Full-time study

4 years

prof. Ing. Jiří Burša, Ph.D.

Chairman :
prof. Ing. Jiří Burša, Ph.D.
Councillor internal :
prof. Ing. Luboš Náhlík, Ph.D.
prof. Ing. Jindřich Petruška, CSc.
prof. Ing. Miroslav Raudenský, CSc.
doc. Ing. Jaroslav Katolický, Ph.D.
prof. RNDr. Michal Kotoul, DrSc.
prof. Ing. Ivo Dlouhý, CSc.
doc. Ing. Robert Grepl, Ph.D.

The study programme in Applied Mechanics is focused on the preparation of highly qualified experts with the prerequisites for scientific work, mastering modern computational and experimental methods in the field of body mechanics, including specific areas of mechatronics and biomechanics. The aim of the study is to provide students with the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical experience in the field of mechanics corresponding to the topic of doctoral studies. To achieve the set goals and profile, students complete the subjects prescribed by their Individual Study Plan, which creates a theoretical basis for mastering the topic at the highest level. They then prove their practical mastery of the topic by passing the State Doctoral Examination and preparing and defending the Doctoral Dissertation.

Graduates of the doctoral program Applied Mechanics have highly specialized professional knowledge and competencies, especially in modern computational and experimental methods in the field of applied mechanics, or mechatronics or biomechanics, and their use in research and development in technical and medical. At the same time, it has professional adaptability, which gives great chances for employment in research and development, as well as in the field of technical calculations and managerial positions. This is evidenced by graduates working not only in academia and private research, but also in small computer and software companies, including leadership and management positions in design, computing and development departments or sales offices of international companies. With the penetration of computer modelling and support into the field of medicine, the application of biomechanics can be expected not only in this interdisciplinary sphere of research and development, but also in newly emerging positions of computer support in hospitals and clinical workplaces.

The graduate of the doctoral programme in Applied Mechanics has highly specialized professional knowledge, but also professional adaptability, which gives great opportunities for employment in research and development, as well as in the field of technical calculations and managerial positions. This is evidenced by graduates working not only in academia and private research, but also in small computer and software companies, including leadership and management positions in design, computing and development departments or sales offices of international companies. With the penetration of computer modelling and support into the field of medicine, the application of biomechanics can be expected not only in this interdisciplinary sphere of research and development, but also in newly emerging positions of computer support in hospitals and clinical workplaces.

See applicable regulations, DEAN’S GUIDELINE Rules for the organization of studies at FME (supplement to BUT Study and Examination Rules)

The rules and conditions of study programmes are determined by:
BUT STUDY AND EXAMINATION RULES
BUT STUDY PROGRAMME STANDARDS,
STUDY AND EXAMINATION RULES of Brno University of Technology (USING "ECTS"),
DEAN’S GUIDELINE Rules for the organization of studies at FME (supplement to BUT Study and Examination Rules)
DEAN´S GUIDELINE Rules of Procedure of Doctoral Board of FME Study Programmes
Students in doctoral programmes do not follow the credit system. The grades “Passed” and “Failed” are used to grade examinations, doctoral state examination is graded “Passed” or “Failed”.

Brno University of Technology acknowledges the need for equal access to higher education. There is no direct or indirect discrimination during the admission procedure or the study period. Students with specific educational needs (learning disabilities, physical and sensory handicap, chronic somatic diseases, autism spectrum disorders, impaired communication abilities, mental illness) can find help and counselling at Lifelong Learning Institute of Brno University of Technology. This issue is dealt with in detail in Rector's Guideline No. 11/2017 "Applicants and Students with Specific Needs at BUT". Furthermore, in Rector's Guideline No 71/2017 "Accommodation and Social Scholarship“ students can find information on a system of social scholarships.

The doctoral study programme in Applied Mechanics is a continuation of the currently accredited follow-up master's study programme in Applied Mechanics and Biomechanics. However, it focuses more generally on graduates of subsequent master's degree programmes in various fields of mechanics and mechatronics, or mathematical, physical or materials engineering, the graduates of which are able to continue in the third stage of study and obtain the scientific degree of Ph.D. demonstrate the ability of scientific work.

1. Adaptive control and state estimation of dynamic systems using local linear models

   The thesis will deal with research in the field of control and identification of nonlinear dynamic systems using methods based on the idea of local linear models (Lazy Learning, LWR, RFWR). The identificated inverse dynamic model will be used as a feedforward compensator in the structure of a composite regulator. The results of the research will be verified experimentally with real systems available in the Mechatronics laboratory (education models, automotive actuators, etc.) using the Matlab/Simulink computational environment and available hardware resources. Implementation in the form of an electronic control unit with a microcontroller is expected.

   Tutor: Grepl Robert, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

2. Application of artificial intelligence on ductile fracture at various strain rates and temperatures

   The ductile fracture is an up-to-date topic in solving various industrial operations, such as the forging under various temperatures, or failure states as crass tests at high strain rates. The work should utilize a dynamically developing area of the machine learning for the calibration of ductile fracture criteria and eventually for the crack prediction.

   Tutor: Šebek František, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

3. Application of TPMS structures for new types of heat exchangers

   Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS) are porous cell-like structures that can be uniquely defined by a set of trigonometric functions, which by definition share the property of zero mean curvature with a significantly increased surface to volume ratio compared to conventional foam material. These unique properties lead to promising results in several application areas, and one of these areas is the improvement of heat transfer. This has created many opportunities for researchers to explore structures with complex geometries that are otherwise impossible to create using conventional manufacturing techniques. It is necessary to use mathematical descriptions, which must also be adjusted for the needs of creating complex shapes of heat exchangers. Another significant advantage of these structures is their self-supporting structure, which is suitable for additive manufacturing (3D printing) without the need for supports. A combination of modern design methods, unconventional production (3D printing) and also new progressive materials such as plastics with increased conductivity advances the design and actual production of possible exchangers to the present time and opens up further possibilities for investigating the use of the mentioned structures. The company Innomotics, s.r.o., (Siemens Large Drives s.r.o.), has shown interest in modern types of heat exchangers, for example. This company plans to use modern types of heat exchangers to meet the demanding requirements for efficient heat removal from electric motors and their other products.

   Tutor: Kotrbáček Petr, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

4. Autonomous navigation of mobile robot in outdoor open spaces

   Autonomous navigation of mobile robots in an open outdoor environments is on of the challenges in the use of artificial intelligence methods to ensure reliable operation, especially of agricultural machinery with a high degree of autonomy. Autonomous movement of such machine in an environments withoud easily detectable features, such as highly common open fields, forests or other agricultural areas, represents a great challenge for applied artificial intelligence methods. The design of a suitable sensor system, data fusion and decision-making process is the main focus of interest in presented thesis.

   Tutor: Věchet Stanislav, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

5. Basic research on multiphase heat transfer in porous structures

   During heat treatment of metals, surface porous oxide structures are formed. It appears that understanding the heat transfer mechanism across these ostructures is a necessary aspect to ensure quality production of metal products. The student will develop a method for processing images of structures from a tomograph and electron microscope. The student will perform a 3D characterization of the structure and investigate its effect on heat transfer. The research will be conducted as part of the project Multiphase Heat Transfer from Porous Oxide Structures Formed on Metal at High Temperatures, 3/2024-12/2027. The international partners of the project are U.S. Steel and Arizona State University.

   Tutor: Raudenský Miroslav, prof. Ing., CSc.

6. Computational modelling of electromechanical activity of cardiomyocytes in failing hearts

   The aim of this work is to mathematically formulate the changes in membrane ion transport and in excitation-contraction coupling in myocytes of failing hearts and to explore the consequences of these changes for the electromechanical activity of cardiomyocytes by means of computational modelling.

   Tutor: Pásek Michal, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

7. Computational modelling of impact of reduction of membrane t-tubules on electro-mechanical activity of cardiac cells

   The membrane of cardiac cells contains a system of tubules (t-tubules) that enable the spread of electrical excitation from the surface to the interior of the cells and subsequently initiate processes leading to cell contraction. T-tubules, therefore, play a key role in the electromechanical activity of cardiac cells. Chronic heart diseases are accompanied by a loss of t-tubules but a detailed mathematical analysis of the effect of their reduction on cell contractility is still lacking. The aim of this work is to supplement the existing models of cardiac ventricular cells with a mathematical description of cellular mechanical activity and to simulate the effect of pathological reduction or remodelling of t-tubules on this activity.

   Tutor: Pásek Michal, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

8. Computational modelling of the scratch test

   Scratch test is one of the basic tests used to evaluate the adhesion and cohesive characteristics of thin films deposited on substrates. In principle, this is a very simple test consisting of mechanical contact of the test body and the investigated thin-layer-substrate system, whereby a normal force is applied to the tip moving laterally on the surface. In this way, stress and strain fields are created in the "layer-substrate" system, leading to characteristic damage. The aim of the scratch test is to identify the critical normal loading forces at which these damages occur. Most often, the critical forces are related to the beginning of the plastic deformation of the layer, the beginning of the cracking of the layer (cohesive failure) and the beginning of the adhesive failure. By default, the scratch test is evaluated by microscopic observation of residual traces formed on the surface of the film, evaluating / identifying different types of cracks, and the degree and nature of plastic deformation. It is also possible to use records of the instantaneous position of the tip, penetration depth and applied normal, or it is also possible to use a record of friction force. A very effective tool is also the detection and analysis of acoustic emissions generated during the test. Despite the basic simplicity of the test, its correct evaluation, and especially quantification, is a relatively complicated and complex problem, which is primarily related to the large variability of elastic and plastic characteristics of both substrates and thin films. Another important factor is the thickness of the thin layer itself, which can range from tens of nanometers to units of micrometers. The primary goal of this work is to create a computational model (in the FEM system) describing the deformation response of bulk material (metal, glass, ceramics) to scratch stress, which will be validated for several precisely defined materials. Subsequently, the model will be extended to different layer / substrate systems. In the case of thin layers, emphasis will be placed on studying the effect of layer thickness in order to identify scratches in the layer and reveal the substrate. Scratch test simulations will be performed primarily for spherical indenters of different radii, which will generate different stress-strain fields distributed to varying degrees into the substrate. The results of the simulations will be compared with experimental data and will subsequently be used, among other things, also for the optimization of the scratch test and its multi-pass variant, considered as a wear test. The issue of scratch test modeling is closely related to the research activities of the workplace in the field of modeling the naniondentation process. Furthermore, cooperation is ensured with a department that experimentally deals with local mechanical testing on the border of the nano / micro area (Institute of Physics of the Academy of Science of the CR, Olomouc department).

   Tutor: Fuis Vladimír, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

9. Design of new spraying bars

   Spraying a hot surface with a water jet is a technological process very often used mainly in steel mills, the aim of which can be either the removal of unwanted scale layers on the steel surface, or the cooling of the surface. This process is very energy intensive and optimization can achieve the maximum effect with the minimum possible energy consumption. The properties of hydraulic sprays are influenced by a number of parameters. The task of the doctoral student will be to clarify and describe in detail the mechanisms describing the action of the water jet on the basis of a numerical model and experimental research. The spray parameters can then be optimized with regard to its efficiency and energy consumption.

   Tutor: Kotrbáček Petr, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

10. Development of adaptronic system based on metamaterial structure

    Adaptronic systems integrate sensing and actuation elements into the mechanical design, which enable a control of the mechanical response of such system. The development of additive manufacturing technologies enables to create new functional structural materials that can integrate piezoelectric elements for sensing and actuation functionality. The developed adaptronic system will make it possible to electrically change the mechanical properties of a structure. The developed multi-material structure will represent metamaterial lattice and the structure will be developed with the aim of maximizing the response change in electro-mechanical properties of a structure.

    Tutor: Hadaš Zdeněk, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

11. Development of spray systems for target applications using machine learning on internal database

    The Multiphase Fluid Mechanics Laboratory at FME has produced a significant amount of high quality image and numerical results on the behavior of various spray systems over the past decade. Currently, the department is working on several topics, most notably the development of spray systems for 1) nanoparticle surface applications and 2) CO2 capture. The goal of this work is to use this data, sort it, and process it in a way that is useful for the application of machine learning methods. Existing and new machine learning models will be used and developed to subsequently extract new insights into multiphase dispersive systems from existing and newly acquired data. These will enable the development and optimization of spray systems for both topics mentioned above. The topic of this thesis is multidisciplinary. It has full technical and material support, especially laboratory equipment, techniques and materials for experiments. Partial financial support of the student from the project is assumed. The topic is related to an existing or submitted research project. Several months internship at a foreign institution with the intention of strengthening international cooperation, participation in technical seminars and presentations at conferences are foreseen. The supervisor will be contacted by the applicant prior to admission to discuss the details of the study.

    Tutor: Jedelský Jan, prof. Ing., Ph.D.

12. Fatigue crack propagation across a bi-material interface created by laser cladding

    Laser cladding is a modern technology leading to the connection of metal materials of different properties. It is used for components with a requirement for special properties of the surface layer. However, cracks can initiate in these layers during operation, which can propagate to the substrate material. Crack propagation across the interface will be studied experimentally as well as theoretically using numerical modeling.

    Tutor: Klusák Jan, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

13. Heat transfer from the interaction of external fluid flow with porous structures

    Exposure of metals to the ambient atmosphere results in the formation of metal oxides on their surface. This process is further enhanced at elevated temperatures, and the resulting microstructure is a porous structure filled with voids of varying sizes and shapes. Metal oxides are inevitable in many metallurgical processes. Knowledge of the thermal behavior of such a porous material is therefore essential. The student will develop a strategy to process CT images of the porous material into a 3D geometry suitable for modeling of physical phenomena using FVM. The student will develop a multiphase CFD model to investigate how the external fluid flow interacts with the porous structure. The numerical results will be supported by experimental investigations by his colleagues using their heat transfer measurement metric.

    Tutor: Boháček Jan, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

14. Heat treatment of 3D printed metal parts for aerospace

    Heat treatment of metal parts produced by additive manufacturing (3D printing) is an integral part of this production. The heat treatment of these parts is absolutely necessary to achieve a higher quality of the final product, which leads to an increase in its added value, which is crucial for the practice. The student will have the opportunity to participate in research on the heat treatment process of super alloys such as Titan and Inconel, intended for demanding conditions and in the field of aviation and cosmonautics (space industry). This topic is addressed in the framework of cooperation between organisations and companies such as ESA, Thales, AVIO and is currently being addressed in the ongoing NCK2 project.

    Tutor: Kotrbáček Petr, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

15. Characteristics of dynamic vapor layer development during the cooling of hot steel surfaces

    This project deals with the experimental study of vapor layer development during the interaction of water flows on moving hot surface. Laminar cooling is tricky due to the existence of various boiling regimes. The lowest cooling intensity is in film boiling, where the water is isolated from the surface by a layer of steam. Layer thickness decreases as the surface temperature decreases until the layer is broken and rapid increase in cooling intensity follows (transient boiling). The rewetting temperature is dependent on the dynamics of the water flow on the surface. It is higher in the region under the water stream than between. This leads to local overcooling and undesirable heterogeneity in material properties. The water streams from the surrounding jets interact in the areas between the streams and influence the heat transfer mechanism. Articles deal with laminar cooling, mainly for cooling on a stationary surface, which is different to real-life applications. The heat transfer and fluid flow laboratory is equipped to study steam layers on surfaces through experimental research and simulations.

    Tutor: Hnízdil Milan, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

16. Machine learning methods for walking control of mobile robot in outdoor spaces

    Walking robots, especially quadrupeds or humanoids, are coming to the fore in the field of machine learning methods application for the development of adaptive walking methods with respect to environmental constrains. The design of robust walking control with the possibility of real-time adaptation to the surrounding conditions and terrain profile is the main topic of this thesis.

    Tutor: Věchet Stanislav, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

17. Metamaterial structures for morphing applications

    The development of additive manufacturing technologies allows to create functional structural metamaterials and integrate elements of smart materials into these printable structures. It includes mainly smart material types like shape memory alloys and piezoelectrics, which within the framework of the developed structure can change shape and sense this morphing operation. These metamaterial structures will find application both in aeronautics and in robotics applications.

    Tutor: Hadaš Zdeněk, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

18. Methods of artificial inteligence in optimization of heat exchangers

    Our research has shown that semi-empirical formulas from years of proven manuals and handbooks cannot be used in the new case of design of shape-complex heat exchangers from materials produced by innovative processes. The design procedure must be supplemented with sophisticated 3D models of flow and heat transfer. The student will use the open-source OpenFOAM® software on the machines of the national supercomputer network for CFD calculations of various heat exchangers. He will use the data from his calculations to create surrogate models that will use artificial intelligence.

    Tutor: Boháček Jan, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

19. Multidisciplinary development of material structures for biomechanical applications

    The current development of smart materials and manufacturing technologies, including additive manufacturing, enables the design of new structures and development procedures for engineering applications. In the combination of individual multidisciplinary systems, new material structures can be created for biomechanical applications. Emphasis of this thesis is focused on the sensing functionalities of biomechanical applications, which follow the technologies of the patient digital twin and telemedicine applications.

    Tutor: Hadaš Zdeněk, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

20. Optimization of energy harvesting device based on vortex induced vibrations

    Energy harvesting from vortex induced vibrations (VIV) is a promising option for power generation for pressure, flow, vibration or water quality sensors with the aim of digitizing the water network. The aim of this dissertation is to design and optimize such a device to ensure maximum operating range under flow rate variations and the highest possible efficiency of kinetic energy conversionunsetady to electrical energy. The research will be carried out in a broad international collaboration within the Horizon Europe project and will rely on computational modelling of unsteady flow and intensive exp. research in the hydraulic laboratory. Topic is suitable both with focus on fluid mechanics and dynamics (vortex induced vibrations, computational and experimental modeling, vibrations) and mechatronics (electrical generator, control).

    Tutor: Rudolf Pavel, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

21. Phase changes during thermal processes in micro-channels: Challenges and their solutions

    Polymer heat exchangers with micro-channels are a competitive alternative to conventional metal devices. In addition to lower weight, they also offer a significantly lower carbon footprint. Heat transfer through polymer exchangers can be advantageously intensified by using the phase change of the working medium. The student will examine in detail the processes of phase changes in polymer micro-channels and their influence on heat transfer. He will identify limits and solve technical problems in implementing the system in a real application.

    Tutor: Boháček Jan, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

22. Polymer heat exchange surfaces for applications in vehicles

    To ensure reliable operation of heat exchangers made of polymer tubes, it is necessary to ensure low permeability of their walls. This can be achieved by using suitable surface treatments. Surfaces modified in this way can be advantageously used in vehicles, thanks to their low weight. The student will deal with the development and application of innovative surface treatments on polymer micro-channels, including plasma processing and chemical modification, and their effect on reducing the diffusion of working fluids through the exchanger walls.

    Tutor: Boháček Jan, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

23. Predictive maintenance for custom production machines

    Predictive maintenance combines the processing of large quantities of measured data with machine and plant process models to obtain accurate wear data for machine parts and potentially achieve significant economic savings. Currently, it is an intensively used, applied and researched topic of science and research. The topic of the thesis is related to a specific MPO project.

    Tutor: Grepl Robert, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

24. Special testing specimens for gigacycle fatigue tests

    Gigacycle fatigue tests of materiala are a modern method that loads material samples with an ultrasonic frequency of 20 kHz. Thus, it is possible to reach several billion cycles in a short time. These tests are quick and therefore relatively cheap. A specific feature of ultrasonic tests is the fact that the test samples must be tuned to their natural vibration frequency of 20 kHz. The goal of the study will be the design and testing of special sample shapes for tension-compression, tension-tension, tension-torsion, etc. tests.

    Tutor: Klusák Jan, doc. Ing., Ph.D.

25. Structural integrity of additively manufactured polymer materials

    While additive manufacturing of polymers, has become increasingly popular for design studies, rapid prototyping and the production of noncritical spare parts, its application in structurally loaded components is still scarce. One of the reasons for this might be skepticism of engineers due to the lack of knowledge regarding the expected lifetime and reliability as well as knowledge to failure mechanisms. Therefore presented work will be focused on fatigue damage of additively manufactured polymer materials, experimental testing of such materials as well as on numerical modeling of fatigue damage and fatigue crack propagation. This work will be solved in close cooperation with PCCL- Polymer Competence Center in Leoben.

    Tutor: Hutař Pavel, prof. Ing., Ph.D.

26. Study of deformation processes at the micro level

    Current cutting-edge applications such as the aerospace industry or medical technologies require materials, that are able to sustain severe conditions of mechanical, thermal and chemical loading. These materials have to be suitable for new types of fabrication methods such as additive manufacturing. Very often, new materials need to be specifically designed and produced for a particular application. For such development, it is necessary to exactly know the material‘s properties at a microscopic level. Nanoindentation is a very suitable method for the analysis of deformation processes at the micro level as it allows to study of such phenomena inside the volume of a few micrometers. One limitation of this method is the complex stress state introduced by the indenter tip, which complicates the resulting analysis. Therefore, it is necessary to complement this method with numerical simulations, that provide information about the stress state inside the analyzed volume. A unique combination of experiments and numerical simulations allows analyzing deformation processes at the micro level and also verification of materials models for numerical simulations, that can be consequently applied on larger scales. During this project, student will focus on the study of deformation processes at the micro level using the combination of nanoindentation experiments and numerical simulations based on the finite element method and advanced theories of plasticity.

    Tutor: Šiška Filip, Ing., Dr.

27. Transport of inhaled aerosols in models of human lungs

    The mechanics of the flow of inhaled particles in successively branching channels find applications in various fields. Specifically, within respiratory airways, there are dual applications: protecting the lungs from harmful particles (nano-particles, asbestos fibers, or bioaerosols) and transporting medications for inhalation therapy. This work is interdisciplinary, requiring the integration of knowledge from mechanical engineering, chemistry, mathematics, biology, and pharmacy. The objective is to develop precise models for calculating the transport, particularly the delivered quantity of particles to specific areas of the lungs. Collaboration with international institutions is anticipated, such as the University of Delaware, Centre for Energy Research in Budapest, and others.

    Tutor: Lízal František, doc. Ing., Ph.D.