Mechanical Engineering

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Building things that go

Mechanical engineering is one of the largest and oldest fields within the College of Engineering. At its heart, the discipline is concerned with machines and mechanical devices. Mechanical engineers are involved in the design, development, production and control of anything with moving parts inside.

From small to very large

From bike locks to cars to commercial aircraft turbines, mechanical engineers are concerned with the strength of individual parts and the stresses they will have to endure. They design electronic or mechanical control systems to manipulate the machines they build. And, true to their name, mechanical engineers design engines — for lawnmowers and jet aircraft alike.

Harnessing heat and power

The flow of fluids and heat between systems becomes very important in large engineering projects. Mechanical engineers study the flow of heat and energy through pipe systems in buildings and help manage the intense amounts of heat generated by modern computer processors. When it comes to the generation of electricity, mechanical engineers are involved in the design of alternative energy power plants including solar and hydroelectric power.

UK mechanical engineering students traditionally assume leadership roles in a variety of undergraduate research projects including the Solar Car Team, Big Blue Aerospace Project and the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2009 Solar Decathlon – an international, student-led competition of 15 universities working to design, finance, construct, test and operate attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered houses.