Postgraduate Courses
AESF
Aeronautical Engineering
- AESF 5050Fracture Behavior of Polymers[3-0-0:3]Co-list withMESF 5050Exclusion(s)MESF 5050BackgroundMECH 3420DescriptionIntroduction to both fundamental and practical knowledge on the microstructure, physical and mechanical behaviors, particularly the fracture behavior and toughening mechanisms, of polymers and composites. Discussions and critiques on related research activities in the literature. Case studies to help students prepare for the industry.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Explain the microstructure-property relationships of polymers and select proper polymeric materials for specific engineering applications.
- 2.Characterize polymer fracture and evaluate fracture toughness of polymers using rigorous fracture mechanics methods under various conditions.
- 3.Explain the fundamental fractography of polymers and carry out basic failure analysis using microscopes and thermal analysis equipment.
- AESF 5210Fluid Dynamics[3-0-0:3]Co-list withMESF 5210Exclusion(s)MECH 5210, MESF 5210BackgroundMECH 2210DescriptionBasic concepts of fluid flows, derivation of governing equations, viscous flow, potential flow, boundary layer, flow instability, transition to turbulence, turbulent boundary layer.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Apply fluid mechanics knowledge to certain practical problems.
- 2.Explain some fluid mechanics related phenomena in daily life.
- 3.Analyze practical fluid mechanics problems.
- AESF 5310Advanced Aerodynamics[3-0-0:3]DescriptionCirculation, Kutta-Joukowski theorem, thin airfoil theory, lifting line theory, wingtip vortices, induced drag, elliptical wings, boundary layers, normal and oblique shocks, bow shocks, Prandtl-Meyer expansion fans, linearized potential flow theory, Prandtl-Glauert transformation, wave drag, transonic flow, swept wings, critical Mach number, supercritical airfoils.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Apply the basic tools of incompressible inviscid aerodynamic analysis to estimate lift and drag for an airfoil.
- 2.Explain and quantify the effects of viscosity on airfoil performance.
- 3.Explain the differences in aerodynamic performance between an infinite-span (2D) airfoil and a finite-span (3D) wing.
- 4.Account for the effects of compressibility in aerodynamics situations.
- AESF 5320Advanced Aircraft Structures[3-0-0:3]DescriptionAircraft structural design, wing structural details, elasticity, maneuver and gust loading, fatigue analysis, vibration theory, static and dynamic aeroelasticity, energy and matrix methods.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Apply the fundamental equations of elasticity to aircraft loading situations.
- 2.Use various deformation theories and fatigue analyses to obtain analytical solutions for situations in aircraft structural deformation.
- 3.Specify the materials used in aircraft structures and identify their failure modes.
- 4.Apply the basic principles of stressed-skin aircraft construction.
- AESF 5330Advanced Aircraft Design[3-0-0:3]DescriptionFlight mission requirements, aircraft size and layout, airfoil/wing geometry, aerodynamics, engine selection, airframe−engine integration, fuselage design, electrical and hydraulic systems, landing gear arrangement, flight stability and control, structures and materials, avionics and navigation systems, human factors, safety, manufacturing processes, and cost analysis.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Apply the formal design and development process for aeronautical vehicles.
- 2.Optimize aircraft/engine design and airframe-engine integration.
- 3.Create feasible designs integrating a variety of aircraft systems and sub-systems.
- 4.Test and verify the feasibility of aircraft designs.
- AESF 5350Aircraft Propulsion[3-0-0:3]DescriptionPropulsion cycle analysis, with emphasis on gas turbines, basic component performance and function, engine installation effects, aero-thermodynamics of steady isentropic compressible flow, shock waves, diffusers and nozzles, centrifugal compressors, axial flow compressors, combustion chambers, thermoacoustics, fuels and control, turbines, thrust augmentation.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Make design choices between aircraft propulsion systems based on perfonnance considerations.
- 2.Calculate energy release, e.g. adiabatic flame temperatures, and equilibrium composition of gases at known temperatures and pressures.
- 3.Analyze the thermodynamic performance of engine cycles and compute relevant performance parameters.
- 4.Size jet engines using preliminary design calculations.
- AESF 5370Composites and Nanocomposites[3-0-0:3]Co-list withMESF 5370Exclusion(s)MESF 5370DescriptionThis course is designed to provide fundamental understanding of fiber-reinforced composites (FRPs) and emerging nanocomposites technologies. The topics include constituent materials, microstructure-property relationships, fabrication and processing techniques, fundamental mechanics of stress transfer, lamination theory and failure mechanisms and fracture of FRPs in the first part. The topics in the second part include synthesis of nanoscale reinforcements, fabrication and processing techniques of nanocomposites; dispersion and functionalization of nanoreinforcements; interfacial adhesion; mechanical and functional properties of nanocomposites, and their design and applications.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Distinguish different fabrication and processing methods for FRPs and nanocomposites.
- 2.Explain the mechanical and functional properties of these composites based on the microstructures/properties of the fillers and the matrix material, as well as the way how these constituents are combined to produce composites.
- 3.Identify potential applications of FRPs and nanocomposites utilizing these properties.
- 4.Identify the mechanics of stress transfer through the filler/matrix interface and interphase, lamination theory and failure mechanisms behind the fracture of FRPs and nanocomposites.
- AESF 5380Computational Fluid Dynamics[3-0-0:3]DescriptionFundamental knowledge of computational fluid dynamics, specific applications of CFD to industrial and environmental flows, learn how to write a complex two-dimensional solver and some engineering applications.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Apply the basic theory of Computational Fluid Dynamics, including discretisation, accuracy and stability.
- 2.Assess the impact of fluid mechanics problems commonly encountered in industrial and environmental settings.
- 3.Construct and apply computational models, determine critical control parameters and relate them to desired outcomes.
- 4.Use a state of the art commercial computational fluid dynamics package for numerical simulations of fluid mechanics problems.
- AESF 5410Advanced Mechanical Behavior of Materials[3-0-0:3]Co-list withMESF 5410Exclusion(s)MECH 5410, MESF 5410BackgroundMECH 3420DescriptionRelationships between microstructure and mechanical behavior in crystalline materials; temperature-dependent deformation in elasticity, viscosity and creep; embrittlement, fatigue and fracture of engineering materials; strengthening mechanisms in crystalline materials.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Analyze and explain the deformation behaviour of various crystalline and noncrystalline materials from a mechanistic point of view at the atomic to microstructure scale.
- 2.Analyze and explain the effect of various microstructure features on the strength of materials.
- 3.Analyze and explain the effects of various manufacturing and processing techniques on the mechanical behavior of the materials.
- 4.Predict the possible scenarios of material failure given the manufacturing, loading and environmental conditions.
- AESF 5630Avionics Technology[3-0-0:3]DescriptionAvionics are today at the very heart of the aircraft, controlling and monitoring a safe and efficient mission. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to present an accurate overview of what is an avionics platform, its systems, functions and operations. The course covers system fundamentals, current instruments and future development.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Identify how to derive the performance of various avionics systems.
- 2.Assess the requirements for individual avionics subsystems and provide guidance for future development.
- 3.Define the architecture of modern avionics and demonstrate conceptual understanding of its integration design.
- AESF 5710Hong Kong Airworthiness[3-0-0:3]Previous Course Code(s)AESF 6910ODescriptionThe civil aviation industry is one of the safest modes of transportation, yet complex and highly regulated. Almost every part of the industry is regulated. From the design, manufacturing and operation of an aircraft, people operating and maintaining the aircraft to organizations handling, operating and maintaining the aircraft, all are regulated by various rules and regulations. This course introduces the concept of airworthiness and examines the framework of both international and Hong Kong aviation regulations governing the aviation industry, allowing the students to understand the whole journey of the life of an aircraft.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Identify and explain the difference between Initial and Continuing Airworthiness.
- 2.Identify the applicable airworthiness regulations that an aircraft needs to comply with during its operating life and the conditions for safe operation.
- 3.Identify how operations and organizations in the aviation industry are regulated.
- AESF 5720Aerospace Materials and Applications[3-0-0:3]Previous Course Code(s)AESF 6910QDescriptionAdvances in aerospace systems such as aircraft, spacecraft, and launch vehicles are strongly dependent on advances in materials and processing technologies. This course aims to introduce aerospace materials and their applications in different aerospace systems. It equips students regarding the selection of the materials and their applications in various systems. It attempts to cover the entire field of aerospace materials in a condensed fashion with emphasis on aerospace structures and propulsion systems applications. At the end of this course, students are expected to achieve a comprehensive idea about how to select the best available material in every case in the field of aerospace engineering.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Recognize the visualization of the complexity of structural components and materials of the aerospace vehicles and understand their functions.
- 2.Apply the commonly used aerospace materials: metals and alloys, polymers, composites, and ceramics for different applications.
- 3.Identify a variety of functional requirements with constraints (manufacturability, geometric limits, environmental aspects, etc.) to arrive at the “optimum” choice of structural concept and materials selection for a given weight and/or cost.
- 4.Identify the capability to solve the real-world problems with engineering mindset.
- AESF 5930Finite Element Methods[3-0-0:3]Co-list withMESF 5930Exclusion(s)CIVL 5390, MECH 5930, MESF 5930BackgroundMECH 3020DescriptionFinite element formulation; variational principles for structural and continuum mechanics; numerical interpolation and integration; plane stress and plane strain analysis; plate bending and three dimensional solids; solution of large systems of algebraic equations.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Derive finite element formulations for structural mechanical problems and heat conduction.
- 2.Implement finite element methods for simple 1-D problems such as truss analysis and 1-D heat conduction either by hand calculation or by programming.
- 3.Numerically evaluate stresses, strains and deformation of a structural component due to axial load, torsion, and bending, acting individually or in combination.
- 4.Numerically calculate temperature profile and heat flux in 1-D and 2-D heat conduction problems.
- 5.Numerically evaluate stresses, strains and deformation of a structure under either plane-stress or plane-strain conditions.
- 6.Derive finite element formulations for time-dependent and/or non-linear problems.
- 7.Perform structural analysis and heat transfer modeling using commercial software package, and conduct engineering design in a team work environment.
- AESF 6910-6920Special Topics[1-3 credit(s)]DescriptionSelected topics in aeronautical engineering of current interest in emerging areas and not covered by existing courses. May be repeated for credit if different topics are covered.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Identify the updated development in the emerging area and apply the knowledge accordingly.
- AESF 6950Aeronautical Independent Project[3 or 6 credits]DescriptionAn independent research project on Aeronautical Engineering carried out under the supervision of a faculty member.Intended Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- 1.Address the existing problems in Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering through literature search and technical communication.
- 2.Apply acquired knowledge to analyze and investigate existing problems on Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering.
- 3.Design solutions to improve the existing techniques and conduct experiments/numerical simulations in the Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering area.
