The PhD Course in Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering aims at forming people with a high scientific-technical qualification and wide-ranging skills. PhDs should be able to carry out, as well as lead and manage, research activities in scientific institutions and industrial projects.

The Course is divided into two curricula:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Vehicle Engineering

The areas of investigation cover multiple topics peculiar to mechanical engineering, vehicle engineering and areas of research complementary to these, with both theoretical, experimental and applied connotations in various scientific fields:

• Fluid dynamic: theories and physical properties of fluid dynamics problems in external and internal flows of gases, liquids and complex fluids including both laminar and turbulent conditions. Advanced numerical and experimental methodologies.
• Fluid machines: 0D, 1D and 3D thermofluidodynamic computational modeling, testing and optimization (performance, energy flow management, environmental) of propulsion systems for on-road and off-road vehicles of thermal, thermal/electric hybrid, fuel cell and battery type. Study of lubrication, hydraulic and pneumatic components and systems for wide-ranging industrial applications and off-highway vehicles.
• Industrial technical physics: various applications of thermodynamics, thermokinetics and thermofluid dynamics for the innovation of industrial processes and products, HVAC systems and vehicle components, including thermal control in electrified vehicles, exploitation of renewable energy sources, energy conservation and sustainability of industrial processes.
• Applied machine mechanics: dynamic modeling and control of structural and multibody mechanical systems, vibration mechanics and vibroacoustics, biomechanics, robotics, vehicle dynamics modeling, NVH, mechanical transmissions and hybrid and electric powertrains, fluid-structure interaction.
• Machine engineering: finite element structural calculation with particular interest in the powertrain (combustion, hybrid, electric) and vehicle chassis areas.
• Industrial engineering design and methods: integrated development of product and process, design of mechanical systems and advanced manufacturing systems, including robotic systems, using simulation and virtual prototyping.
• Processing technologies and systems: additive manufacturing from multiple perspectives, including latex structures for automotive and biomedical applications, but also developments of innovative architectures for thermo-structural applications.
• Industrial plants: design and innovation, including logistics systems, studying issues related to project management, development and validation of algorithms for optimization of logistics and production systems, and modeling of problems related to inventory management.
• Metallurgy: chemical, physical, mechanical and technological properties of metals and alloys and their behavior in service, defectology, heat and welding treatments.
• Numerical analysis: solving engineering problems, including aspects such as topological optimization, neural networks.