Mechanical engineering and fluid mechanics, thermodynamics

[Shaun_W]

I'm curious as to roughly how many mechanical engineering graduates have found jobs where they utilise the knowledge they gained in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and heat transfer as part of their university degrees.

Reason I'm curious is because, from my class, I'm not actively aware of anyone having being involved with the above in their jobs after graduation. As topics, they were a substantial part of our degrees, and I quite enjoyed them too. However, my observation is involvement with the fluids and thermodynamics side of things seems to be limited to chemical engineering graduates...

Perhaps it's just the industry we're in (we virtually all went into the oil & gas industry), hence why I'm asking Physics Forums in order to get a much broader view.

 

[boneh3ad]

Many get involved in fields related to those topic, including in oil and has.

 

[billy_joule]

Most electricity is produced by heat engines - A massive number of mechanical engineers work in power generation.

 

[Shaun_W]

Many get involved in fields related to those topic, including in oil and has.

I'm in that industry and from what I have seen it is also exclusively chemical engineering graduates that get to use fluids and thermodynamics.

Most electricity is produced by heat engines - A massive number of mechanical engineers work in power generation.

Thanks, I kind of forgot about that, but do they actually do the thermodynamics calculations?

 

[boneh3ad]

I'm in that industry and from what I have seen it is also exclusively chemical engineering graduates that get to use fluids and thermodynamics.

I used to work for an O&G company and did some fluids work regarding flows through permeable media while there as a mechanical engineer.

There are also countless other industries available with mechanical engineers filling thermofluids roles. The automotive industry, for example, where they do vehicle aerodynamics and any number of fluids, combustion, heat transfer and thermodynamics tasks involved with the engine.

 

[billy_joule]

Thanks, I kind of forgot about that, but do they actually do the thermodynamics calculations?

Someone has to do them and I certainly hope it's not the receptionist!

I did an internship at a coal and gas power station. There were about 15 Mech Engineers, 15 electrical and not a single chemical engineer.

 

[Shaun_W]

I used to work for an O&G company and did some fluids work regarding flows through permeable media while there as a mechanical engineer.

Was that in downhole tools/equipment?

Someone has to do them and I certainly hope it's not the receptionist!

I did an internship at a coal and gas power station. There were about 15 Mech Engineers, 15 electrical and not a single chemical engineer.

Ah, okay, was just wondering if they drafted in specialists to do it.

 

[boneh3ad]

Was that in downhole tools/equipment?

Well I worked in a research center so most of that work was related to studying and developing processes that were being used or would soon be used out in the field, particularly related to fracking and acidizing.

There were also groups looking at the fluid mechanics of things like the drilling mud. There were definitely mechanical engineers in those groups.