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John
E. Beard
Associate Professor
Personal Web Page
E-mail: jebeard@mtu.edu
Office: 820 MEEM
Phone: 487-3110
PhD, Purdue University
Expertise: Design of Mechanical Systems and Hybrid Electric Powertrains,
Biomedical Engineering, Manufacturing
Research
Interests
Dr. Beard's
research interests include design for manufacturing in two areas.
He is investigating the influence of manufacturing variation on
the response of planar and three-dimensional mechanisms. He has
examined the influence of design parameters on the wear rates of
gerotor types, and has developed a pump that demonstrates the potential
for decreased wear rates, while also decreasing the cost of manufacturing.
Vehicle suspension systems are also being modeled to determine the
influence of the kinematic parameters on the tire/road interactions.
In this way, the impact of manufacturing and assembly variation
on the vehicle performance may be assessed. Such a model may then
be used as a design tool to develop a suspension system with improved
handling characteristics, while decreasing production costs. Beard
is the Faculty Advisor for Challenge-X, the hybrid vehicle design
competition sponsored by GM and DOE. Beard advised the team that
designed and built a power-split transmission for the FutureTruck
Competition and was the 2002 NSF Faculty Advisor of the Year. Beard
is also applying his manufacturing experience in tool-and-die design,
forming, turning, and grinding in teaching effective design for
manufacturing in the preliminary design courses as well capstone
design courses. The creative teaching process in the capstone design
courses produced three patents.
Publications
• N. Manor,
J. Anderson, J. Beard, “Design and Development of the 2003
Michigan Tech Futuretruck, a Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle,”
SAE Publication 2003-01-1257.
• DD Wright, JE Beard, DA Nelson. Michigan Tech University.
In: Enderle JD and Hallowell B, editors. NSF 2002 Engineering Senior
Design Projects to Aid Persons with Disabilities. Mansfield Center,
CT: Creative Learning Press, 2003.
• M. J. Hurt, J.E. Beard, “Non-Steady State Simulation
of a Hybrid-Electric Vehicle,” 03AE-142 Society of Automotive
Engineering
• B. Bartley, N. Manor, C. Muehlfeld, B. Rutkowski, J. Trombley,
J. Curlee, J. Pero, B. Lobbestael, J. Kiisskila, J. McGinn, J. Beard,
“Design and Development of the 2002 Michigan Tech Futuretruck,
a Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle,” AE Publication 2003-01-1257.
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