NG3S310 - Aircraft Structure 01 Apr 2025 - 31 Aug 2027 | Version 5
Associated Module Information
| Module Code: | NG3S310 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Module Title: | Aircraft Structure | ||
| Faculty: | Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Science | ||
| Faculty Group: | Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Faculty Sub Group: | Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Module Leader: | |||
| Module Team: | Ilias Lappas, Selim Tudgey, Darren Williams, Khalid Mehrab | ||
| First Intended Intake: | SEP 2016 | Final Year of Intake: | |
| Date Closed: | |||
| Credit Value: | 20 | Credit Level: | 6 |
| Language: | English | ||
| Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: | 0 | ||
| Equivalent Module: | |||
| HECOS codes: | 100114 - aeronautical engineering | ||
| HECOS Code Weighting: | 100 | ||
Document Version Information
| Version | 5 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 01 Apr 2025 |
| Valid To | 31 Aug 2027 |
Module Aims
The module aims to present the basics of structural design and analysis of aerospace structures. Aerospace structures such as aircraft wings, fuselage, control surfaces, vertical and horizontal stabilisers, etc., are generally assembled from thin-walled sheets. The main objective of the module is to complement the analysis principles acquired by students in Engineering Mechanics 1 and apply them for the analysis of thin- walled members, which form the building blocks of aerospace structures.
Content Summary
1. Introduction: Main structural components of aircraft structures, function of structural components, loads on the aircraft, V-N diagrams, materials used, airworthiness (EASA/FAR)
2. Spacecraft Structures (Optional): Overview of spacecraft structures, sources of structural loading and space environment effects, key considerations.
3. Energy Methods in Structural Analysis: Complementary strain and energy, Castigliano's theorem, unit load method, principal of virtual work
4. Structural Analysis of Thin Walled Open Beams Section: Flexural analysis of open section beams, stiffener loads, web shear flows, shear centre
5. Structural Analysis of Thin Walled Closed Beams Section: Shear flow under transverse loading, shear flow under torsional loading, angle of twist, multi-cell beams, shear centre
6. Bending of Unsymmetrical Sections: Generalized theory of beam bending, bending of unsymmetrical wing-box cross sections
7. Structural Analysis of Aircraft Sub-Structures: Fuselage frames, wing rib analysis, cut-outs in semi-monocoque aircraft structures
8. Elastic Stability: Elastic buckling of slender members, inelastic buckling, effective length of columns, buckling of flat and curved panels, buckling analysis of stiffened closed section box beams, post-buckling behaviour of stiffened flat and curved panels
9. Finite Element Applications to Aircraft Structures: Overview of finite element applications to aircraft structures, Lab sessions will be conducted and demonstration problems will be solved using an industry-standard FE Software, tutorials and self-study documents will be presented and provided to the students so that can practice more on their own
Learning and Teaching Methods
| Activity Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 36 |
| Seminar | 2 |
| Tutorial | 8 |
| Practical classes and workshops | 4 |
| Independent Study | 150 |
| Total Hours Selected | 200 |
Learning Outcomes
| # | Learning Outcome |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Demonstrate a conceptual understanding of the design principles of aircraft structures. |
| LO2 | Able to understand & carry out structural analysis of aircraft components |
Module Requisites
N/A
Assessment Criteria
| Assessment Category | Assessment Type | Description | Duration | Word Count | Weight (%) | Best of? | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asynchronous Assessment | Portfolio 1 | A submission of specified material prepared by the student during a course or programme | 0 | N/A | 30 | No | 40 |
| Synchronous Onsite Assessment (Exam) | Onsite Closed Book Examination 1 | Open Book Exam | 180 | N/A | 70 | No | 40 |
Assessment Matrix
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| LO1 | LO2 | ||
| Portfolio 1 | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Onsite Closed Book Examination 1 | ✔ | ✔ | |