Avionic Systems Design option - MSc in Aerospace Vehicle Design

• Dr Huamin Jia

To study different avionics communication systems and to provide students with an understanding in fundamental issues relating to communication systems design, integration and testing.

• Digital Signals and representations (foundations of signals Processing)
• Multiplexing and multiple access techniques (such as FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, CSMA, etc)
• Modulation and demodulation techniques (such as QPSK, BPSK, M-ray, Noncoherent and coherent Demodulation methods)
• Requirements for digital links systems
• VDL system design (Mode 2, 3, 4)
• Digital HF radio design, SATCOM system design
• Installation and integration

• Dr Huamin Jia
• Dr Irfan Madani

• To provide students with knowledge of the methods for the design and development of avionics software systems.
• To give students an understanding of Ada language and the programming techniques.

• Software Life-Cycle Engineering – Requirements Analysis, Design, Development and Test.
• Design methodologies
• Top-down vs bottom-up approaches
• Object oriented design
• Design for reusability and maintainability
• Real-time considerations
• Software verification and validation - Formal methods and standards
• The Ada language. The LRM, data and programming structures.

Classroom/laboratory exercises will be completed during this module. Solutions will be collected in by the tutor at the end of the module.

• Dr Paco Saez

This module aims to provide the students an understanding of current and future air traffic control and traffic flow management systems. The objective is to discuss current ATM standards and technology applied in the systems and to review the future concepts as described by SESAR/NextGen.

• Air Traffic Control, Context
• Air Traffic Control and Air Traffic Management
• Air Traffic Control, Organizational Elements
• Airspace Design
• Air Traffic Control as Human Supervisory Control System
• Air Traffic Control Operations
• ATC Conflict Assessment
• ATM Challenges

A group laboratory exercise will be completed during this module. Solutions will be collected in by the tutor at the end of the module.

• Critically evaluate the current ATC systems, functions of different ATC components and ATC procedures.
• Discuss the airspace classification and separation standards.
• Describe the future CNS/ATM and the RNP/RNAV concept as proposed in SESAR/NextGen programmes.
• Apply a systematic understanding of the basic approaches to development of capacity and delay models for future air traffic demands.

• Dr Craig Lawson

To facilitate students’ in gaining fundamental knowledge of the theory of conventional fixed wing aircraft performance to a level suitable for an aerospace vehicle designer. In particular, to provide students with the ability to apply aircraft performance theory, practically in the context of aerospace vehicle design.

• Introduction to Aircraft Performance
• Aircraft Cruising Performance
• Aircraft Climb and Descent Performance
• Aircraft Take-off and Landing Performance
• Aircraft Manoeuvre Performance
• Flight Path Performance Estimation
• Aircraft Performance Measurement

A classroom exercise will be completed during this module. Solutions will be collected in by the tutor at the end of the module.

• Dr Alastair Cooke

To provide an introduction to the fundamentals of aircraft stability and control.

• Stability, control and handling qualities relationships.
• Aircraft aerodynamic controls.
• Static equilibrium and trim.
• Longitudinal static stability, trim, pitching moment equation, static margins.
• Lateral-directional static stability.
• Introduction to dynamic stability, first and second order responses.
• Equations of motion and modal characteristics.

On successful completion of this module the students will be able to:

• Describe the concepts of: trim, stability and control.
• Describe methods of providing static stability for a conventional aircraft.
• Describe the modes of motion of a conventional aircraft.

• Dr Huamin Jia

To study different data-bus architectures and to provide students with an understanding in fundamental issues relating to avionic hardware design, integration and testing.

• Avionics hardware considerations – Cables, installation, electromagnetic and environmental requirements, power requirement
• Avionics systems architectures – Federated, distributed, centralized, IMA
• Aircraft data networks – Fundamental concepts: architectures, topologies and protocols
• Aircraft data networks – Military, civil and commercial examples, including ARINC 429, ARINC 629, ARINC 659, MIL-1553, STANAG 3910, ACSB, CSDB and AFDX
• Avionics systems integration and testing – Fundamental concepts
• Avionics rig and laboratory functional tests
• Avionics EMC/EMI and environmental testing
• Avionics flight test techniques and instrumentation
• Experimental data analysis methods

• Dr David Zammit-Mangion

To provide students with an understanding of the cockpit environment and the technologies supporting the modern flight deck.

• The flight deck – A historical perspective.  Cockpit layout - modern military and civil scenarios
• Flight Instruments - The Basic-T, engines, systems, other interface layouts
• Displays
o    Electro-mechanical displays.
o    Head down displays – CRTs and AMLCDs.  Drivers, functions, technologies and performance
o    Head up displays.  Drivers, functions, technologies and performance
o    Helmet mounted displays.  Drivers, functions, technologies and performance
o    Emerging HMI technologies and concepts

• Flight Control
o    Traditional flight control systems
o    Fly-by-wire.  Drivers, technologies, integrity, value, flight envelope control.  A-320 case study

• Situational Awareness
o    The advanced / modern cockpit.  Challenges of information transfer in a complex environment and advanced machines.  Pitfalls, with case studies (incl. B757 accident in Latin America, A320 accident in France)
o    Alert prioritization.  The dark and silent cockpit concept
o    CFIT awareness –     TAWS – technologies and purpose
o    Traffic awareness – TCAS – technologies and purpose

• A classroom exercise will be completed during this module. Solutions will be collected in by the tutor at the end of the module

• Explain the functions and layout of the cockpit human-machine interface (HMI)
• Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the different capabilities and functions of various HMI technologies
• Demonstrate a systematic understanding of flight control systems, and appreciate the merits of fly-by-wire technologies
• Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the function and capability of surveillance systems such as ACAS and TAWS.

• Dr James Whidborne

To provide knowledge of the fundamentals of control engineering for the analysis and design of control systems in aerospace applications.

• Feedback control system characteristics
• Control system performance
• Stability of Linear Feedback Systems
• Root locus method
• Frequency response method
• Nyquist stability
• Classical controller design
• State variable controller design
• Robust control

On successful completion of this module a student should be able to:
1. Analyse and explain the stability, characteristics, behaviour and robustness of single input/ single- output feedback control systems.
2. Design controllers for single-input single-output systems.
3. Use modern PC-based CAD software to solve control engineering problems and design control systems using classical methods.
4. Recognise and explain the advantages and limitations of feedback and recognise the importance of robustness.

• Dr Craig Lawson

To expand the students’ knowledge of airframe systems, their role, design and integration. In particular, to provide students with an appreciation of the considerations necessary when selecting aircraft power systems and the effect of systems on the aircraft as a whole.

• Introduction to airframe systems
• Systems design philosophy and safety
• Aircraft secondary power systems
• Aircraft pneumatics power systems
• Aircraft hydraulics power systems
• Aircraft electrical power systems
• Flight control power systems
• Aircraft environmental control
• Aircraft oxygen systems
• Aircraft icing and ice protection systems
• Aircraft emergency systems
• Aviation fuels and aircraft fuel systems
• Engine off-take effects
• Fuel penalties of systems
• Advanced and possible future airframe systems

• Dr Huamin Jia

To introduce the student to the principal methods for the design and development of fault – tolerant avionics systems.

• Concepts of dependability
• Fault, cause and effect
• Hardware fault tolerance
• Software fault tolerance
• Failure detection techniques
• Design of practical fault-tolerant avionics systems
• Case study – Fault-tolerant navigation systems and flight control systems

A homework exercise will be completed during this module. Solutions will be collected in by the tutor at the end of the module.

• Dr Alastair Cooke

To provide students with flights in the Jetstream Flying Laboratory in support of the lecture course in Aircraft Aerodynamics, Aircraft Performance, and Aircraft Stability and Control. These flights are key for students who are from a non-aeronautical background, and will also serve as a refresher for the remaining students.

• Measurement of aircraft drag and effect of flap (AD, SD & ASD).
• Aircraft longitudinal static stability (AD & SD)
• Avionic demonstration and inertial system accuracy (ASD)
• Dynamic stability modes (AD, SD & ASD)

• Describe the flight test techniques used to measure simple aerodynamic parameters and assess navigation systems.
• Describe the dynamic stability modes of a conventional aircraft.

• Dr Huamin Jia
• Dr Irfan Madani

To provide students with a comprehensive knowledge of inertial and satellite navigation systems.

Inertial sensor technology

• Accelerometers
• Gyroscopes
• Inertial sensor specifications.

Mechanisation equations

• Coordinate systems, position and direction cosine matrixes, quaternion equations
• Inertial navigation algorithms and computation
• Inertial system error analysis.

Inertial navigation systems design

• Gimballed platform systems
• Attitude and heading reference system (AHRS)
• Strapdown inertial systems
• Inertial system calibration and alignment.

Overview of GNSS – GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO and other systems

• Space segment - satellites, orbit planes and altitudes
• Ground segment - distributed control and monitoring stations
• User segment – various kinds of user receivers.

GPS positioning principles

• Signal structure
• Positioning and attitude determination algorithms
• GPS error analysis, GPS integrity monitoring
• GPS receiver design.

Augmentation of GNSS

• Space based augmentation
• Ground based augmentation
• Avionics based augmentation.

GNSS Aviation Applications

• GNSS for positioning, navigation and landing
• GNSS for precise time dissemination
• Differential GNSS and Test Range Applications
• Other applications.

• Dr Huamin Jia

To introduce the student to the advanced techniques for design and development of integrated aircraft navigation systems.

• Overview of multisensor data fusion
• Kalman Filter techniques
o Fundamentals, matrix and probability theories
o System dynamic models,
o Linear Kalman filter
o Linearised and Extended Kalman filters
o Statistical characteristics of Kalman Filters
• Navigation System Error Dynamic Models
o Inertial system error models
• GNSS positioning and attitude determination models
o Integrated Navigation System design
o Integrated navigation system architectures
o Integrated Kalman filter architectures
o Integrated navigation algorithm design
• Case study
o Redundant inertial/Doppler/Air data/GPS integrated navigation systems

A homework exercise will be completed during this module. Solutions will be collected in by the tutor at the end of the module.

• Dr James Whidborne

To provide an understanding of the mathematical techniques that underpin both classical and modern control law design.

• The Laplace transform
• Transfer-function approach to modelling dynamic systems
• State-space approach to modelling dynamic systems
• Time-domain analysis of simple dynamic systems
• Frequency response of simple dynamic systems
• Sampled-data and discrete time systems.

• Use Laplace transform techniques to derive transfer functions of typical mechanical, electrical and fluid systems
• Calculate and plot the step and frequency responses of linear systems
• Derive the state equations for typical systems
• Obtain discrete time representations of linear systems
• Use MATLAB for matrix and systems algebra and to plot system responses.

To provide an overview of radio propagation in the earth’s atmosphere and to give students a good understanding of the fundamentals of radio systems, radio navigational aids and radar.

Electro-Magnetic Waves and Radio Propagation

• The EM  spectrum, properties and propagation
• Radio Transmission: LOS and beyond LOS transmission.  Multiplexing and modulation; Spread spectrum techniques; Antennas    

Terrestrial Navigation
Terrestrial Radio Navigational Aids
DF, NDB, MB, VOR & DVOR, DME, ILS, MLS,  TACAN
Doppler Navigation        

Radar

• Basic principles
• Principle of operation and Radar Equations
• Radar components – Transmitter,  Antenna, Receiver
• Operational modes: CW, pulsed, pulse compression, SAR
• Radar applications – surveillance systems, tracking systems, weather radar, radar altimeter
• Radar cross-section and stealth technology
• Pulsed radar: the implications of design considerations on radar performance; pre-detection integration and post-detection integration

A classroom exercise will be completed during this module. Solutions will be collected in by the tutor at the end of the module.

• Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the underlying principles and issues relating to radio propagation in the earth’s atmosphere.
• Describe the principles of operation of radio navigational aids and radar.
• Select appropriate radio systems for communication and navigation.
• Select performance criteria for radar applications.

• Dr Tim Mackley

To introduce the student to system engineering concepts, system lifecycle models and system design processes and methods.

• Introduction to Systems
• Life Cycle Models
• System Requirements
• Systems Design
• System Integration, Verification and Validation

• Professor Howard Smith

The aim of this module is to provide knowledge of the Atmosphere and of the aerodynamic characteristics of a conventional aircraft in the context of its mechanics of flight.

• Atmosphere Mechanics: structure of the atmosphere, international standard atmosphere model, design atmospheres.
• Air Data Systems: Pitot-static systems. Altitude, airspeed and Mach number. Air temperature and airflow direction detectors.
• Basic flight mechanics: forces acting on the aircraft, balance and trim. The forces of lift and drag and their characteristic dependencies.
• Powerplant thrust characteristics: effects of weight, altitude, temperature and Mach number.
• Aircraft axis systems.
• The aerodynamic aspects of the outline design process of a transport aircraft.
This module has additional accompanying flying laboratory tutorials in the Jetstream Aircraft. See Flight Experimental Methods (FXM).

To introduce students to the engine and aircraft-related aspects of the propulsion system, with the primary emphasis being placed on gas turbine engines.

• Simple gas turbine theory illustrating the effect of gas turbine cycle parameters.
• Relations between specific fuel consumption, specific range and thermal and overall efficiencies for various engine types including turbo-props.
• Choice of cycle for various applications.
• Brief assessment of engine size required and engine / airframe matching including the importance of the airworthiness performance requirements.
• Impact of engine rating on engine / airframe matching.
• Impact on engine installation of various systems required by the aircraft.

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the role of Computer Aided Design technologies in a modern Integrated Product Development process and provide hands-on experience of CAD using the CATIA v5 software.

• Introduction to Integrated Product Development (IPD) for aircraft design
• Overview of Computer Aided Design, Manufacture and Engineering tools and their role in IPD
• Introduction to CAD modelling techniques:
o Solid Modelling
o Assembly Modelling
o Parametric Design
o Surface Modelling
o Drafting
• Hands on CATIA exercises using CATIA v5 including fuselage and wing design exercises
• Using CATIA for the Group Design Project.

• Professor Howard Smith

To ensure that while the student designs his/her structure he/she is aware of the constraint imposed by manufacturing and operational considerations.

The influence of designing for maintainability will have a considerable effect on the design of both the structure and aircraft systems and a considerable effect on the life cycle cost of the vehicle. The taught material will have immediate practical application to the Group Design Project.

• Wing configuration and manufacture. Fuselage layout and manufacture.
• Flaps and control surfaces: Structural configuration and mechanisms.
• Assembly and production processes.
• Maintainability and accessibility.
• Design for Assembly.
• Design for Maintainability.

A classroom exercise will be completed during this module. Solutions will be collected in by the tutor at the end of the module.

• Professor Howard Smith

To introduce students to the process of aircraft conceptual design and support structural layout work, were required, through participation on the Group Design Project.

• Aircraft project design process
• Drag and weight prediction:  Drag sources, polar, estimation, weight prediction methods. Layout aspects:  wing; power plant; landing gear; fuselage
• Simple tail plane and fin layout
• Overall project synthesis and case study of aircraft
• Structural requirements, - strength, stiffness and serviceability
• Analysis of requirements, sources of load and reference datum lines
• Role of structural members - main plane, stabilisers, auxiliary surfaces, fuselage
• Analysis and sizing methods - elementary theories
• Departures from elementary theories - constraint effects, cut outs, buckling.

This module has additional accompanying tutorials and workshops as required.

A miniature group PBL conceptual design project will be completed during this module. Solutions will be collected in by the tutor at the end of the module.

To provide the student with an introduction to the leading IVHM technologies and concepts being implemented in various health monitoring systems, and their application to aircraft design.

IVHM has become an integral part of Aerospace Vehicle Design. Students will be able to comprehend IVHM techniques and be able to use them in AVD Group Design Project.

• Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) and different tools available
• Sensors and Instrumentation for different aircraft sub-systems (aircraft structures, aero-propulsion systems, electric power and power distribution systems, avionics, etc.)
• Fault detection and isolation techniques
• Reasoning methods (model-based, case-based, etc.) and their use in aircraft health management
• Prognosis approaches for aircraft health management
• Physics of failure approaches
• IVHM Design for aircraft health management
• Structural health monitoring
• Cost benefit analysis of IVHM implementation

To provide students with a general understanding of the design of landing gear and the associated systems and the associated challenges of integrating them into an airframe. The module also aims to highlight the implications that the design of the landing gear has on the aircraft layout and structure.

• Landing gear layout (Skids, flying boats, tricycle, bicycle, multi-wheel etc.)
• Ground flotation (Aircraft Classification Number [ACN] & Pavement Classification Number [PCN])
• Tyres (Failure modes and causes and wear. Radial vs. Cross-ply)
• Wheels (Bowl type vs. ‘A’ type)
• Brakes
• Struts (Cantilever vs. Trailing arm)
• Loads (Ground loads and airframe attachment loads)
• Shock Absorbers (Single acting and double acting. Compression curves)
• Retraction
• Ground manoeuvring (Steering)

• Evaluate the various landing gear layout schemes and assess which is best for any particular aircraft layout.
• Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the procedures and steps for positioning the landing gear on the aircraft (longitudinally and laterally).
• Critique historic landing gear designs and understand why various design decisions have been made and analyse their impacts on the aircraft.

To provide students with an introduction to the aircraft airworthiness as well as knowledge of reliability assessment methods, safety assessment methods, and certification issues associated with the design of Aircraft Systems (including weapon systems and survivability). To familiarise the students with current air accidents investigation techniques and processes.

• Airworthiness
• Reliability
• Reliability requirements – JAR25-AC.1309
• Probabilities of failure, MTBF, MTBR, etc.
• Reliability models – series and parallel systems, common mode failures
• Safety Assessment Analysis Methods
• Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
• Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
• Reliability predictions
• Common Cause Analysis (CCA)
• System Safety Assessment Process
• Functional Hazard Analysis (FHA)
• Preliminary System Safety Assessment (PSSA)
• Air Accidents Investigation

A classroom exercise will be completed during this module. Solutions will be collected in by the tutor at the end of the module.