TU Delft Faculty of Aerospace Engineering

Last updated
Faculty of Aerospace Engineering
Faculteit Lucht- en Ruimtevaarttechniek
Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.jpg
The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering of the Delft University of Technology as seen from the sky.
Other name
LR
TypePublic
Established1940 (as Department)
1975 (as Faculty) [1]
Dean Prof.dr. H.G.C. (Henri) Werij [2]
Location
Delft
,
South Holland
,
Netherlands
Website www.tudelft.nl/lr/

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands is the merger of two interrelated disciplines, aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering. Aeronautical engineering works specifically with aircraft or aeronautics. Astronautical engineering works specifically with spacecraft or astronautics. At the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, both of the fields are directly addressed along with expansion into fields such as wind energy.

Contents

Description

The Faculty is one of the largest of the eight faculties at TU Delft and one of the largest faculties devoted entirely to aerospace engineering in northern Europe. It is the only institute carrying out research and education directly related to aerospace engineering in the Netherlands. Through the years, the Faculty has responded to the increasing demands of the aerospace industry by further expanding its facilities and laboratories. Today the Faculty has a student body of approximately 2300 undergraduates and graduates, 237 members of academic staff and 181 PhD students. [3] Around 34% of the student population is from outside the Netherlands.
The TU Delft scored 15th in the world in the 2013 "Engineering and Technology" QS World University Rankings. In 2023 the TU Delft reached the 3rd place in the "Mechanical, aerospace and Manufacturing Engineering" category of the QS World University Rankings. In 2013 this category got extended to "Mechanical, Aeronautical & Manufacturing Engineering" and the TU Delft jumped to the 18th position worldwide (6th place in Europe). [4] In 2017, TU Delft ranked 4th worldwide, and 1st within Europe, in the subject of Aerospace Engineering in the Shanghai Ranking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects. [5] As of 2022, TU Delft ranks 8th worldwide, and 1st within Europe, in the subject of Aerospace Engineering in Shanghai Ranking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects. [6]

Research

Current areas of research include novel aerospace materials, [7] Particle Image Velocimetry, CubeSat, [8] Airborne Wind Energy [9] and several others. Currently ten research chairs are grouped under four major departments: [10]

Facilities

Live video connection between astronaut Andre Kuipers and the students, in the presence of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne. Gesprek met Andre Kuipers (6673964453).jpg
Live video connection between astronaut André Kuipers and the students, in the presence of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne.

Extensive laboratory and testing facilities are used in research and teaching. The facilities include supersonic, hypersonic and subsonic wind-tunnels, a high-sensitivity navigation simulator, a structures and materials testing laboratory, and an ISO 8, class 100,000 clean room for the development of micro satellites. These facilities make it possible to conduct experiments in man-machine factors, flight control, structures and materials, aerodynamics, simulation, motion, navigation and spaceflight. The faculty owns and makes use of a Cessna Citation jet aeroplane which is a unique flying laboratory. The Citation is used in research as well as in education. Its modular interior enables the possibility to change quickly between research missions and educational flights with students.

Delft Aerospace Structures and Materials laboratory

The Delft Aerospace Structures and Materials laboratory is one of the largest facilities of the faculty of aerospace engineering with a footprint of over 3600 square meters. The laboratory is split up in multiple smaller laboratories which allow for a wide variety of research and educational activities. Amongst others the facility consists of labs for the production, handling and testing of composites, facilities suitable for performing mechanical tests, a chemical lab, a micro UAV testing and development facility and work spaces for students to manufacture and test parts that they designed during their studies. The Delft Aerospace Structures and Materials laboratory is also the home of a large collection of aircraft and spacecraft (parts), including a retired F16 of the Dutch air force, which are used for educational purposes. Furthermore the laboratory also houses the Aircraft Manufacturing Laboratory, which is a laboratory where graduate students of the faculty are building a fully functional RV12 aircraft.

Simona

The flight simulator Simona can be programmed to simulate any known aircraft, but also to mimic characteristics of a new design. The unique light design allows extremely realistic motion. The simulator is used for research, but is also the subject of some M.Sc. thesis projects. [11]

Clean room

The eight floor of the faculty houses an ISO 8, class 100,000 cleanroom for the development of micro satellites. The facility is used both by staff and by graduate students from the space department of the faculty. The cleanroom is used for space related research and for the production of TU Delft's micro satellites, of which three are currently in orbit around the Earth: Delfi-C3, Delfi-n3Xt and Delfi-PQ. Contact with these satellites is maintained through a ground station housed on campus at the faculty of electrical engineering, computer science and mathematics.

National and international cooperation

The Faculty plays a significant role in national organisations such as the National Aerospace Laboratory, the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research. Collaborations with numerous international and multinational industries through research groups abroad as well as in the Netherlands ensure that the Faculty remains at the forefront of the latest developments in the aerospace industry. The Faculty is a member of PEGASUS, the European network of prestigious aerospace universities. It also participates in exchanges of students and lecturers through the SOCRATES/ERASMUS programmes and agreements between several other partner universities. The faculty plays a major role in the IDEA League (TU Delft, ETH Zurich, RWTH Aachen, Chalmers institutes and universities). [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delft University of Technology</span> Dutch university

The Delft University of Technology is the oldest and largest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, The Netherlands. It specializes in engineering, technology, computing, design, and natural sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Technical University of Munich</span> Public research university in Munich, Germany

The Technical University of Munich is a public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It specializes in engineering, technology, medicine, and applied and natural sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xidian University</span> Public university in Xian, Shaanxi, China

Xidian University is a public university in Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education, and co-funded by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, SASTIND, and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation. The university is part of the Double First-Class Construction and Project 211.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chongqing University</span> Public university in Chongqing, China

Chongqing University is a public university in Chongqing, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lanzhou University</span> Public university in Lanzhou, Gansu, China

Lanzhou University (兰州大学) is a public university in Lanzhou, Gansu, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beihang University</span> Public university in Beijing, China

Beihang University is a public university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National University of Sciences & Technology</span> Independent Public Research University in Islamabad, Pakistan

The National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) is a Pakistani multi-campus public research university with its main campus in Islamabad, and other campuses in Rawalpindi, Risalpur, Quetta and Karachi. It offers degrees in multiple disciplines e.g. engineering, computer sciences, natural sciences, business studies, humanities, architecture as well as health sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polytechnic University of Milan</span> Technical university in Milan, Italy

The Polytechnic University of Milan is the largest technical university in Italy, with about 40,000 students. The university offers undergraduate, graduate, and higher education courses in the fields of engineering, architecture and design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erasmus University Rotterdam</span> Public university in the Netherlands

Erasmus University Rotterdam is a public research university located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The university is named after Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, a 15th-century Christian humanist and theologian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iran University of Science and Technology</span> University in Tehran, Iran

Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) (Persian: دانشگاه علم و صنعت ایران, Daneshgah-e 'elm vâ Sân'at-e Iran) is a research institution and university of engineering and science in Iran. The university is home to 15 faculties offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in a wide range of engineering-based subjects as well as maths, physics, and department of foreign languages. In 1995 IUST awarded Iran’s first PhDs in materials, metallurgical and traffic engineering. IUST is the only university in the Middle East which has a school of railway engineering and a school of progress engineering. It is also the only university in Iran which has a school of automotive engineering. There are also 12 research centres, nine centres of excellence and 19 specialised libraries as well as four satellite campuses in other parts of the country. IUST is located on Hengam Street in the Narmak neighborhood in northeast Tehran.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Technical University of Braunschweig</span> University in Germany

The Technical University of Braunschweig, commonly referred to as TU Braunschweig, is the oldest Technische Universität in Germany. It was founded in 1745 as Collegium Carolinum and is a member of TU9, an incorporated society of the most renowned and largest German institutes of technology. It is commonly ranked among the top universities for engineering in Germany. TU Braunschweig's research profile is very interdisciplinary, but with a focus on aeronautics, vehicle engineering including autonomous driving and electric mobility, manufacturing, life sciences, and metrology. Research is conducted in close collaboration with external organizations such as the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, several Fraunhofer Institutes, and Germany's national metrology institute (PTB), among many others. As one of very few research institutions of its type in the world, the university has its own research airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Air University Pakistan</span> Public university in Islamabad, Pakistan

The Air University (AU) (Urdu: جامعہ فضایہ) is a federally chartered public sector research university in Pakistan. Established in 2002, its main campus is located in the capital city of Islamabad, Pakistan. The university has two other functional campuses, Aerospace and Aviation Campus at Kamra and a campus at Multan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwestern Polytechnical University</span> Public university in Xian, Shaanxi, China

Northwestern Polytechnical University is a public science and engineering university in Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Construction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K. N. Toosi University of Technology</span> Public research university in Tehran, Iran

The Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology is a public research university in Tehran, Iran. It is named after medieval Persian scholar Khajeh Nasir Toosi. The university is considered one of the most prestigious institutions of higher education in Iran. Acceptance to the university is highly competitive, entrance to undergraduate and graduate programs typically requires scoring among the top 1% of students in the Iranian University Entrance Exam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tadeusz Kościuszko Kraków University of Technology</span>

Cracow University of Technology, also known in English as Cracow University of Technology (CUT), is a public university located in central Kraków, Poland. It was established in 1945 and, as an institution of higher learning granted full autonomy in 1954.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre</span>

The Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre, formerly known as the National Aerospace Laboratory is an aerospace research organization of the Netherlands and is one of its major technological institutes. These institutes perform a large part of the applied research in the Netherlands, each within its own specific field of technology. As an independent non-profit organization, the NLR is the aerospace-knowledge enterprise in the Netherlands and provides technical support to the aerospace sector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Sydney Faculty of Engineering</span>

The Faculty of Engineering is a faculty of the University of Sydney, Australia. It was established in 1920 and is one of the oldest engineering schools in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Aviation University</span> University in Kyiv, Ukraine

State University "Kyiv Aviation Institute" is a public aviation university in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Korea Aerospace University (KAU) is a prominent university located in Goyang, South Korea, specializing in aviation and aerospace studies. Established in 1952, KAU has grown to become a leading institution in the fields of aerospace engineering, aviation management, and air transportation.KAU offers a range of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, focusing on areas such as aircraft systems, avionics, space engineering, and airport management. The university is known for its strong industry connections, providing students with practical experience through internships, research opportunities, and partnerships with major aerospace companies.KAU also boasts advanced research facilities, including an aircraft maintenance training center, flight simulators, and a dedicated space research lab. The university plays a crucial role in South Korea's aerospace industry, contributing to the development of cutting-edge technologies and training the next generation of aerospace professionals.In addition to its academic excellence, KAU actively participates in international collaborations, hosting exchange programs with universities and institutions worldwide. This global perspective ensures that KAU remains at the forefront of aerospace education and research, preparing its students for careers in a rapidly evolving industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TUM School of Engineering and Design</span> School at the Technical University of Munich

The TUM School of Engineering and Design is a school of the Technical University of Munich, established in 2021 by the merger of four departments. As of 2022, it is structured into the Department of Aerospace & Geodesy, the Department of Architecture, the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, the Department of Energy & Process Engineering, the Department of Engineering Physics & Computation, the Department of Materials Engineering, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and the Department of Mobility Systems Engineering.

References

  1. ↑ "80 years AE". TU Delft. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  2. ↑ "Dean Faculty of Aerospace Engineering". TU Delft. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  3. ↑ "Feiten en Cijfers". Delft University of Technology. Retrieved 15 Jan 2014.
  4. ↑ "QS World University Rankings". QS Rankings. Retrieved 15 Jan 2014.
  5. ↑ "ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2017 - Aerospace Engineering" . Retrieved 2 March 2017.
  6. ↑ "ShanghaiRanking's Global Ranking of Academic Subjects". www.shanghairanking.com. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  7. ↑ "TU Delft: Novel Aerospace Materials". www.fam.lr.tudelft.nl. Archived from the original on 23 April 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  8. ↑ "Delfi-n3Xt". Archived from the original on 2012-03-27.
  9. ↑ "KitePower - KitePower".
  10. ↑ "Departments and Chairs". Delft University of Technology. Retrieved 15 Jan 2014.
  11. ↑ "Facilities". Delft University of Technology. Retrieved 15 Jan 2014.
  12. ↑ "Feiten en Cijfers". Delft University of Technology. Retrieved 15 Jan 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.