The Department of Mechanical Engineering has the following technical areas of research:

• Thermo-fluids

• This area conducts research on energy and how it is converted to different forms, including how the conversion is related to various factors such as temperature, volume and pressure. This research area has four main sub-categories: heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and combustion.

• Mechatronics

• This area of research utilizes technology that focuses on both electrical and mechanical engineering. One aspect of this research area is the analysis and synthesis of machinery. In addition, this research area integrates core technologies that mechatronic designs are based on, such as combinational and sequential logic circuit, servo valves and hydraulic actuators.

• Design/Materials

• The study of mechanics and materials focuses on the structure, properties and applications of solid materials, such as metal and alloy systems and iron-carbon alloys. This research area also focuses on the analysis and synthesis of machinery and its individual components, such as clutches, brakes, couplings and bearings. This research area also investigates the fatigue and fracture of materials, including racks, notches and collapse

• Solids/Dynamics

• The research area of solids and dynamics involves the study of system dynamics, modeling and simulation, random vibration, ice load estimation, computer-aided design (CAD), and finite element analysis (FEA).