M- Mechanics

With the skills and knowledge acquired during this Major, the student will be able to understand and master the representation of the reality of mechanical systems (system = particles in interaction, aeronautical structures, geological reservoirs, …) and therefore the hypotheses integrated into models of behaviour prediction and identification. The notion of modelling, and hence abstraction, linked to complex physical problems, is essential in the approach adopted by the engineer.

Mechanical engineering features in a broad sense in all the professions linked to engineering in the fields of transport, energy, health … By combining knowledge acquired during this Major in Mechanical Engineering, with other courses covering the application of engineering and/or technological tools, students will be able to take charge of projects related to – but not limited to – an integrated approach of design / production / control..

With this course students will discover the various facets of mechanical phenomena deployed in engineering or in research. The course is composed of 4 units of 40 hours (see below) at a Masters 2 level. Ideally the teaching will be distributed into blocks of 15 to 21 hours, combining supervised studies and practical machine courses if there are sufficient numbers.

The 4 units making up the Major in Mechanics are built around the project of placing students in a position of being able to comprehend, in a quasi autonomous manner, models representing common mechanical phenomena in order to dimension simple systems.

Whether it concerns mechanics of materials (Unit 1) or structural mechanics (Unit 2) behavioural models must be defined with the right framework and to the right scale. It is this notion of scale which will be dealt with at length in the terms of homogenisation, in order to obtain equivalent behaviour (Unit 3). Finally, the durability of mechanical systems, whether they are in good condition or damaged, is linked to their capacity to withstand static and dynamic loads (Unit 4).

• Basic tools for understanding mechanics – Unit 1 Mechanics of materials
• Behavioural approximations – kinematic approaches and associated solutions – Unit 2 Structural mechanics
• Notions of observation scales and scale transition in mechanics – Unit 3 Equivalent behaviour.
• Limiting behaviour – Unit 4 Limiting and dimensioning behaviour

By combining the teaching content of Mechanics with other engineering and/or technology courses, students will acquire knowledge and skills in design / production / control in several fields of activity. Complementary elements can be found in calculus (Tensor calculus Toolbox) or in fluid mechanics (Advanced fluid mechanics toolbox).

Without seeking to be exhaustive, the concept can be extended to cover, in a broad sense, advanced knowledge in numerical modelling (Advanced numerical modelling and simulation Toolbox, High performance computing Toolbox) and measurement (Experimental methods Toolbox). The design / production link could be ensured by knowledge acquired in the CAD Virtualisation / Materialisation Toolbox.

All this could then be reinforced with certain application fields (Mechanicsand Materials Science for the construction sector Toolbox, Geology for the Civil Engineering Toolbox, Health Engineering Major) or more advanced with key domains (Interdisciplinary specialisation of Eco-design for lightweight and sustainable structures) or by using generic knowledge in mechanics (Interdisciplinary specialisations in Design and Innovation, Intelligent Transportation and Mobility systems and Energy Transition).

The following combinations with other Majors (M) and Interdisciplinary specialisations (IS) could ideally be envisaged :

-M Mechanics + M Materials Science -> IS Eco-design for lightweight and sustainable structures – Profession = DO/R&D in mechanical engineering

- M Mechanics + M Materials Science -> IS Design – Profession = DO construction – energy sectors

- M Mechanical Engineering + M Process Engineering -> IS Energy transition = Design Engineer

- M Mechanical Engineering + M Materials Science -> IS Intelligent Transportation and Mobility systems – Profession = DO Transportation/Infrastructure

- M Mechanical Engineering + M Health Engineering + IS Healthcare – Profession = DO/ Health Engineering consultancy

- M Mechanical Engineering + M Earth Sciences -> IS Energy Transition – Profession = DO construction – energy sectors

M : Major

IS : interdisciplinary specialisation

DO- R&D : Design Office / Research and Development - design/dimensioning/optimisation