93754 - Principles Of Aerospace Propulsion

Learning outcomes

At the end of the module, the students know the fundamentals of thrust generation. A brief overview of the different engines capable to generate thrust is given discussing the range of application for each of them.

Course contents

Introduction to propulsion
Rocket and space vehicle performance; thrust and specific impulse.
Motion equation for a space vehicle with propulsion; trajectory limitations. Gravity and drag losses.
Single and multi-stage vehicle performance; Chemical rockets (liquid, solid and hybrid propellant) performance.
Electric propulsion: evaluation of the optimal specific impulse.
Definition of the propulsion requirements to fulfil a space mission.

Readings/Bibliography

Sutton - Rocket Propulsion - John Wiley & Sons, New York

Hill & Peterson - Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Propulsion -Addison-Wesley Publishing Company - New York

Teaching methods

The lessons are blended with some students in classroom and others on-line. All the information and the material that is needed in order to successfully pass the exam are presented by the teacher at the board.

Attendance is strongly recommended for an improved learning of concepts and notions, but does not affect the final evaluation process.

Assessment methods

Final exam will be a discussion during which students will be asked theoretical questions about the subjects explained during the course.

In the course of the examination it will be also assessed student's ability to resolve new problems or at least to set up the correct resolutive strategy.

The evaluation, expressed in thirtieths, will be higher the more the student is:

• autonomous in articulating responses to the two questions;
• exhaustive in explaining the arguments;
• precise in representing the functionality of the free-hand sketches.

Teaching tools

Teacher's notes are available on IoL

Office hours

See the website of Fabrizio Ponti