Unique to the Automotive Engineering course at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, our students take part in a week-long vehicle testing course at the Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA) proving ground. Helping to gain a more rounded understanding of the subject, students get the opportunity to test their theoretical understanding in a series of practical tests on production vehicles, including: straight-line performance, braking, noise and vibration, and a vehicle aerodynamic study.
Facilities
We offer undergraduate, postgraduate, research students and staff an excellent environment in which to study and work. Our 360° virtual tours below allow you to see inside some of our state-of-the-art laboratories and teaching facilities.
Vehicle testing at MIRA Technology Institute
Major laboratory facilities
Our laboratory facilities include:
Acoustics and Vibration Laboratory
With full anechoic chamber and reverberation room: the building incorporates a specialised suspension system to isolate the facility from external ground vibration.
Aeronautical Propulsion Test Cells
Two test cells for high pressure (up to 8 bar) nozzle experiments, and the running of small-scale gas-turbine engines.
Automotive Powertrains Laboratory
Comprising eight engine test cells and a chassis dynamometer; this includes various optical engines and optical diagnostics equipment, new transient engine dynamometer, CVS sampling and HORIBA emissions analysis equipment. The laboratory is run jointly with the Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering.
Autonomous Systems Laboratory
Including indoor flight test environments with the support of Vicon optical tracking systems, fully instrumented ground vehicles, small scale helicopters, and fixed wing aircraft, and autopilot development environment.
Display and Demonstration area
Adjacent to the main department entrance, this incorporates various hardware exhibits of aeronautical and automotive systems technology, including the full-scale Hawk 200 Aircraft.
Dynamics and Control Laboratory
With new fully instrumented 6-axis flight/car simulator, four-poster vehicle road simulator, and small-scale servo-hydraulics rigs.
Electronics Workshops
Fuel Cells Laboratory
Lift bay
For vehicle set-up and instrumentation
Mechanical Workshops
PC Computer Laboratories
With 79 individual workstations available running a range of specialist engineering software.
Rolls-Royce UTC Laboratory
Comprising four purpose-built test cells for isothermal measurements on complex combustion chamber geometries and other gas-turbine engine components. Instrumentation comprises a range of advanced probe, hot wire and optical instrumentation used for flow-field surveys.
Structures Laboratory
Including facilities for composite structures manufacture, dynamic drop testing and ultrasonic analysis.
Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory
For small-scale manufacture and testing of structures, design and make projects, and dynamics and control undergraduate experiments.
Wind-Tunnel Laboratory
Incorporating a new low-speed aeronautical/automotive tunnel, plus two smaller subsonic tunnels and a smoke visualisation tunnel.
Water tunnel laboratory
With LDA/PIV systems for flow measurement and visualisation.
