What prep materials and references are important?

[Sschell]

Don't forget a good Units Conversion book and Engineering Dictionary.

I had the engineering dictionary. On the test it was (and has been since) the most useless piece of crap in my library.

I did not have the units conversion book, and did not miss it. There is not a lot of converting on the exam. As BPH said be sure to know how to use lbs force, lbs mass, slugs etc.

 

[Sschell]

Don't get fooled by the limited material covered in the NCEES sample exam, it's "typical", but it's just a sample of the large amount of information that could be on the test, in other words, you will see additional topics and problem types on your actual test, but the sample test is a very good example of what an actual exam looks like.BPH

this is a very good point!

 

[mepe_tn]

Katie, dont' forget to get a Units Conversion book and have your Engineering Dictionary on hand. These book are small and can be easily packed with your other references. You will find them helpful in working problems as you study for the exam too. As others have mentioned, the potential topic and question sources are unlimited.

=========

Join the MEPESTUDYGROUP http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/mepestudygroup/

I had the engineering dictionary. On the test it was (and has been since) the most useless piece of crap in my library.
I did not have the units conversion book, and did not miss it. There is not a lot of converting on the exam. As BPH said be sure to know how to use lbs force, lbs mass, slugs etc.

 

[jragg]

You guys took a lot of books...

Those friction/gpm/pipe size tables are in the MERM. Check Appendix 17.C. I wouldn't buy another book for them.

I took the Fluids/Thermo section, and I only took the MERM and an old heat transfer book. The only reason I even took the heat transfer book is because there was a question on one of the sample exams that required you to know Prandalt numbers, which aren't in the MERM.

For my base study materials, I used the Lindeburg's "Practice Problems for the Mechanical Enginerring PE Exam." Those problems are harder than your average test problem, but you'll be forced to learn the material. Save the sample exams for use as sample exams. I did one of those in a timed environment the weekend before the test. There just aren't enough problems there for those to be considered a good base. They skip certain topics and harp on others.

 

[Shaggy]

Machine Design isn't covered that great in MERM. In addition to MERM, I brought and used Shigley, Machinery Handbook, and Units conversion book.

 

[bph]

...I took the Fluids/Thermo section, and I only took the MERM and an old heat transfer book. The only reason I even took the heat transfer book is because there was a question on one of the sample exams that required you to know Prandalt numbers, which aren't in the MERM.

...

What MERM edition did you have?

The 12th ed has 4 references to the Prandtl number in the index;

Prandtl, 1-9 (tbl), 35-2, 36-2

Prandtl's layer theory, 17-37

So the MERM 12th edition seems to have covered the basics of Prandtl numbers. But as others have pointed out, it can't hurt to bring along a few extra books.

-BPH

 

[BORICUAZO]

The most important reference for the ME PE exam is the experience. Lots of afternoon questions can only be answered if you have specific experience, at least for HVAC discipline. I got all those titles and known references for the exam, exept the experience. Failed 3 times. :violin:

 

[jragg]

What MERM edition did you have?The 12th ed has 4 references to the Prandtl number in the index;

Prandtl, 1-9 (tbl), 35-2, 36-2

Prandtl's layer theory, 17-37

So the MERM 12th edition seems to have covered the basics of Prandtl numbers. But as others have pointed out, it can't hurt to bring along a few extra books.

-BPH

I've got the 12th edition. I remember trying to use those equations for calculating the Pr number for liquid sodium (again, on the sample exam) and not coming up with the right answer. It certainly could have been user error, but the solution referenced another book as well. Anyways, I realized that my book had that info in a handful of very detailed tables, so I took it along.

The problem I'm talking about is problem 507 from the Thermal/Fluids section in the 2008 NCEES sample exam.

-Jeff

 

[bph]

I've got the 12th edition. I remember trying to use those equations for calculating the Pr number for liquid sodium (again, on the sample exam) and not coming up with the right answer. It certainly could have been user error, but the solution referenced another book as well. Anyways, I realized that my book had that info in a handful of very detailed tables, so I took it along.
The problem I'm talking about is problem 507 from the Thermal/Fluids section in the 2008 NCEES sample exam.

-Jeff

I just got around to looking at that problem.

Here is the eq for Prandtl number in MERM page 35-2 12th ed

Pr=Cp * u / k

where Cp is specific heat, u is viscosity and k is thermal conductivity

So, from problem 507 you reference above;

Pr= 0.301 *.000156 / 37.6 * (3600 second / 1 hr) = 0.004496

must convert seconds / hrs, this could have been your issue.

The Pr number from the answer section is 0.0044 so it seems like the MERM does an ok job here!

 

[Grel041]

The two books I used the most were the MERM and machinery's handbook. My downfall was that I didn't know the format or study from the machinery's handbook as well as I should have. I took other references, but I didn't really use them.

Oh I would also be sure to take a copy of a unit conversion book.

 

[Kephart P.E.]

Obviously, the MERM

NCEES SAMPLE EXAM

I took Fluid/Thermal Afternoon portion so I had a Crane's "Flow of Fluids" and "Design of Fluid Thermal Systems" -Janna

Also had my college Thermo book (Moran) it was quite helpful.

Most importantly is know you references and what reference you are going to use for each type of question etc.