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TL; DRThe experience of doing COMMAS could fall anywhere between getting-enlightened and wow-I-love-doing-this to why-the-fuck-I-came-here . As you can see, this is an entire spectrum of responses which you might get, depending upon whom you ask. I, personally, found myself in the positive side of this spectrum. There were a number of reasons why I enjoyed doing COMMAS, but to bring things into perspective, I would focus on each individual aspect which I think might be critical to the reader-Course DifficultyWhat COMMAS promised vs How it actually wasCOMMAS is a highly theoretical course involving new mathematical and programming concepts which you might have not studied in your bachelor’s degree in domain of mechanical/civil or automobile engineering. The ultimate goal of COMMAS, according to me, is to equip you with enough theoretical understanding about computational mechanics of structures, that you could pursue an academic career path through a PhD degree or work effectively/efficiently in any simulation based industry. Both of the above career choices requires a deep knowledge of computational mechanics, which COMMAS strives to offer.Before coming to COMMAS, I did a thorough research on it’s course modules, their contents and kind of stuff which I might face during the course. Thus, I was at least mentally prepared for what was about to come. In fact, I was looking forward to gain deeper knowledge of computational mechanics. I can say, that COMMAS was almost the way I expected it to be - teaching you finite element modelling from the basics, material modelling, structural modelling etc. This, however, was not the case with every course participant.Few students came to COMMAS with an expectation of a normal post graduate degree course in mechanical engineering, without any prior thorough review of it’s course modules, and without a concrete decision whether this is exactly what they wanted to do. Unfortunately, few students left the course after first semester. Partly, because they didn’t had any background in advanced solid mechanics, programming or higher engineering mathematics and partly because the amount of workload was too much and they scored not so motivating grades in first semester. Further, few students had completely different expectation from the course, and being honest to themselves, they decided to pursue other suitable MS course. All these facts are not to demotivate you, it’s just an indication that one should make a wise decision before coming to COMMAS.What I found ChallengingCOMMAS is all about computational mechanics, where at the end you need to convert almost all theoretical concepts you learn in the topic into some kind of computer code. Coming from a non-CS background, with only basic exposure to programming skills, it was a challenge sailing through home assignments, class exercises and exam problems where they test not only your grasp on theory but also how elegantly you implement it into a computer code. The goal is to make you fit for writing your own linear/non-linear solver, finite elements, elastic/inelastic material models, etc. which requires a certain style of coding, which COMMAS will make you grasp in those 2 years. If you have good object-oriented programming skills, life will be much easier for you. However, even if you don’t have any experience, don’t worry. You will get decent time to learn basics through self study, the way I did it in my case.What other Students found ChallengingIt won’t be fair to speak on behalf of all the participants, but as far as I judged based upon my interaction with fellow students, it’s really a challenge how you manage your time between - classes, part-time job(s), German language course (if you are doing any), assignments, self-study and some free personal time for yourself (although, that concept is fictional in COMMAS :P). Apart from managing studies in general, course content difficulty could also be an issue sometime. But, there are always fellow students, teaching assistants around you, who could help you understanding the topic and make you feel more confident. So, be honest to yourself in doing your class exercises, home assignments and attending lectures, you will not face any trouble in your pursuit of COMMAS!LecturesCOMMAS lectures are given mostly by a Professor who is leading a Research Institute. But, when Professors are busy in their Research work, any PostDoc. candidate or some other junior Professor might also take up the responsibility of giving classroom lectures. In my opinion, it’s quite important not to miss your lectures, because the way a Professor explains any concept in class, you won’t find that in any text book. Moreover, classroom lecture is the best place to clear your doubts, by asking questions. I experienced that Professor-Student interaction was highly encouraged, which motivated students to engage better in the class. Every Professor has it’s own style of teaching, some would give you notes on Projector screen and explain material side by side with the help of some examples. Other Professors would distribute the Lecture Notes in printed form at the start of lecture and then they will start explaining stuff directly on the board, so you spend more time in grasping the concepts and don’t spend too much time copying the material. In that approach, Professor might take help of other media, like showing some MAPLE code, simulation videos, pictures, etc. I found the second technique more effective, as I was able to listen more to what the Professor was saying, took some extra notes when needed, marked things that might be important for exam, and got enough time to ask questions. Throughout your COMMAS journey, you will get all kinds of lecture techniques. In some topics, due to to the sheer amount of material to be taught in class, instructor won’t have the luxury to teach random topics directly on board, thus, they will give you classroom notes, with some discussion and explanation. More detailed discussion you could do in their office hours. At the end of each Semester, you as a student will get an opportunity to rate the course by filling up a feedback form. There you could express your views about the course and also give improvement suggestions. The results of the feedback form will then be shared with the entire class on the last lecture, which also sometimes become a platform to share a good laugh with the Professor. Specially when you see comments from students like - “Professor xxx is God!” or when the answer to the question “What did you found best about the course?” is “The beautiful Teaching Assistant!”ExercisesEvery course in COMMAS involves some kind of exercise class, where you will learn to apply concepts you learned in class to theoretical or practical problems. These exercises are commonly given by a PhD or PostDoc. candidate from the institute organizing the lecture.Every Faculty tries to keep the exercises synchronized with class room lectures, so that you learn to apply classroom material faster. Exercises are an excellent opportunity to dig deep into the topic by asking more questions about the material, which you couldn’t ask during the lecture. Moreover, exercises gives you an overview about the questions that might come on the final exam.At the end, you should experiment, be creative, try out as many what-if scenarios by yourself and extend your knowledge basis more than whats covered in lecture, which is useful to deepen your understanding of the topic and also helps in exams sometimes.ExaminationsExperience of taking examinations in COMMAS was new for me, as compared to undergraduate studies in my home country India. Since there are many research institutes who contributes towards COMMAS, each institute has it’s own style of conducting exams. However, there is a common trend among most of the institutes. During the semester, each course participant has to submit 3 (or 4) home assignments, depending upon the institute (there aren’t any fix rules for that, every institute has it’s own style). A student is allowed to sit in the final exam only if he/she has at least 2 (or 3) approved home assignments. Home assignments are build upon the content which is being covered in lectures. They involve some amount of programming, derivations, interpretation and analysis of sample problems which tests fundamental concepts of the topic. Since the difficulty level is different for everyone, I found most of the home assignments doable without significant brain damage! In fact, you could always sit down and discuss home assignment problems with your class mates. It often helps to get a third eye view to the problem, sometimes we get to know alternative ways to approach the issue. But avoid just copying them from your friend and submitting. In that case you might be able to make it till exam room, but won’t be able to go further than that.Some institutes go through the conventional way of closed book exams, where you are not allowed to take any material to the exam room. In most of the closed book exams, you are allowed to carry 1–2 pages (A-4 sheets) of cheat sheets, where you can write as many useful formulae, equations, anything you think could be useful for the exam. The idea is, Professors here don’t want to burden you with remembering those long equations, tables and graphs, they are more interested to check your concepts. Thus, you don’t need to spend hours cramming stuff, rather you should practice concepts and execute them in exams using your cheat sheets, if you are allowed to take along.Since Professors themselves are busy in their research, taking classes or other academic work, they won’t set your question paper. Mostly, the question papers are designed by one or the other PhD students in the institute, who might also be taking classroom exercises for the lecture or is responsible for correcting your home assignments. In contrast to what we experienced back home, the questions in exam won’t be copied in any way from previous year’s questions, rather it would be the matter of PhD student’s creativity and innovation in coming up with new questions. They will check whether you understood the material covered in class through lot of conceptual True-False questions, application of concepts onto practical problems, derivations and calculations. Unlike many other universities, there isn’t any official collection of previous year’s COMMAS papers maintained by any institute.Schedule for first semester exams is mostly decided by the COMMAS administration, because in first semester there are only compulsory modules which are same for the entire class. From second semester on wards, elective courses comes in, and their exam schedules are decided based upon mutual agreement between students and the institute giving any particular elective course. This is normally done to avoid any clashes in exams between multiple elective courses conducted by different institutes.Normally, students get sufficient time in between exams to prepare. If you follow your exercises and home assignments sincerely, you won’t need too much time at the end for the preparations. You could use the time to revise important concepts, solve some practice problems and prepare your cheat sheets. On an average, there might be anywhere between 2 to 4 days in between two exams, which I found optimum to keep up the exam mood, too long gap could also work as a disadvantage.InfrastructureAlmost all the institutes associated with COMMAS have their own libraries with significant number of books useful for your studies and research. Each institute has some kind of computer lab or work stations which are loaded with basic computational tools which you might need for your research like MATLAB, LS-DYNA, ANSYS, ABAQUS, MAPLE etc. Once you start doing your Student Job or Research Thesis at any of these institutes, you could get access to their infrastructure on a regular basis. To get the clearances to labs, libraries you have to get approval from institute secretary. Apart from computational facilities from each institute, there is a separate Computer Lab dedicated only for COMMAS students. The lab is usually open during the classroom lectures or exercises when there is some amount of simulation or programming required. However, you could discuss with COMMAS administration about the weekly free opening hours, irrespective of the lectures.Student JobsWorking while you study is a practical way to earn some quick money, which gives you financial freedom as well as an opportunity to integrate into German working culture. There are multiple student job options while you are in COMMAS and getting a decent student job is no tough nut to crack. Depending upon your interest, you could go for aStudent Technical Assistant Job in University or Industry (HiWi)Administrative Job in UniversityOther Miscellaneous Jobs - Working in Restaurants, Pubs, Hotels, etc.If you are interested in technical topics related to COMMAS, you have some programming skills or bring experience in any commercial FEM code, you can find a good Student Technical Assistant Job at any one of the many Research Institutes which are giving lectures for COMMAS. Most of these Institutes have PhD and Post Doctoral candidates, who often hire students to assist in their Research. In my opinion, it’s the best way to get to know a particular topic in detail, which in many cases also give ideas for prospective master’s and eventually a PhD thesis, if your are interested to take an academic career after finishing COMMAS. In addition to that, it’s a good way to build your connections in University, which might be helpful later when you look for a Job or a PhD position.As there are many students in University who are looking for a job, some institutes invite job applications and make a decision based upon your credentials. Although your technical skills and prior relevant experience plays an important role, some institutes lay huge emphasis on your COMMAS first semester grades. In fact, some reputed Institutes would refuse to offer you any Job in first semester. Thus, if you have very good grades in your first semester in certain subjects, institutes associated to those subjects will themselves give you a job offer, or at least send an invitation for an interview. So, it is very important to focus on your studies in first semester in COMMAS. Your hard-work in getting good grades will go a long way.Coming to the financial aspects - while working in any of the university institutes, whether technical or administrative job, you can expect to earn anywhere around 10 Euros per Hour. The money you get is of course more, if you work as a student assistant in an Industry, which could be somewhere around 15 Euros per Hour. Getting a student assistant Job in an Industry is hugely dependent upon your German language skills. Because there are a number of Automotive industries in and around Stuttgart, you can try your luck in getting a student job there. There is an official restriction on how many number of hours you can work as an international student, which I guess is 180 half days (up to 4 hours in a Day) or 90 full Days (between 4 and 8 hours in a Day). How many hours you will work per month can be decided based upon mutual agreement with your employer and the work contract can be made accordingly. It’s quite normal to have work contract initially for 2–3 months, which could be extended further, if both parties are satisfied.Ideal time to start working on any student job while studying in COMMAS would be from second semester on-wards. Of course you can start from first semester itself, if you can manage the study load of 9 Modules in first semester, and you think that you can still score good marks. Because I have hardly seen-heard-read anyone doing that, in my opinion it would be better to not risk your first semester grades buy running after student jobs. Moreover, after first semester, you would already have an idea, which topics interests you and what kind of student job you would like to do. Thus, focus purely on your studies while you are in first semester, and towards the end of your first semester you can start looking for a suitable student job in University, in Industry, or in both. As long as you don’t exceed the total allowed number of days per year, you can work in as many institutes/industries as you practically can.During my studies, I started working as a student technical assistant at Institute of Structural Mechanics from second semester on wards and worked there for almost an Year on a 20 Hours/Month Working contract. Parallely, I was also working as a student assistant at Daimler AG, also for almost a year on a 40 Hours/Month Working contract. It was an enriching experience to work while I was studying. It gave me immense opportunity to have a steep learning curve and at the same time make connections in industry and academia.Career PerspectivesAfter finishing COMMAS, you are expected to have following skills -Good fundamentals of linear and non-linear finite element technologyYou should be able to write your own material models, finite elements, linear or basic non-linear solversYou understand what algorithms are working behind commercial FE codes like LS-DYNA, ANSYS, ABAQUS etc.You can create your own simulation processes, analyse simulation results and provide technical reasoning behind underlying phenomenon.With all these qualities, you can opt for an academic career through a PhD program either at University or at some Company. Both have their own pros and cons. I would suggest you to do your own research before making any call.From industrial point of view, you could build a career as either a CAE Analyst or work in Software development side. If you are a programming person, then you can try finding a Job at big commercial FE codes manufacturers like LS-DYNA (LSTC), Altair (Radioss), CD-Adapco, ANSYS, ABAQUS, etc. However, if you are more problem oriented person and want to use your theoretical knowledge to solve practical problems, build new processes and help in product development, then working as a CAE analyst at any of OEMs (Daimler, Porsche, BMW, Audi, Opel, Volvo, Hilti, Airbus, Bosch etc.) or Medium scale companies (DYNAmore, CADFEM, Tecosim, etc.) would be suggested.Finally, based upon my experiences of interacting with my batch-mates, seniors, juniors and alumni working in Industry, I would suggest that you should -Do COMMAS WhenYou are passionate about what you do, hard working, eager to learn new conceptsYou have prior knowledge of Solid Mechanics, Engineering MathsYou are interested in ProgrammingYou want to build industrial career in field of Structural SimulationsYou want an academic career in computational mechanics or associated fieldsNOT Do COMMAS WhenNot interested in Programming and don’t want to learn either. You might somehow finish the course without it, but it will be a tough time for you.Not interested to learn German language. Seriously, your chances of getting a Job diminishes exponentially, if you don’t know the language and are not interested to learn it either. Make use of those 2 years to speak decent amount of German. It will make Job search later easier.Have no idea what course is about, and just want to do a Master course in Europe because hey, my friend from bachelor’s degree is also going there, we’ll both have fun together!You are homesick, because it might be quite an emotional roller coaster ride for some students, considering that one has to live far away from family and at the same time manage the work load of studies, jobs, etc.Few Useful TipsWhat I stated above is purely my own personal opinion, and need not be always true like an identity. There might be exceptions, and should not be misunderstood with the general trend. As stated before, you might get a completely negative response from someone who had tough time sailing through COMMAS. At the end, you have to make your view and proceed further. Good Luck!

“Vinyl” quality is mostly mythical. Vinyl disks were made with a material which should have been long-lasting but deliberate planned obsolescence ensured that the disks wore out by being played according to specifications. The material melted from the pressure of the stylus while playing; and worse: Manufacturers encouraged the use of soft gemstones (instead of diamonds) which, on encountering dust (inevitable) melted micro-abrasives into the grooves; so one subsequent playing, by any needle (including diamond) ensured that the needle got damaged. Sharp edges and ill-fitting forms, and subsequent abrasive dust, ensured that the vinyl grooves deteriorated at accelerated rates.Owning and using vinyl disks, these days, is somewhat like owning a collection of used postage stamps — one may enjoy ownership and the vibes and pleasure of collecting, and the memories…but one can’t send letters with used or ancient postage stamps so the analogy is somewhat valid! A used vinyl disk is a virtual guarantee for ruining a pickup and then partly destroying every otherwise-reasonably-ok disk played afterwards. Many owners of vinyl disks knew this decades ago and own disks which have never been played on a thing with a soft needle and which have only been played on clean disks free of abrasive dust which could have been embedded by the heat of pressure while being scanned.I have a large collection of pristine vinyl records. I gave away various cartridges and never bothered to fix the last expensive turntable. I designed and built pre-amps for moving-coil and moving magnet cartridges, preamps which tested in serious commercial necessary say “competitions” as being better than any others…by knowing specifications have little to do with sound quality and spending decades fixing each issue like “one by one”. After so long using 1800s-type needles-on-plastic sources, when CDs came out I found they had the same problems with their own problems added — CDs and their players could sound “foul” (the most polite comment of a non-technical musically-aware person). Now vinyl record players have been resurrected from the scrapyard and can sound wonderful (compared with say some ignorant “CD” player) in many cases, when done properly whether the designers know why or not — designers have “ears”; designers have intent and by intent people can make anything happen including getting good sound out of 1800s technology.After CDs came out I put away the vinyl and have never gone back to it. That’s a personal response because of the miseries of trying to counter dust, static electricity…when one has had to do all this, commercially, in Australian weather…for years…one finds great joy in being able to put a CD in and not worry about the music stopping half way through to clean dust off the needle. And pay $1000 in the 80s for a slightly-better set of electronics to play CDs none of which had the proven delightful electronics to get the signals into power amplifiers. Now we have blu-ray players and low-cost stuff with magnificent D-A converters for CDs to sound exquisitely nice.In the last few years of vinyl, especially before CDs, one could buy supposedly perfectly-new disks, from shops, which could have one track ruined by demonstration to another customer despite the best honest efforts of the shop to use only the highest grades of well-maintained gear. Nowadays people are buying used vinyl disks without realizing that such will make their players worse than useless, after just one playing…at worst…and bad enough to support my statement about the “myth” of vinyl.When CDs first came out some were horrible. Some had op-amps that sounded scratchy, mixed power-supply failures with input signals, combined input signals between channels and which ignored any signals below important levels relative to human-perception realities.I can remember hearing the early CD players. Sometimes, after the initial stunning effects of hearing no background hiss and improved dynamic range effects…we winced because some were harsh-hard-fuzzy-scratchy and a musically-aware “absolute foulness”. Early Cd systems were supposed to be 16bits but after errors they were more like 10 and 12 bits and some analog electronics defied some pleasant-sounding traditions. Vinyl records, now, playing music on turntables is reproducing the myth of “hi-fi” like franchises of regurgitated movies lacking in creativity. Disappointments in cultural memory get exploited for generations; creativity produces progress; vinyl is a commercial fad.Try running a CD wav file through an MP3 system on a low bit-rate and less than 16bits; the effects are in some ways reminiscent of the nastiness of some of the early CD players. Communications, of AM radio and wind-up gramophones, can be more lifelike than modern overprocessed sounds.Another problem with CD players is that valve amplifiers had decades of development attempting to make sounds as pleasant as possible; but early CD players came as transistor amplifiers were still suffering from what couldn’t be done with valves and what couldn’t/shouldn’t be done with transistors.Electronics and all engineering may be massively complex. Whatever has worked in the past needs reverence for intentions, understandings of techniques best for future designs like playing a musical instrument with creativity and communication/feeling and appropriateness to the occasion acknowledging the traditions as the result of countless equals effectively collaborating. Creativity is needed for reproducing folk-tunes. Unique tunes may exist but not by ignoring the aims of past technology/art/feelings while subtracting the same can’t-be-dones from what new technology can’t do.We may all create unique tunes in electronics and any engineering; because adapting to unique situations is the ultimate creativity. Every situation is unique and treats time as multi-dimensional creatively making infinite reality.I can’t see any new technology in this vinyl fad; it looks like “quad” for example, from the 60’s, where people had four loudspeakers from information got from turntables-pickups with only two channels — got money because the marketers saw opportunities.Other handicaps, for new audio gear to sound real, are superstitions-specifications defying sane electronics design criteria. Audio design fanaticism got separated from rational electronics by being commercial not professional,Standards in audio have increased. Many superstitions have been questioned with lovely increases in the clarity/reality of inexpensive audio gear but we still need a marketable set of specifications for what will sound nice. Clear, accurate and joyous sound systems can be inexpensive and musical quality is directly related to engineering integrity. The re-marketing of vinyl is a commercial scam.Much traditional audio was designed by engineers divorced from rationality because of ignorance about human perception and enslavement by specifications designed to sell. If cars were designed like old audio systems, they’d be like three stories high, run on tank tracks, have huge non-operational guns because the buyers pride themselves on being socially acceptable but still wanting to show off excess length…I’ve said that idea in some other thing I wrote on Quora.Early CDs often got played on faulty transistor systems, which potentiated the faults of CDs. The designers of some transistor amplifiers ignored engineering necessities such as “power supply rejection ratio” while designing to achieve specifications chosen to sell instead of reproducing the original signals without making qualitative changes to information.Early audio specifications, such as frequency response and harmonic distortion, were chosen when too difficult. Some early wind-up acoustic gramophones had realistic sound superior to amplified players and still too few understand why.Engineers chose frequency-response and harmonic distortion as being obviously worthwhile improving; but after achieving what should have been acceptable specifications for both, many audio systems sounded horrible compared with earlier versions. But still people would buy something with 0.0001% harmonic distortion because such is purportedly better than 0.001%…with tests done only on simple sine-waves so ignoring the facts about transients getting disrupted/repeated and horrible noises being ignored.Countless types of distortion combine to affect the realness —the say “musicality/pleasantness” of sound — being amplified in real-time or after having been recorded. The changes are largely ignored by hi-fi specifications, regarding what happens to signals between inputs and what’s heard by the ears. For example intermodulation distortion may be horrible yet unspecified because its hi-fi definition doesn’t measure it. Specifications, for audio, have tended to be simplistic and have tended to ignore faults such as intermodulative signals from power supplies.The numbers (definitions, types) of the harmonics got raised when transistors, with their non-linearity, got applied to designs for valves. Then what couldn’t/shouldn’t be done with bipolar transistors got subtracted from what couldn’t be done with FETs and FETs had worse linearity than bipolar transistors… … The art-electronics-engineering technology of audio is a mess which doesn’t yet quite work properly; it really is hit and miss whether an audio product sounds delightful or.. fuzzy, dull…too may words needed!The above idea about harmonic distortion applies also to transistors initially being non-linear (and many modern FET power transistors are non-linear yet likely to be designed into audio amplifiers). Gain (power/energy signal-size multiplication factor) in audio amplifiers is controlled by negative feedback: Amplifier outputs are monitored for errors introduced by load and production variations. The original input is compared with the sample of the output which then gets modified as an attempt to ensure the output errors are corrected…Trouble happens with (“negative feedback”) modification of output relative to input (by observation of the output and comparing it to the input): The trouble happens because of time delays between the input signals arriving and the amplifier output producing the more-powerful version of those signals.Loudspeakers change their impedance (ability to take/reject/react to power from the amplifier) by their inertia and resonance (their own resonance and with their containers). Loudspeakers can become momentary generators (by resonance and for example reflection of sound back into the speakers turning them into generators).Amplifiers are by definition “constant voltage”. They reproduce the original small electrical pressure signals outputting much larger signals able to power drivers to produce sound (air pressure variations) as close as possible to the original sounds picked up by the microphones and recorded on the CD/whatever. If the audio reproduction amplifier has non-linearities, or non-linearities are introduced by the load, then such would result in “harmonic distortion” (and other distortions usually not measured for superstitious/commercial “audio” specifications).Distortions can sound nice and bright and be, for some tastes in audio, more pleasant, if the distortions say double the original frequency, or something nicely mathematically in between the original and an octave above. Each time the errors get fed back to the input, and added to signals which have changed, the distortions go up in number, until they are disharmonious so instead of sounding bright they sound harsh, grating, ear-splitting; especially distressing for people with undamaged hearing. So as the harmonic distortion gets more complex, it becomes obnoxious despite becoming negligible in linear-numbers terms (the unpleasantness is worse than to the square…it’s too subjective to be definite and numerically valid tests include too many variables to be certain because the testing equipment, itself, is likely to introduce its own peculiar distortions).The above audio/engineering-concept details are typical of how engineering is more complex than consumers usually imagine as if even if being superb in their own professions they think somebody else knows more than they do so they part with money for rubbish which the present “vinyl” record myth is a good description — up to a point.Putting a needle on something made directly from the original signals, then into a transducer, had less chance than modern technology for egos to change the intentions-love-art of the original creators. Now signals from vinyl players are being changed into digital then back into analog with chronic disregard for reality of the sound.Digital has more ability to break from superstitions than the decades of following analog traditions/superstitions. Seems sad that before most people got clarity and reality in their sound systems now there’s inducements to have to clean records and spend more on replacement cartridges and new disks…People have creativity to preserve the beauty of other people’s communal creativity. Reproduction and retro-technology is, to me, like opportunistic marketing cynicism. Very few have experienced lifelike vinyl record music; now we have inexpensive online lovely music by just asking vocally for it!

Basic EngineeringFundamentally, mechanical engineers are involved with the mechanics of motion and the transfer of energy from one form to another or one place to another. ME's design and build machines for industrial and consumer use -- virtually any machine you find, had a mechanical engineer involved with its development and production. They design heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems to control the climate in homes, offices, and industrial plants, and develop refrigeration systems for the food industry. ME's also design heat exchangers, key components in high-tech mechanical and electronic computer equipment.Applied Mechanics: Mechanics can be applied to almost anything -- metal bars, rocks, water, the human skeleton, or complex systems such as buildings, automobiles, and machines. The basic question is how things work and whether they work well. To find the answers, a mechanical engineer uses a knowledge of shock and vibration, dynamics and motion, fracture and failure in components, and the behavior of high-tech materials. New computer applications make it possible to model and visualize all of these processes.Fluids Engineering: There's a mechanical process involved in anything that flows -- air, water, heat and cold, even the sand along our shores. Whatever the substance may be, M.E.'s know how to describe and control its movement. M.E.'s design fluid machines and systems -- pumps, turbines, compressors, valves, pipelines, biological devices, hydraulic systems, and the fluid systems in car engines. The fluids engineer can be found in industries ranging from aerospace to food, manufacturing, medicine, power, and transportation.Heat Transfer: Heat is generated and moved by any use of energy, in everything from computers to automobiles and ventilating systems in buildings. This is an issue in all modern technology, given today's emphasis on conservation and wise use of resources. This field touches on combustion, power generation and transmission systems, process equipment, electronic devices, thermal controls in manufacturing, environmental controls, biotechnology, aerospace applications, transportation equipment, and even cryogenics (for those who like to freeze things).Bioengineering: Mechanical engineering principles are used to design and perfect biomechanical devices or systems. Almost any part of the human organism can be described mechanically, whether it's a knee joint or the circulatory system. This field involves artificial organs, biomechanics, biomaterials, bio-instrumentation, biotransport processes, human factors, medical devices, biomedical modeling, and biological systems. Bioprocess Engineering focuses on the processes, systems, and equipment used in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries -- everything from cell cultures, to bioprocessing, to unit operations. M.E.'s in this field work closely with biologists, chemists, and chemical engineers.Tribology: Tribology may not be a familiar term, but if you are designing an artificial hip socket, a laser printer, or a locomotive, you will have to think about friction, heat, wear, bearings, and lubrication. Otherwise your product probably won't run well or for very long. By reducing wear, the tribologist prevents the failure of everything from computer disk drives to the seals used in space vehicles.Energy ConversionWe live in a world of dependent on the production and conversion of energy into useful forms. Mechanical engineers are involved in all aspects of the production and conversion of energy from one form to another. We design and operate fossil fuel, hydroelectric, conventional, nuclear and cogeneration power plants. We design and develop internal combustion engines for automobiles, trucks and marine use and also for electrical power generation.Internal Combustion Engines: Mechanical engineers design and manufacture IC engines for mobile, marine, rail, and stationary applications. Engine design requires a broad knowledge base, including mechanics, electronics, materials, and thermal sciences. Problems must be solved in fuels and combustion, intake systems, ignition, instrumentation and controls, lubrication, materials, and maintenance.Fuels & Combustion Technologies: Mechanical Engineers may specialize in the understanding of fuels and combustion systems in modern utility and industrial power plants or in internal combustion, gas turbine or other engines. These ME's work with combustion systems, fuel properties and characteristics, fuel processing and alternative fuels, and fuel handling transportation and storage.Nuclear Engineering: M.E.'s in Nuclear Engineering use their knowledge of mechanics, heat, fluids, machinery and controls. They develop advanced reactors and components, heat exchangers, pressure vessels and piping, radwaste systems, and new fuel technologies.Power Engineering: Power Engineering focuses on electricity, produced by steam and water-driven turbines. Power M.E.'s design and develop these systems, as well as industrial and marine power plants, combustion equipment, and the equipment that goes into power plants -- condensers, cooling towers, pumps, piping, heat exchangers, and the controls to make it all work.Energy ResourcesMechanical engineers are experts on the conversion and use of existing energy sources and in developing the equipment needed to process and transport fuels. At the same time, mechanical engineers are active in finding and developing new forms of energy. In that effort, ME's deal with the production of energy from alternate sources, such as solar, geothermal, and wind.Advanced Energy Systems: Most energy has come from the conversion of chemical or thermal energy into electrical and mechanical energy. M.E.'s are developing alternatives to thermal energy, power cycle devices, fuel cells, gas turbines, and innovative uses of coal, wind, and tidal flows.Solar Engineering: M.E.'s in Solar Energy are finding new ways to produce mechanical and electrical power for heating, refrigeration, and water purification. They design devices and structures to collect solar energy, and they work with architects to design buildings that use solar energy for heating, cooling, and lighting.Petroleum: Mechanical engineers play important roles in the petroleum industry, working in oil and gas drilling and production, offshore and arctic operations, hydrocarbon processing, synfuels and coal technology, materials, equipment design and manufacture, fuel transport, new fuel technologies, and pollution control.Ocean, Offshore & Arctic Engineering: Much of our energy already comes from offshore sources. M.E.'s design and build ocean structures, systems, and equipment -- hyperbaric chambers, life support equipment, marine vehicles, submersibles and ROV's, propulsion systems, remote sensing systems, moorings and buoys, ship structures, and ocean mining equipment. Any given project may call for expertise in acoustics, construction and salvage technologies, corrosion, and high-tech materials. Offshore Mechanics differs from Ocean Engineering in that it focuses more on the science of mechanics. An M.E. specialist in this field deals with hydrodynamics, structural mechanics, computational methods, offshore materials science, materials fatigue and fracture, hydrodynamic forces and motion, fluidsolid-soil interactions, deepwater platforms, cable and pipeline dynamics, sensors and measurements, robots and remote control, and the mechanics of offshore drilling operations. The arctic engineer deals with a unique set of problems, such as ice mechanics, pipeline operations, and the behavior of materials in cold climates.Environment & TransportationTransportation is a large and growing field for mechanical engineers. Existing modes of air and surface transport require continuous improvement or replacement. ME's work at the cutting edge of these efforts. Wherever machines are made or used, you will find mechanical engineers. They are instrumental in the design, development and manufacturing of machines that transmit power. They are also critically involved with the environmental impact and fuel efficiency of the machines they develop and with any by-products of the fuels used to power those machines.Aerospace & Automotive: They used to be called "flying machines." Very true. Aircraft are, in fact, flying "machines." One of the major activities of mechanical engineers is in the design, development and manufacture of things that move on land, sea, air and in space. M.E.'s design propulsion engines and structural component systems, crew and passenger accommodations and life support systems. M.E.'s also develop the equipment used to build automotive, aircraft, marine and space vehicles.Environmental Engineering: Most environmental conditions involve a mechanical process -- the movement of heat, noise, or pollutants in air, soil, or water. M.E.'s deal with questions about environmental impact and recyclability in the design of products and systems. They use modeling techniques to understand air, ground, and water pollution and to develop effective controls. For example, M.E.'s analyzed and modeled the mechanical relationship between power plant emissions and acid rain in the northeastern states.Noise Control & Acoustics: Sound is a mechanical phenomenon -- the movement of waves or vibrations through solids, liquids, or space. Acoustics is the art and science of producing, analyzing, and controlling sound. A mechanical engineering background can help to solve problems in noise control, flow-related noise and vibration, industrial acoustics, instrumentation, acoustical materials, and structures.Rail Transportation: All aspects of mechanical engineering can be applied to the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of rail and mass-transit systems. Technologies developed in aerospace and energy conversion are being applied to a new generation of locomotives and cars for freight, passenger, and transit services.Solid Waste Processing: Solid waste processing is a key aspect of environmental protection and energy conservation. M.E.'s are involved in the design and construction of solid waste processing facilities, and in work related to recycling, resource recovery, and the new technologies for waste-to-energy and biomass conversion.Systems & DesignMost mechanical engineers work in the design and control of mechanical, electromechanical and fluid power systems. As a mechanical engineer functioning as a design engineer it is likely that you would be involved with one or more technical specialties, for example: Robotic System Design; Computer Coordinated Mechanisms; Expert Systems in Design; ComputerAided Engineering; Geometric Design; Design Optimization; Kinematics and Dynamics of Mechanisms; Cam Design/Gear Design; Power Transmission; or Design of Machine Elements. Design engineers take into account a truly wide number of factors in the course of their work, such as: product performance, cost, safety, manufacturability, serviceability, human factors, aesthetic appearance, durability, reliability, environmental impact and recycleability.Dynamic Systems & Control: Where there is movement there must be control. A modern production line is a dynamic system, because its movement and speed can be controlled. M.E.'s create the software, hardware, and feedback devices that form control and robotic systems. This requires a knowledge of heat and mass transfer, fluid and solid mechanics, the plants or processes to be controlled, elements of electronics and computers. Controls are needed everywhere -- in aerospace and transportation, biomedical equipment, production machinery, energy and fluid power systems, expert systems, and environmental systems. FluidPower Systems & Technology: You have been asked to design a massive vehicle to transport rocket boosters around the Kennedy Space Center. A conventional transmission won't work because of the weight and sheer inertia that the vehicle must overcome. You need to apply a lot of power very gradually, so you employ a fluid power coupling. These technologies are used in automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and power industries, in situations that call for a flexible and precise application of power in large amounts.Design Engineering: M.E.'s design components, entire machines, complex structures, systems and processes. This work requires a knowledge of the basic sciences, engineering principles, materials, computer techniques, manufacturing methods, and even economics. New and challenging problems come along with regularity. If you are working for an aircraft company, today's problem may be vibration in an engine; tomorrow it may be wind noise, stress on the landing gear, or a need to increase lift at low speeds.Computers in Engineering: Mechanical engineers have developed a wealth of computer applications software, based on their knowledge of mechanics, fluids, heat, kinetics, and manufacturing. Some of the interests in this area include computer-aided design and simulation; computer-aided manufacturing; finite element analysis; visualization techniques; robots and controls; computer vision and pattern recognition; systems (hardware, software, and networks); and management information systems.M.E.'s in the Electrical & Computer Industries: There are mechanical components in electrical, electronic, and computer equipment, all of which is manufactured through automated and mechanical processes, all components must fit precisely, and unwanted heat must be transferred elsewhere. All of these activities are in the domain of mechanical engineering. The PC is very largely a mechanical device. Consider disk drives, circuit boards, keyboards, the chasis structure, and, of course, the mouse!Electrical & Electronic Packaging: A large number of mechanical engineers work for the manufacturers of electrical, electronic, and computer equipment. The major focus for M.E.'s in this area is the physical design and manufacture of these products in such a way that unwanted heat is removed and desired heat is retained where and to the degree it is needed.Information Storage & Processing Systems: Quite a few mechanical engineers work for companies that manufacture computer peripherals. Any storage device on your computer -- the CD, DVD, diskette, or hard drives -- has electrical, electronic, and mechanical components. M.E.'s help to design and manufacture these precision devices. Their interests touch on hard disk technologies, data storage and equipment, wear and lubrication in data storage devices, micro-sensors, and controls.Microelectromechanical Systems: Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) combines computers with tiny mechanical devices such as sensors, valves, gears, and actuators embedded in semiconductor chips. A MEMS device contains micro-circuitry on a silicon chip into which a mechanical device such as a mirror or a sensor has been constructed. Among the presently available uses of MEMS or those under study are: 1) Sensors built into the fabric of an airplane wing so that it can sense and react to air flow by changing the wing surface resistance; effectively creating a myriad of tiny wing flaps, 2) Sensor-driven heating and cooling systems that dramatically improve energy savings, and 3) Building supports with imbedded sensors that can alter the flexibility properties of a material based on atmospheric stress sensing.