Courses for Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics

To survey aerospace history, discuss pertinent topics and introduce basic concepts that promote an understanding of aerospace engineering and the profession.

The study of forces, couples and resultants of force systems; free-body diagrams; two- and three-dimensional equilibrium, and problems involving friction; and centroids, center of gravity, and distributed forces.

Syntax and data structures, algorithm development, and data plotting using currently relevant technical computing programing language(s). Prior knowledge of programming is not required, but the course is appropriate for students with prior programming experience.

Concepts of stress and strain; analysis of stresses and deformation in bodies loaded by axial, torsional, and bending loads; combined loads analysis; statically indeterminate members; thermal stresses; columns; and thin-walled pressure vessels.

Mechanical tests of metallic and nonmetallic materials in the elastic and inelastic ranges; use of materials testing for acceptance tests, for the determination of properties of materials, and for illustration of the validity of assumptions made in mechanics of materials.

Kinematics of particles and rigid bodies, Newton's laws of motion, and principles of work-energy and impulse-momentum for particles and rigid bodies.

Fluid statics, application of conservation laws to simple systems, dimensional analysis and similitude, and flow in open and closed conduits.

Introduction to subsonic aerodynamics, including properties of the atmosphere; aerodynamic characteristics of airfoils, wings, and other components; lift and drag phenomena; and topics of current interest.

Methods of analyzing stressed skin structures of the types that are typically found in aircraft, missiles and space vehicles. Unsymmetrical bending and bending and twisting of multiple cell structures are also covered.

Elements of analytical and numerical analysis with engineering applications including, but not limited to, differential equations, linear algebra, root-finding, Gaussian elimination, and Runge-Kutta integration.

Strain gage mounting and bridge circuits analysis; strain measurement in axial, bending, and torsional members resembling aerospace structures using axial and rosette strain gages; stress measurements in wing structural subcomponents (skin, stiffener, spar, rib, stringer) under bending loads using strain data; design, fabrication, and testing of a stiffened panel.

Survey of topics and basic concepts in astronautics: orbital mechanics, space environment, attitude determination & control, telecommunications, space structures, rocket propulsion, and spacecraft systems.

This course is a combination of aircraft performance and static flight mechanics. Aircraft performance, including the straight and level flight, climb and glide, range and endurance, takeoff and landing, turning, performance testing, is introduced for propeller-driven and jet-engine aircraft. Flight mechanics deals with the trim and static stability of aircraft for steady flight conditions, based on the aerodynamic coefficients and stability derivatives derived from the aerodynamic build-up of complete aircraft.

Project planning and preliminary design techniques for an aerospace system. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.

Detailed design of aircraft or space vehicles, including weight and balance, power plant selection, exterior layout, performance, stability, and control. Involves group efforts on selected projects.

Principles of air-breathing jet engines (turboshaft, turboprop, turbojet, ramjet, scramjet) and their applications, aircraft engine matching, introduction to rocket propulsion principles.

Dynamics of compressible fluids: shock waves, one-dimensional flow, expansion waves in two-dimensional flow and compressible flow over aerodynamic bodies.

This course provides a laboratory counterpart to concepts discussed in aerodynamics and fluid mechanics. Course topics include statistical and uncertainty analysis techniques, design of experiments, computer-based data-acquisition, sensors for fluid mechanic measurements, and aerodynamic measurement techniques and facilities.

Critical examination of the propulsive airscrew, including induced velocity relations, flow patterns, and similarity. Practical applications are approached through existing theory and practice.

The principal objective of this course is to establish, develop, and refine capability in the integrated analysis and interdependency of aircraft systems.

Introduction to basic mathematical concepts and engineering problems associated with numerical modeling of fluid systems. Application of the state-of-the-art numerical models to engineering problems. Fundamentals of Finite Difference and Finite Volume Methods and their applications in fluid dynamics and heat transfer problems will be covered. Computing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course.

Formulate, understand, and apply rigid body dynamics to a spacecraft. Determine the orientation of the spacecraft. Demonstrate the ability stabilize a spacecraft (gravity gradient, momentum-bias, spin stabilization). Perform analytic and numerical analysis to understand its behavior.

This course introduces the student to analyses of space and launch-vehicle propulsion and design. Topics covered include mono-propellant, bi-propellant solid and liquid rockets, nuclear rocket, and cold-gas thruster designs. Other advanced schemes such as solar and laser propulsion are also introduced.

Introduction to plane elasticity, failure theories, energy methods, thick walled cylinders and spinning disks, shear center and of unsymmetrical bending of beams, curved beams, beams on elastic foundations, torsion of non-circular cross-sections, thick-walled pressure vessels and other topics.

This course develops, analyzes and discusses the application of uncertainty quantification in engineering systems and design methodologies to include uncertainties in the systems. Topics include: classification of uncertainties and methods of quantification, perturbation approaches, polynomial chaos, sampling techniques, random processes and Bayesian analysis.

Design of tension, compression bending, torsion, and stiffened panel members. Analytical investigation involving aircraft structural components.

First exposure to composite materials. Focus on how heterogeneity/anisotrophy in composites influence thermomechanical behavior. The behavior of both continuous and short fiber reinforced composites will be emphasized. Stress analysis for design, manufacturing processes and test methods of composite materials will be covered.

Concepts of multiscale analysis, nano-mechanics, micromechanics - principles of Analysis of heterogeneous systems, information transfer between multiple spatial and temporal scales, included atomistic-to-continuum coupling, continuum-to-continuum coupling, and temporal bridging.

Fundamental theories, limitations and instrumentation of nondestructive test methods used for metal, polymer and composites materials. The ultrasonic, acoustic emission, vibration, thermography, eddy current, penetrant, and radiography methods are emphasized.

Development of the fundamentals of the finite-element method from matrix and energy methods. Use of the finite-element method for detailed design of aerospace structures. Modeling techniques for static and dynamic analyses. Computing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course.

The objectives of this course are to introduce dynamical systems and classical control theory and apply them to flight dynamics and control. This course introduces point-mass and rigid-body flight vehicle dynamics, in particular for airplanes and satellites, with an emphasis on stability analysis for trimmed steady flight and torque-free motion. This course also introduces linear control methods for stability augmentation and robust control design for single input, single output linear, time invariant systems. These control methods are applied to flight vehicle attitude determination and control systems, in particular for airplanes and satellites. This course highly utilizes MATLAB/Simulink.

Introduction to engineering application of celestial mechanics; to formulate, understand, and apply fundamentals in orbital mechanics to trajectory design process. Perform analytic and numerical analysis to understand its behavior. Kepler's laws, coordinate transformations, and related studies.

Free and forced vibrations, both undamped and damped. Systems with many degrees of freedom are formulated and analyzed by matrix methods. Experimental techniques of vibration measurement are introduced.

Study of dynamic behaviors of elastic structures (interaction of elastic and inertial forces) with emphasis on aeronautical applications. Introduction of concepts and tools used in structural dynamics, including the Newtonian and variational methods. Basic numerical integration schemes to solve time-domain responses of elastic structures.

Study of fluid-structure interactions between aerodynamic loads and static and/or dynamic deformations of flexible wings, as well as the influence of the interactions on aircraft performance. Concepts such as divergence, buffeting, and flutter, and rejection of external disturbances (e.g., gust alleviation) are introduced.

Concepts in systems engineering of space systems: systems engineering, space systems, satellites, space transportation systems, space environment, attitude determination and control, telecommunications, space structures, rocket propulsion, and spacecraft systems.

This course provides an introduction to the effects of the space environment on spacecraft. The harsh space environment introduces several unique challenges to the spacecraft designer. Focus on the impact of this environment and how best to mitigate these effects through early design choices will give the satellite designer better tools. Topics include: geomagnetic field, gravitational field of the Earth, Earth's magnetosphere, vacuum, solar UV, atmospheric drag, atomic oxygen, free and trapped radiation particles, plasma, spacecraft charging, micrometeoroids.

This course will explore concepts, theory, and performance of electrical, nuclear, and exotic space propulsion systems for use in space. This exploration will include fundamental physical processes exploited by these propulsion schemes. The course will also include concept, theory and performance of power generation methods in space. Systems studied will include low and high power systems intended for short term or long term applications. Thermal, solar and nuclear devices and the energy conversion means for converting energy from these sources into useful electrical power will be studied.

Discussion-based course that provides an examination of legal and ethical issues regarding outer space. Topics discussed include: the historical development of international and domestic space law; international treaties, principles, and resolutions; specific issues relevant to contemporary space law; and US statutes governing space flight and resources.

Assigned problems are explored on an individual basis. Credit is based on the amount of work undertaken.

Assigned problems are explored on an individual basis. Credit is based on the amount of work undertaken.

Planning, executing, and presenting results of an individual project involving a research design, analysis, or similar undertaking; pass/fail designation.

Selected topics from recent developments in the aeronautical and space engineering fields. There are visiting lecturers and extensive student participation. Several nontechnical topics of immediate interest to seniors are explored. Each student must complete a personal resume. Writing proficiency is required for a passing grade in this course. A student who does not write with the skill normally required of an upper-division student will not earn a passing grade, no matter how well the student performs in other areas of the course.