Course syllabus for Aircraft design

Course syllabus adopted 2023-02-13 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameFlygplansdesign
  • CodeMMS236
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPMOB
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyMechanical Engineering
  • DepartmentMECHANICS AND MARITIME SCIENCES
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 89144
  • Maximum participants50 (at least 10% of the seats are reserved for exchange students)
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0123 Project, part A 4.5 c
Grading: UG		4.5 c
0223 Project, part B 1.5 c
Grading: UG		1.5 c
0323 Written and oral assignments 1.5 c
Grading: UG		1.5 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

Fluid mechanics.

Aim

The main goal of the course is to teach the practice of conceptually design aircraft having as a starting point a pre-defined set of top-level requirements. This involves developing an insight into how the different aeronautical disciplines interrelate at an early stage of aircraft design. 

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

After the course the student should be able:
  • of carrying out an entire process of aircraft conceptual design, having as a starting point a pre-defined set of top-level requirements
  • to appreciate and discuss the interrelationship between the different disciplines of aircraft design. 
  • to differentiate between the different components involved in design and identify the most critical ones for a particular application case.  
  • to evaluate the final design and provide solutions or alternative layouts for the most critical components.
  • to present and report his work to peers.

Content

The course effectively bridges the most important disciplines of aeronautical engineering to address the conceptual design of aircraft. The course will allow the students to appreciate the interdependencies between mechanical and aerodynamic design of aircraft structures and propulsion systems and how these impact on the final concept. The ambition is that the student becomes familiar with the different elements that comprise a modern aircraft and their impact on the integrated design and overall performance.  
The course will address the following aspects of aircraft design (based on course literature):
  • Lec1: What is design, sizing from a sketch, Chap. 1, Chap. 2, Chap. 3. 
  • Lec2: Airfoil and wing/tail, thrust-to-weight and wing loading, Chap. 4, Chap. 5.
  • Lec3: Initial sizing, crew station, passengers and payload, landing gear, Chap. 6, Chap. 9, Chap. 11.
  • Lec4: Propulsion and fuel systems, integration and performance, Chap. 10, Chap. 13.
  • Lec5: Flight performance, Chap. 17.
  • Lec6: Aerodynamics, Chap. 12.
  • Lec7: Structures, loads, and weights, Chap. 14, Chap. 15.
  • Lec8: Stability and control, Chap. 16.
  • Lec9: Trade studies, Cost analysis, Chap. 18, Chap. 19.
  • Lec10: Vertical flight, hypersonic flight, lighter-than-air, Chap. 21, Chap. 22.
  • Lec11: Spacecraft design.
  • Lec12: New concepts, electric, hybrid electric, hydrogen, Chap. 20, Chap. 23.
The students will be provided in the beginning with a design project that starts with a set of top-level requirements that are provided by the teacher. The project will be divided into 3 design tasks with increasing complexity. Each design task requires the submission of an intermediate report and will include one or two seminar sessions. 

Organisation

Two lectures per-week. Tutorials integrated into the lectures. Project work:
  • DT1: Sizing from sketch, study on technology availability, initial trade-study.
  • DT2: Initial design (“dash-1”) with a general 3D representation of the different sections of the aircraft and internal components.  
  • DT3: starts with the Dash-1 design and will include the implementation of more sophisticated methods to analyse the aircraft performance in relation to the initial requirements. Phase 3 will include structural analysis, subsystem performance and flight stability.

Literature

D. Raymer, Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach, Sixth Edition

Examination including compulsory elements

There are 5 moments of examination in connection with the three design tasks, the final seminar and the final written exam. At the end of each design task period the students are expected to deliver a report for assessment. The intermediate seminar sessions (S1, S2) will be used to follow-up and provide feedback on the ongoing projects but will not be graded. At the end of the course there is a written review assignment and discussion where the different groups are expected to provide a review and to challenge another’s project work. Students will be examined with respect to:

  • 60% (4.5 credits) performance in the design project. 
  • 20% (1.5 credits) the final presentation and the review assignment.  
  • 20% (1.5 credits) Individual review assignment and discussion.  

In addition, each student shall compile a project diary describing the tasks carried out in the project and which of these tasks is the student in question responsible.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.