the frequency domain. Methods for the determination of stresses and strains at a point and in a certain area of a body (especially strain gages, reflection photoelasticity, brittle lacquers, DIC). Measurement of kinematic quantities, forces, torques and pressures.
Language of instruction
Czech
Number of ECTS credits
6
Supervisor
Entry knowledge
Basic knowledge of measurement of electrical and non-electrical quantities, mathematical statistics, mechanics of bodies, strength of materials.
Rules for evaluation and completion of the course
Course-unit credit requirements: active participation in the seminars, good results of elaborated laboratory exercises, solving additional tasks in case of longer excusable absence.
Examination – combined (written and oral). In written part students have to prove knowledge of basic terms, important principles and their application; in the oral part the discussion over written part and records from laboratory exercises follows.
Attendance at practical training is obligatory. One absence can be compensated by attending a seminar with another group in the same week, or by working out of substitute assignments. More absences are compensated by additional assignments according to the instructions of the tutor.
Aims
The course objective is to make students familiar with current methods, instrumentation and computing technique for determination of input data which are necessary for computer modelling of machines and their elements and results verification. The course is focused especially on methods of investigation of stresses and strains, kinematic quantities, forces, torques, pressures and noise and on results elaboration.
Students will have a clear idea of current possibilities of experimental examination of selected mechanical quantities which are necessary for reliability assessment of machines and their elements. They will acquire basic practical knowledge and experiences and will be able to formulate real requirements for these activities in specialized institutions and professionally evaluate their results.
The study programmes with the given course
Programme N-MET-P: Mechatronics, Master's, compulsory
Programme N-IMB-P: Engineering Mechanics and Biomechanics, Master's
specialization BIO: Biomechanics, compulsory
Programme N-IMB-P: Engineering Mechanics and Biomechanics, Master's
specialization IME: Engineering Mechanics, compulsory
Type of course unit
Lecture
26 hours, optionally
Syllabus
1. Introduction into methodology of experimental work.
2. Description of measuring chain.
3. Passive and active.
4. Continuous and discrete signals – methodology of their processing.
5. Digital signal filtering.
6. Devices for measurement of mechanical quantities.
7. Measurement of kinematic quantities.
8. Methods for determination of stresses and deformations of bodies.
9. Properties of strain gages.
10. Criteria for optimal selection of strain gages.
11. Optical methods (DIC, photoelasticity, moiré, holography, specle.)
12. Methods for measurement of residual stresses. Cracks detection.
13. Measurement of forces, torques and pressures.
Laboratory exercise
39 hours, compulsory
Syllabus
1. Precaution for laboratory practice.
2. Uncertainties in measurement. Theoretical problems in statistical elaboration of measurement results.
3. Determination of gage factor of strain gage.
4. Plain stress measurement – combination of bending and torque.
5. Computer processing of random processes.
6. Bar bending.
7. Assessment of load cell element.
8. Dynamics of rotor systems.
9. Membrane theory of shell.
10. Comparison of computational modeling and experiment.
11. Self-compensation of strain gages.
12. Digital image correlation.
13. Measurement of residual stresses by the hole drilling method.