Research departments involved in ME MSc education

Mechanical Engineering research aims at development of qualitative and quantitative knowledge on all phases of the life cycle of mechanical engineering systems and objects, i.e. initiative, design, production, operation, maintenance and demolition, all in a societal and environmental context. The output of this research is manifold: publications contributing to engineering science, input to industrial partners and reinforcement and advancement in education. Related to education the aim is to ensure that students will have a thorough orientation on the newest knowledge and methods within this field and the attitude and learning competence for functioning in adjacent fields at short notice.

The research related to Mechanical Engineering is divided between four of the departments of the faculty of Engineering Technology. Below you will find information on the relevant departments for ME, including the research chairs that are part of each department. 

  • Biomechanical Engineering (BE)

    At the department of Biomechanical Engineering, research is performed at the interface of technological and medical sciences, aimed at improving rehabilitation of patients with sensory or motor disorders, resulting in their increased independence. The research will be focused in three themes, i.e. neural control of movement and posture, characterization of biological tissue behavior and the effect of (surgical)  interventions, and development of methods to study human movement. The medical application areas of the research are rehabilitation, orthopedics and neurology.

  • Design, Production and Management (DPM)

    At the department of Design, Production and Management, research is performed on the understanding and improvement of design processes (and consequently also manufacturing processes). Focal points in this research field are the development of methods and tools for scenario-based, user-oriented product design against the background of the requirements and constraints of the entire product life cycle, and manufacturing facility and warehousing design. 'Integration' and 'synthesis' are important topics for design engineering research, the focus is on understanding and improving the design process irrespective of the product.

  • Mechanics of Solids, Surfaces and Systems (MS3)

    The department of Mechanics of Solids, Surfaces and Systems develops the technology for future manufacturing processes and new products by a science based engineering approach focused on material behavior, system behavior and robust optimization.  Manufacturing new products and/or developing new processes requires a profound scientific understanding of (functional) materials (e.g. elastomers, polymers, composites, metals, bio-materials) and their interactions throughout the complete life cycle: during design, production, use and after service life.

  • Thermal and Fluid Engineering (TFE)

    At the deparment of Thermal and Fluid Engineering, research is performed in theoretical, numerical and experimental fluid dynamics, granular materials and thermal engineering, driven by applications in fields such as mechanical engineering, maritime engineering, aerospace engineering and process technology. Research themes are aero-acoustics, fluid mechanics of rotating flow machinery, multi-phase flows, transport phenomena, sustainable fuels, turbulent combustion and heat transfer.