Projects and experiments at Birmingham

Hello everyone! I’m Shelly, I’m a 3rd year studying Mechanical and Materials Engineering. Today I’m going to talk about some of the projects and experiments I have undertaken so far during my degree and the skills I have learnt from them. Courses at the university may differ from year to year so you may not do the exact same projects as I did, but hopefully this will help you gain insight into the practical experience you can gain from a degree in Materials Science or Mechanical Engineering.

Fundamentals of Materials Science

For this module we undertook a phase diagram and microstructural analysis lab. During this lab, we were provided with 3 samples of steel each with a different composition. We polished and etched the samples, and conducted microstructural analysis using an optical microscope. We then noted any features that may be significant, and applied our studies of phase diagram from the lectures to analyse the results and determine the likely material composition of the 3 samples. This greatly helped my understanding of the content and how it can be applied to industry. It also helped me develop skills in analysis and critical thinking.

Design for Structural Applications

During this module we conducted a group based project where we collaborate with other students on the course to research and deliver a presentation on how a component is made. My group researched the manufacturing process for a jet engine turbine disc. This was a great way to apply the knowledge we learnt during the course and improve our skills in research, teamwork, communication and presentation. We also carried out a tensile testing lab, where we performed tensile tests on different materials, generated graphs from the data, and analysed the results. We then related this back to our studies of material properties such that we could understand the results, and compare and explain the behaviour of the different materials. Lastly, we wrote a report on our findings, and received feedback on how we could improve our report. This allowed us to improve our report writing skills.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

This was a group-based module that involved using advanced computational software. During this module, we studied an application that involved fluid flow, we simulated the flow of fluid through our selected component, and we analysed the results in order to identify an area where fluid flow could be better optimised. We then redesigned our component such that it better optimised the fluid flow. At the end of the module, we gave a presentation on our findings. My group studied and umbrella in wind driven rain conditions. Other students have studied fluid flow in medical, aerospace, or automotive applications. This project refined our skills in collaboration and presentation, in using advanced computational software to conduct CFD analyses, and in redesigning and improving existing technology.

Mechanical Design A and B

These two modules were group-based modules that students took in their 2nd and 3rd years. During the 2nd year we worked in groups to design a small-scale 2-stroke compression ignition engine for an unmanned arial vehicle. During the 3rd year we designed a power take off gear reduction unit. We were given a brief that outlined the requirements that our designs had to meet. During the module we learnt how to use computer aided design (CAD) software such as Autodesk Fusion 360 to design our components. We also learnt to design while taking into consideration the material choice and how the components will be manufactured. We also learnt to create engineering drawings and write design validation reports that present a case for our chosen design and demonstrates its suitability for the intended application. The module honed our skills in collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, project management and in using advanced computational software.

Fluid Mechanics and Energy Transfer

During this module, we conducted 5 experiments spread across the semester. My top 2 of these experiments were studying how variations in the cross section of a horizontal pipeline effects the velocity and pressure of the fluid flow, and studying the behaviour of a water jet when it impinges on flat and curved plates at different discharge rates. We used a range of different equipment for these 5 experiments for example a venturi-meter, a 2-stage intercooled air compressor, and a TE85 natural convection and radiation apparatus. These experiments allowed us to improve our experimental technique and data analysis skills.

Integrated Design Project 3 (IDP)

The last project I’ll touch upon today is IDP. IDP is a cross disciplinary team project where you work in large teams to tackle a challenge. My team consisted of 30 students across the mechanical, civil, and electrical engineering disciplines. Our challenge was to design a sustainable offshore energy island. This project involved a lot of collaboration, teamwork, critical thinking, research, and analysis. It required students to think about all aspects of the project including safety, environmental impact, UN sustainable development goals, business strategies, performance and design optimisation.

The project was quite independent, while the lecturers and team supervisors were there for support, it was up to the team to decide on the direction of the project. The teams were divided into sub-groups. My group consisted of 7 students, and we worked on designing wind turbines for our island. We designed the turbines using CAD software, and conducted CFD to analyse and optimise the performance of our turbine. We created engineering drawings of our final design and we conducted research to develop a manufacturing strategy, business strategy, and to investigate the positive and negative impacts of the project. We gave a presentation on our project, created a written report, and developed a prototype.

I think this module gave students valuable industry skills. It developed our ability to work in cross-disciplinary teams and apply the knowledge we had gained throughout our degree to manage a large-scale project and meet deadlines.