MSc (Eng) Automotive Engineering

Year 1

(Award available for year: Master of Science (Eng))

Learning outcomes

On completion of the programme, students should have provided evidence of being able to:

- Acquire an in-depth specialist knowledge and mastery of subjects and techniques relevant to automotive engineering and demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the associated engineering concepts.
- Exhibit a mastery of generic and automotive specific intellectual abilities.
- Demonstrate the adoption of a proactive and self-reflective approach to their work practices and in the development of professional relationships with others in the field.

- Undertake and deliver a substantial individual project drawn from the general area of automotive engineering, including industrially linked projects along with those associated with ongoing areas of research within the school. The project will be sufficiently broad to embrace more than one of the following: design, analysis, computation and experimentation. The principal deliverables are a poster/oral presentation and full report on completion of the project. As part of this activity the students will have the opportunity to learn a number of transferable skills which, in part, are key to the delivery of good outcomes. These include critical evaluation of the literature, including literature search and retrieval, methodologies associated with design and analysis during projects and communication skills. These transferable tasks will be largely completed by the end of Semester 2.

- Explain the principles that underpin the process of vehicle modelling including an understanding of tyre behaviour and the generation of tyre-ground forces and the influence of aerodynamically induced forces and moments on the mechanics of a road vehicle.
- Critically assess the acceleration/deceleration behaviour of a road vehicle through consideration of its powertrain/brake system characteristics.
- Understand the fundamentals of vehicle handling behaviour and relate this to the process of vehicle design.

- Appreciate the processes that permit the integration of components such as actuators, mechanisms, mechanical structures, sensors and computer control/electronics into a unified form that deliver modern control system.
- Have gained experience in the design and modelling of advanced automotive engineering systems and in the implementation and assessment of candidate controllers.

- Describe the components and systems which are associated with a vehicle chassis structure.
- Apply the principles of engineering science to the design and analysis of suspension and steering systems together with their components.
- Apply the principles of engineering science to the characterisation and vehicle ride and the road surface.
- State the fundamentals of acoustics and be able to apply these to the analysis and solution of chassis borne noise and vibration phenomena.
- Categorise the various designs of chassis structure.
- Illustrate the differences in chassis performance through application of appropriate analysis techniques.

- Describe the components and systems that combine to produce a modern automotive drivetrain together with the associated technology.
- Apply the principles of engineering science to the design and analysis of the above systems and components.
- Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the operating characteristics of certain key elements of the drivetrain.
- Describe important performance and refinement issues that associate with the vehicle drivetrain.

- Explain the principles that underpin combustion processes with particular reference to the various engine types that find common use in vehicle systems - Combustion in spark ignition engines and compression ignition engines.

- Understand the essential concepts associated with modern computational methods and the techniques with which to capture and process experimental data.
- Demonstrate mastery of basic programming skills using Matlab M files through solution of a variety of typical automotive problems.
- Appreciate the practicalities associ

Transferable (key) skills

Students will have had the opportunity to acquire the following abilities as defined in the modules specified for the programme:

- the skills necessary to undertake a higher research degree and/or for employment in a higher capacity in industry or area of professional practice;
- evaluating their own achievement and that of others;
- self direction and effective decision making in complex and unpredictable situations;
- independent learning and the ability to work in a way which ensures continuing professional development;
- critical engagement in the development of professional/disciplinary boundaries and norms.

Assessment

Achievement for the degree of Master (taught programme) will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for the year/programme and will involve the achievement of the students in:

- evidencing an ability to conduct independent in-depth enquiry within the discipline;
- demonstrating the ability to apply breadth and/or depth of knowledge to a complex specialist area;
- drawing on a range of perspectives on an area of study;
- evaluating and criticising received opinion;
- making reasoned judgements whilst understanding the limitations on judgements made in the absence of complete data.