May 04, 2024  
2014-2015 Undergraduate Academic Catalog 
    
2014-2015 Undergraduate Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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ME 481 - Aerodynamics

3 lecture hours 0 lab hours 3 credits
Course Description
Reviews non-dimensional numbers and boundary layer concepts. Covers a physical description and understanding of fluid flow over bluff and streamlined bodies; experimental and theoretical lift and drag results for both two-dimensional and finite airfoils; aircraft stability and control; propeller design; automobile aerodynamics, including airfoil, spoilers, and airdams. (prereq: ME 317  or equivalent)
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
• have a thorough understanding of fluid flows over bluff and streamlined bodies, including potential flow results, circulation, boundary layers, transition, and experimental results
• choose an airfoil and apply lift, drag, and moment coefficients to a design, and to be able to measure these coefficients experimentally
• make thin airfoil and finite airfoil calculations
• make airplane stability and trim calculations
• have an introduction to automobile aerodynamics
Prerequisites by Topic
• Incompressible flow, Bernoulli equation
• Laminar and turbulent flows, Reynolds number, viscosity
• Boundary layers
• Integral calculus
Course Topics
• Review of fluids, non-dimensionalization, boundary layer, friction
• 2-D flow over cylinders and airfoils
• Movies and laboratory experiments
• Airfoil terminology, characteristics, and physical flow description, modern airfoil developments, high lift devices
• Thin airfoil theory
• Finite airfoil
• Stability and control
• Propellers, vortex motion, model airplanes
• Automotive applications
Laboratory Topics
• Wind tunnel measurements of formula car drag coefficient and airfoil lift, drag, and moment coefficients and instrumentation
Coordinator
Matthew Anderson



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