structural or mechanical for rollercoaster?Yo, my dream is to be a part of a team tha

Ralphy

Yo, my dream is to be a part of a team that builds rollercoasters. I dont know if it's realistic, but I'd like to go for mechanical or structural engineering and see what happens. But which of these diciplines gives the best chance of me beeing a rollercoaster-designer?
I have read a lot of both structural and mechanical engineering, but I haven't gotten a good idea of which of them is best suited for the task. Obviously they probably need both of these types of engineers for the task, but which one of them is most likely to be most important and play a bigger role in the project?

daveyj

Hi Ralphy

A rollercoaster is both a structural and mechanical disciplined build as you mentioned. With the mechanics doing more so the rolling cart, its harnesses, coupling mechanism, load analysis, propulsion method etc etc and the structurals making sure it stays up on the supports, the frame being structurally integral, it not sinking into the ground and so on. The two disciplines would work off each others data while prgressing through the build.

If your dream is to build theme park rides i would recommend mechanical engineering as you will cover the following modules (amongst others) which i have shown with examples of how it might apply to what your interested in.

Computer Modelling - Modelling of the structures components under severe load and thermal conditions.
Control Engineering - Finding a controllable variable in the system, introducing a controller and a strategy to get it to do what you want it to do.
Mechanics of Materials - Knowing how thick the bolts and supporting structures have to be so as nothing falls apart. Deciding the right (cheapest!) material that can do the job well.
Mechanics of Machines - Determining the maximum forces and speeds that components can endure.
Heat & Mass Transfer - Thermal analysis for the like of electric motors, light displays etc. People getting burned or things going on fire is undsireable
Fluid Mechanics - All the hydraulic bits and bobs and the interaction with the air and wind!
Thermodynamics - Generators, possibly a propulsion system for the ride.
Electrical & Electronic Engineering, - all the controllers, switches, sensors and safety devices
Manufacturing Automation & Technology - How to build ****, put it together properly and cheaply
Mechanical Engineering Design & CAD - How to put whats in your head on paper for all to understand

Mechanical Engineering is one of the oldest engineering disciplines and hence all the rest has derived from it. Although it isn't as job specific as Structural Engineering, it would give you all the tools you'd need to design a theme park ride including the basics of strucural engineering. The mechanical design end of thrill rides is the most interesting and challenging. Think about it, who designs F1 cars, super bikes, top fuel dragsters, barge cranes, high speed trains, mining machinery, aircraft engines and the other cool stuff...? Mechanical engineers.


Maybe i'm just being biased but i know if you got a mechanical engineer and a structural engineer with no experience in theme park ride design, locked them in a room and wouldn't let them out until they'd produced a viable design for a rollercaoster, the structural engineer wouldn't have the knowledge to complete the task

I'm a mechanical engineer in case that want obvious! If you want any advice PM me, thats the handiest for me.