Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Advanced Aircraft Structural Analysis

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

AERO2517

City Campus

Postgraduate

115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2016

AERO2517

City Campus

Postgraduate

172H School of Engineering

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2017,
Sem 2 2018,
Sem 2 2019,
Sem 1 2020,
Sem 1 2021,
Sem 1 2022,
Sem 1 2024,
Sem 1 2025

Course Coordinator: Prof. Adrian Orifici

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 6092

Course Coordinator Email: adrian.orifici@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 251.03.044

Course Coordinator Availability: by appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None.


Course Description

This course aims to advance the skills of aerospace professional engineers in the area of aircraft structures, building upon the topics covered in typical aerospace (or equivalent) undergraduate engineering programs. You will be provided with an introduction to the design process of advanced aircraft structures followed by stress/strain analyses of thin-walled structures including non-linear deformation and failure theories for lightweight metallic and composite structures. In addition, you will study fatigue and fracture mechanics of aircraft structures. Furthermore, you will have an opportunity to gain professional experience in utilisation of computational stress analyses of lightweight structures using finite element method.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course contributes to the following Program Learning Outcomes of the Master of Engineering for students who commenced their program prior to 2023:

1. Needs, Context and Systems

  • Exposit legal, social, economic, ethical and environmental interests, values, requirements and expectations of key stakeholders
  • Identify and assess risks (including OH&S) as well as the economic, social and environmental impacts of engineering activities

2. Problem Solving and Design

  • Develop and operate within a hazard and risk framework appropriate to engineering activities

3. Analysis

  • Comprehend and apply advanced theory-based understanding of engineering fundamentals and specialist bodies of knowledge in the selected discipline area to predict the effect of engineering activities
  • Apply underpinning natural, physical and engineering sciences, mathematics, statistics, computer and information sciences.

4. Professional Practice

  • Understand the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of contemporary engineering practice in the specific discipline
  • Display a personal sense of responsibility for your work

5. Research

  • Be aware of knowledge development and research directions within the engineering discipline

This course contributes to the following Program Learning Outcomes of the Master of Engineering for students who commenced their program in 2023:

  • PLO1: Demonstrate an in-depth understanding and knowledge of fundamental engineering and scientific theories, principles and concepts and apply advanced technical knowledge in specialist domain of engineering. 
  • PLO2: Utilise mathematics and engineering fundamentals, software, tools and techniques to design engineering systems for complex engineering challenges.    
  • PLO3: Apply engineering research principles, methods and contemporary technologies and practices to plan and execute projects taking into account ethical, environmental and global impacts.     
  • PLO4: Apply systematic problem solving, design methods and information and project management to propose and implement creative and sustainable solutions with intellectual independence and cultural sensitivity. 
  • PLO6: Develop and demonstrate the capacity for autonomy, agility and reflection of own learning, career and professional development and conduct.  

 


On completion of this course you should be able to:

  1. Explain the design process of lightweight structures based on aircraft design requirements
  2. Implement advanced technical concepts, analyse and assess the structural behaviour of aircraft structures using analytical and numerical methods.
  3. Analyse fatigue/fracture behaviour of aerospace structures
  4. Determine mechanical properties of composite materials.  
  5. Develop and validate finite element models to investigate advanced structural analysis problems relevant to aerospace structures.


Overview of Learning Activities

Learning activities can include lectorials (combined lectures and tutorials) and assignments. 


Overview of Learning Resources

Course-related resources will be provided on the course Learning Management System (Canvas), which is accessed through myRMIT. This can include lecture material, tutorials, supplementary course notes, problem sheets and solutions, and references.


Overview of Assessment

This course has no hurdle requirements.

 

Assessment tasks 

Assessment Task 1: Mid-Semester Assessment
Weighting 20%
This assessment task supports CLO 2

This assessment is a timed and timetabled assessment that students must attend on campus except for international students who are outside Australia.

Assessment Task 2: Team Project
Weighting 40% 
This assessment supports CLO 5

Assessment Task 3: End-Semester Assessment 
Weighting 40% 
This assessment supports CLOs 1- 4

This assessment is a timed and timetabled assessment that students must attend on campus except for international students who are outside Australia.