Explore a range of mechanical engineering research internships to complete as part of your degree during the semester break.
The following internships listed are due to take place across the Summer break.
Applications open 15 September and close at midnight on 4 October 2026.
Supervisor: A/Prof Agisilaos Kourmatzis
Eligibility: Minimum HWAM 75, skills in one or more of ANSYS Fluent, Solidworks, Python, or Matlab coding
Project Description:
If humans go to space, they still need to breathe. 15-30% of humanity has some form of respiratory problem, how will this be affected in low gravity? There are two coupled problems: (i) what happens if we breathe in jagged, porous, irregular “regolith” aerosols under low/zero g (these get stuck on EVA suits), and (ii) how do respiratory therapies work under low G. Lunar and Martian regoliths possess extreme angularity, heterogeneous porosity, and non-classical drag behaviour, and when combined with low or zero gravity, core assumptions embedded in current inhaled particle deposition models fail. Closely coupled to this issue is that current inhaled therapies rely on earth-centric assumptions about plume breakup and device orientation that deviate substantially in a low G environment. The successful intern will work in one or both of experimental and computational fluid dynamics methods to better unpack this problem.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisor: A/Prof Agisilaos Kourmatzis
Eligibility: Minimum HWAM 75, skills in one or more of ANSYS Fluent, Solidworks, Python, or Matlab coding, experience in 3D printing desirable.
Project Description:
Metamaterials are complex engineered materials which are design to achieve specific unique properties. We are working with New York University on a project aimed to design metamaterial structures to achieve outcomes such as vastly improved heat transfer (particularly for AI infrastructure applications) as well as design of internal flow channel geometries to achieve desired changes in pressure drop and a degree of flow control. This is a highly fundamental project at the nexus between materials science and fluid mechanics.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisor: A/Prof Agisilaos Kourmatzis
Eligibility: Minimum HWAM 75, Must be willing to sign IP deed poll and maintain confidentiality, skills in one or more of ANSYS Fluent, Solidworks, Python, or Matlab coding
Project Description:
One of the greatest challenges in developing a new drug delivery device for oral or nasal drug inhalation products is that results obtained in the lab rarely correlate with what happens in a clinical trial. Unlike tablets, aerosols are highly complex, turbulent, and flow differently in different individuals. We have developed a technology known as the “OptoSleeve” which is being turned into a patient dose monitor to offer a real-time measurement of aerosol dynamics, during a clinical trial. The successful intern will work on design variants of this device and/or run computational fluid dynamics simulations to support understanding the limitations of the design. As this involves University IP which is under license to a spin-out, you must be willing to sign a deed poll prior to beginning work on this project.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisor: A/Prof Nicholas Williamson
Eligibility: Some experience with numerical methods and an interest in fluid mechanics
Project Description:
Three project options are available. All are associated with ongoing research projects and involve some programming, running of simulations on high performance computers, data processing and analysis. The program will involve implementing new models within our existing Navier-Stokes solvers or implementing new post-processing code to extract relevant data.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisor: Dr. Shuying Wu
Eligibility: Willingness to undertake hands-on laboratory work and practical experimentation.
Project Description:
Fiber-reinforced polymer composites are essential structural materials in aerospace, automotive and renewable-energy applications because they combine low weight with excellent mechanical performance. However, their relatively poor ability to dissipate mechanical energy makes them susceptible to persistent vibration under service conditions, which can promote fatigue damage, compromise structural integrity and shorten component lifetime. Developing lightweight composites with intrinsically enhanced vibration suppression therefore remains an important materials challenge.
This project will establish a new strategy for imparting high damping capability to FRP composites through the incorporation of complementary piezoelectric and electrically conductive micro/nanofillers. Rather than relying on conventional external piezoelectric shunt-damping components, the proposed concept embeds the underlying electromechanical energy-conversion and dissipation mechanisms directly within the composite structure. The project will uncover the fundamental relationships between filler architecture, piezoelectric energy conversion, electrical dissipation and macroscopic damping behaviour. The resulting knowledge will provide new design principles for lightweight structural composites that combine high mechanical performance with effective vibration attenuation, ultimately enabling more durable and reliable structures across aerospace, transport, renewable-energy and other advanced engineering applications.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisor: Dr Shuying Wu
Eligibility: Willingness to undertake hands-on laboratory work and practical experimentation.
Project Description:
This project aims to develop soft wearable sensors using flexible and stretchable polymer nanocomposites for continuous monitoring of human movement and physiological signals. Elastic polymers will be combined with functional nanomaterials, such as conductive and piezoelectric fillers, to create durable sensors capable of detecting strain, pressure and bending. The student will investigate material formulation, device fabrication and sensor characterisation, with emphasis on sensitivity, reliability, repeatability and performance under cyclic deformation. The project will provide practical experience in polymer nanocomposites, flexible electronics, printing and sensor fabrication, while advancing conformable sensing technologies that can maintain close contact with curved and dynamically moving surfaces such as the human body.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisors: Prof. Xiaozhou Liao and Mr. Ruiqing Lu
Eligibility: WAM > 80
Project Description:
Understanding the atomic-scale deformation of ultrasmall metallic nanograins is critical for predicting their mechanical behaviour and enabling future nanoscale applications. Because of their exceptionally high surface-to-volume ratio, nanograins often deform differently from bulk materials. Despite extensive research, the mechanisms governing deformation in ultrasmall nanograins are not yet fully understood. This project will use molecular dynamics simulations to study the tensile deformation and fracture of face-centred cubic (FCC) metallic nanograins, focusing on spontaneous fracture-surface relaxation, reconstruction, and atomistic pathways. The project will also assess the potential of consumer-grade computing hardware for atomistic materials research while providing students with hands-on experience in computational materials science and molecular dynamics.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes*dependant on government's health advice.
Supervisor: Yingqian Liao
Eligibility: WAM≥75 and Undergraduate candidates must have already completed at least 96 credit points towards their undergraduate degree at the time of application.
Project Description:
Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are an alternative to conventional horizontal-axis wind turbines, with blades rotating about an axis perpendicular to the incoming wind. Their potential advantages include operation independent of wind direction, a lower centre of gravity, offering simplified installation and maintenance for offshore and other emerging wind-energy applications. However, VAWTs experience strongly cyclic aerodynamic loading. As each blade revolves around the rotor, its relative inflow and angle of attack vary continuously, causing fluctuations in aerodynamic forces and structural loads that can contribute to fatigue damage and reduce turbine lifetime. This project will investigate control strategies to mitigate these cyclic loads while maintaining efficient power generation. The student will model a VAWT using OWENS, a Julia-based simulation framework, analyse its aerodynamic and structural responses, and implement and evaluate different control approaches. Optimal control techniques may also be explored to investigate the trade-off between load reduction and power generation.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisor: Dr. Ashley Roach
Eligibility: WAM≥75 and Undergraduate candidates must have already completed at least 96 credit points towards their undergraduate degree at the time of application.
Project Description:
The performance of lithium-ion batteries are strongly influenced by the mechanical degradation of their cathode materials. Cathodes are porous composite films comprising lithium-containing ceramic particles, conductive carbon additives, and polymer binders. During battery operation, ceramic particles can degrade through chemical reactions and mechanical damage, including cracking and fragmentation, leading to capacity loss and reduced service life.
This modelling-focused project will investigate how mechanical loads are distributed within porous composite cathodes and how these loads contribute to particle fracture. Using finite element modelling, the student will analyse force distributions and load paths within cathode microstructures, examining how these vary with cathode density and thickness. The project will also explore relationships between load-transfer behaviour and the mechanical properties of cathode particles. Outcomes from this work may provide insights into the design of more durable battery electrodes, with potential relevance to emerging energy storage technologies, including sodium-ion, aluminium-ion, and zinc-ion batteries.
Requirement to be on campus: No
Supervisor: Dr Alison Roach
Eligibility: WAM≥75 and Undergraduate candidates must have already completed at least 96 credit points towards their undergraduate degree at the time of application.
Project Description:
The mechanical properties of structural metals are strongly influenced by nanoscale features that impede dislocation motion, such as precipitates and voids. These nano-obstacles can significantly alter material behaviour, including yield strength and work hardening, making their understanding critical for the design of stronger engineering materials. While atomistic modelling methods, such as molecular dynamics, provide detailed insight into dislocation-obstacle interactions, linking these results to experimentally observed material behaviour remains challenging.
This modelling-focused project will use Phase Field Dislocation Dynamics (PFDD), an advanced multi-scale simulation technique that combines atomically-informed physics with continuum-scale mechanics, to investigate strengthening mechanisms in structural metals. The student will generate realistic two- and three-dimensional distributions of nano-obstacles, examine their effects on dislocation motion, and improve upon existing analytical strengthening models. Outcomes from this work will advance understanding of nanoscale plasticity and support the development of new materials for applications including high-temperature alloys, additive manufacturing, and nuclear energy systems.
Requirement to be on campus: No
Supervisor: Dr. Xianghai An
Eligibility: High achievement in a relevant undergraduate engineering degree (a WAM of 80 or above). This project has the option to be combined with an honours project.
Project Description:
High-performance materials of the future will need to do several things at once. They must be strong enough to carry loads, resist damage, absorb and dissipate energy, and perform additional functions such as sensing or actuation—all within the same material. Traditional composite materials are usually designed around a continuous matrix containing separate, discontinuous reinforcements. This arrangement limits how effectively the different parts of the material can work together because the matrix and reinforcement do not have the same level of connectivity. Interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) offer a very different approach. Instead of having one continuous phase surrounding isolated reinforcements, the different phases form continuous three-dimensional networks that pass through and around one another. This creates connected pathways through which loads, damage, heat, electricity, or other forms of energy and information can move through the material. However, simply having two or more continuous phases does not automatically make an IPC effective. What matters is how well these networks are connected, how they are arranged in three dimensions, and how effectively the different phases communicate with one another at their interfaces. These factors determine whether the networks actually contribute to the performance of the material.
To address these issues, in this project, we will propose a multi-design strategy, which encompasses the deliberate modulation of the architecture of interpenetrating-phase materials that can be enabled by the combination of advanced manufacturing techniques. The newly designed materials will push the boundaries of materials properties beyond current benchmark ranges.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisor: Dr. Xianghai An
Eligibility: High achievement in a relevant undergraduate engineering degree (a WAM of 80 or above). This project has the option to be combined with an honours project.
Project Description:
The development of multifunctional metallic materials is at the frontier of materials science, enabling unprecedented combinations of strength, ductility, toughness, and functional properties. Emerging systems such as high-entropy alloys，nanotwinned metals, hierarchically structured metals, and metal–graphene composites represent transformative pathways for engineering advanced performance beyond the limitations of conventional alloys. Their exceptional behaviours originate from engineered structural and chemical heterogeneities across multiple length scales, which unlock novel deformation mechanisms, damage tolerance, and functional responses. In this project, we will employ advanced manufacturing techniques to construct complex hierarchical architectures in these materials. The focus will be on designing and tailoring nanoscale twins, gradient structures, layered architectures, and metal–graphene interfaces to achieve synergistic property combinations. By precisely controlling processing parameters, we aim to regulate defect structures, interface chemistry, and hierarchical organization to realize metals that are not only ultrastrong and damage-resistant but also exhibit functional capabilities such as enhanced thermal stability, corrosion resistance, or electrical/thermal conductivity. This project will open new avenues for creating multifunctional metallic systems that combine superior mechanical resilience with application-driven functionalities. Outcomes will contribute to the design principles of next-generation structural and functional alloys, positioning them as enablers for advanced engineering, aerospace, and sustainable technologies.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Supervisor: Prof Anna Paradowska
Eligibility: WAM 80+
Project Description:
This project aims to improve understanding of the forces acting on tanktainers transporting solid materials and to develop tools for predicting their behaviour during handling and transport. The project will begin with identifying the key dynamic and static forces experienced by tanktainers, including acceleration, vibration, impact, and material-flow related loads. Existing methods for measuring, calculating, and modelling these forces will be evaluated.
Building on this knowledge, an experimental test rig will be designed to replicate realistic transport conditions and measure the response of solid materials under different loading scenarios. The collected data will be analysed to characterise material behaviour and validate force measurements. Where feasible, the system will be designed for mobility, enabling in situ testing and deployment of site-specific materials. Finally, a predictive model will be developed and validated using the experimental results. The outcomes will support safer, more efficient tanktainer design, operation, and transport of bulk solid materials.
Requirement to be on campus: Yes *dependent on government’s health advice.
Last updated 13 September 2026
