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Research Project about aerospace engineering Search area aircraft materials

Project Management

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Research Project about aerospace engineering

Search area aircraft materials .

 

Choose one area from the two below to do the research on it.

 

1. Engineering materials, materials selection, sustainability, properties of materials, performance.
2. Aerospace materials, Composite, Alloys, Finite Elements Analysis, Structural Analysis.

 

 

*Project title and Objective

 

*Poster Presentation on  PowerPoint

The poster should include the aim of the project, pictures and what is going to happen in the future

3 Project Proposal
Proposals are among the most critical documents a young engineer will write. Maybe you’re
embarking on a research project that requires you to secure supervisor; or perhaps you’ve noticed
a better way to do something in your company. Each case will require you to define a gap and
explain your idea to fill it in an interesting, memorable, and credible manner.
An idea, however fantastic it may be, can only be impactful if the person who envisioned it is
able to get it across to the people who matter in a way that makes them respond; otherwise, the
idea remains unrealized potential. A well-constructed proposal is the vehicle that transforms an
engineering idea into active initiatives.
Proposals will be as important to your employers and supervisors as they are to you because, at
its core, a proposal must persuade someone (a supervisor, an investor, a manager, etc.) to act on
your idea. Your reader can take action only if they understand exactly what you have in mind and
what is required to carry out your project. Most importantly, you must convince your audience that
your idea is worthy of their action.
The proposal is one of the most important forms of writing engineers do. Successful proposals
lead to jobs, products and profit, etc. Unsuccessful proposals lead nowhere.
3.1 The basics of proposal
1. The Goal
2. The Audience
3. The Structure
3.2 The Goal
While style and structure of proposals vary, successful proposals require ‘attitude’. A successful
proposal convinces the reader that: The proposal is good (scientifically and economically).
“Convincing” makes many engineers uncomfortable because they think good science should convince by itself; however, you must still persuade the reader that your science is good. Convince
the reader that you have thought through the problem and have a workable solution.
3.3 The Audience
No one ever paid a consultant to tell him what he already knew. Your audience needs to know
something. You need to explain the problem clearly, and to provide full background to give context
to your solution. Remember that readers need:
• To know that you know what you are doing
• To understand your approach
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3.4 The Structure
There are six basic elements to a proposal.
1. The executive summary
2. Introduction
3. The project description
4. Timeline
5. Budget
6. Qualifications
3.4.1 The executive summary
The executive summary is a short, information-packed summary of the proposal. In one or two
paragraphs, state:
• the purpose of the proposal,
• the essentials of the program,
• the total expense of the budget, and
• the qualifications of the team presenting the proposal.
This should NOT exceed one page. A reader should finish the summary knowing the basic information. Only an interested reader needs to read more.
Ò Write the executive summary AFTER you have finished the rest of the report.
3.4.1.1 Purpose
The purpose can be described any number of ways. Here are two:
1. State the problem or need you are prepared to address -
Many proposals are responding to problems that need to be solved. e.g. A part of a product
wears out too soon. How can we make the product work better?
2. Explain the goal of the proposal -
Sometimes a proposal is to develop a new product or idea. In this case, you are not solving
a problem. Still you need to explain why you want to develop the proposal.
However you describe it, you need to clearly and simply explain what the proposal is for.
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3.4.1.2 Program
At the proposal stage, students will rarely have a fully-worked out solution. That is expected for
research-based projects. Regardless, the executive summary needs to include a brief statement
of what you think you will do. In one or two sentences state at least one of these:
• What will take place
• Benefit of the project
• How and where it will operate
3.4.1.3 Funding requirements
State the bottom line. If an explanation of the figure is required, make that as concisely as possible.
3.4.1.4 Qualifications
Briefly state your name, history, purpose, and activities, emphasizing your capacity to carry out
this proposal. Also state if any additional training is required.
3.4.1.5 An example of Executive Summary
Memory management is a crucial factor in operating system and application
performance. The purpose of this project is to study of the relative merits
of the best fit and worst fit selection algorithms used in memory management.
The first goal of the project is to produce a reference table with the test
sets and results for software developers using algorithms. The second goal is
to develop a very specific set of rules for when to use each algorithm. The
results will be valuable to software developers when choosing between the best
fit and worst fit selection algorithms. While the first goal can be attained
in the ten week period, attaining the second goal will depend on the results
of the data. Consequently, the second goal may be unreachable, or require
further research. The cost for the ten week period is £500.
3.4.2 Introduction
One major problem students have is blurring Executive Summaries and Introductions.
NEVER assume that the reader of the introduction has already read the executive summary. In
other words, the executive summary just repeats.
• State the purpose (make it clear that you are proposing something). Define the opportunity
or problem. Usually, you need to begin by explaining the situation: what circumstances led
to the proposal (e.g. an industrial sponsor’s problem)?
Consider the following:
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– Decide what facts best support the project.
– Determine whether it is reasonable to portray the need as acute.
– Explain how your project relates to similar projects that preceded it.
• Avoid circular reasoning.
• Explain useful background. e.g. What engineering principles will guide your solution? Even
if you think your reader knows this information, show the reader that you understand it too.
(Sometimes, background is separated into a separate section. If you do this, put the background after the overview.)
• Give a brief overview of the contents of the whole proposal. (For example, in the introduction to the “structure of the proposal” here, six basic elements are listed. These are then
elaborated in later sections. A similar kind of brief sketch will help a proposal reader.)
3.4.3 The project description
State explicitly what you propose to do. Explain your approach to the problem in detail. Some of
the following questions might be useful:
• What are the technical specifications for the proposed piece of work?
• How will current research such as recent articles on the subject or other projects of a similar
kind be used to help solve the problem
• How does your work fit into a larger project?
Included in your program you should have three subsections:
1. objectives,
2. methods, and
3. evaluation.
You do not need to use these sections as subheadings, but you do need to clearly explain all three
aspects of the project.
3.4.3.1 Objectives
Your objectives must be tangible, specific, concrete, measurable, and achievable in a specified
time period. Objectives can come in several varieties:
• Behavioral – A human action is anticipated
e.g. Software developers will be able to compare the performance trade off of each algorithm
based on the expected memory request set for their application.
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• Performance – A specific time frame within which a behavior will occur, at an expected
proficiency level, is expected.
Software developers will be able to compare the performance trade off of each algorithm
based on the expected memory request set for their application. This efficiency will cut the
time for testing new applications by 40%.
• Process – The manner in which something occurs is an end in itself.
• Product – A tangible item results.
The first goal of the project is to produce a reference table with the test sets and results for
software developers using algorithms. The second goal is the development of a very specific
set of rules for when to use each algorithm. While the first goal can be attained in the ten
week period, attaining the second goal will depend on the results of the data.
Good research objectives always starts from "To" ,some examples are as below:
• ‘to analyse...’
• ‘to compare...’
• ‘to evaluate...’
• ‘to propose...’
• ‘to assess...’
• ‘to investigate...’
• ‘to implement...’
• etc.
NOTE - Everyone’s project is different, hence your research objectives must be different too. Feel
free to use above keywords or use something similar. Be as specific as possible and include min
2 and max 4 research objectives.
3.4.3.2 Methods
• Describe the specific activities that will take place to achieve the objectives, that is what will
occur from the time the project begins until it is completed.
• Enable the reader to visualize the implementation of the project.
• Match the previously stated objectives.
• Provide the order and timing for the tasks.
• Defend your chosen methods, especially if they are new or unorthodox.
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3.4.3.3 Evaluation
Building evaluation into a project is an important part of engineering design. You need to consider how you will evaluate whether the project is successful. How will you measure whether the
project meets its goal? By including a mechanism for evaluation in your proposal, you indicate
that achieving objective is a serious goal. You also provide the best means for others to learn from
your experience. Two types of Formal Evaluation are common:
1. Measuring the product (e.g. test a computer program’s performance under various conditions for versatility, accuracy, speed, etc.)
2. Analyzing the process (e.g. analyze the milestones such as the ability of a prototype to
integrate with other components of a project)
Either or both might be appropriate.
3.4.4 Timeline
Often, this section use a short paragraph or two to introduce graphical elements, such as Gantt
Charts, Tables, etc. to represent the proposed schedule.
3.4.5 Budget
This section use a short paragraph or two to introduce graphical elements, such as Tables, etc. to
represent the proposed schedule. If necessary, rationale for the schedule or budget can also be
presented in this section.
3.4.6 Qualifications
This section presents another argument for why you should be allowed to undertake the project,
usually by identifying academic qualifications, experience, and attributes (less important) that
make you (or your team) a suitable candidate for carrying out the plan. Also identify if any additional training is required and integrate this in your timeline and budget.
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4 Thesis template
This is entirely your own choice on which typesetting package you wish to use for your thesis.
• LATEX (highly recommended)
• MS Word
• OSX Pages
• etc ...
You must follow university guidelines for the thesis structure. Useful information is provided in the
module guide, or ask module leader for further guidelines.
In general, thesis should include arrays of sections - e.g. title page, declaration, acknowledgements, abstract, table of contents, list of figures, list of tables, nomenclature, chapters, references,
appendix etc..
Moreover, specific formatting must be followed in the thesis - e.g. line spacing, font size, font style,
page numbering, alignment, referencing style etc...
An example of a thesis can be found in Appendix A.
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5 Components of thesis
5.1 Introduction
Introductions are important because readers rely on them to establish the topic and purpose of
the document. In technical writing, the introduction often takes a very specific rhetorical structure,
which is closely related the structure of engineering papers.
In order to effectively introduce the reader to a topic, the introduction should:
1. Provide context for the report
2. Reveal a gap or a problem
3. Show how the report fills that niche
4. Research objectives
5. Thesis structure
5.1.1 Context
Providing context involves establishing why the repo s being written and the background information necessary to understand the problem. How much and what type of context we provide in
the introduction will depend on the audience. A knowledgeable and in-the-loop audience – such
as an immediate supervisor or an engineer who is working on the same project – may already
possess the much of the necessary context knowledge: they are known as High Context readers.
Low Context readers – such as clients – have less knowledge of the immediate field and situation,
and will need you to establish the framework for the paper.
5.1.2 Gap
Identifying the gap involves establishing the problem that the report deals with. In many cases, the
“problem” is relatively easy to identify. For example, a proposal for a bridge design involves a real,
physical gap and the need (to accommodate traffic patterns, for safety reasons, etc.) for a bridge.
However, in some genres of engineering writing, such as undergraduate lab reports, no practical
problem is actually solved.
When trying to identify a gap, consider the following possibilities:
• Sometimes the gap is not a practical problem, but missing knowledge, such as our inability
to understand the mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease.
• In some cases, the “problem” is the need to confirm known knowledge: this is often the case
in undergraduate lab reports, where the goal is the validation of scientific theory through
experimentation.
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• There may also be multiple levels of the problem. For example, osteoporosis is a medical condition that biomedical engineers are trying to fight through different technologies for
growing bone. But the real problem that the paper addresses might be the limitations of
current technologies, such as calcium supplements, for dealing with osteoporosis, or even
bone growth techniques developed by other researchers.
5.1.3 Niche
Having identified the gap very precisely, we should have carved out a very specific niche for our
paper. By providing:
1. a purpose statement
2. a projection for the paper in the introduction,
We identify how we plan to fill that niche.
5.1.3.1 purpose
The purpose statement is establishes what the paper does to fill the niche:
The purpose of this report is to confirm the composition of a known sample using SEM.
(Problem = confirm known sample composition)
This report explores the feasibility of using synthetic polymers as scaffolding in bone tissue
engineering.
(Problem = scaffolding with other materials in BTE)
5.1.3.2 projection
The projection provides an overview of paper: it explains, by taking us through the steps in logic,
how the paper accomplishes its purpose.
“the limitations ... are discussed ...
Second, the techniques ... are explained
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5.1.3.3 Length
An introduction should be relatively short; it is, after all, an introduction, and you will have the
opportunity to develop the gap further in the literature review or background. However, it still
needs to be persuasive – establish the significance of the problem – and provide sufficient and
appropriate context information for its readers (audience specific).
5.1.3.4 Placement of purpose statement
Putting the purpose statement at the beginning means that your audience knows the goal of the
report early; but it may also mean that your audience may not understand the need for the work
(without sufficient context).
5.1.4 Research objectives
Your introduction must include clearly defined research objectives. Refer to section 3.4.3.1 for
more details.
5.1.5 Thesis structure
It is good idea to include a small paragraph on how the thesis has been structured. This will help
reader to understand what to expect and how individual chapters has been organized.
5.2 Literature Review
The Literature Review is one of the most important and poorly understood components of a document. This section briefly explain the role and structure of the literature review, and present some
strategies for conducting and writing one.
5.2.1 The Role of the Literature Review
The function of a scientific literature review is primarily to collect and examine the state of current
knowledge in a field by examining the work of scholars and researchers whose work has been
recognized as valuable. Ultimately, a well researched and written literature review accomplishes
three goals as following:
1. Establishes context for your work by showing what has been done in the area
2. Exposes the gap in current knowledge
3. Shows your supervisors/readers that you have done your research
The literature review might be considered a more detailed, elaborated and well-supported version
of the introduction. In the literature review, the gap is developed in significantly greater detail and
supported by references to research.
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5.2.2 Structure of the Literature Review
There are two options for organizing your literature review. You can either organize:
(A) By source:
Organization by source allows you to develop how one researcher or group of researchers
has, in one book or paper, contributed to the field.
(B) By topic:
Organization by topic, however, allows you to cover all of the contributions, by different researchers to one topic or key area of knowledge.
Both are acceptable, but rarely is organization by source a better strategy than organizing by topic.
Option B allows for more coherence and is a more effective way of integrating contributions by
different people or research groups. Option A is most often used when several pivotal studies with
distinct contributions form the foundation of the literature review and deserve their own dedicated
sections. Option B, however, is more challenging to write because it depends on your ability to
synthesize information effectively.
Sometimes, a combined approach is appropriate: one paper may contribute significantly to one
area, although other papers might also add to knowledge in that area.
5.2.3 Strategies for Writing a Literature Review
After finding / reading the relevant articles, proceed by:
5.2.3.1 Organizing
The first step is to develop a framework for the review: this can be done by identifying the key
articles or the key areas of knowledge (depending on the organizational structure chosen), and
associating papers with specific areas of knowledge. This set of topics or papers should form
the sections of your literature review; however, you’ll need to organize these topics logically, and
develop transitions between the sections.
5.2.3.2 Summarizing
The second step involves identifying each article’s contribution to the area of knowledge. You
may be summarizing an entire article, or just including a brief reference to the article. When
summarizing an article, ask the following questions:
1. What is the author’s purpose?
2. What are the author’s assumptions?
3. What are the author’s main claims (conclusions)?
4. How are these claims supported; how have they been qualified?
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5. What is author’s methodology?
6. etc.
This second step should leave you with a clear idea of what the author is saying.
5.2.3.3 Evaluating
In the final step, you need to assess the work done in the key area of knowledge or by the pivotal
paper, in order to establish:
1. How previous work has left a gap, because of either inadequate assumptions or inconclusive
findings;
2. How previous research will be applied in a new context; or
3. How general disagreement or different views on the subject create a need for a solution
In evaluating each article, consider the following questions:
• How strong are the basic components of the study design?
• Could the problem have been approached more effectively from another perspective or with
different assumptions?
• Are the paper’s conclusions well warranted by evidence from research?
• Is the evidence from the research conclusive?
• Or are there any limitations to the research?
• How does this paper contribute to our understanding of the problem/issue?
• How does the paper relate to your research?
In evaluating several papers on a specific topic, ask these questions:
• What are the significant points of agreement between articles?
• Where the research disagrees, is one researcher more conclusive than another?
• How can you fit the articles together to build a logical argument that furthers your purpose?
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5.3 Methodology or Mathematical/Numerical Background or Experimental Setup
The Methodology is one of the most important and neglected sections in engineering writing. This
section will differ from topic to topic – one may be conducting experiments or one may be doing
simulation based research or one may be conducting literature related analysis etc.
The methodology is often the product of engineering related research: researchers are often
looking for appropriate ways of testing or evaluating products, forces, etc., or new methods for
accomplishing a required task. In a proposal, the methodology can even be the most important
part of the document – the proposal argues that its method for achieving a certain task is the best.
The methodology section of report should accomplish two tasks:
1. Should allow readers to, if necessary, reproduce your experiment, design, or method for
achieving a task
2. Should help readers to anticipate your results with necessary mathematical baground
Writing a methodology that does both requires attention to detail and precision.
5.3.1 Organization
Organization of the methodology section seems simple enough: the most obvious structure is
chronological. Organizing a methodology section well involves:
• Dividing and subdividing the steps/procedure into the appropriate key stages/sub-stages
• Choosing headings / key words that reflect the nature of the stages
• Providing an overview of the entire methodology at the beginning of the section
5.3.2 Justification
If your method is of your own making, you may also need to justify your choices. Explain clearly
why you chose the method that you did – for accuracy, simplicity, etc. – and also identify the
implications of using your methods. For example, there may be some limitations that you were
forced to accept because of time, cost, or other constraints. Identify these, state why they are
acceptable or necessary, and explain the effect they may have on your results (take these into
account in your Discussion as well).
5.4 Results and Discussions
The Results and Discussion sections are the “meat” of most engineering reports. In a design
report, the results and discussion may involve an evaluation of the design or method used. In a
feasibility or case study, the results and discussion section would involve measuring the feasibility
or evaluating the success of one or more solutions. Not all reports, however, will include these
components.
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5.4.1 Together or Separate
In writing these components of your thesis, you are faced with one major decision with significant
implications:
1. combine the results and the discussion sections, OR
2. keep them separate?
Both require attention to the organization and division into topics and subtopics.
5.4.1.1 Combining the results and discussion section
This allows for more coherence, because it allows you to discuss results of a particular test or
method immediately after presenting them. However, if you decide to forego the distinction between results and discussion, you will need to divide your section into appropriate subsections,
potentially into different topics or tests.
5.4.1.2 Keeping results and discussion separate
On the other hand, allows you to discuss all of the results at one time. The above option is more
suitable for engineering thesis.
5.4.2 Presenting Results
This involves using a combination of visual aids and prose. Whenever possible, use visual aids
such as tables, charts, or graphs to represent results in an easy to read and understand format.
When using visuals to present results, however, be sure that you do the following:
1. Label and title all graphs, charts, and visuals clearly and precisely (e.g. Table 1.1: Composition and Strength of Samples A ? D)
2. Introduce the results and visuals in the body of the report (e.g. Table 1.1 (below) presents
the composition and strength of the samples as determined by the SEM).
3. Use sentences to highlight the key result (e.g. As seen in Table 1.1, Sample A showed the
highest carbon content, and was also the strongest)
5.4.2.1 What should be in-text or Appendices?
In presenting results, you also need to be selective: some material may be more suited to an
appendix than the body of the report itself. When making the decision to include results in the
body of the paper or to place them in the appendix, you should ask yourself whether or not the
information is pivotal to the discussion and understanding of the conclusions of the report. Seek
guidance from you supervisor if in doubt.
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5.4.3 Conducting Discussion
There are two key elements to discussion: analysis and interpretation. The difference between
these two elements is subtle, but both aspects are essential for a complete understanding of the
material.
Both analysis and interpretation involve drawing conclusions from the data presented in results. In
doing either, be sure to clearly link your claims to specific sets of data, and logically explain how
the data supports your claim.
Analysis involves explaining the results and identifying the conclusions you can draw from them.
This can involve highlight key results and placing them in the context of other results.
e.g.
The results for Sample A are as expected, given its composition (75% poly chemical compound, as seen in Figure 3.1. As shown in Tables 3.2 and 3.3, Sample A was both the
strongest and most flexible material. These features are typical of a composite with a high
level of poly chemical compound content [cite ref here].
In the above example, the claim is that the results for Sample A are expected, given its composition. The data that supports that claim (from Figure 3.1) is that Sample A is the strongest
and most flexible material, and that Sample A is made up of 75% poly chemical compound.
The logical explanation is that this composite material is known to be flexible and strong (from
ref. source [1]).
5.4.3.1 Interpretation
This involves explaining the significance of these conclusions, identifying the potential limitations
of the experimental method and their effect on the results, and accounting for any potential errors.
The below example identifies what the results and the conclusions drawn from them might mean
in a wider context:
Example - 1
Of the four samples, Sample A is best suited for use in protective clothing applications. Its high
strength allows it to provide sufficient protection while its malleability allows it to be shaped to
the contours of the human body.
Example - 2
This second example, below, identifies a potential limitation of the method, and how they might
cast the above conclusion into doubt. Finally, it proposes future work that might help remove
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this limitation.
However, the way that we evaluated flexibility - measuring the amount of rotational stress
before breakage – may not accurately reflect the manufacturing process for the protective
clothing or usage patterns. Accounting for this application would involve measuring more and
different types of stresses and their impact on the material.
5.4.3.2 Errors
Reporting potential sources of error is an important part of labs and research projects. However,
students often include a list of possible errors without a sense of:
(a) their potential impact on the results
(b) the likelihood that they played a role in the results, and
(c) how to avoid them in future studies.
Example - 1
Some potential sources of error are: human error, precision of measurements, testing the
same sample for strength and flexibility, etc.
A better account of potential sources of error in this experiment might state the following.
Example - 2
Errors in the measurement of material flexibility may have resulted from our testing method. In
all but one case, we tested strength and flexibility on the same sample of the materials. Both
tests involved applying stress to the samples. Our measures of flexibility in samples B, C, and
D may be lower than actual because of the stress applied to sample beforehand. We were
able to obtain two pieces of samples A, and tested strength on one and flexibility on the other.
While the effect of testing both properties on one sample is unknown, it is likely that applying
strength testing may have reduced the flexibility of the material or made breakage more likely.
Unfortunately, we only had access to one sample of B-D.
5.4.4 RULE OF THUMB
1. Importance of this figure/chart/table (only applicable to specific case) [1-2]
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2. What does the figure/chart/table shows? [1-2]
3. Any specific/obvious trends or behaviours? [1-2]
4. Any important observations? [1-2]
5. Interpretation (underpinning engineering knowledge) [2-4]
6. Analysis (cross reference where possible) [2-4]
7. Backed up with existing findings (if available) [1-2]
8. Any limitation? [1-2]
9. Any other information that deems relevant [1-2]
L Use case names
L Use figure/chart/table numbers
L When cross referencing - use chapter, section, subsection details
L Use new sentences with connection words - e.g. Moreover, Furthermore, Additionally etc.
L Emphasize on key observations - e.g. It is important to note that...
L Avoid long sentences
5.5 Conclusions
It is often difficult in writing the Conclusion of a thesis because of concerns with redundancy and
about introducing new ideas at the end of the document. While both are valid concerns, summary
and looking forward (or showing future directions for the work done in the paper) are actually
functions of the conclusion. The problems then become:
1. How to summarize without being completely redundant
2. How to look beyond the paper without jumping completely in a different direction