AERODYANAMICS

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Aerodynamics is a branch of dynamics concerned with studying the motion of air, particularly when it interacts with a moving object. Aerodynamics is a subfield of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, with much theory shared between them. Aerodynamics is often used synonymously with gas dynamics, with the difference being that gas dynamics applies to all gases. Understanding the motion of air (often called a flow field) around an object enables the calculation of forces and moments acting on the object. Typical properties calculated for a flow field include velocity, pressure, density and temperature as a function of position and time. By defining a control volume around the flow field, equations for the conservation of mass, momentum, and energy can be defined and used to solve for the properties. The use of aerodynamics through mathematical analysis, empirical approximation and wind tunnel experimentation form the scientific basis for heavier-than-air flight.

Aerodynamic problems can be identified in a number of ways. The flow environment defines the first classification criterion. External aerodynamics is the study of flow around solid objects of various shapes. Evaluating the lift and drag on an airplane or the shock waves that form in front of the nose of a rocket are examples of external aerodynamics. Internal aerodynamics is the study of flow through passages in solid objects. For instance, internal aerodynamics encompasses the study of the airflow through a jet engine or through an air conditioning pipe.

The ratio of the problem's characteristic flow speed to the speed of sound comprises a second classification of aerodynamic problems. A problem is called subsonic if all the speeds in the problem are less than the speed of sound, transonic if speeds both below and above the speed of sound are present (normally when the characteristic speed is approximately the speed of sound), supersonic when the characteristic flow speed is greater than the speed of sound, and hypersonic when the flow speed is much greater than the speed of sound. Aerodynamicists disagree over the precise definition of hypersonic flow; minimum Mach numbers for hypersonic flow range from 3 to 12.

The influence of viscosity in the flow dictates a third classification. Some problems may encounter only very small viscous effects on the solution, in which case viscosity can be considered to be negligible. The approximations to these problems are called inviscid flows. Flows for which viscosity cannot be neglected are called viscous flows.

Aerodynamics in other fields

Aerodynamics is important in a number of applications other than aerospace engineering. It is a significant factor in any type of vehicle design, including automobiles. It is important in the prediction of forces and moments in sailing. It is used in the design of large components such as hard drive heads. Structural engineers also use aerodynamics, and particularly aeroelasticity, to calculate wind loads in the design of large buildings and bridges. Urban aerodynamics seeks to help town planners and designers improve comfort in outdoor spaces, create urban microclimates and reduce the effects of urban pollution. The field of environmental aerodynamics studies the ways atmospheric circulation and flight mechanics affect ecosystems. The aerodynamics of internal passages is important in heating/ventilation, gas piping, and in automotive engines where detailed flow patterns strongly affect the performance of the engine.

CAREERS IN AERODYNAMICS 

There are a wide variety of careers in aviation, aerodynamics and related positions. We've listed a number for you to look at in the following pages. Some careers that we consider in aerodynamics might surprise you! Take a look at what we have. Your choices of categories include aviation and airplanes: People who design and build 'em; People who test and inspect 'em; People who fly 'em; People who fix 'em; and related careers: People at the airport; People who like things that fly; People who use airplanes in their work; and People who use aerodynamics but maybe don't know it. An asterisk in front of a job means that it is listed in more than one section.

Each section begins with a list of careers that require a college degree in a technical field: Mathematics, Science, or Engineering. We've also included interviews with people who work in these positions who would like you to know more about them and their work. In addition, we've listed some technical career choices that may not always require a college degree, but that usually require a solid background in math and science or some years of technical training either on the job or through technical schools.

ABOUT AERONATICS

INTRODUCTION


Aeronautics (from Greek ὰήρ āēr which means "air" and ναυτική nautikē which means "navigation, seamanship", i.e. "navigation of the air") is the science involved with the study, design, and manufacture of flight-capable machines, or the techniques of operating aircraft. While the term—literally meaning "sailing the air"—originally referred solely to the science of operating the aircraft, it has since been expanded to include technology, business and other aspects related to aircraft. One of the significant parts in aeronautics is a branch of physical science called aerodynamics, which deals with the motion of air and the way that it interacts with objects in motion, such as an aircraft. Aviation is a term sometimes used interchangeably with aeronautics, although "aeronautics" includes lighter-than-air craft such as airships, while "aviation" does not.





EARLY AERONAUTICS




The first mention of aeronautics in history was in the writings of ancient Egyptians who described the flight of birds. It also finds mention in ancient China where people were flying kites thousands of years ago. The medieval Islamic scientists were not far behind, as they understood the actual mechanism of bird flight. Before scientific investigation of aeronautics started, people started thinking of ways to fly. In a Greek legend, Icarus and his father Daedalus built wings of feathers and wax and flew out of a prison. Icarus flew too close to the sun, the wax melted, and he fell in the sea and drowned. When people started to scientifically study how to fly, people began to understand the basics of air and aerodynamics. Ibn Firnas may have tried to fly in 8th century in Cordoba, Al-Andalus.



Roger Bacon and Leonardo da Vinci were some of the first modern Europeans to study aeronautics. Leonardo studied the flight of birds in developing engineering schematics for some of the earliest flying machines in the late fifteenth century AD. His schematics, however, such as the ornithopter ultimately failed as practical aircraft. The flapping machines that he designed were either too small to generate sufficient lift, or too heavy for a human to operate.



Although the ornithopter continues to be of interest to hobbyists, it was replaced by the glider in the 19th century. Sir George Cayley was one of the most important people in the history of aeronautics. Many consider him the first true scientific aerial investigator and the first person to understand the underlying principles and forces of flight.A pioneer of aeronautical engineering, he is credited as the first person to separate the forces of lift and drag which are in effect on any flight vehicle,



Francesco Lana de Terzi, a 17th Century Jesuit professor of physics and mathematics from Brescia, Lombardy, has been referred to as the Father of Aeronautics. In his work Prodromo dell'Arte Maestra (1670) he proposes a lighter-than-air vessel based on logical deductions from previous work ranging from Archimedes and Euclid to his contemporaries Robert Boyle and Otto von Guericke.



CAREER IN AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING



Eligibility: 10 + 2 Science; high percentage of marks in Science subjects and qualifying exam (JEE) To be an aeronautical engineer one should be a BE/B.Tech. in aeronautics. The Madras Institute of Technology offers a year postgraduate programme in aeronautical engineering for B.Sc. students. One can also study for M.Tech. and Ph.D. in aeronautics from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.



Those who have passed the Associate membership exam conducted by ASI (Aeronautical Society of India), which is at par with a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering, can also become aeronautical engineers. It is possible to take a degree in electronics or physics to work in this field and leave more options open



INSTITUTES / COLLEGES IN INDIA OFFERING AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING.


* Indian Institute of Technology, Powai, Mumbai.

* IIT, Kharagpur 721302 (WB).

* Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai 600036 (Tamil Nadu).

* Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai 600044 (Tamil Nadu).

* Hindustan Inst of Engineering Technology, Chennai 600016
(Tamil Nadu).

* Nehru College of Aeronautical and Applied Sciences, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu).

* School of Aviation Science and Technology, Delhi Flying Club, Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi.

* Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh 160011.

* IIT, Kanpur 208016.
* Indian Institute of Aeronautics, Patna Airport, Patna 800014 (Bihar).

* Institute of Aviation Technology, 1265, Sector 6, Bahadurgarh, Haryana 124507.

* VSM Aerospace, Chelekere Village (Near Kammanahalli), Bangalore 560008 (Karnataka).

* Hindustan Electronics Academy, Ulsoor, Bangalore 560008 (Karnataka).

* Indian Institute of Aeronautical Engineering, 179, Kalidas Road, Dehradun 248001 (Uttaranchal).