| Aerospace engineers develop new technologies for | | | | Aircraft Aerodynamics and Design: |
| use in aviation, defense systems, and space | | | | Basic research in applied aerodynamics and aircraft |
| exploration, often specializing in areas such as | | | | design. Work ranges from the development of |
| structural design, guidance, navigation and control, | | | | computational and experimental methods for |
| instrumentation and communication, or production | | | | aerodynamic analysis to studies of unconventional |
| methods. They also may specialize in a particular type | | | | aircraft concepts and new architectures for |
| of aerospace product, such as commercial aircraft, | | | | multidisciplinary design optimization. Involves studies |
| military fighter jets, helicopters, spacecraft, or missiles | | | | of unusual aircraft configurations and novel flight |
| and rockets, and may become experts in | | | | control concepts. |
| aerodynamics, thermodynamics, celestial mechanics, | | | | Turbulence Simulations: |
| propulsion, acoustics, or guidance and control | | | | It is a multidisciplinary research field to develop new |
| systems. | | | | turbulence models and associated numerical simulation |
| The coursework options available in this field include: | | | | methodologies that will enable a new paradigm for |
| - Fluids | | | | the design of advanced systems in which turbulence |
| - Structural Analysis | | | | plays a controlling role. Research aims to develop |
| - Guidance and Control | | | | simulation technology capable of dealing with systems |
| - Propulsion | | | | as complex as a full jet engine and phenomena as |
| - Spacecraft design and testing | | | | complex as the plasma turbulence of a Hall thruster. |
| - Control system design and theory | | | | GPS & Navigation: |
| - Applied aerodynamics, compressible flow, applied | | | | Involved is studying and building systems for vehicle |
| aeronautics | | | | navigation and attitude determination. Since the GPS |
| - Mechanics of composites | | | | satellite navigation system became operational in |
| - Classical dynamics and space mechanics | | | | 1993, there is increasing interest in an array of |
| The research options in Aeronautical Engineering that | | | | applications for this technology. |
| are available in various universities can be classified | | | | Guidance and Control: |
| broadly as below: | | | | Guidance and Control includes a wide spectrum of |
| | | | specialized research for making and testing novel |
| Aerospace Computing: | | | | instruments and control systems of extremely high |
| Development and application of numerical techniques | | | | precision. Applications include aerospace vehicle |
| in the design of aerospace products. Methods are | | | | guidance and control, sensing instrument development |
| developed to solve mathematical models of fluid flow | | | | and applications, internal combustion engine feedback |
| ranging from the linearized potential flow equations to | | | | for improved efficiency and reduced pollution, |
| the fully non-linear unsteady Navier-Stokes equations. | | | | robotics for manufacturing and operations in space, |
| Systems are used to analyze and design vehicles | | | | precision engineering and fabrication, and |
| ranging from sailboats to commercial airliners. | | | | ultra-precision machine tool design and development. |
| Aero Fluid Mechanics: | | | | Hybrid Systems: |
| Involves the study of the interaction of compressible | | | | Hybrid Systems Research involves designing |
| vortices with aerodynamic surfaces, with emphasis | | | | algorithms for the analysis and control of complex |
| on the noise generated by such interactions. Also | | | | aerodynamic systems. Research ranges from |
| dedicated to basic studies of the fundamental | | | | systems design and control for the next generation |
| properties of turbulent flow. Areas of interest include | | | | of Air Traffic Systems, through the development of |
| measurements of the structure of turbulent flames, | | | | algorithms for automatic flight-mode switching in flight |
| direct numerical simulation of free shear flows, and | | | | management systems, to the design and control of a |
| use of topological methods for interpretation of | | | | team of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. |
| complex three-dimensional vector fields. | | | | Structures and Composites: |
| Aerospace Robotics: | | | | Research encompasses composite structural design, |
| Involves creation of experimental systems for | | | | including vibration, stability, impact damage, and |
| developing advanced robot systems and new control | | | | environmental effects; biological applications of |
| techniques with applications to free-flying space | | | | composites; grid structures; composites in sports |
| robots, to undersea and air systems, to mobile | | | | equipment; composite manufacturing; fiber optic and |
| ground robots, and to industrial automation. Basically | | | | piezoelectric sensors; structural health monitoring; and |
| an interdepartmental program, with specific application | | | | smart structures. |
| into aerospace. | | | | |