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Type

PhD Programme

Access mode

Programmed

Length

3 years

Location

Modena

Language

English

Department

"Enzo Ferrari" Department of Engineering

Course presentation (FOR PhD course/Specialisation school ONLY)

The PhD course aims at forming people with a high scientific-technical qualification and wide-ranging skills. PhDs should be able to carry out, as well as lead and manage, research activities in scientific institutions and industrial projects.

The course is divided into two curricula:
- Mechanical Engineering
- Vehicle Engineering

The board of faculty includes the necessary skills to carry out high quality research activities and to develop innovative solutions,in the different scientific-disciplinary fields on which the two curricula focus. The main aim is to give PhDs the skills and experience necessary for scientific investigation, innovation, design and development of new products and processes (hard skills). In this regard, training modules specific to the two curricula, or transversal to them, are proposed, from which the Ph.D. student selects those that will constitute his or her training and support his or her specialization. The transversal and interdisciplinary skills (soft skills) necessary to effectively report and publish research products and to carry out scientific and technological collaborations with other scientific institutions and R&D companies will also be provided. Specific training activities cover European and international research funding programs, research project writing, language enhancement, bibliographic research, intellectual property protection, and scientific writing and dissemination tools, techniques, and strategies for the exploitation of research results.

The areas of investigation that the PhD course embraces cover multiple topics peculiar to mechanical engineering, vehicle engineering and areas of research complementary to these, with both theoretical, experimental and applied connotations in various scientific fields:

- Fluid dynamic: theories and physical properties of fluid dynamics problems in external and internal flows of gases, liquids and complex fluids including both laminar and turbulent conditions. Advanced numerical and experimental methodologies.

- Fluid machines: 0D, 1D and 3D thermofluidodynamic computational modeling, testing and optimization (performance, energy flow management, environmental) of propulsion systems for on-road and off-road vehicles of thermal, thermal/electric hybrid, fuel cell and battery type. Study of lubrication, hydraulic and pneumatic components and systems for wide-ranging industrial applications and off-highway vehicles.

- Industrial technical physics: various applications of thermodynamics, thermokinetics and thermofluid dynamics for the innovation of industrial processes and products, HVAC systems and vehicle components, including thermal control in electrified vehicles, exploitation of renewable energy sources, energy conservation and sustainability of industrial processes.

- Applied machine mechanics: dynamic modeling and control of structural and multibody mechanical systems, vibration mechanics and vibroacoustics, biomechanics, robotics, vehicle dynamics modeling, NVH, mechanical transmissions and hybrid and electric powertrains, fluid-structure interaction.

- Machine engineering: finite element structural calculation with particular interest in the powertrain (combustion, hybrid, electric) and vehicle chassis areas.

- Industrial engineering design and methods: integrated development of product and process, design of mechanical systems and advanced manufacturing systems, including robotic systems, using simulation and virtual prototyping.

- Processing technologies and systems: additive manufacturing from multiple perspectives, including latex structures for automotive and biomedical applications, but also developments of innovative architectures for thermo-structural applications.

- Industrial plants: design and innovation, including logistics systems, studying issues related to project management, development and validation of algorithms for optimization of logistics and production systems, and modeling of problems related to inventory management.

- Metallurgy: chemical, physical, mechanical and technological properties of metals and alloys and their behavior in service, defectology, heat and welding treatments.

- Numerical analysis: solving engineering problems, including aspects such as topological optimization, neural networks.

Info

Department: "Enzo Ferrari" Department of Engineering
Didactic method: PRESENCE

More information

Italian second cycle master's degree (Laurea Magistrale, under D.M. 270/04 or Laurea Specialistica, under D.M. 509/99) or Italian degree obtained prior to D.M. 509/99 (the previous Italian regulations) or Second cycle Master's degree obtained abroad and recognized as suitable for the admission to doctoral program.
More information available in the Call.

The expected job opportunities are numerous and diversified, both at public and private research institutions, and at companies and consultancy firms, in Italy and abroad.
Research and development in the field of mechanical engineering is widespread throughout Europe in relation to the design methodologies of new products, the simulation and optimization of technologies and production processes, industrial plants and logistics systems, in fields ranging from vehicle engineering to mechanical processing, advanced materials, automation and industrial robotics, energy conversion and management up to industrial sustainability extended to the social, economic and energy spheres.
The pride of the district is the Automotive with its numerous industries operating, at all levels of the supply chain, in the production of road and racing vehicles (2 and 4 wheels), transport vehicles (both goods and people), agricultural and earthmoving machinery, including first and second level suppliers of mechanical, electrical and electronic components and software, which absorb highly qualified personnel for research and development, design and optimization activities.
PhD students also have the opportunity to collaborate with international industrial research and development institutions, where, over the years, they have increasingly found top-level professional opportunities, especially, but not only, in the sector of very high-performance and racing vehicles. Thanks to the skills acquired, PhD students specialized in the field of vehicle engineering, as well as those specialized in mechanical engineering, are offered qualified employment opportunities even in companies not directly belonging to the vehicle sector, or manufacturers of vehicle components and subsystems, generally numerous in the industrial districts of reference.
Finally, in the university field, the employment opportunities of PhD students concern the areas of scientific research of all the sectors of reference for the PhD Course.