Aerospace Engineering BEng

Core modules:

Engineering Statics and Dynamics

The course provides the fundamental concepts and techniques used in Engineering Statics and Dynamics. Two-dimensional statics are covered including force and moment systems, free body diagrams, equilibrium, friction, and the application to typical structures encountered in aerospace engineering applications (such as beams, frames and trusses). Two-dimensional kinematics and kinetics of particles and rigid bodies are covered. An introduction to the use of the Work-Energy methods in dynamics is given. No prior knowledge of statics or dynamics is assumed; the treatment concentrates on physical understanding and applications in aerospace engineering, rather than using advanced mathematical treatments

15 credits

Aerospace Aerodynamics and Thermodynamics

This course provides an overview of the fundamental principles of the behaviour of liquids and gases that are essential to an aerospace engineer. Students will encounter the physical basis of important properties, their evaluation and application to practical examples. The course then teaches the interrelationship between pressure, flow and temperature and how this affects the design, performance and energy terms of aerospace engineering components and systems. Irreversibility, both from the point of friction and entropy change will be examined both qualitatively and quantitatively.

15 credits

Aerospace Engineering Design, Build and Test

This module will introduce students to the basic concepts of aircraft and spacecraft design with a focus on systems engineering, interdisciplinary design and performance. Students will learn about the basic principles of flight and how performance can be calculated during a typical flight/mission including take-off, landing, climb, cruise and turning and orbital mechanics.The basic principles of systems engineering as an approach to aircraft design will be taught and the importance of considering aircraft design as an interdisciplinary design problem are covered and illustrated through the design, build and test activity. Students will undertake an exercise to design, build and test an aircraft, covering choices of materials, structures, aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics and control. Predictions of the aircraft performance will be undertaken in order to model the flight time or a similar parameter, being tested against the actual performance of the aircraft. They will also undertake a range of workshop practice elements in order to learn to operate and utilise appropriate building techniques for the aircraft, satisfying the requirements of 'Workshop Practice' as required for accreditation. Students will be introduced to computer coding as an engineering tool, taught the basics of engineering drawing and computer aided design (CAD) and develop an appreciation of basic workshop tools (engineering applications).

20 credits

Introduction to Aerospace Materials

This module examines how the macroscopic properties of materials are determined by the arrangement of, and bonding between atoms. How processing can affect these atomic arrangements and thus the microstructure and properties of a material is considered. Finally materials selection for aerospace applications taking into account multiple criteria is introduced.

20 credits

Analysis and Modelling of Aerospace Systems

This unit will introduce systems and control engineering and its application to aerospace engineering. Examples of aerospace systems are given and the principles of modelling and analysing simple aerospace systems are covered.

This unit begins with system modelling and analysis in general, covering linear modelling of low-order systems. Key parameters and terms are introduced such as rise time, settling time and overshoot. The way these techniques can be applied to aerospace systems is demonstrated. The module further covers fundamental control topics such as open and closed loop control, proportional-differential compensators and block diagram manipulation. Laboratory/computer work (e.g. MATLAB) is set to give students an opportunity to apply and practise what they have learned, and to provide the foundation for practical avionics work in group and individual projects throughout the degree.

At the end of the unit, a competent student will appreciate the value of systems analysis and modelling, and be able to apply their learning to some relatively simple practical aerospace examples.

15 credits

Global Engineering Challenge Week

The Faculty-wide Global Engineering Challenge Week is a compulsory part of the first-year programme. The project has been designed to develop student academic, transferable and employability skills as well as widen their horizons as global citizens. Working in multi-disciplinary groups of 5-6, for a full week, all students in the Faculty choose from a number of projects arranged under a range of themes including Water, Waste Management, Energy and Digital with scenarios set in an overseas location facing economic challenge. Some projects are based on the Engineers Without Borders Engineering for people design challenge*.

*The EWB challenge provides students with the opportunity to learn about design, teamwork and communication through real, inspiring, sustainable and cross-cultural development projects identified by EWB with its community-based partner organisations.

Electrical Fundamentals

This module introduces the concepts and analytical tools for examining the behaviour of combinations of passive circuit elements including resistors, capacitors and inductors  when driven by ideal voltage and current sources. The ideas involved are important not only from the point of view of modelling avionics circuits but also because many complicated processes in aerospace engineering (as well as other disciplines) are themselves modelled by electric circuits. The passive ideas are extended to active electronic components such as diodes, transistors and operational amplifiers and the circuits in which these devices are used. Transformers, magnetics and dc motors are also covered.

15 credits

Mathematics (Electrical and Aerospace)

This module aims to reinforce students' previous knowledge and to develop new basic mathematical techniques needed to support the engineering subjects taken at Levels 1 and 2. It also provides a foundation for the Level 2 mathematics courses in the appropriate engineering department. The module is delivered via online lectures, reinforced with weekly interactive problem classes..

20 credits

Core modules:

Control Engineering

This unit covers feedback control design and corresponding system modelling and analysis. The principles of closed-loop control, transfer functions and stability are applied to simplified typical aerospace systems. Manipulation and use of performance specifications for a continuous-time control system are covered. Analytical and presentation tools for system modelling and study are introduced, including the root-locus method. Common compensator structures are covered and applied to aerospace systems.

15 credits

Embedded Programming

Programming of embedded systems is fundamental to modern control engineering. This unit introduces students to programming relevant to embedded systems. Instruction is given in coding from first principles including imperative programming, objects (as data structures), functions and variables. This is extended to low-level considerations in embedded systems such as memory, execution, registers and peripheral interfacing. Students are introduced to microcontrollers as the heart of embedded systems and gain practical experience in their use. Some common peripherals required in aerospace engineering, such as analogue-to-digital converters, are described.

15 credits

Aerospace Design II

In this group design project, students design, manufacture and test a space or air system meeting customer needs which have been defined within a statement of requirement.  The module is scenario-based and is intended to provide a sense of realism, drawing on real-life project processes and methodologies. 

The module brings together aspects of teamwork, project and risk management, project progress tracking and reporting, materials, structures, air/space system design and lifecycles, computer simulation, analysis, manufacture, certification and sustainability.

Students will test and analyse the performance of the systems they build.

15 credits

Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer

The module is designed to consolidate and extend the students' understanding of basic fluid flow properties, fluid flows and applying analysis techniques to solve engineering fluids problems. Additionally, the module will teach the students the fundamentals and basic applications of heat transfer. The fluid mechanics knowledge developed will be used to aid understanding of the convection aspects of heat transfer.

The module will cover the use of both integral control volume and differential analysis techniques. These will be applied to a range of simple engineering fluid systems including internal and external flow. 

The boundary layer will be covered and related to the concept of drag. 

The concepts of compressible nozzle flow, choking and shock waves will be covered. Sub-sonic and sonic compressible flow will be introduced. Students will also be introduced to the computational fluid dynamics.

Conduction, convection and radiation will be covered. The three processes are often combined in the problems studied in order to explain heat transfer in a real-life engineering system with particular application to Aerospace Engineering problems. 

Forced convection will be studied in internal flows and in external flows, linking to the fluid mechanics part of the module. Natural convection will also be introduced. Heat exchangers will be studied. Thermal radiation will focus on the physics and radiation exchange between surfaces.

Laboratory experiments will reinforce knowledge throughout the module.

15 credits

Aerospace Structures and Dynamics

This module will examine the properties of aerospace structures both statically and dynamically. 

In static analysis, strut structures and beams will be studied in detail. The course will study statically determinate beams with different cross-sections, axes of symmetry and sectional properties, loaded under point loads, uniformly distributed loads and moments. Using Macaulay's method, analysis of the beam loading will be undertaken to allow the property determination of representative aircraft structures under bending, torsion and warping.

In dynamic analysis, the course will concentrate on structural vibration and rigid body dynamics as applied to aerostructures. In structural vibration, the single degree of freedom model will be used to study free and forced vibration of structures under steady state, impulse and arbitrary loading. In rigid body dynamics, common two-dimensional mechanisms will be studied, including analysis of rigid rotors and gyroscopic motion.

15 credits

Aerospace Materials

This module extends the student understanding of materials selection, manufacture and properties. There is a focus on the use of metallic and composite materials in aerospace applications, with the course looking at manufacturing processes applications and also mechanical properties and failure processes that students need to be aware of if these materials are to be successfully applied. Students will study: Light alloys and polymer matrix composites for fuselage applications; Nickel Superalloys and ceramic matrix composites for engine applications; Fracture and fatigue processes in metallic structures; An overview of how composite failure differs to metallic materials.

15 credits

Electrical Energy

This unit provides an overview of the electrical power infrastructure on aircraft, including the many electrical energy generation and conversion techniques in use. The characteristics of some electrical machines are discussed together with circuit strategies to supply electrical energy to the machines. Circuits for more general high efficiency power management are also described. Fundamental electromagnetics, power electronics and thermal design are also covered. The unit will leave a student with foundational understanding of the power systems on aircraft.

15 credits

Engineering - You're Hired

The Faculty-wide Engineering - You're Hired Week is a compulsory part of the second year programme, and the week has been designed to develop student academic, transferable and employability skills. Working in multi-disciplinary groups of about six, students will work in interdisciplinary teams on a real world problem over an intensive week-long project. The projects are based on problems provided by industrial partners, and students will come up with ideas to solve them and proposals for a project to develop these ideas further.

Mathematics II

This module consolidates previous mathematical and statistical knowledge and develops new mathematical techniques relevant to aerospace engineering. Topics covered include functions of a complex variable, Fourier transforms and series, stationary point, double integrals, field and probability.

15 credits

Core modules:

Aircraft Dynamics and Control

Aerospace engineering is a fascinating area where knowledge from different disciplines is needed. The aim of this module is to provide the student with such a fundamental knowledge and understanding of the principles of aircraft performance, flight dynamics and the problems of controlling an aircraft¿s motion. Various aspects of aircraft performance including straight, level flight and manoeuvres are covered. The module introduces the equations of motion for a rigid body aircraft and the aerodynamic forces and moments are then determined. Static and dynamic stability and response characteristics are defined. Flying and handling qualities of an aircraft, and disturbances affecting its motion, are analysed.

10 credits

Aerodynamic Design

This module aims to provide the students with a good understanding of basic theories in aerodynamics and its integration in the design process. It emphasises on the role that aerodynamics plays in engineering product design, where the forces exerted by the air flow around the geometries are crucial, e.g. for an aircraft or a racing car. The aerodynamic principles will be demonstrated through their roles in aeronautical and automotive vehicle designs. The students should be able to apply these basic principles to other areas of applications in broader engineering areas, such as the design of wind turbines, engine fans, buildings, sailing boats, etc.

10 credits

Aero Propulsion

The aim of this module is to provide the students with an understanding of principles of operation of gas turbines, as applied to aero propulsion and power generation.The module introduces the theory of gas turbines and how they should function. The study is based on fundamental thermodynamic and fluid mechanic analyses and introduces methods for improving efficiencies and increasing specific work output. The effect of simple thermodynamics of combustion, jet engine losses and efficiences are considered, together with an analysis of turbojet and turbofan designs.Website Version:This module provides students with an understanding of principles of operation of gas turbines, pulse-jets, RAM-jets and solid and liquid fuelled rocket engines as applied to aero propulsion. The understanding is built upon fundamental thermodynamic and fluid mechanic analyses of components and systems for each propulsion method. Methods for improving efficiencies and increasing specific work output of components are also introduced as well as an introduction to combustion, losses and efficiencies.

10 credits

Aircraft Design

This module provides a comprehensive knowledge about all elements of conceptual aircraft design and promotes the learning and application of the industrial procedure for designing an aircraft based on given requirements. Topics include: conceptual design and sizing, preliminary design, matching plot, wing design, propulsion system selection, fuselage design, etc. The teaching will be based on constructive alignment by making use of specific active learning techniques during teaching sessions.

10 credits

Managing Engineering Projects and Teams

This module provides you with an understanding of the significance of projects as an instrument of business success in engineering organisations. You will learn a range of project management tools, techniques and methodologies throughout the project life cycle. You will develop skills in defining, planning, delivering, and controlling engineering projects. You will also learn the roles and responsibilities of people within engineering projects and understand how to manage teams in engineering projects.

10 credits

Accounting and Law for Engineers

The module is designed to introduce engineering students to key areas of accounting and legal risk that engineers should be aware of in their working environment. The module will draw directly on practical issues of budgeting, assessing financial risks and making financial decisions in the context of engineering projects and/or product development. At the same time, the module will develop students' understanding of the legal aspects of entering into contracts for the development and delivery of engineering projects and products, and enhance their awareness of environmental regulation, liability for negligence, intellectual property rights and the importance of data protection. Through a series of parallel running lectures in the two disciplines, the module will provide a working knowledge of the two areas and how they impinge on engineering practice.

10 credits

Aerospace Individual Investigative Project

The project is designed to develop students' technical knowledge and understanding, technical and personal skills and an appreciation of the wider context of their studies. It gives students the opportunity to apply and develop further their knowledge and skills by applying them to a specific problem area. It is also intended to develop a greater level of student independence. The specific aims of the project are to:-provide students with the freedom to explore possible solutions to real engineering problems, allowing them to demonstrate their understanding of practical aerospace engineering.-enable students to exercise independent thought and judgement in conducting a technical investigation.

30 credits

You'll pick either the Aeromechanics or Avionic Systems stream:

Aeromechanics optional modules:

Aerospace Metals

This course builds on the fundamental physical metallurgy of alloy steels, stainless steels, aluminium and titanium alloys to demonstrate the purpose and effect of alloying and its implications for the processing, microstructure and performance of structural aerospace components. The aim is to provide insight into the design and manufacture of steels for structural aerospace applications. Topics covered will include physical metallurgy, secondary processing, heat treatment, machining, fabrication and finishing of the main classes of alloy employed, as well as relationships between processing, microstructure and performance, and their implication for alloy design. 

The fundamental characteristics of aluminium, magnesium and titanium to demonstrate the purpose and effects of alloying and its implications for processing, properties and applications will also be discussed. It aims to provide an overview of the basic characteristics, processing, structure, properties and applications of engineering light metals and alloys. Applications and case studies have a bias towards the automotive and aerospace industries.

10 credits

Advanced Engineering Thermodynamic Cycles

The course will consolidate and expand upon the fundamental and general background to Thermofluids engineering developed during first and second year courses. This will be achieved through the study of more realistic systems, machines, devices as well as their application.

To introduce students to more realistic energy conversion and power production processes. Use of irreversibility to analyse plant. Introduction of reheat and heat recovery as methods of achieving improved efficiency. To look at total energy use by means of combined gas and steam and combined heat and power cycles and understand some of the environmental issues. A variety of refrigeration cycles will also be illustrated as well as the Otto and Diesel cycles.

10 credits

Manufacturing Systems

The aim of this module is to enable students to understand the concepts and practices used by modern manufacturing organisations. The modules starts with content on current trends in manufacturing processes (in particular high-speed machining and additive manufacturing). Students are then introduced to ways of designing and evaluating a manufacturing system as well as the relevant theories, concepts and methodologies of controlling and managing a manufacturing shop floor.

10 credits

Finite Element Techniques

The module aims to give students a thorough knowledge and understanding of the principles of the Finite Element Method. The approach will be based on energy methods (Principle of Minimum Total Potential Energy). Formulation of statics problems using 1D elements (bar elements, shaft elements, beam elements and beam-column elements), and truss elements will be taken up. Finally, a simple 2D element for plane stress/plane strain case will be formulated. Throughout the module, assembly, application of boundary conditions, and solution procedures will be discussed with examples. The students will be expected to apply this knowledge given a problem. The use of a commercial finite element code will be provided via laboratory sessions, where various modelling strategies, appreciation of the scope of application, check validity, and the ability to interpret results will be covered.

The fundamentals of the method and the ability to apply it to various situations will be tested via a written exam. The practical use of the commercial finite element software will be assessed via a mini-report. Feedback during the term will be provided via an online quiz.

10 credits

Computational Fluid Dynamics

The module introduces fundamental concepts of Computational Fluid Dynamics from the governing physical principles to their mathematical definition, approximation and numerical solution, with an emphasis on the importance of experimental and theoretical validation. The course explains the typical steps for a robust use of CFD analysis to predict the behaviour of complex fluid flows encountered in typical engineering applications, including turbulent flows. Students will consolidate their understanding by performing and critically assessing the results of a CFD analysis of a typical and industrially relevant fluid problem.

10 credits

Avionic Systems Stream optional modules:

State-Space Control Design

The aims of this modules are: to introduce state-space methods for the analysis and design of controllers for multivariable systems; to teach the use of analytical tools and methods for state-space control design; to demonstrate similarities between continuous and sampled data systems; and to extend the analysis to non-linear systems.

Material to be covered includes: Structural properties (modal decomposition, controllability, observability, stability); design (pole assignment, observer design, separation principle, internal model principle, optimal control, LQG, reference tracking, integral control) of continuous systems and equivalents for sampled-data systems.

10 credits

Space Systems Engineering

The module aims to introduce different mission types including communications, earth observation, weather, navigation, astronomy, scientific, interplanetary missions and space stations. Concepts of orbital motion such as Kepler Laws, Elliptic, Parabolic and Hyperbolic orbits are introduced. Hohmann orbit transfer, ground station visibility, launch windows are explained. The module provides an understanding of spacecraft sub-systems and control including attitude control and thermal control, as well as providing knowledge of propulsion systems for example chemical rockets, electric propulsion, nuclear rockets, and solar sails. Various concepts related to space environment are explored including, sun, solar wind, solar cycles, magnetosphere, magnetic storms, and geomagnetic indices. The module explains space weather phenomena and concepts. The module considers ground induced current and its effect on modern technological systems. Methodology that is used to forecast of space weather parameters are discussed.

10 credits

Machine Learning

Machine learning is a component of artificial intelligence that enables a computer to learn how to perform a task from data or simulations rather than being explicitly programmed for every possible scenario. Machine learning is currently being applied in a number of fields including finance, robotics and autonomous systems and bioinformatics and has experienced a huge growth in industry in recent years. This module introduces the key foundational elements of machine learning, including: regression, classification and reinforcement learning. The module is taught by a combination of lectures and labs, where there is an emphasis on practical implementation of different methods.

10 credits

Aerospace Electrical Power Systems

Aircraft, missiles and space vehicles have complex power requirements both in primary propulsion and in ancillary systems including flight surface control, control and instrumentation systems and passenger comfort. This module examines traditional electrical power systems on aircraft and emerging systems which are replacing pneumatic and cable-based power transfer. Detailed aerospace power systems are covered including aerospace grid systems, as well as protection and aircraft power plants. Aircraft electrification for more-electric and fully-electric aircraft is also covered.

10 credits

Antennas, Radar and Navigation

This module is about understanding the fundamentals and common applications of antennas and radar systems. The basic characteristics of some of the commonly used antennas, and antenna systems, will be examined in the context of practical design and application. The radar part of the module will introduce the basic concepts of radar and examine various types of commercial and military radar system in common use. The application of radar and other methods in airborne navigation and landing systems will be discussed. Throughout the module emphasis will be placed on 'first-order' analysis techniques in order to reduce the use of advanced mathematics.

10 credits