Mechanical Engineering, Fluids and Aeronautics

Description

The doctoral programme in Mechanical Engineering, Fluids and Aeronautics of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) is the result of collaboration between two departments – Mechanical Engineering and Fluid Mechanics – and the Terrassa School of Industrial, Aerospace and Audiovisual Engineering (ESEIAAT). Doctoral programmes in Mechanical and Fluid Engineering (formerly called Fluids, Turbomachines and Fluid Power) have been taught for over 20 years. Both of the departments involved have extensive experience in third-cycle studies.

The ESEIAAT – a school with a long tradition in the field of industrial engineering that introduced aeronautics studies in the 2004-2005 academic year – has joined these two departments with the aim of offering quality third-cycle studies.

The programme includes several research groups, some of which are members of TECNIO, an initiative of ACC10, the Catalan Government's agency for technological innovation:

• Centre for Industrial Diagnostics and Fluid Dynamics, CDIF. A research centre with expertise in the dynamic behaviour of hydraulic turbomachines, diagnosis of vibration problems, fluid dynamic studies, and fluid-structure interaction phenomena. The Centre’s main research areas are structural analysis, diagnostics, simulation and cavitation.
• Biomechanical Engineering (Group and Lab) Lab-BIOMEC. The Biomechanical Engineering Lab (BIOMEC), a research group of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), covers one of the eight research areas of the Biomedical Engineering Research Centre (CREB). The Group focuses its research on developing theoretical, numerical and experimental methods for dynamic simulation of human movement and the design of assistive and monitoring devices for rehabilitation. BIOMEC has a movement analysis laboratory for studying human movement and collaborates with renowned international groups and leading hospitals and technology centres.
• CATMECH-Centre for Advanced Technologies in Mechanics. CATMech és un centre de recerca especialista en l'àmbit mecànic global que combina el seu ampli coneixement multidisciplinari amb una diversitat d'experts i espais físicament dissenyats per a validar els dissenys desenvolupats. CATMech engloba experts de quatre divisions:
  • CATMECH Materials and Structures Division- LITEM. The objective of this division is to support the industrial sector in all research, development, and innovation activities that involve the design, analysis, testing, or certification of materials and structures for strength purposes.
  • CATMECH Vibration and Acoustics Division- LEAM. Division specialized in the development and application of noise and vibration reduction techniques, from both a technical and management perspective.
  • CATMECH Oil-hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems Division. LABSON. Division specialized in theoretical and simulation studies complemented by strong experimental support, and IAFARG, a division specialized in industrial and aeronautical applications, focuses on expertise and knowledge in the field of fluid dynamics technologies.
  • CATMECH Industrial Microtechnologies Division. MicroTech LAB. Division dedicated to the application of miniaturization to create new micro- and nanofluidomechanical systems that surpass their larger predecessors in various engineering fields (e.g., biomedicine, energy, automotive, and communications).

• Fluid Science and Engineering Research Group (GRECEF). The group focuses on studying the fluid mechanics of complex multiscale systems, such as multiphase flows, porous media, hydrogen technologies, magnetohydrodynamic phenomena, flow instabilities, multiphysics turbulence, and biomedical fluids. These systems are found in a wide range of fundamental phenomena and applied problems in engineering, physics, chemistry, and biomedicine, such as advanced energy, propulsion and transport systems, biomedical applications, environmental sciences, and chemical processes.
  
• Laboratory of Aeronautical and Industrial Research and Studies (L’AIRE). Research group within the aerospace division of the physics department, dedicated to various lines, ranging from the development of computational mechanics tools and biomechanical applications to mechanobiology and space mission design.
  
• Turbulence and Aerodynamics in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Research Group, TUAREG. TUAREG is a lab that focuses on developing numerical methods for fluid dynamics studies, mainly in external flow and aerodynamics.
  
• Manufacturing Technologies Research Group, TECNOFAB. A UPC group that carries out projects related to product manufacturing processes. The Group’s research focuses on processes, methodologies, and integration of different manufacturing technologies. It is also involved in the study of computer-aided manufacturing systems.
  
• Barcelona Fluids & Energy Lab Research Group. iFluids. The lab has extensive experience in the field of hydraulic machinery and, in recent years, has expanded its scope to include other renewable energy sources and more cross-disciplinary projects. The lab is highly active in research, with experience in nationally and European-funded projects, and also in technology transfer, with long-term alliances with large companies and SMEs.
  
• Simulation and Movement Analysis Lab (SIMMA Lab). The Simulation and Movement Analysis Lab (SIMMA Lab) focuses its research on computational biomechanics, specifically in two areas: the analysis and prediction of movement through musculoskeletal simulations, in order to investigate human movement and its causes; and the development of telerehabilitation systems for people with mobility issues that integrate biomechanical analysis.
  
• Industrial Equipment Design Center (CDEI-UPC). This center specializes in the development of autonomous mobile robotics solutions, particularly for industrial and agricultural applications.
  
  • Industrial Equipment Design Center - Machine Dynamics (CDEI-DM). The CDEI-DM research group brings together technical staff, researchers from CDEI, and faculty from the DEM at ETSEIB, specializing in the areas of Machine Design and Theory of Machines. Their work ranges from the conception, design, simulation, and calculation of industrial products and equipment, to their prototyping and testing. The group also has active research lines focused on the analysis and control of vibrations in machines and the kinematic and dynamic simulation of complex mechanical systems, such as autonomous mobile platforms and mobile robotics.
    

The result is a multidisciplinary programme aimed at training students who wish to deepen and develop their research in mechanical engineering, fluids or aeronautics.

The doctoral programme, which is part of the UPC's Industrial Engineering area, organises its academic activity as follows:

• Basic techno-scientific research focusing on the mathematical formulation, numerical resolution and experimental validation of fluid mechanics and dynamics phenomena.
• More applied research, grounded in basic research and focusing on the design and optimisation of mechanical systems, turbomachines and fluid power systems, which has generated significant technology transfer.
  
• The research carried out enables members to contribute to teaching on bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, in industrial engineering subjects related to the areas of basic and applied research that the Group focuses on.
  

This framework has facilitated feedback between teaching, research and technology transfer, driving continuous improvement in these activities. Graduates have found employment in academia and private enterprise, with opportunities evenly distributed between these two areas. The doctoral programme ensures that all theses defended are of high quality by applying the principles and procedures set out in its specific regulations.

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