Unit 2035: Fundamentals and Applications of Aerodynamics

1. Introduction to Aerodynamics

• Definition and scope of aerodynamics
• Basic principles: air flow, drag, lift
• Applications across fields:
  • Aviation
  • Automotive design
  • Sports

2. Fluid Mechanics Fundamentals

• Nature and behavior of fluids (focus on air)
• Properties of fluids:
  • Viscosity
  • Pressure
• Fluid flow types: laminar and turbulent
• Fundamental equations:
  • Continuity equation
  • Navier-Stokes equations (overview)
  • Euler’s equation

3. Bernoulli's Principle

• Statement and explanation of Bernoulli’s principle
• Relationship between fluid speed and pressure
• Applications in aerodynamics:
  • Lift generation in aircraft
  • Examples in everyday phenomena

4. Airfoil Shapes and Aerodynamic Forces

• Airfoil geometry:
  • Camber
  • Chord length
  • Thickness
  • Angle of attack
• Aerodynamic forces acting on airfoils:
  • Lift
  • Drag
  • Stall phenomenon
• Airfoil performance parameters

5. Drag and Drag Reduction Techniques

• Types of drag:
  • Form drag
  • Skin friction drag
  • Induced drag
• Methods to reduce drag:
  • Streamlining
  • Vortex generators
  • Laminar flow control
• Impact of drag reduction on efficiency

6. Lift Generation and Wing Design

• Principles of lift generation:
  • Role of angle of attack
  • Influence of airfoil shape
• Wing configurations:
  • Aspect ratio
  • Wing loading
  • Sweep angle
• Factors influencing aircraft performance

7. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)

• Introduction to CFD:
  • Purpose and significance
• Numerical methods overview:
  • Discretization techniques
  • Boundary conditions
• CFD applications in aerodynamics:
  • Simulating fluid flow around objects
  • Design optimization

8. Supersonic and Hypersonic Aerodynamics

• Characteristics of high-speed flows
• Shock waves and their formation
• Sonic booms and their implications
• Design considerations for supersonic/hypersonic vehicles:
  • Thermal stresses
  • Aerodynamic heating
  • Materials and structures