What is Aerospace Engineering?

- is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development

of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping
branches: aeronautical engineering
and astronautical engineering. Avionics engineering is similar, but deals with
the electronics side of aerospace engineering.
- The aerospace engineering industry focuses on the design, testing and
manufacturing of aircraft, spacecraft, satellites and missiles. Aerospace
engineers are responsible for creating and developing advanced technologies for
use in space, aviation and airborne defense systems.
- Aerospace engineering deals with designing and building machines that fly. It is
one of the newest branches of engineering, and began in the 19th century with
the first experiments in powered flight. As technology progressed, two specialties
emerged; aeronautical engineering, which involves designing aircraft such as
powered lighter-than-air craft, gliders, fixed-wing airplanes and jets, autogyros,
and helicopters; and astronautical engineering, which focuses on the design and
development of spacecraft.
Aerospace engineers typically specialize in one of two types of
engineering:

a. Aeronautical engineers work with aircraft. They are involved primarily in

designing aircraft and propulsion systems and in studying the aerodynamic
performance of aircraft and construction materials. They work with the theory,
technology, and practice of flight within the Earth’s atmosphere.

b. Astronautical engineers work with the science and technology of spacecraft

and how they perform inside and outside the Earth’s atmosphere. This includes
work on small satellites such as cubesats, and traditional large satellites.
Aeronautical and astronautical engineers face different environmental and operational
issues in designing aircraft and spacecraft. However, the two fields overlap a great deal
because they both depend on the basic principles of physics.

Why is aerospace engineering important?

Aerospace engineering is important because it allows for the creation of new
ideas that impact flight on Earth and in space. Because the aerospace engineering field
is so diverse, some aerospace engineers focus on aircraft on Earth, while other
aerospace engineers study spacecraft beyond Earth. Aerospace engineers are
constantly developing advanced technologies to improve flight and air travel.

Elements of Aerospace Engineering

Some of the elements of aerospace engineering are:

• Radar cross-section – the study of vehicle signature apparent to remote

sensing by radar.
• Fluid mechanics – the study of fluid flow around objects.
Specifically aerodynamics concerning the flow of air over bodies such as wings or
through objects such as wind tunnels (see also lift and aeronautics).
• Astrodynamics – the study of orbital mechanics including prediction of orbital
elements when given a select few variables.
• Statics and Dynamics (engineering mechanics) – the study of movement, forces,
moments in mechanical systems.
• Mathematics – in particular, calculus, differential equations, and linear algebra.
• Electrotechnology – the study of electronics within engineering.
• Propulsion – the energy to move a vehicle through the air (or in outer space) is
provided by internal combustion engines, jet engines and turbomachinery,
or rockets (see also propeller and spacecraft propulsion). A more recent addition to
this module is electric propulsion and ion propulsion.
• Control engineering – the study of mathematical modeling of the dynamic behavior
of systems and designing them, usually using feedback signals, so that their
dynamic behavior is desirable (stable, without large excursions, with minimum
error). This applies to the dynamic behavior of aircraft, spacecraft, propulsion
systems, and subsystems that exist on aerospace vehicles.
• Aircraft structures – design of the physical configuration of the craft to withstand the
forces encountered during flight. Aerospace engineering aims to keep structures
lightweight and low-cost while maintaining structural integrity.
• Materials science – related to structures, aerospace engineering also studies the
materials of which the aerospace structures are to be built. New materials with very
specific properties are invented, or existing ones are modified to improve their
performance.
• Solid mechanics – Closely related to material science is solid mechanics which
deals with stress and strain analysis of the components of the vehicle. Nowadays
there are several Finite Element programs such as MSC Patran/Nastran which aid
engineers in the analytical process.
• Aeroelasticity – the interaction of aerodynamic forces and structural flexibility,
potentially causing flutter, divergence, etc.
• Avionics – the design and programming of computer systems on board an aircraft or
spacecraft and the simulation of systems.
• Software – the specification, design, development, test, and implementation
of computer software for aerospace applications, including flight software, ground
control software, test & evaluation software, etc.
• Risk and reliability – the study of risk and reliability assessment techniques and the
mathematics involved in the quantitative methods.
• Noise control – the study of the mechanics of sound transfer.
• Aeroacoustics – the study of noise generation via either turbulent fluid motion or
aerodynamic forces interacting with surfaces.
• Flight testing – designing and executing flight test programs in order to gather and
analyze performance and handling qualities data in order to determine if an aircraft
meets its design and performance goals and certification requirements.
The basis of most of these elements lies in theoretical physics, such as fluid
dynamics for aerodynamics or the equations of motion for flight dynamics. There is also
a large empirical component. Historically, this empirical component was derived from
testing of scale models and prototypes, either in wind tunnels or in the free atmosphere.
More recently, advances in computing have enabled the use of computational fluid
dynamics to simulate the behavior of the fluid, reducing time and expense spent on
wind-tunnel testing. Those studying hydrodynamics or hydroacoustics often obtain
degrees in aerospace engineering.
Additionally, aerospace engineering addresses the integration of all components that
constitute an aerospace vehicle (subsystems including power, aerospace bearings,
communications, thermal control, life support, etc.) and its life cycle (design,
temperature, pressure, radiation, velocity, lifetime).

Areas of Impact
Since the first sustained piloted flight in 1903, the science and technology of manned
flight has grown exponentially, starting with the first university lectures in Paris in 1909,
followed by the first US degree program at the University of Michigan in 1914 — the
forerunner of today’s Aerospace Department. Today, Michigan Aerospace remains a
leader in aerospace research and education, covering an expansive array of topics from
unmanned air and space vehicles to commercial airliners. The ever-evolving topics in
aerospace encompass the traditional areas of gas dynamics, flight dynamics, control,
structures and materials while probing visions of future needs for the aerospace
enterprise. Research in aerospace engineering brings our best together to solve tough

1. Vehicle design

Since the late 1950s, lighter and more aerodynamic planes have reduced fuel
consumption per passenger per mile by about 30%.

Composite materials research has paved the way for lighter, stronger air vehicles
contributing to fuel economy and increased performance. Integrating actuation and
sensing materials into composite materials allows the formation of smart and
multifunctional structures capable of reducing weight and increasing performance of all
aerospace vehicles and spins off nicely into a host of other engineering marvels.

Often, airplanes are optimized in cycles, first looking at the structure of the plane, the
materials, strength and weight, and then making that design aerodynamic. The process
continues, optimizing for structure and aerodynamics in turn. But better planes can be
designed by taking both into account simultaneously.

Human flight bears little resemblance to flight in nature and we are only beginning to
understand the subtleties of how flapping wings produce the precise control that
hummingbirds and insects enjoy. Aerospace researchers are unlocking the secrets of
bird and insect motion through experiments and computer modeling.

2. Propulsion
Also since the late 1950s, more efficient engine designs have cut fuel consumption per
passenger per mile by about half. As biofuels now make up about 10% of automotive
gasoline, they are also beginning to make their way into jet fuel. Researchers in
Aerospace are studying how the new fuel mix changes combustion in jet engines.

Other research studies the engines of a new class of vehicles that can exceed the
speed of sound by a factor of five or more, known as scramjets. With air entering the
engine at such high speeds, the combustion process has little more than a millisecond
to occur before the fuel is blown out again. The turbulence can also temporarily block
fresh air from coming into the engine, stopping combustion and thrust. Yet if engineers
can overcome these and other obstacles, the US could have a vehicle that can be
anywhere in the world inside two hours.

Some engines designed in Aerospace Engineering go beyond the atmosphere.

Thrusters that use plasma, a gas containing electrons and ions, can accelerate
spacecraft very efficiently. First, these thrusters ionize a gas. Then, electric or magnetic
fields push the charged particles out through a nozzle, accelerating the spacecraft in the
opposite direction. Our faculty study thrusters great and small, from computer-chip-
sized thrusters on up to designs that could drive humans across the solar system. UM
Professor James Cutler is working on a revolutionary new technology — developing
new plasma thrusters to propel small satellites, called CubeSats, into deep space.
Space thrusters fall under Gas Dynamics and Space Systems.

3. Sensors and Control Systems

Sensors can give pilots additional information so that they can fly more safely and
efficiently, and they can also feed into control systems so that vehicles can pilot
themselves.

Unmanned aerial vehicles, known colloquially as drones, have a variety of possibilities

outside the military — from traffic reporting to search-and-rescue missions. Aerospace
research is developing vehicles with the ability to fly autonomously and in flocks to
maximize the scientific understanding of things such as crop growth, forest fires and
general land and water management.

Commercial air travel is now so safe that a passenger’s risk of dying in a crash is just
one in 45 million flights. But when a catastrophic mishap occurs, such as engine failure
or damage to the plane’s structure, pilots have limited time and information to decide
what action is most likely to save the lives of the passengers. Aerospace engineers are
trying to develop an emergency co-pilot of sorts, one that can run through the options
and outcomes to suggest the best way to maintain control of the plane and get it on the
ground safely.

Satellites in space communicate with Earth intermittently, so they need robust

autonomous control systems to handle most of their operations from maintaining their
positions and internal environments to taking measurements and sending data to Earth.
 4. Beyond Air and Space

Aerodynamics is one of the last frontiers in reducing fuel consumption in ground

vehicles like cars and trucks. The dominant factor in fuel economy for gas-powered
vehicles traveling over 50 mph is aerodynamics, and this speed is even lower for
electric cars. We are currently expanding our aerodynamics research into this area.

Autonomous operation, which depends closely on sensors and actuators, is necessary

for space vehicles, but it also improves safety in aircraft by simplifying the pilot’s job.
The same technology can be used to improve safety of ground vehicles, through driver
assistance systems or even fully autonomous, driverless vehicles.

Aerospace research and education provide constant spin-offs into medicine. The signal
processing techniques developed for aerospace applications are now used to analyze
medical data, energy harvesting developed for running aircraft sensors could also
power pacemakers, and material advances for aerospace structures could repair heart
valves.
Example Projects
COMPLETED PROJECT
Project Title:
Project Owners/Clients:
Date Accomplished:
Location of Projects:
Project Description and Purposes:
Novel multi-zone self-heated out-of-autoclave composite tool
European Union's Horizon
2020
Europe
Autoclave manufacturing is regarded as a benchmark for
manufacturing aerospace quality composite parts. However,
high accruing and operational costs limit their practicality for
smaller-scale companies and are a barrier to production rates. In
this project, a multi-zone, self-heating composite tool is
developed to manufacture complex, high-quality, out-of-
autoclave, lower wing stiffened composite panel.
ON-GOING PROJECT

Project Title: End-effectors development and industrialisation for aviation

Project Owners/Clients: Brunel University London
Date Accomplished: October 2015-present
Location of Projects: united Kingdom

The aerospace industry is continuously looking at weight reductions while

maintaining a high level of stiffness and strength to reduce fuel consumption,
CO2 emissions and increase efficiency, payload and/or range. Thermosets still
make the primary structure in Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 because of their
competitive pricing, mature manufacturing process and well-established
supply chain. However, low energy absorption, labour intensity, long
production cycle time, and limited recyclability and end of life options
questions its advantages and sustainability of thermosets in the long run,
especially the demand for newer and cleaner aircraft is increasing.
Project Description and Purposes:
To meet this increasing demand, there is a need to utilising novel materials and
technologies. Advanced thermoplastic composites provide an excellent
alternative material option thanks to their weldability, low density, low overall
production cost, improved fracture toughness and recyclability. However, to
fully appreciate their potentials in terms of weight, cost and production rate,
new manufacturing approach and techniques are needed.

Hence, TCTool project aims developing three end-effects solutions to

demonstrate the feasibility of assembling a 180° full scale multifunctional
integrated thermoplastic lower fuselage shell, including cabin and cargo floor
structure. This demonstrator has a length of around 8m and a varying radius
between 2m and 2.5m as part of a larger project, STUNNING (SmarT mUlti-
fuNctioNal and INtegrated TP fuselage).
Project Title:
Project Owners/Clients:
Date Accomplished:
Location of Projects:
Project Description and Purposes:
Physics analysis and operations of the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment
European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)
September 2008-present
France–Switzerland border near Geneva.
Exploiting the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector at the Large Hadron
Collider at CERN, where CMS with ALTAS discovered the Higgs Boson in 2012,
will bring greatly enhanced understanding of the "Standard Model" of particle
physics, particularly in the area of top-quark physics, searching for as yet
undiscovered gauge bosons and supersymmetric particles, and ultimately
shedding further light on the "Higgs" boson which is connected with the origins
of mass.
In particular, we will use the huge datasets produced by CMS to study the
production and properties of the top quark, a standard model particle with
unique properties. We will not only make precise tests of the standard model
by studying processes such as single top quark production in association with a
Z boson but we can use the increasingly large data sets to begin to search for
unexpected enhancements in highly suppressed channels involving Flavour
Changing Neutral Currents (FCNC); seeing these would be exciting evidence of
the breakdown of the standard model.