What is Aerospace Engineering?
In layman’s terms, aerospace engineering is a subset of mechanical engineering. Moreover, this field is broad and it continuously coordinates with a number of disciplines through which engineers can design and build spacecraft and aircraft. Furthermore, students can use the teachings of this field in various disciplines. For example, if you have an astronautical engineering degree or aeronautical engineering degree, then you can easily apply your knowledge in airline crash investigations, windmill designs, flight simulations, and other fields with high technology needs.
In addition to this, experts have divided aerospace engineering into two major categories i.e. astronautical engineering and aeronautical engineering. In simple terms, we can understand both fields as:
- Aeronautical engineering encompasses flight through Earth’s atmosphere into space.
- Astronautical engineering comprises flight beyond Earth’s atmosphere into space.
Also, as an aerospace engineering student, if you ever come across academic challenges in subjects like physics, materials sciences, etc. then you must choose the right assignment help online services to guide you throughout. Furthermore, there are several areas that combine together to form aerospace. Let us take a look at them.
- Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics.
- Structural Dynamics and Aeroelasticity.
- Composite Materials.
- Aircraft Propulsion.
- Aircraft Control.
- Spacecraft Engineering.
Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics ::
It is a commonly held view that it has only been a little over a hundred years since we escaped the bounds of terra firm and achieved flight. However, some historians believe our fascination with flight goes back much further than this. Some point to a tangible example of an earlier fascination with flight: the Saqqara Bird. The Saqqara bird was an artifact discovered in an Egyptian official’s tomb in 1898. Although it has the eyes of a bird, its construction is more similar to an airplane. It brings up the question…did the Egyptians know of the secrets of flight? The answer to that is elusive. However, to have actually achieved flight would mean they understood the fundamentals of aerodynamics.
The understanding of the basics of flight has enabled us to finally ascend into the skies and do so routinely and safely. We have succeeded in these advancements to a large degree by recognizing the similarity between airflow and fluid flow. In fact, the characteristics of both the former and latter are treated from a scientific perspective. And, the mathematical methods and tools we typically employ to analyze aerodynamics and fluid mechanics, including the fundamentals, are the same.
The Fundamentals of Aerodynamics
The first step in understanding aerodynamics is to understand the forces that act on aircraft in flight, which are illustrated in the figure below.
Fundamental Aerodynamic Forces
- Thrust
Thrust is the force that propels the aircraft forward. Although, it is not uncommon for planes to experience tailwinds–which may add to the thrust–internally generated power is the primary source of thrust. - Drag
As the term signifies, drag works against thrust and thus decreases the plane’s velocity. Similar to tailwinds are headwinds, which flow against the plane’s flight directions and add to drag. - Lift
Lift is the force that causes the plane to gain elevation or altitude. Lift is achieved by the aircraft having a positive angle of attack coupled with thrust. - Weight
Weight, which seeks to resist ascension, is due to the mass of the plane and gravity. Although gravity is relatively constant on earth’s surface, there is some variation. However, it can usually be neglected for small elevations– it decreases with altitude according to
The Relationship Between Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics
According to Merriam-Webster, aerodynamics is defined as:
“A branch of dynamics that deals with the motion of air and other gaseous fluids and
with the forces acting on bodies in motion relative to such fluids.”
This definition clearly makes the case that air in motion is a fluid. Therefore, evaluating the mechanics of flight as influenced by airflow falls safely within the boundaries of fluid mechanics, which is broadly defined as the study of the mechanics of fluids.
There are a number of essential fluid mechanics equations. However, the Navier-Stokes equations are probably the most important and they are applicable whether studying compressible or non-compressible flows. Below, the equation is given for a compressible Newtonian fluid.
The above equation can be viewed as a force equation for fluids, as it illustrates the relationship among the various forces acting on the fluid, as given in Eq. (3).
F(internal) = F(pressure) + F(viscous) + F(external) (3)
where F(internal) is
F(pressure) is
F(viscous) is
This equation, although often used to study the aerodynamics of an aircraft due to airflow, is complex and necessitates that you employ a CFD tool for calculations and analysis.
CFD Requirements for Aerodynamics Analysis
Utilizing fluid mechanics equations to study aerodynamics is an effective methodology. However, the quality of results is dependent on the CFD tool(s) you utilize. In the figure below, an example illustrating the magnitude of vorticity around the aircraft due to airflow is shown.
CFD aerodynamics analysis by Omnis
The graphic above, which is helpful to gain a visual perspective of whether vortex shedding is occurring, demonstrates the types of analysis capabilities you need to effectively evaluate the aerodynamics of your system. Omnis from Cadence is a comprehensive advanced CFD analysis platform that will enable you to study the fundamentals of aerodynamics and beyond for your system design.
