MEEN 4120 – Aerospace Fundamentals
Fall 2015
Instructor:
Dr. Cherish Qualls
(940) 565-3446
Office: F101E
Office Hours: TTh2:30 – 4:00PM or by appointment
Class Schedule:
TTh 10:00-11:20AM, Room: NTDP B142
ReferenceTextbooks:(These books are not required – the lecture notes will suffice for learning)
Introduction to Flight, 7th Edition, McGraw Hill, 2012
John D. Anderson, Jr.
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-338024-7
Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students, 3rd Edition, Elsevier, 2013
Howard D. Curtis
ISBN-13: 978-0-08-097747-8
Flight Dynamics Principles, 3rd Edition, Elsevier, 2013
Michael V. Cook
ISBN-13: 978-0-08-098242-7
Catalog Course Description:
3 hours. Introduction to the fundamental knowledge used in the aerospace industry. Topics will include basic aerodynamics, guidance and control methods, flight dynamics, and 6 Degree of Freedom (6-DoF) motion and simulation for aircraft and missiles. Kalman filtering and Monte Carlo simulation techniques will also be discussed.
Prerequisite(s): MATH 2700, MEEN 3120, MEEN 3230
Course Objectives:
- Demonstrate ability to calculate orbital mechanics parameters
- Determine orbital elements of a spacecraft given position and velocity data.
- Learn to develop state-space models of aerospace vehicles.
- Determine coordinate transformations for commonly -used aerospace reference frames (Euler angles)
- Demonstrate ability to perform computer simulation (6-DOF) of aerospace vehicles. (time permitting)
- Demonstrate ability to apply Kalman filtering techniques to a flight vehicle. (time permitting)
ABET Criteria:
MEEN 4120 addresses the following ABET program outcomes:
a)Apply knowledge of mathematics, engineering and science
b)Design and conduct experiments to verify and validate the design projects they develop and analyze and interpret the data
e)Identify, formulate and solve engineering problems
j)Achieve knowledge of contemporary issues
k)Use techniques, skills and computer-based tools for conducting experiments and carrying out designs
l)Apply principles of engineering, basic science, and mathematics to model, analyze, design, and realize physical systems, components, or processes in both thermal and mechanical systems areas
Disability Policy:
All reasonable accommodation will be made to facilitate special needs. If special accommodations are required, the student must first meet with the staff of the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA), (940) 565-4323. After meeting with that office, please contact me to discuss what accommodations will be necessary. For more information, see
Assignments:
Homework assignments will be assigned on Thursdays. These homework assignments will not be collected. Instead, a quiz, consisting of one of the exact homework problems or a very similar problem, will be given the following Thursday. Homework assignments will consist of textbook problems as well as Matlab problems. An overview of Matlab will be provided in the course for those unfamiliar with its capabilities.There are 11 quizzes. The lowest two quiz grades will be dropped. Make-up quizzes are NOT allowed. Quiz dates: 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, 10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5, 11/12, 11/19
Projects:
There will be up to four projects assigned in this course. Projects will range from calculating orbital elements of a satellite to developing a working Kalman filter for an aerospace vehicle. Matlab is required to complete the projects. All Matlab projects must be submitted to Blackboard in order to receive credit. Each Matlab code will be run to verify it is working correctly and providing accurate results. The projects will vary in difficulty. As such, the point value of each project will change to account for the level of difficulty.
Exams:
There are no hourly exams in this course. There is a comprehensive final exam given at the end of the course.
Final exam: Thursday, December 10, 8:30 – 10:30 AM
Grade Evaluation:
Quizzes40%
Projects30%
Final Exam30%
A – 90-100% B – 80-89% C – 70-79% D – 60-69% F - < 60%
Final grades will not be curved.
Academic Dishonesty:
Each student is expected to complete his/her own work. Cheating of any kind on the quizzes, projects and final exam will not be tolerated and will result in a score of zero for that assignment.
Cell Phone Policy:
Cell phones will not be allowed during quizzes and exams. They must be put up and out of sight.
Attendance:
Although not required, attendance is strongly encouraged to fully grasp the material in the course. Lecture material is pulled from many sources so it is not possible to simply read a textbook to make up for missing class. Lecture notes are not posted on Blackboard in order to encourage class attendance.
Blackboard:
All homework assignments will be posted on Blackboard. Each student is responsible for checking Blackboard on a routine basis. At times announcements will be posted on Blackboard regarding test dates, quizzes, and homework. In addition, your grades will be posted on BB. Please check these grades for accuracy and let me know if there is a discrepancy.
Topics to be Covered (topics may or may not be covered depending on time available):
Orbital Mechanics, Basic Aerodynamics, Flight Dynamics, Guidance, Navigation and Control Topics, Kalman Filtering, Monte Carlo Simulation Techniques, Coordinate System Transformations
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