Facilities
The Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering has an incredible array of facilities, including fixed flight simulators, laser labs, wind tunnels and much more.
We are working hard to ensure we are able to provide safe access to these facilities in line with the latest government advice. The safety and wellbeing of our staff and students is our highest priority and we will be providing health and safety briefings as part of your induction.
Our facilities allow us to conduct innovative research on real-world problems. Explore the machinery and equipment available throughout our Department below.
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Concrete laboratory
Capacity and facilities for making significant structural sections in reinforced concrete or composite construction. Avery column and beam rig, universal testing machine, and Amsler compression machine.
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Dynamics and vibration facilities
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Engine research facilities
Fully-serviced, acoustically-isolated rooms where the behaviour and performance of both internal combustion and jet engines takes place. Located in our mechanical engineering laboratories.
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Geotechnics laboratory
Geotechnical equipment for triaxial and shear testing of samples, and demonstration units to visualise the flow of water through granular material. The universal testing machine has 300kN capacity.
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Heavy structures laboratory
Strong floor points and a hydraulic ring main. Static and dynamic loads up to 500kN and 500mm stroke, and the space can be configured however required using purpose-built rigs.
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Hydraulics laboratory
Includes a tilting flume, with a width of 5m and flow rates up to 1m/s at 300mm depth and a computer-controlled variable wave producer. It can be tilted to ten degrees. Includes other standard flumes for teaching and project work.
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Impact and explosion facilities
Our facilities include drop hammers, high-pressure gas guns and explosion containment vessels, plus high-speed tensile/compressive testing
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Laser facilities
Our laser facilities are housed in the Laser Processing Research Centre. The Centre includes lasers; analytical, materials processing and preparation; milling and cutting; and more.
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Materials testing machines
Fatigue testing machines, ranging from a 500kN Instron 1345 to a 20kN ESH. A number of screw machines providing static capacity, and a slip test for tension control bolts.
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Nuclear facilities
Mechanical analysis, radiolytical analysis, thermophysical analysis, mass spectrometry and manufacturing technology equipment.
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Resource efficient manufacturing
A range of CNC machine tools that both cover machining at conventional speeds and high-speed machining. The Mikron HSM 400 has a working Spindle with maximum 42,000 RPM.
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Space systems facilities
Our facilities include vacuum chambers, rocket motors and a satellite ground station for simulation of and experimentation into material behaviours in the extreme conditions of space exploration.
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Student workshop
Undergraduate students studying for mechanical and aerospace degrees learn to use machine tools in their own workshop. This facility is available to other students on a voluntary basis.
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Thermal hydraulics facilities
Our research group has assembled a collection of experimental facilities with unique capabilities in thermal hydraulics and developed in-depth expertise in a variety of flow and thermal diagnostics techniques.
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Unmanned aerial systems
Our portfolio includes photogrammetry, thermal sensing and environmental modelling and monitoring.
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Wind tunnels
We have the instrumentation and technical skills to undertake both force and high-quality point, surface and field measurements.
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