The course of PhD in Thermomechanical Systems Engineering has had its management offices at the University of Naples Federico II, whereas the Universities of Salerno and Ancona have been secondary offices. In the University of Naples PhD activities take place in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering for Energetics (DIME) and of Energetics, Thermofluid Dynamics and Environmental Conditioning (DETEC). From 1995 (11th cycle) the PhD course has been co-financed by the European Community (EEC) Social Fund. The PhD course was set up in 1989 (4th cycle), and in the academic year 2002/03 the 16th cycle has been concluded. By the 17th cycle, the PhD course became a part of the new PhD in Mechanical Systems Engineering.
Up to October 2003, about 40 students of the course have obtained the qualification of Philosophy Doctor in Thermomechanical Systems Engineering; many of them are at present university assistant professors.
Aim of the PhD course activities was to form specialists such as to design/project, manage and control industrial and manufacturing plants and the thermomechanical systems which they consist of; particular efforces were made to initiate the students into the field of scientific and technological research.
The great number of links existing between the PhD course and public and private institutions, allowed the students to be appreciated in these institutions yet during their studies. Often during the courses the students performed a stage in the industrial and universitary laboratories of research.
The first year seminars include 6 short half-yearly courses, which provide the students with methodological and theoretical basis to perform researches in the PhD carachteristic fields; subjects of these courses involve numerical analysis, laboratory instruments, thermodynamics and thermokinetics, computer programming, advances in applied mechanics. During the 2nd and 3rd year the students develop a research work in order to work out their PhD thesis.
The lectures are given by Teachers Committee members, or by experts of Italian or foreign research insitutes; there are also other seminars, which take place in different universities with reference to scientific collaborations.
The students are requested to follow the above courses and seminars. Half-yearly, during a seminar, the students relate about their activity and their progress in research.
Yearly the students write a report for the Teachers Committee about their activities; these reports are examined by the Committee, which decides about the promotion to the following year or the decay.
The main research fields explored in the PhD courses are:
For more details (in italian) click here
