Teaching team

Schedule

Virtual office hours will be held on Google Meet

The calendar is also available full screeen in any browser.

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Catalog Description

• Structural design of aerospace vehicles emphasizing structural integrity under imposed static and dynamic loads. Design considerations include weight, cost, and mission constraints.

Prerequisites

• ME 2570 – Mechanics of Materials

Textbook/Suggested Resources

• Mechanics of Aircraft Structures, 2^nd Edition, Sun, C.T. Wiley, 2006.

Reference materials:

• Aircraft Structures for Engineering Students, Megson, T.H.G., Fourth Edition, Elsevier, 2007.
• Fundamentals of Aircraft Structural Analysis, Curtis, H.D., Irwin, 1997.
• Aircraft Structures, Narasaiah, G.L., CRC Press, 2011.

Course topics

• Historical background.
• Loads: aerodynamic, thrust and inertial.
• 2-D and 3-D elasticity. Stress and strain tensors.
• Deformations; stiffness and strength.
• Basic beams: bending and extension; torsion and shear.

• Introduction to work and energy principles: virtual work; potential energy; strain energy.
• Approximate methods: Rayleigh-Ritz; FEM.
• Local and global modes of failure.

Course Objective

• To introduce students to most widely used concepts in of aerospace structural mechanics
• To provide a foundation in aerospace structural mechanics that is sufficient to begin entry level professional practice or to begin graduate study in the discipline

Learning Outcomes

At the conclusion of the course, the student should be able to:

• apply stiffness and strength concepts to light-weight load-bearing structures,
• understand static and dynamic failure modes of structural components,
• study and evaluate methods, assumptions and approximations of structural analysis,
• evaluate mission requirements and their effects on the design for structural integrity of light-weight vehicles.

Extended description

The course deals with the design and analysis of aerospace structures. First, the flow of boundary dynamic and static loads through a typical structure is discussed. Then stresses and deformations of individual members and components are studied, culminating with monocoque and semi-monocoque load-carrying structures. Assumed and actual internal load distributions are explained and possible failure modes are presented.

Various methods of analysis are studied thoroughly. However, the emphasis is not on techniques but on concepts and comprehension. Hence, careful attention is paid to the correct interpretation of results. One of the methods applied in this course is the Finite Element Method (FEM). There will be a computer assignment applying Finite Element Analysis (FEA).

Method of instruction:

• The course material will be taught in an online lecture format.

• The course objectives will be practiced through a combination of homework assignments and a semester project.

• Students are required to attend (virtually) all lecture and activity sessions unless there is an urgent need to miss them.

• Our collective health and safety is of paramount importance. Follow CDC, Michigan, and WMU guidance on Covid-19. Stay home, stay safe.

Grading Standard

The grading scheme is visible in elearning in the gradebook section. It has detailed breakdowns of the grade weighting and is the definitive source of grading information.

Major graded items

• Each student will complete a finite element analysis on an aerospace structure
• There is one mid-term and one final exam.
  • The tentative dates on noted on the course calendar on elearning

Assignments and communication

• WMU’s e-learning system will be used as the primary method of distributing and collecting assignments and assigning grades
  • The calendar on e-learning is authoritative. It will be updated as required throughout the semester
• Assignments are due by submission to e-learning by the date specified there. This typically corresponds with the start of the lecture on the due date.
• Late homework will not be accepted.
• All assignments will be collected, however, some homework may not be graded.
• Quizzes may be announced or un-announced.
• For the purpose of computing the homework portion of the grade, one homework assignment or quiz will be dropped.

• Re-grades: Re-grade requests must be submitted in writing within 1 week of the return of any item. The instructor reserves the right to re-grade the entire item.

Expectations on student conduct for assignments and assessments

• General WMU academic integrity standards apply for all submitted materials
• Students must complete exams and quizzes individually following all general standards and any additional specific rules defined for the event
• All homework assignments must be completed individually (or in groups if a group assignment)
  • General discussion of of homework approach is acceptable, however, formulation and documentation of your own solution must be done independently
  • Submitted work must accurately represent solely the work of the submitting student
  • Cite those with whom you have discussed your approach

• Do not seek no subsequently submit as your own any existing solutions in any form. These include, but are not limited to, existing solutions or examples from:
  • previous semesters
  • existing solution manuals
  • external (non-WMU instructor) tutors
  • web sites or other web resources
• The limitations on use of external homework/quiz/exam solutions will be interpreted in a broad sense.
• If you are suspected of using a prohibited resource, an academic misconduct case will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct.
• If you have any questions on this policy, ask the instructor prior to using any external resource

Academic integrity

You are responsible for making yourself aware of and understanding the policies and procedures in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs that pertain to Academic Honesty. These policies include cheating, fabrication, falsification and forgery, multiple submission, plagiarism, complicity and computer misuse. The policies can be found at http://catalog.wmich.edu under Academic Policies, Student Rights and Responsibilities.

If there is reason to believe you have been involved in academic dishonesty, you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. You will be given the opportunity to review the charge(s). If you believe you are not responsible, you will have the opportunity for a hearing. You should consult with your instructor if you are uncertain about an issue of academic honesty prior to the submission of an assignment or test.

Attendance, illness, and absences

• Attendance is important, however, the health and well-being of our community is more important.
• Do not attend a face-to-face class if you are ill or suspect illness.
  • Contact the instructor to inform him of your circumstances and to coordinate assistance.

• Recognizing its importance, attendance and homework participation may be encouraged through the use of announced or un-announced quizzes.
• For un-announced quizzes in online lectures, the students will be informed during the lecture and will be directed to the e-learning system to complete the quiz in the allocated time
  • There will be no make-up quizzes under any circumstances.
• The grading policy (one dropped homework/quiz) is designed to account for unexpected circumstances.

• Classroom Etiquette: – Laptop and cell phone use during lecture causes distraction in your fellow students and in the instructor. Please disable these and all similar devices.
• Online Learning Etiquette – Use appropriate discretion when participating in all online learning activities. Limit multitasking, enable your video if technological limitations do not prevent it. It is generally appropriate to disable your microphone when not actively speaking.

Mathematical Rigor

This is a mathematics intensive course

• Review basic calculus
  • Integration and differentiation of polynomials, simple trigonometric functions, logarithms
  • Definite integrals, change of variables, etc

Please take notes

• Much of the mathematical content of this course is difficult to display on projected slides.
• Despite the first lecture, this course will primarily be taught on the board (or virtual board).
• Adjusting this class to an online format will be a challenge, please be patient.

• An electronic coursepack is available in the Android ¹ app store. It contains most of the notes.

• The electronic course pack is recommended, but is not required.
  • There is a fee which defrays the cost of hosting content, licensing software, etc.
• All homework, etc is managed through e-learning
• Lecture content is mirrored in the course pack.