Doctoral Diploma in MIRCE Mechanics

Course Content

It is new scientific discipline that systematically studies the Motion of Functionability through the life of a system to:

• Understand physical causes and human actions that generate functionability trajectory;
• Define the scientific laws of the motion of functionability through time;
• Predict the functionability trajectory through the life of a system for a given in-service rules and conditions.

This Programme is for the future scientists, mathematicians, engineers, managers, technicians and analysts who have desire and ambition to develop new methods and technologies for the specification, design, development, procurement, operation, maintenance or logistic support of systems which are expected to deliver requirements of the following nature:

• Every scheduled flight will leave on time with a probability of 0.97 or in other words, it is acceptable to have three delays, on average, out of 100 flights
• The direct maintenance cost will not exceed 25 % of the purchase cost with a probability of 0.95.
• The probability that the production line will be fully operational during the specified in-service time will be not less than 0.88.
• In the fleet of machines, at least 90% of them will be operational at all times with a probability not less than 0.925.
• The mission reliability will be greater that 0.98 for the missions shorter than 500 hours
• There should be less that 1 in 100,000 chance that system will fail during first 10 years of service

Student population consists of highly motivated individuals, either company or self-sponsored professionals, between the age of 25 and 65. They may have degrees in Engineering, Science, Management, Mathematics, Operational Research, Physics, or hold appropriate professional and governmental qualifications. Naturally, with a variety of backgrounds, but having in common open and inquiring minds, a firm belief in the value of investing in studying and a determination to work hard and excel in their areas of competence.

The diversity of the professional and educational backgrounds of our students creates a rich intellectual atmosphere, fosters the exchange of ideas and experience during the learning process, and ensures multi-disciplinary approaches to practical problem solving.

The science based knowledge and analytical skills acquired through these Programmes remain with fellow-students throughout their lives and will not diminish with changes in industrial or government standards, company procedures or current industry and trade best practices. The level of intellectual demand and personal commitment required from fellow-students to acquire the necessary levels of knowledge in the Mircemechanics through our programs is comparable to those required to obtain a Doctor of Philosophy Degree in university’s educational schemes. The members of staff, permanent and visiting, are highly qualified and experienced professionals drawn from international prestigious learning, research, design, manufacturing, operation, maintenance, logistics and professional institutions, with an outstanding analytical, practical and teaching experience related to defence, aerospace, transport, motor-sport, utility, manufacturing, and other related industries.

Individuals who already posses the Master Diploma in Mircemechanics will be accepted to the 5th Semester of the Doctoral Programme.

Programme Structure:

Full Programme consists of six semesters. Each, of the first four semesters, lasts 6 months and consists of one five-day residential intensive learning sessions (40 contact hours). This is followed by approximately 160 hours of self-learning at home based on the material and instructions provided. Each fellow-student is required to complete a set of assignments by the end of each semester. These provide a unique opportunity for the fellow-students to test their understanding of the principles of the Mircemechanics scheduled for that semester.

Last two semesters are reserved for the research and completion of the Doctoral Dissertation. This provides fellow-students with an opportunity to practically challenge or expand the knowledge acquired by researching the topic of their choice related to the Experimental, Theoretical, Computational or Applied Mircemechanics.

The Doctoral Dissertation is submitted in the written form to the Akademy.

Duration

The time required to complete the Doctoral Programme in Mircemechanics varies between students. However, it is possible complete the programme in three years.

Programme Content:

The whole Programme of study is divided into six semesters, as follows:

Semester 1: Experimental Mircemechanics

Experimental Mircemechanics studies the motion of functionability through the life of system to collect physical evidence regarding the processes and events that take place (internal and external).

The main objective of this semester is to enable students to systematically address the complexity of the motion of functionability through system life and to understand the physical causes and human actions that shape it.

Major topics addressed in this semester are:

• System Life (In-service Rules, Processes, Events), Case Study
• System Functionability Statistics (Events: types, frequency, mechanisms, causes, modes)
  
• System Functionality (atoms, molecules, compounds, materials, parts, configuration)
  
• Natural Environment (Solar System, Earth, Climate, Weather)
  
• Human Environment (physical, mental, cultural, organisational )

Experimental Mircemechanics shows that deterministic regularity found in system functionality cannot be found in respect to its functionability. What can be found is a statistical regularity where the motion of functionability through the life of individual systems, under given circumstances, deliver different trajectories in time. Therefore, the proven laws of science used as the theoretical foundation for predicting the behaviour of systems as far as functionality is concerned cannot be used for predicting the behaviour of a system as far as the motion of functionability over time is concerned.

Semester 2: Theoretical Mirce mchanics

The main objective of Mircemechanics is to scientifically understand the experimentally observed motion of functionability through the life of a system and to formulate the law of motion.
Mathematical description of the law of motion enables predictions of the trajectory of functionability to be calculated for a given system under given in-service rules and conditions.

Major topics addressed in this semester are:

• System: Failure, Maintenance and Support Analysis
• Component: Failure, Maintenance and Support Analysis
  
• System Function (structure, rules. time and location)
  
• Component Functionability Trajectory and Measures
  
• System Functionability Trajectory and Measures

The only way to theoretically predict the motion of functionability through the life of a system, that manifested individual variability, is to apply the concept of probability that offers a mechanism for describing the statistical nature of observed physical reality (Experimental Mircemechanics). This enables calculation of the probability that the transition between functionability states will take place at a given instant of time, or that a certain percentage of functionability events will or will not happen by a specific instant of time or during a given interval, or any other measure of functionability performance.

Semester 3: Computational Mircemechanics

The underlying physical laws necessary for the theoretical description of the motion of functionability in time are known for most systems. However, the exact application of these laws, to even a single component system, leads to equations that are too complicated to be solved analytically. These types of problems are not specifically related to the Mircemechanics; they are common to all scientific disciplines of this nature, as it a known mathematical fact that the integral equations do not have analytical solutions.

Consequently, the aim of Computational Mircemechanics, CMcs, is the development of effective computational methods that will enable construction of models that accurately represent the observed reality of a system life, rather than to simplify system reality to cope with mathematical limitations. This will in return provide more accurate predictions of the motion of functionability through the life of the systems allowing better decisions to be made with regard to what actions should be taken and when in order to maximise system performance and minimise required resources.

The main objective of this part of the Programme is to expose students to methods available for solving numerically non-solvable multi dimensional time dependent integral equations that are defining the motion of the Functionability in time.

Major topics addressed in this semester are:

• System Modelling
• Component Modelling
  
• Analytical Solutions
  
• Monte Carlo Simulation
  
• Simulation Technologies and Languages

The Monte Carlo method has proved very successful in Quantum Mechanics for finding practical solutions to these complicated, multi-dimensional integral equations. With continuous increases in computer capacity and speed the Monte Carlo method becomes even more feasible for the applications of the mircemechanics to multi-component, multi-process-based, time-dependent real systems.

Semester 4: Applied Mircemechanics

The main objective of this part of the Programme is to provide opportunities to the students to apply the generic knowledge obtained thus far to develop models for the prediction of the motion of functionability through the life of a future system, of their choice, for a given configuration, in-service rules and conditions. The final output is the calculation of trajectory of functionability through time, enables the prediction of some of the following Measures of system In-service, Reliability, Cost and Effectiveness:

• What will the system availability be?
• What will the operational reliability be?
  
• What will the operational revenue be?
  
• What will be the expected cost of the operational system?
  
• How many repair teams will be needed?
  
• How durable will the system be?
  
• How many and what types of failures will occur?
  
• When should the system be maintained?
  
• Which spares should be ordered, when and how many?
  
• Where repairables and consumables should be kept?
  
• Where should repair facilities be located?

Semester 5 and 6: Doctoral Dissertation

For a successful completion of these semesters students are required to complete the Doctoral Dissertation. This provides them with an opportunity for extended practical application of mircemechanics, to the topic of their choice, and to make an individual or team contribution to the advancement of the science or their sponsoring Organisation. The Doctoral Dissertation is submitted in the written form of the approximate length of 15000 to 20000 words.

The research and writing up of the Doctoral Dissertation is carried out away from the Akademy but with continuous communication with professional advisers.

Final Award

The Akademy, on the authority of the Council of Fellows, recognises the knowledge of the fellow-students by awarding them a Doctoral Diploma to certify the title of the Doctor of mircemechanics, D.Mcs., in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the MIRCE Akademy.