Aerospace Engineering MEng/BEng (Hons)

15 credits

30 credits

The principal aim of this module is to provide students with a flavour of what is involved in engineering design and to develop the good academic and professional practice needed to succeed during the course and attain professional status.

The module introduces the key aspects involved in planning a project from start to finish, design processes incorporating a sustainability agenda, building an awareness of the interactions across various disciplines, regulatory frameworks and Health and Safety procedures.

The module develops good academic and professional practice by developing skills in self-reflection and recording professional development.

The basic principles of measurement and manufacturing processes in a workshop and testing environment are also addressed in the module.

The module also involves the IMechE Design Challenge as a part of the curriculum, to provide the students with a flavour of how to work in teams to produce engineering artefacts that are capable of accomplishing tasks, as well as developing interpersonal skills in order to enhance the student's employability.

15 credits

This module introduces mechanical engineering students to the fundamentals of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics. The fluid mechanics section covers the fundamental properties of fluids along with the main basic conservation equations and their engineering applications. It also introduces the concept of dimensions and the SI units of measurement.

Thermodynamics section deals with the relationship between heat and other forms of energy. A variety of topics of engineering and science are dependent on various thermodynamics concepts. You can find applications of thermodynamics everywhere, such as in internal combustion engine or sitting in a room with the air conditioning. The thermodynamics laws that govern the behaviour of various systems will be discussed in depth as they find applications in a variety of disciplines.

The module is primarily delivered through lectures supported by tutorial sessions and laboratory-based practical sessions.

30 credits

The module introduces students to the fundamentals of structural analysis (statics and dynamics) and the mechanical behaviour of a broad range of engineering materials. The mechanics part provides an understanding of the behaviour of particles and rigid bodies whilst stationary and in motion. Bodies such as trusses in equilibrium are studied and the external and internal parameters including force, moment, stress, or strain are defined and calculated.

The analysis of structural components will be developed with theoretical and numerical skills that are necessary in the design of real structures. This section also introduces the dynamics of particles and rigid bodies with their engineering applications. Material test methods will be used to determine the deformations and failures of the various engineering materials.

A selection of materials for engineering applications, such as metals, alloys, polymers, and composites, will be studied including their carbon footprint and their impact on the environment. The module is primarily delivered through lectures supported by tutorial sessions and laboratory-based practical sessions.

15 credits

The aim of this module is to provide a thorough background in engineering mathematics and equip students with the mathematical skills essential for solving engineering problems. The topics introduced will serve as basic tools for studies in many engineering subjects. This comprises algebra, functions, statistics and probability, trigonometry, calculus, differential equations and vectors. Students will be empowered to understand and be able to use the language and methods of mathematics in the description, analysis and design of engineering systems. The emphasis is on using mathematical tools to solve engineering problems. The computing software used will typically include MATLAB and Excel.

15 credits

Students are introduced to their course learning aims and consider their anticipated learning targets from induction to graduation. Students are guided to identify and take ownership of their personal academic journey through the development and application of academic skills aligned to KU Graduate Attributes and their discipline-specific professional body learning outcomes.

Students are tutored in a range of learning to learn techniques, are introduced to assessment for learning and the role of feedback, reflection and feedforward as an integrated part of their learning journey. This will be supported through active engagement in the KU Navigate Programme enabling students to understand and begin to develop a design thinking approach to Future Skills development.

15 credits

The module introduces the student to basic aerodynamics, aircraft systems and propulsion using a flight simulator to provide a frame of reference.

15 credits

This module is intended to give students an introduction to astronautics, the history of space engineering in the UK and to explore the space and launch environment. The module will also introduce students to basic quality assurance processes and methods used currently in the space engineering industry. Context will be provided through reference to past UK, European and International space missions.

The module content is informed by current space engineering practices and industrial requirements. The content and method of teaching is continually updated with best practices to improve the student's employability within the space industry. The module hopes to develop professional competencies and provide the skills to create, complete and implement requirements to constrain and control the engineering process, and then be able to apply quality assurance processes to a project.

30 credits

The basics of aerodynamics, aircraft performance and aerospace propulsion are introduced with a view to provide the ability to analyse, formulate and solve elementary problems. Students will have the opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge into practice in this module via examination.

30 credits

The purpose of this module is to introduce students to computational simulation process like finite element analysis (FEA) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach. ANSYS package will be used to conduct FEA and CFD analysis on real-world engineering problems.

Students will get the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge gained from Aerospace Structures, Materials and Vibrations to analyse structural behaviour of a model based on its material properties and optimise their design.

The knowledge gained from Aerodynamics and Performance module will be used to conduct CFD analysis over an aerodynamic body where students can learn to validate their computational results with experimental or other numerical data. This would equip students with up-to-date flow and structure analysis techniques.

30 credits

15 credits

This module considers the principles and practices for the design and management of engineering projects. The nature of engineering project management is discussed in the context of constraints on quality, time, risk, and sustainability. The module broadens the student's knowledge of how organisations undertake and monitor projects.

The module is skills-rich, including the development of teamworking, interpersonal and interdisciplinary skills, critical self-reflection, communication and presentation, time management, and the ability to organise, strategize and prioritise.

A key element of this module will be the participation in an inter-disciplinary design thinking project. Students will contextualise their subject-specific knowledge, skills and behaviours as an interdisciplinary team member charged with developing a solution to a designated sustainability challenge. The teamwork project enables students to demonstrate their ability to explore and contextualise their subject specific knowledge and helps prepare them for their individual project in Level 6.

30 credits

This module is designed to provide the students in their second year of BEng Aerospace Engineering with an understanding of fundamentals mechanics of materials, aerospace structures design and analysis process, theory of vibration with applications, composite materials and how are they used in aerospace applications.

This module covers the main structural components of aircraft and aircraft airframe basic construction methods and introduces the analysis of linearly elastic problems under axial loading, torsion and pure bending, and analysis of shear stresses and calculation of shear centre.

Presentation of important concepts such as free and forced vibrations of single degree-of-freedom undamped linear systems, types and characteristics of damping and its effects on the response, multi degree-of-freedom systems, response to harmonic excitation is introduced as part of this module.

Composite materials and their applications in aerospace primary structures and their advantages in terms of high-strength and stiffness to weight ratio are discussed.

The lectures are supported by practical aerospace structures, materials, and vibrations laboratories and tutorials.

15 credits

15 credits

This module is intended to teach students about safe testing and working practices in performing hazardous operations conducted in the space industry. Student will learn how to adapt their testing to take into account EDI considerations and how to write and enact test procedures. Hands-on practical testing will be developed. Context will be provided through reference to past UK, European and International space missions and the development of safe practices in hazardous environments.

15 credits

This module is designed to extend students' knowledge and understanding of aerospace aerodynamics, as well as to develop practical skills of using CAE tools in aerospace engineering applications. Subsonic, supersonic, compressible, incompressible, boundary layer, inviscid and viscous flows are all considered in High-speed and Low-speed Aerodynamics. The module would further help students enhance their numerical skills to conduct CFD analysis on advanced aerospace engineering problems.

15 credits

This module is designed to provide the students in their third year of BEng Aerospace Engineering with an advanced understanding of structural design and analysis of aerospace structures.

Aerospace structures such as aircraft wing, fuselage, control surfaces, vertical and horizontal stabilizer and spacecraft structures such as satellite frame are generally assembled from thin-walled sheets. Each section would have a thin skin covering it, and the skins would be reinforced by many Z, C, or T section stringers. Such a structure would require extensive and time-consuming analysis. In order to simplify this, structural idealisation should be carried out to support different types of structural loading.

This module covers loads on the aircraft, V-n diagrams, materials used, and airworthiness requirements, energy methods in structural analysis, structural analysis of thin walled open and closed idealised section beams, bending of unsymmetrical wingbox cross-sections, shear flow under torsional and transverse loading and angle of twist of multicell wingbox sections, structural analysis of aircraft sub-structures and elastic stability.

Finite element applications to aircraft structures with lab sessions will be conducted, and demonstration problems will be solved using widely used finite element software's in the aerospace industry.

30 credits

Working on a topic of their own choosing, the student, with minimal guidance from their supervisor, should apply approximately 285 hours of individual time into the analysis of the problem and determination of the best solution or course of action. That analysis can take a variety of forms ranging from an in-depth comparison of a number of already documented potential solutions to the collection and comparison of experimental and theoretical data. The topic investigated should ideally be of an aircraft operational or engineering nature.

15 credits

Students will demonstrate the ability to apply their developing professional skills competencies in their chosen area and will ensure they have a broad understanding of the business environment in which professional activities are undertaken. The module will develop the student's technical, management and interpersonal skills required to perform in a team environment and prepare the students for employment and entrepreneurship.

Students will participate in Kingston University's Bright Ideas competition where they will work together as a team to develop a business idea of their choice. To do this they will need to interact with relevant stakeholders outside the University.

Students will be guided to interact with professional and learning communities beyond the University and reflect on these interactions. This may include participation in co-curricular events such as subject-specific and career development events (e.g. talks, workshops, speed interviews), networking opportunities offered by the subject-specific professional bodies, exploring pathways to professional chartership/membership, leveraging interactions with professionals in the development of the final year research project and, reflecting on the co-benefits of these interactions.

30 credits

15 credits

This module gives BEng Aerospace Engineering students the opportunity to integrate and apply their prior knowledge and develop their analytical skills to the design of aircraft vehicle beginning with just a simple set of design requirements. It also introduces them to the multi-stage approach and methods typically used by vehicle design teams.

Students will work in small groups to analyse a given design brief, decide on a project plan, and allocate resources. Throughout the activity, they will use an appropriate design process method, which will result in the creation of conceptual and preliminary designs.

By giving students hands-on experience with every step of the aircraft design process and a thorough understanding of multi-discipline design, this module's applied component makes sure that students are prepared to meet the needs of their future employers and positions them for rapid career advancement.

30 credits

This module is intended to further teach you space systems engineering, as applied to the design of space vehicles, to give a detailed understanding of space vehicle design, the space project cycle and insight into the core components of a space vehicle.

Context will be provided through reference to past UK, European and International space missions and the development of a system model.

The module content is informed by current space engineering practices and industrial requirements. The content and method of teaching is continually updated with best practices to improve your employability within the space industry. The module hopes to develop professional competencies and provide the skills to create, complete and implement a complex system model to a space mission project.

15 credits

This module is intended to teach students how to gather and analyse engineering test results working as part of a team. Students will be taught how to critically analyse gathered results and interpret their meaning. Students will learn how to communicate these to technical and non-technical audiences and how to best present these in a way to assist commercial and academic activities in the wider sector. Context will be provided through reference to past UK, European and International space missions and the development of a system model.

The module content is informed by current space engineering practices and industrial requirements. The content and method of teaching is continually updated with best practices to improve the students employability within the space industry. The module hopes to develop professional competencies and provide the skills to create and complete engineering-based grant applications fusing technical knowhow with business acumen.

15 credits

This module extends your knowledge and skills beyond the basic fluid mechanics methods which are normally introduced at early undergraduate level, and to provide a theoretical and analytical introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). In the lectures, emphasis is placed on the numerical models and analytical techniques in fluid dynamics and heat transfer and some of the more advanced theories behind CFD.

The module also provides you with advanced computational knowledge in fluid dynamics, therefore enhancing your employment potential in a wide range of industries.

15 credits

The finite element analysis is a numerical method for solving problems of engineering and mathematical physics. Currently, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is widely used in engineering design of advanced structures. In FEA, mathematical assumptions are made for solving problems. Advanced structures are also highly prone to vibration due to their flexible nature while experiencing dynamic loads, if undetected can result in catastrophic failures. A structure could have several bending and torsional modes and with every mode there will be a corresponding natural frequency, damping ratio and mode shape. It is therefore important to be able to analytically predict these parameters.

This module covers introduction to FEA and structural dynamics. For FEA basic theory, and analysing stresses, deflections, and temperatures are covered. For structural dynamics, the primary parameters associated with vibration are identified; these include natural frequencies, damping, mode shapes and responses under operating dynamic loads. Examples of good practice for safe and effective application are presented.

This module will be particularly applicable for engineers and scientists who want to understand the fundamental theory of FEA and structural dynamics and gain understanding of underlying theories behind these techniques.

15 credits

The module is structured in a way to develop an in-depth understanding in material science and engineering associated with advance materials, its development techniques and coatings together with materials selection methods employed by engineering consultants. The module is indented to deepen the understanding between relationship of material design, manufacturing processes and material properties by providing examples from various industries.

The module is intended to provide students with intellectual knowledge on advance materials which will allow students to enhance their employability perspectives or to continue their research. The core factual materials are provided via Canvas with keynote lectures used to explain manufacturing techniques, materials development for utilised in various industries.

15 credits

30 credits

30 credits

Computers and software are normally used in modern engineering design and manufacture of advanced products and processes. The designers usually use finite element analysis (FEA) for structural integrity analysis and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for predicting the behaviour of complex fluid flows encountered in typical engineering applications. This module is designed to meet the core requirement for students in the MSc Aerospace Engineering course by introducing FEA and CFD technologies and skills for solving advanced aerospace design and analysis problems, by means of practical workshops using commercial FEA and CFD software.

The first half of the module aims at introducing the principles of the modelling statics and dynamics problems with FEA and to critically assess and evaluate the results. The second half of the module aims to familiar with how to use CFD software to solve flow aerodynamics and heat transfer problems. In the practical sessions, emphasis is placed on the solution of structural and fluids problems in a realistic aerospace engineering context and on giving students the opportunity to develop awareness of the limitations of FEA and CFD software and to develop an understanding of good practice in their applications.

30 credits

This module further equips graduates with a good understanding of the challenges of space engineering, providing a set of tools and references to tackle future design problems, and a set of industrial contact within to help begin their careers. Context will be provided through reference to past UK, European and International space missions.

This module builds upon the knowledge gained from the Level 6 Astro modules this module is intended to provide experience in space mission analysis and design through a range of largely self-taught activities, lectures, seminars, and short written assignments.

The content is reviewed to reflect the current aims and objectives of the space industry through best practices, industrial and cost requirements. The material is updated on a regular basis highlighting the current trends within the sector.