Mechanical Engineering BEng

Core modules:

Essential Mathematical Skills & Techniques

This module aims to reinforce students' previous knowledge and to develop new basic mathematical techniques needed to support the engineering subjects taken at Levels 1 and 2. It also provides a foundation for the Level 2 mathematics courses in the appropriate engineering department. The module is delivered via online lectures, reinforced with weekly interactive problem classes.

20 credits

Fundamental Engineering Science: Part 1

In conjunction with a similar module that runs in the Spring semester, this module will provide you with the fundamental knowledge and understanding that will underpin the rest of your mechanical engineering degree. This module focuses on statics, solid mechanics and manufacturing processes; you will learn about these topics from first principles and observe them as phenomena in the laboratory. You will then have the opportunity to apply them to a practical engineering problem in a separate, concurrent integrative project module.

20 credits

Autumn Integrative Project

This module will introduce you to what it means to be a professional engineer by supporting you through the process of tackling a typical, practical, engineering problem. Through a series of structured, timely activities you will integrate the fundamental knowledge, taught in a separate, concurrent module, with the skills and capabilities expected of modern engineers. In conjunction with a similar integrative project in the Spring semester, you will develop a holistic view of mechanical engineering that will provide a solid foundation for the rest of your degree, and your subsequent career, giving you the ability and confidence to address open-ended, engineering problems in a proficient and effective manner.

25 credits

Fundamental Engineering Science: Part 2

In conjunction with a similar module that runs in the Autumn semester, this module will provide you with the fundamental knowledge and understanding that will underpin the rest of your mechanical engineering degree. This module focuses on dynamics, fluids, gases and thermofluids; you will learn about these topics from first principles and observe them as phenomena in the laboratory. You will then have the opportunity to apply them to a practical engineering problem in a separate, concurrent integrative project module.

15 credits

Spring Integrative Project

This module will provide you with further insight into what it means to be a professional engineer by supporting you through the process of tackling a typical, practical, engineering problem. Through a series of structured, timely activities you will integrate the fundamental knowledge, taught in a separate, concurrent module, with the skills and capabilities expected of modern engineers, building upon feed forward from a similar integrative project in the Autumn semester. In conjunction with the Autumn project, you will develop a holistic view of mechanical engineering that will provide a solid foundation for the rest of your degree, and your subsequent career, giving you the ability and confidence to address open-ended, engineering problems in a proficient and effective manner.

40 credits

Global Engineering Challenge Week

The Faculty-wide Global Engineering Challenge Week is a compulsory part of the first-year programme. The project has been designed to develop student academic, transferable and employability skills as well as widen their horizons as global citizens. Working in multi-disciplinary groups of 5-6, for a full week, all students in the Faculty choose from a number of projects arranged under a range of themes including Water, Waste Management, Energy and Digital with scenarios set in an overseas location facing economic challenge. Some projects are based on the Engineers Without Borders Engineering for people design challenge*.

*The EWB challenge provides students with the opportunity to learn about design, teamwork and communication through real, inspiring, sustainable and cross-cultural development projects identified by EWB with its community-based partner organisations.

Semester 1

Engineering - You're Hired

The Faculty-wide Engineering - You're Hired Week is a compulsory part of the second year programme, and the week has been designed to develop student academic, transferable and employability skills. Working in multi-disciplinary groups of about six, students will work in interdisciplinary teams on a real world problem over an intensive week-long project. The projects are based on problems provided by industrial partners, and students will come up with ideas to solve them and proposals for a project to develop these ideas further.

Mathematics for Engineering Modelling

To further extend the student's understanding, developed in Level 1, of a variety of mathematical techniques and the application of these techniques in modelling engineering problems

10 credits

Dynamics of Structures and Machines

This module introduces you to the concepts that define the dynamics of structures and machines. There are two main topics: structural vibration and rigid body mechanics.  In structural vibration, you will learn how to apply the single degree of freedom model to analyse the free response of systems and their forced vibration when subjected to steady-state, impulse and arbitrary loading. Aspects of rigid body mechanics include the analysis of common mechanisms and the dynamics of rigid rotors including imbalance and gyroscopic precession.

10 credits

Mechanics of Deformable Solids

The module continues the process begun in the first year of providing the essential knowledge, understanding and skills associated with the mechanics of deformable solids which students require to become competent Chartered Mechanical Engineers. The module covers analysis of mechanical components under stress and application of different methods to evaluate stress state and deformation of deformable solids. Plastic failure is also covered.

10 credits

Design Project Part 1

This module brings together analytical, computational, and empirical approaches to the design and optimisation of structures and systems. This module also provides you with a basic introduction to electric circuits for mechanical engineers and the basics of electromechanical energy conversion, including common motor topologies. You will develop an understanding of how basic mechanical and electrical theory can be adapted and applied to industrial design situations. You will also develop knowledge and awareness of engineering in terms of being able to make decisions based on limited data and legal, ethical, and economic considerations.

20 credits

Finance and Law for Engineers

The module is designed to introduce engineering students to key areas of financial and legal risk that engineers should be aware of in their working environment. The module will draw directly on practical issues of budgeting, raising finance, assessing financial risks and making financial decisions in the context of engineering projects and/or product development. At the same time the module will develop students' understanding of the legal aspects of entering into contracts for the development and delivery of engineering projects and products and an awareness of environmental regulation, liability for negligence, intellectual property rights and the importance of data protection. Through a series of parallel running lectures in the two disciplines, the module will provide a working knowledge of the two areas and how they impinge on engineering practice. There will be a heavy emphasis on group working, report writing and presentation as part of the assessment supplemented by online exercises and an individual portfolio.

10 credits

Semester 2

Computational and Numerical Methods

This module consolidates previous mathematical knowledge and develops new mathematical and numerical techniques relevant to Mechanical Engineering

10 credits

Heat Transfer

Heat transfer mechanisms are introduced. Heat conduction, convection and radiation are studied in this order. Techniques for analysing heat transfer problems are then covered. Two applications, heat exchangers and fins are analysed in detail. At the end of the module, students should be able to:
1. State the fundamental processes of heat transfer and apply them to real world systems.
2. Understand how heat is transferred by conduction, convection and radiation.
3. Solve a variety of fundamental and applied heat transfer problems.

10 credits

Materials Processing

This module provides an introduction to materials processing for mechanical engineers and places particular emphasis on the relationships between processing, microstructure and properties that are essential to defining and understanding the behaviour of a material under service conditions. The module covers all of the common classes of engineering material - ceramics, polymers, composites and metals - and you will, through the use of practical examples and case studies, learn about the strong dependence of final functional and structural properties on the processing route selected for processing and manufacture.

10 credits

Fluids Engineering

The module is designed to consolidate and extend the students' understanding of basic fluid flow properties, fluid flows and applying analysis techniques to solve engineering fluids problems. The module will cover the use of both integral control volume and differential analysis techniques. These will be applied to a range of simple engineering fluid systems;Newtonian laminar analysis will be applied to internal flows. The boundary layer will be introduced and related to the concepts of drag. The concepts of compressible nozzle flow, choking and shock waves will be covered. Sub-sonic and sonic compressible flow will be introduced. Students will also be introduced to the computational fluid dynamics using FLUENT and given hands-on experience.

10 credits

Design Project Part 2

This module builds upon Part I of the project in the Autumn semester. You will continue the thematic project in which the functional analysis and eventual synthesis are brought together. It will include legal, ethical, and economic considerations. This enables you to develop your skill in formulating analytical and computational models and evaluating them so as to develop an optimal design solution.

20 credits

Core modules:

Integrity of Materials and Components

This module brings together knowledge gained of engineering science aspects of stress, deformation analysis, and material strength, and to apply them to engineering components. The module will broaden students' perspectives by introducing the 3D nature of stress, plastic analysis, fracture response and tribology. Practical aspects will be introduced by case studies.

10 credits

Advanced Engineering Thermodynamic Cycles

The course will consolidate and expand upon the fundamental and general background to Thermofluids engineering developed during first and second year courses. This will be achieved through the study of more realistic systems, machines, devices as well as their application.

To introduce students to more realistic energy conversion and power production processes. Use of irreversibility to analyse plant. Introduction of reheat and heat recovery as methods of achieving improved efficiency. To look at total energy use by means of combined gas and steam and combined heat and power cycles and understand some of the environmental issues. A variety of refrigeration cycles will also be illustrated as well as the Otto and Diesel cycles.

10 credits

Manufacturing Systems

The aim of this module is to enable students to understand the concepts and practices used by modern manufacturing organisations. The modules starts with content on current trends in manufacturing processes (in particular high-speed machining and additive manufacturing). Students are then introduced to ways of designing and evaluating a manufacturing system as well as the relevant theories, concepts and methodologies of controlling and managing a manufacturing shop floor.

10 credits

The Professional Responsibility of Engineers

The aim of this course is to provide a graduate engineer with the means to answer the question 'Should we proceed (or continue with this engineering project?' Engineers use their skills to make a positive change to the world. The dilemma, however, is that what is good for some may not be so for others. What is a solution in one area, in one culture, in one industry could be a challenge and even a disaster in another.

The Professional Responsibilities of the Engineer (PRE) module will guide graduate engineers to 'understand their ethical responsibilities' (ABET, 2000) as well as to 'understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global and societal context' (Kerkert 1999).

In your degree, you have been trained to be technically able, curious, creative and ambitious professionals. In this module, we prepare you to enter a complex world, where every decision, every action can and will bring about change. Will it be the right change? This module gives you the means to answer that question.

During this course you will be equipped with the frameworks and tools to help you reach the best morally justifiable decisions. In order to assist you in identifying as many of the courses of action as possible, you will be asked to identify an engineering dilemma, present reasons for and against the issue, then share your view points with the public. By sharing you will be exposed to other ideas and feedback that will inform your final decision.

10 credits

Investigative Project

Each student will undertake an individual research project, which is often industrially-focussed, under the guidance of a member of academic staff. The students select a number of potential projects from a list provided by academic staff members. The project will permit the student to demonstrate their planning and organisational skills, to show initiative and also to display the technical skills that they have developed over the preceding years of study. The technical components of a project may be experimental, theoretical, analytical or design-based and most projects will require proficiency in a number of these. Assessment of the module is based upon conduct throughout the project, submission of a thesis and the ability to present the findings of the project at a colloquium and viva.

30 credits

Control Engineering for Mechanical Engineers

This module aims to introduce the student to the key components which are used to implement feedback control of a physical process: sensors, actuators and controllers. The student is introduced to these elements through the language of classical control systems modelling. Emphasis will be placed on electrical, mechanical and electro-mechanical systems but reference will be made to the much wider applicability of the techniques. An introduction to dynamic system modelling will also be included. Analysis methods (based upon the characteristic equation and the Bode diagram) will be used to demonstrate how performance can be defined, analysed, predicted, and designed.

10 credits

Integrated Design Skills

The module aims to integrate the design and mechanical elements of the students' engineering learning of the previous two years by studying the integration of these components to design an automated solution to an engineering problem.

10 credits

Optional modules:

Robotic Systems

Robotics is having an increasing impact on society and the way we live. From advanced manufacturing to unmanned aerial systems and driverless cars this exciting area is presenting increasing technological challenges. This unit provides students with the advanced knowledge and understanding to apply control and systems engineering concepts to the field of robotics. The unit covers the theoretical foundations of manipulators and mobile robots, and reviews robotic systems with reference to their applications.

10 credits

Mathematics (Computational Methods)

This module introduces some important numerical methods for solving partial differential equations such as the heat conduction equation which arise in engineering and develops methods for optimisation problems. It also gives an introduction to splines as a tool in design for curve fitting and surface approximation. Optimization techniques including numerical techniques, dynamic programming and integer programming are studied. This module is designed for mechanical engineers.

10 credits

Advanced Mechanics of Solids

The module provides an introduction of advanced analytical techniques used for study of deformable solids, a general knowledge of the techniques employed and skills to perform analysis for selected solid components and structures. It aims to provide students with the following: the skills and confidence to perform advanced analysis of solid components and structures; the knowledge of selected advanced analysis techniques employed on the more common components and structures; and an understanding of the behaviour of solids under two or three dimensional stress fields, and the limitations imposed by assumptions and boundary conditions.

10 credits

Finite Element Techniques

The module aims to give students a thorough knowledge and understanding of the principles of the Finite Element Method. The approach will be based on energy methods (Principle of Minimum Total Potential Energy). Formulation of statics problems using 1D elements (bar elements, shaft elements, beam elements and beam-column elements), and truss elements will be taken up. Finally, a simple 2D element for plane stress/plane strain case will be formulated. Throughout the module, assembly, application of boundary conditions, and solution procedures will be discussed with examples. The students will be expected to apply this knowledge given a problem. The use of a commercial finite element code will be provided via laboratory sessions, where various modelling strategies, appreciation of the scope of application, check validity, and the ability to interpret results will be covered.

The fundamentals of the method and the ability to apply it to various situations will be tested via a written exam. The practical use of the commercial finite element software will be assessed via a mini-report. Feedback during the term will be provided via an online quiz.

10 credits

Renewable Energy

The module provides an introduction to some alternative energy technologies with emphasis on solar and wind energy. It aims to provide students with a fundamental appreciation of the potential and usable energy obtainable from the sun and wind; a general knowledge of wind turbine aerodynamics, wind turbine systems, photovoltaics and domestic photovoltaic systems.

10 credits

Computational Fluid Dynamics

The module introduces fundamental concepts of Computational Fluid Dynamics from the governing physical principles to their mathematical definition, approximation and numerical solution, with an emphasis on the importance of experimental and theoretical validation. The course explains the typical steps for a robust use of CFD analysis to predict the behaviour of complex fluid flows encountered in typical engineering applications, including turbulent flows. Students will consolidate their understanding by performing and critically assessing the results of a CFD analysis of a typical and industrially relevant fluid problem.

10 credits

Structural Vibration

In this module we will explore how structures vibrate and how we can model them in order to understand and optimise their behaviour. We will look at how to model systems/structures mathematically as multi-degree of freedom systems and as continuous systems. The module will link theoretical models with experimental modal analysis, where knowledge of the system is derived from measurements (such as accelerations). You will explore the world of dynamics through lectures and dedicated reading. The theoretical learning will be supported by two laboratory experiments to be carried out in groups. Your understanding of experimental modal analysis will be cemented by coding your own analysis tool and applying it to data gathered in the lab.

10 credits

Aero Propulsion

This module provides students with an understanding of principles of operation of gas turbines, pulse-jets, RAM-jets and solid and liquid fuelled rocket engines as applied to aero propulsion. The understanding is built upon fundamental thermodynamic and fluid mechanic analyses of components and systems for each propulsion method. Methods for improving efficiencies and increasing specific work output of components are also introduced as well as an introduction to combustion, losses and efficiencies.

10 credits