Scientific Careers With Aeronautical Engineering Courses
There are a great number of areas to consider in the field of engineering. Both auto and aero engineering appeal to a wide cross-section of people who want to be at the forefront of technology and science. In Britain we have a distinguished history in aeronautical engineering, with around six hundred companies working in the aerospace industry. Well over a quarter of a million people work in the automotive industry, and the UK motorsport industry is acknowledged around the world.
Reputable Training
There are a good number of universities in the UK offering BEng and MEng Degrees in Automotive Engineering and Aeronautical Engineering, several with international reputations. Also more advanced PhD courses are offered on some campuses. (Shorter courses are available from local technical institutions as well.)
The option of a one year placement in industry is available with most university degree courses, and most students choose to take this between the second and final year.
Some universities will also offer a more formal split between training and working time. Equally, it's also possible for some students to arrange sponsorship (for example from the Army) if they're prepared to commit to them after training. It really is good advice to do your research thoroughly, as there are such a lot of alternatives to consider.
Auto Engineering
All cars, bikes, coaches and heavy goods vehicles come under the remit of auto engineering. Auto engineers need to have knowledge of several other engineering principles - primarily mechanical engineering. With new technologies such as ultra low emissions, active suspensions, composite material structures and electric vehicles, there is much to challenge the thought processes of the student.
In the life cycle of a vehicle, design engineering comes first, followed by development engineering and then manufacturing engineering. Designers are not only responsible for the automotive design, but also for testing each component part.
We have development engineers next, who are rather like systems engineers. These people often provide information to design engineers to regulate performance etc. Finally, the manufacturing engineers will work out how to actually make the vehicle.
There's a terrific amount of knowledge for an automotive engineering student to learn. Subjects will include performance, ergonomics, emissions, fuel economy, aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics to name but a few. As safety is vital, designs have to go through various crash scenarios to test their impact on the vehicle occupants.
All components have to function well for the job they're designed to do, but they also have to work synergistically with the whole vehicle. That's why automotive engineering students need to learn about the work of development engineers.
Sometimes opposing requirements have to be taken through a trade-off process, to ensure each system doesn't compromise another. Development engineering is also concerned with testing and ensuring the finished vehicle will comply with legal requirements.
The process is ready for the manufacturing engineers once all the product design and development work has been done. This is where it all comes together, and so every last detail has to be planned and engineered. This complex discipline is sometimes regarded as the most esteemed area of automotive engineering.
The Aerospace Industry
We think of aeronautical engineering as the science of aircraft, but it also embraces space technology and missiles. If you qualify at degree level or above in Aeronautical Engineering, you will have proved yourself worthy to enter the fascinating business of aerospace. (Some aerospace engineers go into Formula One design and development as well.)
Contemporary flight vehicles must endure very severe conditions such as differences in temperature and atmospheric pressure. Aeronautical engineering requires a great deal of specialist knowledge, and so teams of engineers who each specialise in their own branch of science work together on projects.
Degree courses will cover design, systems (such as landing gear), flight mechanics, forces, materials, performance and stability. A thorough treatment of analytical subjects will be included. Analytical subjects like thermodynamics are usually taught through lectures and tutorials. Much of what you will learn is based on theoretical mathematics, but empirical testing also comes into it - admittedly largely in the form of simulations. (However students will still carry out experiments using jet engines, large structural testing machines and wind tunnels).
When training to be an engineer you need a lot of practical design experience. You can expect a group project that requires students to design a complete vehicle or aircraft, along with significant individual projects. Engineering degrees will also allow students to learn various other subjects and skills. They could include things like communication skills and time management.
The UK aerospace industry attracts the very best graduates, and the work is both compelling and highly remunerated. Graduate engineers can apply to Professional Institutions to become certified with the Engineering Council - an organisation that works to ensure the UK is well served by its engineering resources.
