Mechanical engineering is based on a variety of mechanics, including thermodynamics, solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, and dynamics, and has a profound impact on the machines and technologies we use in our daily lives. From automobile design to various advanced technologies, mechanical engineering makes our lives easier by increasing efficiency and safety.
“You only sound as good as you know” and ‘you only look as good as you know’ are two phrases we’ve all heard at one time or another. Many people experience these phrases without realizing it, and the depth of their learning expands their view of the world. This is what happened to me when I was studying my major. Studying my major has given me a new way of looking at the world, and I’ve gotten to experience the joy of understanding something along the way. In this article, I’ll try to explain in simple terms the major that gave me this insight: mechanical engineering.
If I had to describe mechanical engineering in one word, the most appropriate word would be ‘mechanics’. The dictionary definition of “mechanics” is the study of the relationships between forces and motion between objects. Based on this definition, we can say that mechanical engineering is a discipline that is deeply concerned with moving objects and the forces that make them move. To understand the foundations of mechanics, we can think of Newton. ‘Newton’ – the man who realized the law of universal gravitation after watching an apple fall from an apple tree. Newton’s anecdote contains a fundamental principle of mechanics. In this anecdote, the object in motion is an apple, and the question of why it falls leads to the discovery of a force called universal gravity. Universal gravitation is the force that attracts all objects to each other, which can be easily understood as gravity. From this discovery, Newton formulated fundamental laws of force and motion, which became the basis of mechanics. This is how mechanics began, and it’s often referred to as “Newtonian mechanics” after Newton.
Mechanical engineering is based on mechanics, which can be divided into four main branches: thermodynamics, solid mechanics, dynamics, and fluid mechanics. This categorization helps us understand the overall structure of mechanical engineering, and it’s easy to illustrate with objects we use in our daily lives, especially cars.
Let’s start with thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is the study of thermal phenomena, that is, the movement and change of heat. The easiest place to see this in a car is in the air conditioner and heater: seemingly simple devices that blow cold air and release warm heat, but there are complex thermodynamic principles behind them. Furthermore, with fuel efficiency becoming an important factor in the current era of high gas prices, how a car efficiently utilizes the thermal energy it gets from fuel is closely related to thermodynamics.
Next, solid mechanics is closely related to body design. In modern vehicle design, it is important to make the body lightweight to increase fuel efficiency. However, a body that is too light can be vulnerable to impact, which can compromise safety. Therefore, solid mechanics enables designs that use lightweight yet strong materials to support loads and ensure occupant safety in the event of a collision.
Fluid dynamics also plays an important role in automotive design. If you look at the design of a car body, it’s usually streamlined to reduce drag. More air resistance means more energy is required for the car to move forward, which adversely affects fuel efficiency. Fluid dynamics analyzes this interaction between air and the vehicle to minimize air resistance and increase the stability of the vehicle.
Dynamics is the study of moving objects and the forces that act on them. When a car turns a corner, some vehicles move steadily, while others do not. This difference comes from differences in dynamics design. Understanding the complex physical forces that occur when a vehicle turns and incorporating them into the design is an important role of dynamics.
As you can see, mechanical engineering is centered around four mechanics: thermodynamics, solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, and dynamics. However, the field of mechanical engineering does not stop there. It is applied in a variety of fields, including bio-robotics in combination with biological systems, biomechanics in combination with medical technology, and acoustics in combination with dynamics. Mechanical engineering is not just about mechanical problems, but it is an important discipline that is closely connected to our daily lives through its integration with various advanced technologies.
