Consultancy Capabilities

Staff members, both academic and technical, of the department of Mechanical Engineering collectively possess a broad range of expertise in such areas as Design, Fluid Dynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer Computational Mechanics (for both fluids and solids), Vibration, Machine Dynamics, Materials and Modular Automation (Mechatronics). Hardware and software resources in the department and the Faculty of Engineering and Computing laboratories support these interests. The department is able to undertake routine testing. However, it is particularly keen to engage in developmental work that leads or contributes to innovative product-based technology or methods. Illustrations of our expertise and directions are as follows.

In the area of flow-structure interaction, novel computational techniques for predicting fluid flows have been developed. These have permitted the design of compliant coatings that, when applied to the wetted hull of a marine vehicle, are predicted to give substantial reductions to drag. A separate project, sponsored by a leading UK car manufacturer, entailed the development of a method for predicting the deformation of a convertible car hood responding to the aerodynamic loading associated with the car's forward speed. The techniques involved would carry across to other applications such as wind interaction with sails and membrane canopy structures. Flow-structure interaction in Biomechanics, for example flutter of the soft palate (snoring: sleep apnoea) is also an area of expertise.

Generic expertise in the use and development of Computational Fluid Dynamics software for design and analysis resides in the Department; a particular specialism lies in the prediction and manipulation of heat transfer.

Small-scale testing of thermo-fluid equipment can be undertaken, incorporating test results into Windows-based design software. In a completed project, such software then permitted the performance of a heat-exchanger to be optimised.

Expertise in slurry flow exists; in particular, the application of rheological information has been used to predict, for example, pressure losses and deposition limits.

Experience in the area of Appropriate Technology embraces mechanical aspects of small-scale hydropower. For example, the development of surge-attenuation strategies, rotating-disc bearings and extremely low-cost pico-hydropower systems has been undertaken.

A comprehensive body of expertise is available in Vibration and the Dynamic Modelling of mechanical systems. For example, models of multi-shaft gear systems have been developed and modal analyses of engineering structures have been carried out. The department has significant experience in vibration analysis for machine health monitoring; measurement systems include accelerometers and proximity-probes while coherent phase-signal-averaging and orbit-analysis techniques are used to process and interpret data. Additionally, software has been developed for the analysis of long records of dynamic engineering data. The Department has a vibration calibrating system that can be used for routine checking of transducer sensitivity, frequency response and noise floor levels.

In Materials Technology, there is expertise in the fabrication, processing and application of stainless steels and exotic alloys. In particular, projects have been undertaken to assess the behaviour of stainless alloys, high nickel alloys and cobalt alloys in high temperature and severely corrosive/erosive environments. Facilities are available for development work in casting, heat treatment and welding. Failure investigations, involving non-destructive testing and electron microscopy can also be carried out.

The Department has expertise in computational and experimental Stress Analysis that can be applied to both proposed designs and existing components. Experimental facilities include strain gauge apparatus with long application experience, force measurements, photoelasticity, residual stress determination via hole drilling and fatigue testing. Staff members are competent users of finite-element software for stress analysis, contact problems and modal analysis.

In the area of Industrial Automation a key specialism of the department addresses the development of formal methods to support the design of assembly systems. The long-term aim is to produce advanced integrated CAD tools that permit the rapid design of low-cost pick and place manipulation systems from modular (mechatronic) automation hardware. Current work is developing formal assembly-task specification methods. A particular focus seeks to produce techniques that establish the feasibility of an assembly method prior to the design and construction of its automation.

Within the broader area of Industrial Technology the Department possesses knowledge and experience in such areas as: computer-integrated manufacturing, factory automation, product and process design, industrial control systems and computer modelling of manufacturing systems.

A particular strength of the department is that efficient multi-disciplinary teams can be assembled quickly to meet the demands of individual engineering problems. Furthermore, many staff members have industrial backgrounds that provide them with an essential awareness of the commercial engineering environment and its practical needs.

The department is pleased to respond to enquiries from the engineering community.