The automotive industry is changing rapidly. There is an emphasis on digital engineering, electric propulsion and autonomous driving using artificial intelligence. The course introduces these concepts, as well as the fundamentals underpinning them, from year one.

From the start of your degree you will study topics that relate directly to the Automotive Industry, with Vehicle Systems & Development taught across year 1. As well as this you will learn engineering fundamentals such as thermodynamics, materials, and mechanics.

Compulsory modules

The aim of this module is to introduce students to various mathematical techniques used in Aeronautical and Automotive engineering.

The aims of the module are as follows:

  • Introduce the various classes of engineering materials with a focus on their properties, microstructure, and processing.
  • Develop an understanding of the fundamental principles that determine the structure and properties of materials, with special emphasis on how processing influences these characteristics.
  • Introduce basic materials processing techniques and illustrate how processing parameters govern microstructural development and, consequently, material performance.
  • Explore the design and analysis of simple deformable structural components.
  • Introduce the basic concepts, theories and methodologies that are required for the analysis of simple deformable structural components.

The aim of this module is for the student to understand the basic concepts, principles and theoretical approaches of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics and apply them to engineering systems.

The aim of this module is for the student to understand problem solving and to acquire programming skills in the high level language of MATLAB.

The aim of this module is to introduce the student to design processes and manufacturing technology applicable to aeronautical and automotive engineering.

Aims:

  • Develop a fundamental understanding of design activities.
  • Identify the British Standard for Engineering Drawings.
  • Develop Computer-Aided Drawing skills, using Siemens NX.
  • Introduce structural materials, their application and constraints.
  • Identify Engineering Elements relevant to the Aeronautical and Automotive Industry.
  • Explore manufacturing methods.
  • Develop practical skills, with regard to manufacturing and inspection.

The aim of this module is for the student to understand the operation of vehicle systems, the vehicle design and development process and to understand why the more analytical modules are necessary areas of study for the would-be vehicle designer. The student will understand the different requirements for the development of a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) compared to the traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicle and the original equipment manufacturers (OEM) programme structures to deliver these vehicles to the marketplace.

In addition, they will be introduced to Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) and learn skills to implement their own engineering design practically. The module will also introduce them to group working and the communication and EDI principals that drive a successful project.

The aim of this module is for the student to be able to break a structure into rigid, idealised components and explain how the basic laws of engineering mechanics relating to fundamental static and dynamic systems allow yield forces and moments to inform the design process.

Aims:

  • To be able to apply equations of equilibrium to solve engineering statics problems.
  • To cover the mechanical behaviour of simple beams under bending loads (elementary beam theory) and specifically introduce equations used for calculating bending and shear stresses and bending and shear deflections.

You will start to go into more depth in key automotive subjects such as Vehicle Loading and Suspensions, Automotive Sensor Technology, Automotive Materials and Advanced Powertrain systems. There will also be a continuation of the fundamentals with Incompressible Aerodynamics, Control Engineering and Electrotechnology with content tailored to the Automotive Sector.

Compulsory modules

The aims of this module are for the student to have an appreciation of the different philosophies used for manufacturing automotive and aerospace engineering products and components; learn how a computer aided engineering (CAE) environment can be used to facilitate the design of these products. Learn how to select materials based on stiffness, strength and sustainability to undertake the design of a simple aeronautical or automotive structure.

The aim of this module is to cover adequately those mathematical topics which are fundamental to all engineering disciplines. An over-rigorous approach is avoided.

The aim of this module is for the student to build on principles of Engineering Mechanics in TTA001 (Statics and Dynamics) to cover central-force motion, dynamics of systems of particles and two-dimensional dynamics of rigid bodies, and also introduce elements of analytical mechanics and vibration of particles and rigid bodies.

The aim of this module is to give students an understanding of system reliability concepts in the aerospace and automotive industries.

The aims of the module are for the student to be able to describe and apply the physical principles and laws governing the generation of lift and drag on lifting surfaces operating in incompressible flows.

The aim of this module is for the student to build on the Elasticity module TTA104, to cover the mechanical behaviour of simple beams under bending loads (elementary beam theory) and specifically introduce equations used for calculating bending and shear stresses and bending and shear deflections.

The aim of this module is to provide understanding of the engineering requirements in order to choose appropriate materials and machine elements for designing vehicular subsystems/components.

The aim of this module is for students to understand the engineering requirements necessary to design road vehicles, with particular focus on vehicle loading and suspension design.

The aim of this module is for the student to understand the analysis and design of control systems in aeronautical and automotive engineering applications.

The aim of this module is for the student to understand the design, construction, performance, integration and testing of conventional and low carbon Automotive Powertrain Systems.

The aim of this module is to introduce the fundamental principles and concepts of electric circuits.

This module aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and applications of various sensors and instrumentation used in automotive engineering. It focuses on the calibration, data acquisition, and signal conditioning processes necessary for implementing effective measurement and control systems in automotive applications.

The Vehicle Design modules allow you to start putting theory into practice, taking you from conception of an idea through to simulation of performance. You also start to choose specialist modules such as Sensor Fusion, Vehicle Dynamics and Simulation, Battery Technology and Computational Fluid Dynamics and Ground Vehicle Aerodynamics.

Compulsory modules

The aim of this module is for the student to understand the processes and factors involved in making decisions and the level of development required to define a concept vehicle. They will progress from an initial idea to a concept vehicle with major sub-systems defined with strong justification based on engineering knowledge and competitor bench marking. They will also outline a business case for the vehicle and understand the processes used to manage vehicle programmes.

The aim of this module is for the student to understand the factors involved in the design and development of the whole vehicle and how computer aided engineering (CAE) is used during this process.

Optional modules

The aim of this module is for the student to understand the fundamentals of acoustics and the application to the design of noise control and mitigation in vehicles, with particular application to the luxury market and growth markets, taking into account sustainable design of communities, legal aspects and planning.

The aim of this module is for the student to understand basic concepts, fundamental principles and some important issues encountered in the analysis and design of advanced fibre-reinforced composite structures.

The aim of this module is for the student to understand the principles of vehicle dynamics and approaches to approximate the vehicle performance in longitudinal and vertical directions, assisted by simulation techniques.

Further aims to consolidate earlier fundamental learning about dynamics, systems, and signals, to investigate the key factors that determine the vehicle dynamics and prepare basic knowledge and abilities (modelling and simulation) for further study.

An experience of vehicle testing, and associated data analysis will enhance the knowledge understanding. The application of simulation techniques will also enlighten students on new methods and tools for future vehicle design.

The aim of this module is for students to understand the fundamental principles of CFD and to learn the basic methodologies incorporated in modern commercial CFD packages.

The aim of this module is for the students to understand the fundamentals of sensor fusion and their applications to aeronautical and automotive engineering problems.

The aim of this module is for the student:

  • To learn how to derive and employ finite element methods to solve stress-strain, steady-state heat flow and vibrational problems.
  • To implement these methods computationally using Matlab to allow for static analysis of automotive and aerospace structures.
  • To introduce the use of the FEM commercial software, MSC Nastran and Patran.

The aim of this module is for students to understand the fundamentals of aerodynamics as applied to ground vehicles.

The aim of this module is for students to understand car occupant protection in crashes via best practice through crash energy management. Crash energy control via good design of restraint systems and crash deformation of body structures will be explored. Comparisons between crashworthiness in test settings and real world situations will be explored in order to inform approaches to crash safety.

The aims of this module are to:

  • Understand the fundamental and principles of machine intelligence.
  • Understand their applications to aeronautical and automotive engineering problems.

The aims of this module are to:

  • Enable the student to understand the principle theories and operation of electrified vehicle and aircraft powertrains with a focus on battery technology.
  • Further aims are to understand the key developments in this field, establish knowledge in electrochemical processes and gain experience in the operation and performance analysis of batteries.

This is a 10 credit module from the University-wide language programme.

You will carry out a major individual project working on a real world engineering challenge. You will also work as part of an Automotive Group Project to design a vehicle and have the opportunity to study some more specialist topics such as Autonomous Vehicles or Vehicle Handling.

Compulsory modules

The aim of this module is for the student to undertake a realistic design, development or research problem within the framework of a self managed multi-disciplinary team.

The aim of this module is to complete the students' education and training in the particular discipline by asking them to tackle a reasonably challenging engineering problem. The problem should involve the student:

  • Carrying out background research, preparatory work, planning and preliminary investigations.
  • Extending their knowledge, demonstrating initiative and communicating the results to the appropriate engineering community.

Optional modules

The aim of this module is for the student to be able to discuss and demonstrate the application of various experimental methods used to measure, characterise and analyse fluid flows.

The aim of this module is for the student to develop their understanding of the principles of vehicle handling using modelling techniques, which were introduced in module TTC066. The module concentrates on the core areas of tyres, suspension and steering, and it also extends the students knowledge and experience of simulation tools by the development of a realistic rigid body handling model.

The aim of this module is for the student to understand and apply advanced simulation methods for ground and air vehicle aerodynamics applications. This module is suitable for both Aero and Auto students. Students with an FYP using CFD may find this module particularly useful.

The aim of this module is to give students an understanding of reliability and availability concepts and their interaction, modelling systems with dependencies, phased mission, and maintainability issues.

The aim of this module is to enable the student to understand the fundamental theory, design and operation of hydrogen fuel cells and fuel cell systems with application to propulsion applications and focus on the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC).

This module aims to provide an introductory overview on fundamental technologies in autonomous vehicles and to familiarise the students with common vehicle control methods, sensor fusion techniques, path planning/following algorithms and example driving-assistance functions.

The aims of the module are:

  • To introduce the constructions, function and performance of Power Electronics, Machines and Drives in a mobile application context.
  • To appreciate the opportunities, the engineering choices and the trade-offs inherent in the application of complex electric machines.

This is a 10 credit module from the University-wide language programme.

The information above is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study. Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year. Please also see Terms and Conditions of Study for more information.