Design and Optimization of an Aircraft Pylon - Assignment Instructions

Learning outcomes (LOs) tested in this assessment

LO3. Critically appraise key features of aerospace and automotive lightweight structures and to use the ideas developed in the analysis of composites towards designing aerospace and automotive lightweight structures.

LO4. Optimised methods in topological and material selection for lightweight structures.

LO5. Demonstrate increase awareness of the environmental impact of engineering products and how lightweight structures have improved engineering performance with less environmental impact.

You must adhere to the university regulations on academic conduct. Formal inquiry proceedings will be instigated if there is any suspicion of plagiarism or any other form of misconduct in your work. Refer to the University’s Assessment Regulations for Northumbria Awards if you are unclear as to the meaning of these terms. The latest copy is available on the University website.

The University requires all students to submit assessed coursework by the deadline stated in the assessment brief. Where coursework is submitted without approval after the published hand-in deadline, penalties will be applied as defined in the University Policy on the Late Submission of Work. A Late Authorisation is simply an authorised extension of the time allowed to complete and submit a piece of assessed work. All initial requests for Late Authorisation must be communicated to, and dealt with by the Student Progress Team at any Student Central. You should apply for a Late Authorisation via the ‘My Northumbria’ portal.

Statement of the work that students are expected to undertake: Design and Optimization of an Aircraft Pylon An aircraft pylon is a typical cantilever structure hanging the turbine engine and other  payloads to the wing of aircraft. In this assignment, students will apply the knowledge and skills they learn and develop to the design and optimization of an aircraft pylon. Students will select materials for the structure, and conduct both shape and topology optimizations of their designs. They will also explain the relationship between the technical aspects of their designed lightweight structure and the wider societal context, such as risk, ethics and environmental impacts as considered by an engineering practitioner.

This assignment is an individual work. Students are expected to spend about 40 hours on the assignment. The key tasks are outlined below:
· Select materials by comparing composites with common engineering materials such as metals and alloys
· Set the design domain, i.e. rough shape of an aircraft pylon.
· Perform the shape and topology optimizations on the design
· Discuss the optimization results and appraise the key features/limitations/improvement of the optimized structures
· Discuss the ethics and environmental impacts of the optimized structures
· Write an assignment report (≤ 3000 words).

The template of the report is given below:

Table of Contents

Section 1. General introduction and problem statement
Section 2. Material selection
Section 3. Design, optimization results and discussions
Section 4. Ethical and environmental impacts

Discussions about the ethics and environmental impacts of the optimized lightweight structure

Detailed discussions about the risk, the ethical issues and the environmental impacts of the optimized  lightweight structure Detailed (marginal) discussions about therisk, the ethical issues and the environmental impacts of the optimized lightweight structure.

Satisfactory discussions about the risk, the ethical issues and the environmental impacts of the optimized lightweight structure Inadequate discussions about the risk, the ethical issues and the environmental impacts of the optimized lightweight structure

Little or no discussion about the risk, the ethical issues and the environmental impacts of the optimized lightweight structure