Aerospace propulsion

Duration

26h Th, 26h Pr

Number of credits

Lecturer

Koen Hillewaert

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

• Compressible flows : thermodynamic losses, Fanno and Rayleigh problems, flow in the de Laval nozzle, thrust developed by an engine.
• Propulsion force and energy balance, performance parameters and classification of propulsive systems.
• Propellers: operating principles and characteristics, regulation and power shafts;
• Jet engines : engine types, nominal and off-design performances, operation limits, transients;
• Jet engine component technology: intakes, compressors, turbines, fans, combustors, nozzles;
• Recent evolutions in civil aviation and impact on turbofan technology;
• Rocket engines : performances, nozzle sizing, thermochemistry of the combustion chamber, chemical reactions in the nozzle, selection of the propergols;
• Electric propulsor classification and operating principles;
• Elements of scientific computation for the numerical resolution of the exercises.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

The objectives of this course are to provide the student with 

• the understanding of how a propulsion system is chosen and conceived according to its mission, to the technological limits and to the operating conditions;
• the comprehension of what influences its performances;
• the ability to estimate the operating point of the engine and the performance parameters;
• the ability to write small programs needed for computing estimates.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course


Additional information:

The course is organised the whole quadrimester following sessions of 3h to 3h30 of theory and 30' to 1h of exercises. As the exercises are ment to be solved autonomously by the student, the latter consist mainly of Q&A, complemented by an introduction to the programming of computation scripts and the resolution of a few typical exercises.

Recommended or required readings

The course materials are available in electronic format on the e-campus site of the course. They include:

• Course notes; this year these will still be subject to regular updates;
• A collection of exercises including resolved exam exercises;
• Other standard works are referenced in the notes and made available if possible;
• Fora supporting discussions on the theory and exercises.  

Assessment methods and criteria

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( open-ended questions ) AND oral exam

- Remote

written exam ( open-ended questions ) AND oral exam


Additional information:

An oral examination on the theory and a written exercise exam is organized in June (1st session) and September (2nd session). 

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

Contacts

• Teacher : Koen Hillewaert (koen.hillewaert@uliege.be)
• Assistent : Thomas Lambert (t.lambert@uliege.be)

Items online