Analyze aircraft fluid dynamics & design principles across speed ranges, optimizing lift, drag & stability for efficient flight performance.
Analyze aircraft fluid dynamics & design principles across speed ranges, optimizing lift, drag & stability for efficient flight performance.
This advanced course offers a comprehensive introduction to aerodynamics, focusing on the flow of air around aircraft. You'll gain a fundamental understanding of concepts and models used to analyze and design subsonic, transonic, and supersonic aircraft. The course covers key topics such as potential flows, viscous flows including laminar and turbulent boundary layers, and aerodynamic models of airfoils and wings. While primarily centered on aircraft, the principles taught are applicable to a wide range of fields, from sailboats to automobiles. This course, typically taken by third or fourth-year undergraduate aerospace engineering students, provides a solid foundation for advanced study and practical applications in aerodynamics.
Instructors:
English
English
What you'll learn
Understand the fundamental principles of aerodynamics and their applications
Analyze potential flows from subsonic to supersonic speeds
Examine viscous flows, including laminar and turbulent boundary layers
Develop and apply aerodynamic models for airfoils and wings
Evaluate the performance of subsonic, transonic, and supersonic aircraft
Apply aerodynamic principles to analyze various fluid flow scenarios
Skills you'll gain
This course includes:
Live video
Graded assignments, exams
Access on Mobile, Tablet, Desktop
Limited Access access
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Module Description
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to aerodynamics, focusing on the fundamental principles and their application to aircraft analysis and design. It begins with the basics of aerodynamics and progresses to cover advanced topics in fluid dynamics. The curriculum includes an in-depth study of potential flows, ranging from subsonic to supersonic speeds, providing students with a strong theoretical foundation. A significant portion of the course is dedicated to viscous flows, including both laminar and turbulent boundary layers, which are crucial for understanding real-world aerodynamic phenomena. Students will learn to develop and apply aerodynamic models for airfoils and wings, essential skills for aircraft design. Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on connecting theoretical concepts to practical applications in aerospace engineering. While the primary focus is on aircraft, the principles taught are applicable to a wide range of fields involving fluid dynamics.
Fee Structure
Instructor
Distinguished Aerospace Engineer and Computational Science Pioneer
Dr. David Darmofal is the Jerome C. Hunsaker Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, where he has made significant contributions to computational fluid dynamics and engineering education. After earning his BS from the University of Michigan in 1989 and his SM and Ph.D. from MIT in 1991 and 1993 respectively, he began his academic career at Texas A&M University before joining MIT in 1998. His research focuses on computational methods for partial differential equations and fluid dynamics, with approximately 80 technical publications in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. His excellence in teaching has been recognized through numerous awards, including the MIT School of Engineering Bose Award (2002), MacVicar Faculty Fellowship (2004), and the Earll M. Murman Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Advising (2011). Beyond his academic work, he serves as Head of House at MIT's graduate residence, The Warehouse, with his wife Claudia since 2017. A recipient of the NSF CAREER Award in 1997, he is an Associate Fellow of AIAA and member of ASME, ASEE, and SIAM, demonstrating his broad impact across aerospace engineering and computational science.
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