MEng, BEng Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering

Year 3

(Award available for year: Bachelor of Engineering)

Learning outcomes

On completion of the year/programme students should have provided evidence of being able to:
- understand and demonstrate coherent and detailed knowledge and professional competencies, some of which will be informed by recent research/scholarship in aeronautical and aerospace engineering;
- deploy accurately standard techniques of analysis and enquiry within aeronautical and aerospace engineering;
- demonstrate a conceptual understanding which enables the development and sustaining of an argument;
-describe and comment on particular aspects of recent research and/or scholarship;
- appreciate the uncertainty, ambiguity and limitations of knowledge in aeronautical and aerospace engineering;
- make appropriate use of scholarly reviews and primary sources;
- apply their knowledge and understanding in order to initiate and carry out an extended piece of work or project;
- conform to professional boundaries and norms where applicable;
- understand the application of design to the modern aerospace industry;
- design the different aspects of an aerospace vehicle, initial conceptual, performance prediction, vehicle sizing leading onto detail design of the different aerospace vehicle systems;
- understand the basic concepts of aerospace performance and be able to apply the mathematical tools used for its prediction;
- solve problems in the area of flight vehicle motion, and gain an understanding of the control and dynamic behaviour of aircraft and spacecraft to atmospheric or control inputs;
- understand aircraft and spacecraft control, and aerospace orbital vehicle motion;
- develop an understanding of the fundamentals of aerodynamics from a theoretical perspective;
- solve problems in the area of potential (ideal) flow theory, wing theory and computational fluid dynamic approaches to advection and diffusion based flows;
- appreciate the importance of boundary layers and turbulence in the context of aerodynamic flows;
- have an understanding of the basic principles of structural analysis using finite element methods;
- understand the limitations of finite element modelling and understand how to interpret and validate the results;
- understand the processes and assumptions that underpin the definition and development of a FEM to answer a specific engineering question;
- understand thermodynamics and fluid mechanics of high speed compressible flows and basic principles of operation of turbomachines relevant to aeronautical engineering.

Transferable (key) skills

Students will have had the opportunity to acquire, as defined in the modules specified for aeronautical and aerospace engineering the following:
-the transferable/key/generic skills necessary for employment related to the aeronautical and aerospace industry;
- the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility;
- the deployment of decision making skills in complex and unpredictable situations;
- the communication of information, ideas, problems and solutions in a variety of ways to a variety of audiences;
- the ability to undertake appropriate further training of a professional or equivalent nature;
- the following skills: adaptability to changing requirements, analytical, computer skills, critical analysis and argument, interpersonal communication, mathematical derivations and solutions, oral presentation, personal initiative, planning and organising, problem solving, research, teamwork, numeracy, time management and written communication.

Assessment

Achievement will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the modules specified for aeronautical and aerospace engineering and will include:
- demonstrating the ability to apply a broad range of aspects of aeronautical and aerospace engineering;
- work that draws on a wide variety of material;
- the ability to evaluate and criticise received opinion;
- evidence of the ability to conduct independent, in-depth enquiry within aeronautical and aerospace engineering;
- work that is typically both evaluative and creative;
- computer exercises, oral presentations, problem solving exercises, project report, short lab projects, unseen exams, viva voce examination.