Aerospace System Design Reviews (MAE 478)

The Aerospace Engineering Student Preliminary Design Reviews are scheduled as follows:

Thursday, December 14, 2006, 10:00am-12:15pm, ECS-208

• 10:00-10:45: "Air to Air Tanker/Refueler Design," Imesh G., Chris H., Eric M. and Brandon W.
• 10:45-11:30: "P-10 Recovery System Design," Senad B., Irla D., Joe L. and Maritza M.
• 11:00-12:15: "Spark Igniter Design," Fazle A., David A., Osvaldo L. and James V.

• 10:00-10:45: "Supersonic Business Jet Design," Yves N., Sung P. and Yoshihiro T.
• 10:45-11:30: "CMC Thruster Design," Abraham C., Randy H., Victor M. and Adam R.
• 11:00-12:15: "LOX/Methane Rocket Engine Design," Jason E., James O. and Sandeep A.

Background on the course:

These PDRs are conducted in the framework of the Aerospace System Design I class, MAE 478, which is followed by MAE 479. In MAE 478, students select a project and write a proposal which includes top-level customer requirements. Based on the proposal, they perform a conceptual design which culminates in a Systems Requirements Review (late October). They then use the requirements developed for their concept to come up with a preliminary design (this presentation). In the subsequent course, MAE 479, they perform the detailed design leading to a Critical Design Review (March/April) and then determine the performance of their system, either via tests if possible or by an analytical/numerical approach, to verify that it meets the requirements. The project culminates in a System Acceptance Review at the end of the Spring semester where they present their system and must show that it meets the requirements. The business case is an essential part of the project.

Notes:

For current students: regardless of your level (Freshman to Sophomore) it is a good opportunity to see what your peers are doing and the kind of project you may be working on when you take the class.

For faculty:  invite students in your classes to attend. If you would like to see how students apply the materials they learn in other classes, it is a good forum to do that. You can also participate and give the students feedback.

For guests from industry: it is a good way to see what our students are working on, observe the skills that they have learned, and help them to become prepared for their careers. On this latter point, I have arranged for what I hope should be ample time in order to give them feedback in real time, instead of waiting until the end of the presentation. So, if some of you would like to play the role of the "red team" of reviewers, or of the disgruntled general, I welcome that as long as it is done in a professional fashion. Students can learn a great deal from your years of experience and it is better for them to do that in the context of a class rather than on their first job. So, I hope you will consider being an active participant. Note, however, that if I see the schedule slipping too much, I will minimize the audience participation so the students can finish their presentation on schedule.