Are you looking for where to study mechanical engineering in Nigeria? This article will provide a list of some top institutions to study the course. Mechanical engineering is the application of the principles of engineering and physics in designing, analyzing, maintaining, and manufacturing mechanical engines.
What is Mechanical Engineering all about?
Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machinery that may entail force and movement. To design, analyze, produce, and maintain mechanical systems, it is a branch of engineering that blends engineering physics, mathematics, and materials science.
Understanding fundamental concepts in mechanics, dynamics, thermodynamics, materials science, design, structural analysis, and electricity is necessary for mechanical engineers. In addition to these fundamental ideas, mechanical engineers design and analyze manufacturing facilities, industrial machinery, heating and cooling systems, transport systems, aircraft, watercraft, robots, medical devices, weapons, and other things using tools like computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), and product lifecycle management.
The field of mechanical engineering was first recognized during the Industrial Revolution in Europe in the 18th century, but its history dates back more than a thousand years. Mechanical engineering science developed in the 19th century as a result of advances in physics. Mechanical engineers are currently researching breakthroughs in fields like composites, mechatronics, and nanotechnology. The field has continuously changed to embrace new technologies. It also has variable degrees of overlap with other engineering disciplines like industrial engineering, chemical engineering, manufacturing engineering, civil engineering, structural engineering, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, and metallurgical engineering. Specifically with biomechanics, transport phenomena, biomechatronics, bionanotechnology, and modeling of biological systems, mechanical engineers can also engage in the subject of biomedical engineering.
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What you need to do to study Mechanical Engineering
Preparation for the study of Mechanical Engineering in Nigeria begins with your secondary school education. For you to meet up the requirements of any university in Nigeria, there are subjects you need to focus on.
Below is a list of things you need to gain admission into any university in Nigeria to study mechanical engineering.
1. First you need your O’level Certificate.
This means that you must finish your secondary school education and obtain your Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), the National Examination Council (NECO) certificate, or the General Certificate Examination (GCE) before you can be admitted to study mechanical engineering. The combination of subjects required are; Use of English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and any other science subject, we will recommend Biology, Further Mathematics, or Technical Drawing. You must get at least a credit in all of these subjects.
2. UTME Entry
Obtaining credit in the above five subjects qualifies you to write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). You will be required to get a high score in the Use of English, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. Your aggregate score in this examination must be above the cut-off mark required for admission into mechanical engineering in any institution in Nigeria.
For a direct entry, the candidate will be admitted into the 200 level or 300 level and such a candidate must meet the following requirements;
1. Two A’Level passes in two subjects including Mathematics, Physics, or Chemistry.
2. OND with upper credit.
3. NCE Technical and HND with a minimum of lower credit in Mechanical Engineering from any recognized Higher Institution.
4. HND with upper credit and a first degree in fields related to Mechanical Engineering.
All these requirements must be added to the UTME requirements mentioned above.
How long does it take to study Mechanical Engineering in Nigeria?
It takes five years to obtain a B. Eng (Hon) in Mechanical Engineering. That’s how long the degree program will take. In your 200 level, you will be required to undergo a Student Work Experience Programme that will take three months to complete.
For a Masters’ degree in mechanical engineering, you will need an additional one or two years.
Best Universities to study Mechanical Engineering in Nigeria
Below is a list of Universities to study Mechanical Engineering in Nigeria.
- Afe Babalola University
- Akwa Ibom State University
- Abia State University
- Ahmedu Bello University
- Bauchi State University
- Bayero University
- Covenant University
- Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun
- Federal University of Technology, Akure
- Gregory University
What Career opportunities are available in Mechanical Engineering?
Apart from the fact that highly skilled Mechanical Engineers are in high demand in Nigeria, a Mechanical Engineer has the potential of being among the most highly-paid people in Nigeria.
Mechanical engineers research, design, develop, build, and test mechanical and thermal devices, including tools, engines, and machines.
Mechanical engineers typically do the following:
- Analyze problems to see how mechanical and thermal devices might help solve the problem.
- Design or redesign mechanical and thermal devices using analysis and computer-aided design.
- Develop and test prototypes of devices they design.
- Analyze the test results and change the design as needed.
- Oversee the manufacturing process for the device.
- Manage a team of professionals in specialized fields like mechanical drafting and designing, prototyping, 3D printing, or/and CNC Machines specialists.
- Mechanical engineers plan and manage the production of a wide variety of goods, from new batteries to medical gadgets. Additionally, they create power-consuming devices like air-conditioning and refrigeration systems in addition to power-producing devices like steam and gas turbines, internal combustion engines, and electric generators.
- Mechanical engineers use computers, like all other engineers, to generate and evaluate designs, run simulations, and test how a machine would likely operate.
Subdisciplines
The field of mechanical engineering can be thought of as a collection of many mechanical engineering science disciplines. Several of these subdisciplines which are typically taught at the undergraduate level are listed below, with a brief explanation and the most common application of each. Some of these subdisciplines are unique to mechanical engineering, while others are a combination of mechanical engineering and one or more other disciplines. Most work that a mechanical engineer does uses skills and techniques from several of these subdisciplines, as well as specialized subdisciplines. Specialized subdisciplines, as used in this article, are more likely to be the subject of graduate studies or on-the-job training than undergraduate research. Several specialized subdisciplines are discussed in this section.
Mechanics
In its broadest sense, mechanics is the study of forces and how they interact with matter. Engineering mechanics is typically used to study and forecast an object’s acceleration and deformation (both elastic and plastic) under known pressures or stresses. Statics is a mechanics subfield that studies the effects of forces on stationary objects under known loads.
Dynamics is the study of the effects of forces on moving objects. Kinematics, which deals with motion, velocity, and acceleration, and kinetics, which deals with forces and their accelerations, are both parts of dynamics.
Materials mechanics is the study of how diverse materials deform in response to various types of stress. The science of fluid mechanics examines how fluids respond to forces.
Kinematics is the study of how bodies (things) move and how systems (groups of objects) move, but it doesn’t take into account the forces that propel the motion. In the creation and evaluation of mechanisms, kinematics is frequently used.
A mechanics application technique known as continuum mechanics operates under the presumption that objects are continuous rather than discrete.
Mechanics are frequently used by mechanical engineers throughout the design or analysis phases of an engineering project. If the engineering project involved designing a car, statics might be used to build the car’s structure to determine where the stresses will be the greatest. When constructing the car’s engine, dynamics may be utilized to assess the forces acting on the pistons and cams throughout engine cycles. To select suitable materials for the structure and engine, material mechanics may be used. A vehicle’s ventilation system (see HVAC) or the engine’s intake system may be designed using fluid mechanics.
Mechatronics and robotics
Combining mechanics with electronics is known as mechatronics. The integration of electrical and mechanical engineering to produce hybrid automation systems is the focus of this multidisciplinary discipline of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and software engineering. Servo mechanisms, electric motors, and other electrical systems can all be used to automate machines in this fashion, together with specialized software. A CD-ROM drive is a typical illustration of a mechatronics system. While an optical system reads the data on the CD and transforms it into bits, mechanical systems open and close the drive, spin the CD, and move the laser. The procedure is managed by integrated software, which also informs the computer of the CD’s contents.
Robotics is the use of mechatronics to build machines that are frequently utilized in industry to carry out unpleasant, risky, or repetitive activities. These machines could be of any size and design, but they all have pre-programmed interactions with the actual environment. An engineer often uses kinematics (to establish the robot’s range of motion) and mechanics (to establish the stresses within the robot) when building a robot.
Engineering for industrial automation makes considerable use of robots. They enable firms to reduce labor costs, complete activities that are either too risky or too exact for people to efficiently complete, and guarantee higher quality. Particularly in the automotive industry, many businesses use robot assembly lines, and some facilities are so automated that they can function on their own. Robots have been used outside of the workplace in a variety of sectors, including space exploration and bomb disposal. Robots are also offered for purchase for a range of home and recreational uses.
Structural analysis
The area of mechanical engineering known as structural analysis (which also includes civil engineering) is focused on figuring out why and how things break down so that they can be fixed and perform better. Static failure and fatigue failure are the two main types of structural failure. Depending on the criteria for failure, static structural failure happens when an object is loaded (has a force applied) and either breaks or deforms plastically. When an object fails as a result of repeated loading and unloading, it has experienced fatigue failure. The reason for fatigue failure is that the thing has flaws. For example, a small crack on the object’s surface will propagate (expand) a little bit every cycle until it is big enough to lead to final failure.
Failure, however, is defined as when a part does not function as planned and goes beyond merely being broken. The perforated top parts of some plastic bags are one system that is made to fail. Failure analysis could be used to identify the root cause of these systems don’t malfunction.
Mechanical engineers frequently utilize structural analysis to design for failure prevention or after a failure has happened. Engineers frequently consult online articles and publications, like those written by ASM, to help them identify the type of failure and its reasons.
Thermodynamics and thermo-science
Physical testing is frequently carried out to validate estimated results after theory has been applied to a mechanical design. Structural analysis may be utilized in the office for part design, in the field for part failure analysis, or in labs for controlled failure testing of components.
Mechanical and chemical engineering are two areas of engineering that apply the applied science of thermodynamics. The study of energy, its usage, and its change through a system is the essence of thermodynamics. Engineering thermodynamics often focuses on converting energy from one form to another. As an illustration, the chemical energy (enthalpy) from fuel in vehicle engines is converted to heat, then to mechanical work that eventually turns the wheels.
Mechanical engineers use thermodynamics concepts in the areas of energy conversion, thermofluids, and heat transfer. Designing heat exchangers, heat sinks, radiators, refrigeration, insulation, and other HVAC components using thermodynamic principles is a specialty of mechanical engineers.
Design and drafting
Mechanical engineers construct items and production instructions using drafting, often known as technical drawing. A technical design can be a computer model or a hand-drawn schematic that includes assembly instructions, a list of the materials needed, and all the dimensions required to create a product. The term “drafter” or “draftsman” may be used to describe an American mechanical engineer or skilled worker who produces technical drawings. Historically, drafting has only been done in two dimensions, but computer-aided design (CAD) software now enables the designer to work in three dimensions.
Manually, through programmed instructions, or with the aid of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) or CAD/CAM application, instructions for creating a part must be fed to the relevant machinery. Engineers have the option of handcrafting components utilizing the technical drawings as well. However, the development of computer numerically controlled (CNC) production has made it possible to produce parts without the constant input of a professional. Spray coatings, surface finishes, and other operations that cannot be done by a machine economically or practically make up the majority of manually made parts.
Nearly all areas of mechanical engineering, as well as many other disciplines of engineering and architecture, use drafting. CAD software-produced three-dimensional models are frequently employed in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA).
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