study programme

Applied Mechanics

Faculty: FMEAbbreviation: D-IME-CAcad. year: 2025/2026

Type of study programme: Doctoral

Study programme code: P0715D270016

Degree awarded: Ph.D.

Language of instruction: English

Accreditation: 18.2.2020 - 18.2.2030

Mode of study

Combined study

Standard study length

4 years

Programme supervisor

Doctoral Board

Study aims

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.

Graduate profile

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.

Profession characteristics

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.

Fulfilment criteria

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

Study plan creation

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”.

Availability for the disabled

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.

What degree programme types may have preceded

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.

Issued topics of Doctoral Study Program

  1. Development and experimental verification of deformation model of steel strip during continuous heat treatment

    Nowadays it is trend to produce high-grade steels without the need for a large percentage of expensive admixtures such as nickel, chromium, titanium, copper, aluminum, etc. This is achieved by appropriate heat treatment in continuous steel production. During the heat treatment, there is a significant but undesirable deformation of the steel, in which the phase changes (changes in the metallographic grid) occur during this process. The steel deforms during the heat treatment and the resulting product often does not reach the required geometry - most often flatness. Poor flatness causes, among other things, major problems in post-processing such as surface treatment, or causes problems in passing through the conveyor system. The aim of this work is to create a complex model that will describe in detail the processes that occur during continuous heat treatment of steel sheets. This model will allow to better understand the processes that occur here and will help optimize cooling to achieve better flatness of the final sheets. During the work, the measurement and simulation of the heat transfer coefficient during cooling of hot plates, measurement of the impact forces from the cooling nozzles, the study of the coolant flow on the curved surface and its effect on the cooling change are expected.

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

  2. 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.

  3. Optimization of the water nozzle for cooling cylindrical surfaces

    Several years of studies have shown that there are no water nozzles on the market that are optimized for cooling cylindrical surfaces. The goal of the work is to optimize the internal geometry of the water nozzle in order to achieve an effective distribution of water on the cylindrical surface, and thus the most efficient cooling. The optimization will require simulation of single-phase flow inside the nozzle and two-phase flow when the liquid flows in free space (in air). Prototypes will be made for the designed nozzles, which will then be verified using laboratory experiments. The distribution of impact pressure from water falling on a flat surface will be measured using the experimental equipment that the laboratory is equipped with, and thus the correctness of the calculation model will be verified. The effectiveness of the cooling of the cylindrical surface will be verified on an experimental device that the laboratory is also equipped with. During optimization, the use of an industrial tomograph to study the internal structure of the water jet is also assumed.

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

  4. 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.

Course structure diagram with ECTS credits

Study plan wasn't generated yet for this year.