This Centre, headed by Andrew Day has brought together a team of experts in the School of Engineering, Design, & Technology with a broad range of knowledge and experience in Mechanical and Automotive Engineering and a track record of industrial collaboration covering over 20 years.
We have a strong track record of successful industry partnerships with major companies including Jaguar LandRover, Cummins, and Ford. We help Manufacturing Industry and other organisations improve designs, systems, products, and processes to enhance their competitiveness and sustainability, focussing particularly on efficiency improvements and CO2 reduction in the road transport sector.
The Centre's 3 main areas of operation are:
Hybrid and Powertrain Engineering Research (HyPER-C),
Engineering Quality Improvement (BEQIC),
Advanced Engineering Systems Optimisation (AESOp).
In 2010 we completed phase 2 of an extensive investment programme to provide a unique set of world class experimental facilities with associated instrumentality, Design, Modelling, Simulation, and Manufacturing.
Since 2010 the Automotive Research Centre has started 2 major industrial collaborations; a partnership with Cummins Turbo Technologies of Huddersfield, and a Technology Strategy Board funded consortium project led by Ford and Jaguar LandRover with 6 other industry partners and 2 university partners. In addition Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) have started with BAE Systems and Jaguar LandRover, who are also sponsoring a CASE PhD studentship. These projects include advanced turbocharger technology and design, CO2 reduction by emissions optimisation, high value manufacturing, and brake design, and have a combined grant value of £1.3m.
Recent news from VALX, another industrial collaborator with whom Andrew Day was seconded to work on brake design during 2008-09 with financial support from the Royal Academy of Engineering, has confirmed that VALX has now also gained European type '0' approval for commercial vehicles fitted with both disc and drum-brakes. The VALX axles with the brakes which Andrew helped design now comply with all European Type Approval requirements for semi-trailers with different axle configurations.
Green belt and Black Belt 6 Sigma Technical Accredited Scheme (TAS) has been launched in conjunction with Jaguar Land Roverwith the first course - Green Belt starting 26th September 2011.
Bradford University BEQIC will be directing these Automotive Quality courses for Jaguar Land Rover. There will be short courses to train staff up to the Green Belt standard in Six Sigma, and for those who wich to progress further to Black Belt there will be 4 modular courses leading to a 9 - 12 month dissertation to achieve the Black Belt standard.
Group Leader: Professor I.M. Mujtaba
Mechanical & Process Engineering (MPE) Research Group focuses on fundamental and applied research in the area of Mechanical, Chemical and Process Engineering. Academic staff in this research group is organized into sub-research groups that reflect their specific areas of research interest and activity. The members work collaboratively with colleagues across the sub-groups, the school and the University. At the applied level research the group (and sub-groups) works closely with industrial partners. Expertise in the group informs teaching for the different taught programmes where the students are taught in a research-led environment.
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Automotive and Competitive Design |
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Automotive and Competitive Design
The group works closely with industry on a range of projects including competitive development of many complex devices, such as turbochargers, active filtration systems and control devices that are used in modern high-tech production.
Members: Professor AJ Day, Professor AS Wood, Professor F. Campean, Dr. P. Olley, Dr. H. Qi, Dr. Jian-Ping Li, Dr. K. Hussain
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Chemical & Process Engineering |
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Computer Aided Process Engineering is a leading-edge research topic in chemical engineering. We strongly encourage national and international collaboration on short and long term projects on the development and use of computational tools in all aspects of process engineering activities. Our current research focuses on modelling, optimisation & control of processes such as desalination, refinery (hydrotreating &, heat exchanger network), distillation, chemical reactor, solvent extraction, and polymerisation.
Members: Professor IM Mujtaba, Professor AS Wood, Professor M Ebrahimi, Dr. CS Wright, Dr. C. Kara-Zaitri, Dr. Jian-Ping Li
Dynamics and Control
Dynamics and control of powertrains and drivelines of mechatronic systems with specialization in mathematical modelling, identification and validation using short distance telemetry and condition monitoring for energy recovery. Current activities include: Turbocharger blade tip timing, powertrain testing and calibration, model based electric vehicle control.
Members: Professor M Ebrahimi, Dr. Jian-Ping Li, Dr. B. Mason
Manufacturing & Materials
Manufacturing and Materials group is researching into the broad system’s aspect of manufacturing: strategy, planning, control, maintenance, supply chain, process improvement and scheduling through the use of AI tools (Knowledge-Based systems, Expert Systems, Artificial Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms), with particular emphasis in the automotive manufacturing environment. The materials aspect of the research group focuses on powder metallurgy processing of ferrous-based materials with specific interests in optimising material compositions to enhance processibility, microstructure and end-use properties.
Members: Dr.M.K. Khan, Dr. J.E. Munive, Dr. C.S. Wright, Dr. H. Qi, Mr. J.D. Philby
Risk and Reliability Modelling
This research sub-group explores new methods for modeling complex risk and reliability applications in large installations in the Nuclear, Military and Aerospace industries. New models are being developed to determine Minimal Cut Sets of complex Fault Trees and extended further to handle advanced Markov Modeling with particular application to Protective Systems - to properly account for different failure, repair and testing regimes. The research has already yielded a hardware-oriented solution (as opposed to software-oriented solution), using Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC) and Programmable Logic Device (PLD) simulation software to store and analyse the failure logic of large and complex systems.
Members: Dr. C. Kara-Zaitri, Professor IM Mujtaba, Dr. S.M.R. Jones, Dr. J.M. Noras
Advanced Engineering Systems Optimisation
The aim of this group is to improve the design process and designed products by effectively exploiting the combination of computational modelling and optimisation algorithms and tools to support and enhance the creativity and decision-making of engineering designers.
Members: Professor AS Wood, Professor F. Campean, Dr. Jian-Ping Li, Professor IM Mujtaba
