With the goal of an even closer long-term partnership with the TU Wien we can now offer students a new field of specialisation in aerospace engineering. The Student Aerospace Module was introduced in 2020. Students of Mechanical Engineering (E033245) and Mechanical Engineering – Management (E033282) now have the opportunity to select either the Student Aerospace Module 1 (7 ECTS) or the Student Aerospace Module 1+2 (14 ECTS) in their bachelor or master studies.
Both modules consist of mandatory courses as well as courses, which can be selected from a pre-determined list. Importantly, every student has to complete the new Student Aerospace Project, which is mandatory for bachelor and master students.
The official description of the module can be found in the respective curricula and on TISS.
Details: Student Aerospace Project (307.502, 5 ECTS)
The project is mandatory in both modules and is written about a topic in the field of aerospace engineering, which is considered relevant in the TU Wien Space Team, and supervised by employees of institutes of the TU Wien. Keep in mind that the number of possible projects is limited by the academic supervisors. Please contact the responsible tutors if you are interested in writing a Student Aerospace Project (contact details below).
This table gives an overview of possible topics for the Student Aerospace Project. However, other topics can also be covered. Depending on the chosen topic groups of 1-3 students per project are allowed.
| Project topic | Project description | Project goals | Responsible Person in the TU Wien Space Team | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design, manufacture and test: Damper for parachute deployment shock | All rockets of the TU Wien Space Team are designed with a recovery system. The most common way is to eject a parachute at the apogee (peak altitude in the trajectory). The parachute shock often causes the highest stress on the structure and can damage the rocket. A well designed damper reduces the shock load on the structure and increase the reliability of the recovery. | Evaluate different damper designs for parachute deployment. Design and manufacture the chosen concept and implement it into our CanSat rocket. | tbd | not relevant |
| Safe procurement, handling, transport and storage of Nitrous Oxide, Liquid Oxygen, Ethanol | For the Space Team it is important to know the legal framework to procure, handle, store and transport fuels. In this project the student is free to use all available sources and methods to research and present the information. | Create a comprehensive guide how the Space Team can procure, store, handle and transport these critical substances. | Moritz Beer | 2021 October (very important) |
| Safety ranges and related topics | For the Space Team it is important to know the state of the art in Safety ranges for high energy activities like hotfire testing and rocket launches. It is necessary to get to know the legal conditions as well. | Create a comprehensive guide how the Space Team can determine safety ranges for a given energy level in rural and domestic areas (BBB Halle). Needs to take care of additional safety requirements (shields, sirens, fire safety). | Moritz Beer | 2021 October |
| Feasibility study: Rocket launch from drone | Launching rockets from airplanes or remotely controlled drones is a tried-and-tested method. The aim of this project is to take a look at this approach and assess its technical complexity. | Identify main advantages and disadvantages of drone-based rocket launches; estimate required resources; assess feasibilty and relevance of such project for a student club | Moritz Novak | not relevant |
| Numerical evaluation (CFD) and hot fire experiments: Comparison of 3 different supersonic nozzle designs | In this project three different supersonic nozzle designs (conical nozzle, Rao parabola approximation, truncated MOC-nozzle) shall be simulated and compared with respect to thrust, efficiency, mass and in house manufacturability. The nozzles are to be manufactured and test fired on the Small Scale Test Stand of the TU Wien Space Team | Simulate and compare the three nozzle designs | Alexander Sebo | not relevant |
| Design, manufacture and test: Flow field evaluation by using schlieren imaging/shadography | A low cost experimental setup for visualizing flow fields (rocket nozzle, Injector flow etc.) using Schlieren Imaging and/or Shadography shall be designed, built and tested. | Design, build and test a low-cost experimental setup for visualizing flow fields | Alexander Sebo | not relevant |
| Design, manufacture and test: Cold flow test setup for component characterization | A simple setup for evaluating flow through certain components (valves, venturis, pumps etc.) shall be designed and built. The system shall be comprised of a pressurized fluid tank, control valves and necessary sensors (pressure, temperature, flow rate etc.) and shall be able to record said data with sufficient accuracy. | Design, build and test a low-cost experimental setup for component characterization | Alexander Sebo | not relevant |
| Design, manufacture and test: Rocket propellant tank | Propellant tanks in rockets need to store propellants under high pressures while being as lightweight as possible. The aim of this project is to improve a current propellant tank for a small rocket, manufacture it and validate the design by pressure testing it. | Analyze a present design, improve it, manufacture components and test the design. | Andreas Bauer | not relevant |
| Design, manufacture and test: Ablative rocket engine thrust chamber cooling concept | Rocket engines need to be cooled to avoid damaging them. One cooling method is ablative cooling where the combustion chamber walls are burnt away, absorbing heat. The aim of this project is to compare different approaches to manufacture such a combustion chamber and to manufacture and test them. | Research ablative cooling concepts and manufacturing methods, compare them, manufacture samples and test them. | Bernhard Hansemann | not relevant |
| Design, manufacture and test: Rocket propellant pressurization system | Feeding propellant to a rocket engine requires either a pump or a high pressure in the propellant tank. For a small liquid-fueled rocket, components for a propellant pressurization system need to be designed, manufactured and tested, which is the aim of this project. | Analyze a present design, improve it, perform performance calculations, manufacture components and test them. | Tobias Bauernfeind | not relevant |
| Design, manufacture and test: Composite rocket airframe | Rockets need lightweight yet strong airframes. For a small rocket, an airframe needs to be designed and built. The aim of this project is to design such components, plan the manufacturing process to produce nosecones and fins and to actually manufacture them. A project focussed on the design of those components, aerodynamic aspects and CFD simulations is also possible. | Design airframe components, plan their manufactoring processes, manufacture them. Alternatively, perform detailed aerodynamic analysis and optimize the design. | Andreas Bauer | not relevant |
| Improve design and test: Rocket engine test stand mass flow measurement system | Resting liquid-fueled rocket engines requires data about the mass flow rates of the propellants into the engine. The aim of this project is to analyze a present mass flow measurement system, identify problems and develop and test an improved version. | Analyze a present system that is not fully working, identify the causes and develop and test solutions. | Johann Breyner | not relevant |
| Design, manufacture and test: Pressurant fill & umbilical retract system | Most liquid-fueled rockets need a supply of high pressure gas provided by the launch pad which is disconnected shortly before liftoff. The goal of this project is to design, build and test such a high pressure supply system and a mechanism to disconnect and retract the supply lines from the rocket. | Come up with and compare different design approaches; pick the best approach; design, build and test the system. | Daniel Frank | not relevant |
| Design, manufacture and test: Rocket holddown & force measurement system | Liquid-fueled rockets are prevented from launching by a hold down system until a nominal engine ignition is confirmed. The aim of this project is to design, build and test such a system for a small rocket that additionally can measure weight and thrust forces. | Come up with and compare different design approaches; pick the best approach; design, build and test the system. | Daniel Frank | not relevant |
| Design, manufacture and test: Two stage parachute deployment system | To ensure faster descent velocity of the rocket and reduce the parachute deployment shocks, rocket parachutes often deploy in two stages: A smaller drogue parachute for initial slowdown and a larger main one to reach landing velocity. The goal of this project is to project is to design, build and test a mechanism to deploy the main chute after the drogue was already released. | Come up with and compare different design approaches; pick the best approach(based on reliability and weight); design, build and test the system. | Florian Precht | not relevant |
| Study and simulate: Aerodynamic loads and vibrations | Especially during flights at high speeds rockets experience high aerodynamic forces, which act on the rocket and can cause both structural fatigue as well as vibrations. The goal of this project is to research and calculate these effects. | Research and calculate the aerodynamic loads (for example: shear winds) and structural vibrations a sounding rocket experiences during its flight | Moritz Novak | not relevant |
| Design, manufacture and test: Light and durable engine casing | Solid rocket engines are housed in so-called casings, which ensure the structural integrity of the rocket engine during the flight. Such casings are traditionally made out of aluminium, although other materials such as CFK might be more suitable. The goal of this project is to evaluate the alternatives. | Research composite solid rocket engine casings and decide on an approach to build a lightweight casing. Manufacture such a casing suitable for usage in the project "The Hound". | Moritz Novak | not relevant |
Contact details
If you have any questions concerning the Student Aerospace Module or Project or if you want to write a Student Aerospace Project, please feel free to contact us under the following e-mail adresses:
General information: studentaerospace@tuwien.ac.at
Responsible tutor Moritz Novak: moritz.novak@tuwien.ac.at