Lab Facilities

Lab and Location	Description
Energy Lab (TUC 023)	The TCU Energy Lab contains a selection of equipment that includes porosimeter, permeameters, petrophysical microscope, gas cylinders and plumbing, solar trough with Stirling Engine, electrolysis apparatus for hydrogen production, a nuclear lab for detecting radioactive particles and studying the shielding capacity of materials, a horizontal axis wind turbine with up to six rotors, a hybrid wind-solar panel system, water flow channel-generator system, etc.
Computer Lab (TUC 353 and 357)	The engineering computer lab contains 59 personal computers with full network capabilities and is open seven days a week (hours of operation vary), with a student operator always on duty. Printing and plotting in the lab is available for students majoring in Engineering and Computer Science. Software used for engineering courses is available on the computer systems. This lab supports ENGR 10033 Engineering Design & Graphics as well as various other engineering courses.
Electrical Circuits and Electronics Lab (TUC 229)	This 17-bench laboratory accommodates students enrolled in ENGR 20404 Network Analysis I, ENGR 30444 Electronics I, and ENGR 30454 Electronics II. The lab is equipped with state-of-the-art electronic test equipment. Each laboratory bench is equipped with DC power supplies, function generators, digital/analog oscilloscopes, and dual-display digital multi-meters. National Instruments ELVIS data acquisition units are used in this lab.
Thermal Systems Lab and Materials Lab (TUC 230)	The Thermal Systems and Materials Laboratory supports students enrolled in ENGR 30014 Materials Science, ENGR 30871 Thermal systems Lab 1, and ENGR 40871 Thermal Systems Lab II.  In Material Science Lab students investigate the microstructure of materials, such as metals, polymers, and ceramics, to discover the influence on their macroscopic properties. Equipment used by the students for this investigation include: a belt grinder, twin grinder/polisher, hydraulic mounting press, modular inverted microscope, color charge-coupled TV system with video printer, digital micro and Rockwell hardness testers, sonic cleaner, and a box furnace.  In Thermal Systems Lab the areas of study include fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and thermodynamics. In the area of fluid mechanics, students investigate the behavior of incompressible fluids using a fluid circuit system, and study the fundamental characteristics of a centrifugal pump. Heat transfer experiments focus on the fundamentals of convection heat, and students apply these concepts through experiments with different types of heat exchangers. The thermodynamics section of the course includes experiments evaluating the performance characteristics of refrigeration and air-conditioning systems. Test rigs used in this laboratory course are supported with a data acquisition and analysis system that allows the student to accurately measure, record, and analyze the appropriate phenomena associated with each experiment.
Manufacturing Lab (TUC 024)	The Manufacturing Laboratory utilizes Sherline’s manual mills and lathes to introduce students to the manufacturing process. Advanced Inventor®, methods are used to redesign and improve common products. The aluminum casting process is introduced using a Mifco EM46 McEnglevan electric melting furnace.
Electromechanics and Mechanical Systems Lab (TUC 022)	This laboratory supports ENGR 40483 Electromechanics and ENGR 30861 Mechanical Systems. One-third horsepower motor/generator systems are available on eight of the benches. An electrical power distribution panel supplies each bench with fixed and variable, single and three phase AC voltage, variable DC voltage, and Variable frequency signals. Vishay Measurements instrumentation is also used in this laboratory.
Advanced Electrical Lab (TUC 222)	This laboratory supports the engineering senior elective course, ENGR 40544 Optical Fiber Communications. Students use lasers, positioners, fibers, cleavers, and other optical tools to characterize the propagation of light through optical fibers. Students will use tools to characterize the propagation of light through optical fibers. Students will use much of the same equipment to build prototype sensors and communication systems. The lab is also equipped with state-of-the-art electronic test equipment used to support ENGR 40514 Communication Systems, ENGR 40574 Digital Signal Processing and ENGR 40970 Microelectronic devices.
Advanced Mechanical Lab (TUC 007)
Clean Room (TUC 226)	This class 10,000 clean room supports ENGR 40464 Theory & Fab MicroElectronic Devices Lab. It is equipped with teaching modules from Electro-Mechanical Services. These modules include wet etch, wet process, photolithography, oxidation furnace, p and n type diffusion furnaces, PVD, CVD, and device characterization.
Senior Design Labs (TUC 002A, 123, 124, 125)