Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a very broad field of
engineering that involves the application of physical principles
for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of
mechanical systems. Mechanical engineering encompasses the
design, analysis, testing and manufacture of products that are
used in every facet of modern society. The mechanical engineer
may design a component, a machine, a system or a process.
Mechanical engineers will analyze their design using the
principles of motion, energy, and force to insure the product
functions safely, efficiently, reliably, and can be manufactured
at a competitive cost.
Mechanical engineers work in the automotive, aerospace, chemical, computer, communication, paper, and power generation industries. Mechanical engineers will be found in virtually any manufacturing industry. Increasingly, mechanical engineers are needed in the environmental and bio-medical fields. Indeed virtually every product or service in modern life has probably been touched in some way by a mechanical engineer.
As part of the mechanical engineering program at Memorial, you will study courses in mechanics, solid mechanics, vibration, controls, design, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, mathematics, materials, mechanical systems, and basic electronics. Courses on mechanics, solid mechanics and vibrations will teach you the relationship between forces and the resulting motion and deformation of machine components. These courses will help you develop optimal designs of machine components and structures. Courses on materials will introduce you to the fundamental structure of materials and will lead to the selection of materials for use in mechanical components.
Courses on mechanical design will introduce you to the fundamentals of engineering design as applied to practical devices such as brakes and clutches. As you progress through the program, you will learn modern computer-aided design techniques which will enable you to develop detailed designs of mechanical components using the latest computer software and equipment.
Another aspect of the mechanical engineering program is thermo-fluids (thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer). In these courses you will learn how to perform energy balances, the fundamentals of fluid flow and drag, and how to determine rates of heat transfer in mechanical devices. This material can be used in the design and operation of steam power plants, jet engines, car engines, building heating and ventilation systems, dams, and piping systems. It may also be used in the areas of aerodynamics, supersonic flight, transportation devices and electronic component cooling. Two senior level courses on mechanical equipment and systems will use your knowledge of thermo-fluids to prepare you for the design and optimization of complex mechanical systems (e.g. power plants and refrigeration systems).
Mechanical systems are dynamic and require some form of control. You will study courses on controls in which you will learn control theory, and then apply this theory to practical control systems. This knowledge can be used to develop control systems for something as simple as a household thermostat to a control system for an airplane.
You may also choose to pursue offshore oil and gas engineering options in your last three terms of the program. Such options might include courses like petroleum production engineering, drilling engineering for petroleum exploration and production, and downstream processing.
The interdisciplinary nature of mechanical engineering makes it a very challenging and diverse field. Because of the very broad nature of the discipline there is a high demand for mechanical engineers within industry. Mechanical engineers are employed in the design, manufacture, and maintenance of mechanical and industrial processes. An education in mechanical engineering can prepare you for a career in any number of industries.
Engineering Program Organizational Chart
| Fall | Winter | Spring | |
| Year 1 | Engineering One * | ||
| Year 2 | Term 3 | Work Term | Term 4 |
| Year 3 | Work Term | Term 5 | Work Term |
| Year 4 | Term 6 | Work Term | Term 7 |
| Year 5 | Work Term | Term 8 | - |
* Students who complete the Engineering One requirements during the
first two semesters of Year One may undertake their first work term
during the Spring semester of that year.
Career Opportunities
Career opportunities for mechanical
engineers could include the following areas:
• Mechanical component design: design of individual mechanical
components and systems (e.g. brakes, transmissions, suspension
systems)
• Thermo-fluids: aerospace engineering; design, analysis,
construction and maintenance of air conditioning, ventilation and
heating systems in buildings and vehicles; electronic component
cooling for computers and televisions; heat transfer for energy
generation systems
• Process industry: paper mill; oil refinery; chemical plant;
water and sewage treatment facility. In either of these industries,
graduates could be involved in the design, fabrication and
maintenance of individual components or the whole system
• Oil industry: design of individual components or systems for
exploration, recovery and processing; maintenance and operation of
systems such as oil rigs, derricks, pumps and refineries
• Manufacturing: designing the layout for a manufacturing plant;
designing the control system for individual components; design for
manufacture; plant management
• Control systems: design of individual controllers; design and
implementation of control systems like those used in airplanes and
power generators
• Robotics: design, construction and maintenance of robots to
perform specified tasks