University of Massachusetts Lowell
James B. Francis College of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Department
AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING AT UMASS
LOWELL
A student enrolled in
Mechanical Engineering can select technical electives to obtain an effective concentration
in Aeronautical Engineering. The College offers several elective courses
related to Aeronautical Engineering, and by proper selection from these
courses, the student can present a good background for employment in the
aerospace industry, while still having the flexibility offered by a Mechanical
Engineering degree. In addition, the
University has wind tunnel testing facilities and faculty involved in aerospace
research.
A summary is given below of
aeronautical related testing facilities, faculty research, and a suggested
program of study to achieve this end.
Testing Facilities
The College has three wind
tunnels suitable for testing. The first
of these is the Aerolab educational wind tunnel, which has a 12 inch diameter
circular test section capable of speeds up to 45 mph. This tunnel is equipped with a balance to measure model lift and
drag forces. Standard models are
available and include a NASA 0015 airfoil, a Clark Y airfoil, small scale airplane
models, and models of a sphere, disk, teardrop, and hemispherical cup
shapes. A pressure distribution airfoil
is also available.
For supersonic flow work,
the College has a 2 inch x 2 inch blowdown tunnel that has been routinely
operated at Mach 2.5 (2500 fps), but can be used up to Mach 3.5 (3500
fps). The models available for testing
include a sphere, cone, wedge, and delta wing missile model. Model pressures as well as forces can be
measured. A Schlieren optical system
allows visualization of shock waves.
The largest tunnel is a 2 ft
x 3 ft test section wind tunnel capable of speeds to 200 mph. The tunnel is suitable for pressure
measurement and flow visualization around aircraft models. This tunnel is driven by a 100 horsepower
electric motor.
Three flight simulators are
available for flight simulation work.
Two of these are PC-ATD, “personal computer aviation training
devices.” These are a Simhawk Flight
Simulator and a Cirrus Flight Simulator.
Software packages available for use with these simulators are Sierra Pro
Pilot, Jeppesen Flight-Pro, ATD On-Top, and Microsoft Flight Simulator
2000. The third simulator is an ATC-710
Flight Simulator, also in common use at local flying schools. This simulator is a hard panel, analog wired
device. The flight simulators can be
seen by logging onto the department web site, http://m-5.uml.edu and clicking
on Flight Simulation Laboratory.
Research
A wide range of research
projects have been conducted in aeronautical engineering by both students and
faculty. These include: work on the space shuttle and large scale
space structures, tests of wing and airfoil models under various conditions,
measurement of air forces acting on antenna models, studies of thrust reverser
flow attachment, and studies of opening dynamics of parachute models. Research has been sponsored by NASA, the
U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, and private industry.
Professional Activities
The professional society
that represents engineers in the aeronautical and aerospace fields is the
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The New England Chapter of this society is
very active and holds monthly meetings in the Bedford-Boston area. Attendance at these meetings facilitates “networking”
with aerospace professionals and may very well lead to job offers in the
aerospace field upon graduation. Students interested in the aerospace field are
encouraged to become student members of AIAA (annual dues are $15) and to
attend meetings. A number of the
faculty are members of AIAA.
Courses Available
The following courses are
offered by the Mechanical Engineering Department and are aerospace engineering
related:
22.381
Fluid Mechanics
22.342
Convection Processes
22.441
Analysis of Thermo/Fluid Processes
22.483
Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics
22.484
Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery
22.485
Special Topics in Aeronautical Engineering
22.548
Advanced Topics in Aerodynamics
22.583
Advanced Aerodynamics
Course descriptions for
these courses can be found in the University Catalog or in the Handbook for
Mechanical Engineering Students. Three
of these courses (22.381, 22.342, and 22.441) are required in the junior and
senior years, and from the remaining, three can be selected to fill the
technical elective requirement for the senior year. The catalog descriptions for some of these are also given in
Appendix A for convenience.
Recommended Program of Study
The recommended program of
study during the senior year for students wishing to pursue this program of
study is as follows:
First
Semester Senior Year
22.403 Mechanical Engineering Lab. II 3
cr.
22.425 Design of Machine Elements 3
cr.
22.441 Analysis of Thermo/Fluid Processes 3 cr.
22.451 Dynamic Systems Analysis 3
cr.
22.473 Design Theory and Constraints 3
cr.
22.483 Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics* 3 cr.
Total 18
cr.
Second
Semester Senior Year
22.423 Capstone Design 3 cr.
22.484 Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery* 3 cr.
22.485 Special Topics in Aeronautical Engineering* 3 cr.
--.---- Humanistic/Social Elective 3
cr.
--.---- Humanistic/Social Elective 3
cr.
Total 15 cr.
*Technical Electives (other aero courses can be selected
in place of these).
Students interested in graduate study in aerodynamics
should replace 22.483 with
22.583 Advanced Aerodynamics. The Capstone Design project should also be
taken in some aspect of aerospace engineering if
possible.
Faculty
The following faculty are
members of AIAA and have been involved in aerospace engineering work: Dr. Gene Niemi, Dr. John O’Callahan, Dr.
Alan Mironer, and Dr. James Sherwood. Detailed resumes for each of these
faculty members as well as the other members of the Mechanical Engineering
Department can be found in the Mechanical Engineering Department’s web page at
http://m-5.uml.edu/faculty.htm. Examination of the lists of publications and
the research topics will show the kinds of work in which the faculty are involved.
Further Information
Further information can be
obtained by contacting Prof. Gene Niemi in the Ball Engineering Center, Room
219 (BL219), or by calling 978-934-2977.
Email: Eugene_Niemi@uml.edu
aerofrs.doc (2002)
Appendix A
22.483 Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics
Fundamentals of subsonic aerodynamics. Atmosphere models, air speed measurement,
and aerodynamic heating. Circulation,
downwash, and three-dimensional wing theory.
Airfoil data, and lift and drag of aircraft components. Power required
and power available. Introduction to aircraft performance calculations..
Prerequisite:
22-381. (3)
22.484 Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery
Air breathing jet propulsion. Thrust, propulsion efficiency. Thermodynamics of Brayton Cycle, component
efficiencies, thermal efficiency.
Comparison of turboprop, turbojet, and turbofan engines. Detailed performance calculation of turbofan
engine using measured data and high temperature gas properties. Turbomachinery, velocity triangles, Euler’s
turbomachinery equation. Axial flow compressor,
rotating stall and surge stability compressor map. Axial flow turbines, exhaust nozzles, afterburners. Engine component matching. Future trends in jet propulsion.
Prerequisites:
22.381, 22.442.
Corequisite: 22.441
22.485 Special Topics in Aeronautical Engineering
Coverage of the topics of wind tunnel testing,
missile flight dynamics, parachute aerodynamics, and airplane aeronautics and
flight simulation. Wind tunnel testing
of various models and comparison with theory using the SUB2D computer
program. Prediction of trajectories for
sounding rockets and ballistic missiles and comparison with results from
small-scale model firings. Fundamentals
of aircraft instruments and flight controls and training on a flight
simulator. (3 cr)
Prerequisite:
22-381 Fluid Mechanics
22.583 Advanced Aerodynamics
Fundamentals of subsonic and supersonic
aerodynamics. Atmosphere models, air
speed measurement, and aerodynamic heating.
Circulation, downwash, and three-dimensional wing theory. Airfoil data, and lift and drag of aircraft
components. Compressibility effects on
drag, and airfoils and wings in supersonic and hypersonic flow. Aircraft performance calculations. Fundamentals of orbital mechanics. Special project required in supersonic wind
tunnel testing or orbital mechanics.
Prerequisite:
Permission of instructor. (3)