The module descriptors for this programme can be found below.

Modules shown are for the current academic year and are subject to change depending on your year of entry.

Please note that the curriculum of this programme is currently being reviewed as part of a College-wide process to introduce a standardised modular structure. As a result, the content and assessment structures of this course may change for your year of entry. We therefore recommend that you check this course page before finalising your application and after submitting it as we will aim to update this page as soon as any changes are ratified by the College.

Find out more about the limited circumstances in which we may need to make changes to or in relation to our courses, the type of changes we may make and how we will tell you about changes we have made.

Aerospace Structures

Module aims

This module is concerned with teaching students how to analyse and design aerospace structures such as the wing and fuselage. It will include analysis of how these structures deform under loads and the effect of such loads will be considered.

Learning outcomes

Analyse open tube, and thin walled structures under a variety of loading conditions.

Develop the beam/pure shear panel idealisation.

Evaluate the deflection of closed cell geometry due to bending and shear strains, and extend this work to multi-cell tubes loaded by transverse shear forces.

Describe the function of fuselage frames and to calculate the stress distribution in the fuselage near a frame due to a concentrated load.

To understand the fundamental aspects of computational simulation of aerospace structures.

To develop an understanding of the preliminary design process as applied to airframe design.

Module syllabus

Analysis

  • Single Cell Tube Loaded by Shear Forces: Stress distribution and twist. Shear centre.
  •  Boom/Shear Panel Idealisations: Simplified modelling of assemblies of skin, stiffeners and spars
  • Deflection of a Thin-Walled Tube:  Due to bending shear and torsion
  • Multi-Cell Tube (including tapered):  Stress distribution and twist due to torsion and transverse shear forces.

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Design

Introduction to Airframe Design. Preliminary Design of Wing Boxes. Use of flight envelope to demonstrate interaction between design, aerodynamics and stress. Preliminary Design of Wing Structures from UAS to commercial jets. Preliminary Design of Fuselage Structures under pressure. U/C loads etc. Cut-outs design. Detail design of fatigue prone components, such as root fittings, spar boom splices, windows etc. Practical fail safe and safe life design. Finite Element analysis with the CREO CAD package. Survey of data sources: ESDU data sheets relating to structural strength, stability and fatigue.

Pre-requisites

Revision Stress Analysis or general Structural Mechanics modules taken during previous undergraduate course.

Teaching methods

Lectures

The course is largely presented using the PC projector with detailed handouts.

Assessments

Group design project (teams of approximately 5 students) - 90%

Quiz - 10%

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