Department of Mechanical Engineering was initiated in the year 1975 with the establishment of Certificate Level Program in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning under International Labour Organization funded project, although at that time it co-existed under administrative unit named ERA (Electronics, Radio-electronics and Air Conditioning and Refrigeration). This program offered certificate level courses of two years duration. The program was later reviewed and upgraded to Diploma status with the addition of one more academic year.
As the expertise, confidence, and international exposure of the faculty and staff grew, the focus shifted naturally to the establishment of the Bachelors Program. The Engineering Education Project (EEP) provided the required inputs for Training, Curriculum Development, Infrastructure Development, and the establishment of the required laboratories and workshops with the assistance of World Bank, Canadian International Development Agency iCIDA) and Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC).
Under the framework of developing this campus as the campus for Bachelors and higher degree program, it was decided to shift the diploma programs to other constituent campuses of IOE; Department of Mechanical Engineering at Pulchowk Campus started the Bachelors program in the year 1995. It has started Masters Programs in Renewable Energy Engineering in 2000 and Technology & Innovation and Management in 2010. Department has also started offering Ph. D. program since 2005.
The department is located at the D-Block, of the Campus in 1998. With the new facilities, modern equipment suitable for training and research, reputed and experienced faculty members, and increased autonomy to handle Training, Research and Consulting works, and the department is poised to make its presence felt within and outside of the country.
Courses offered
- BE in Mechanical Engineering
- Sc. in Renewable Energy Engineering
- Sc. in Technology and Innovation Management
- Energy system planning and Management
Workshop and Laboratories
The department has well equipped workshop and a number of laboratories equipped with modern state of the art machines procured through global tender.
The department has Fluid Mechanics, Fluid Machines, Heat Engines, Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, Instrumentation and Control, Mechanisms & Machine Dynamics, Metallurgy, Pollution Control, Renewable Energy, Strength of Materials, and Mechanics of Solids laboratories. Most of the equipment is of the latest design with digital display. Some of the equipment are interfaced with PCs. Apart from that, the department has its own setup of twenty-four PCs interconnected through local area network with e-mail and Internet facilities for student.
The laboratories are suitable for teaching, research and consulting works. The Department is now capable of under taking a variety of consultancy projects for industries in Nepal.
RTC works
- Precise measurement of different performances of motors, pump, turbines etc.
- Modern and easily operable water flume facilitates various kinds of experiments and analysis works.
- One dimensional heat conduction in solid and composites materials.
- Measure emissivity, absortivity and reflectivity.
- Comprehensive investigation of the behavior of the centrifugal air-pumping machine.
- Performance testing of typical heat pump system
- Air-conditioning and refrigeration system performance, study of automobile air conditioner
- Engines testing system, testing of the fuel consumption and other engine performance parameters.
- Solar panel setup
- Performance testing of solar panel in terms of useful heat output and efficiency.
- Study and analysis of air pollution.
- Study and analysis of renewable wind energy.
- Testing the different metallic characteristics (material testing) of specimen such as compression and tensile test.
- Comprehensive studies of the behavior of various sensors
- Surface studies and other related works.
In workshop, there are Bench Tools, Engine lathe, Shaper, Milling Machines, Grinding Machines, Sheet Metal works, Electric Arc Welding, Gas Welding for manufacturing different work pieces and models for research.