This blog post explores how mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering are interconnected to drive future technological advancement and industrial innovation.
The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering combines the disciplines of mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering. Mechanical engineering is a discipline that plays a central role in various industries and daily life, grounded in fundamental fields such as mechanical design and manufacturing, dynamics, thermodynamics, and materials science. Conversely, aerospace engineering, like mechanical engineering, is a discipline for machines and is based on the same fundamental principles. For this reason, broadly speaking, aerospace engineering can be considered part of mechanical engineering. However, aerospace engineering primarily deals with aircraft operating within and beyond the atmosphere. Due to its unique nature, it requires a different approach compared to general machinery on Earth.
Aerospace engineering is the discipline that ensures the stability and efficiency of aircraft by utilizing machinery designed for special environments like the atmosphere or space. Consequently, this field has developed separately from general machinery, driven by the necessity to research specialized technologies. For instance, aircraft wing design or spacecraft durability must maintain reliability even in extreme environments, presenting numerous technical challenges not typically addressed in mechanical engineering.
So how does aerospace machinery differ from general machinery? In fact, all machinery used in the air integrates advanced technologies beyond aerospace, including materials science, energy systems, electrical engineering, electronics, and chemical engineering. Aerospace engineering is a field that develops through the convergence of diverse disciplines. While comprehensively understanding it is difficult, it is simultaneously a highly fascinating field. Therefore, gaining a broad overview is not only challenging but also impossible to achieve with absolute precision. Consequently, we will focus solely on examining the characteristics of aerospace engineering by broadly dividing its scope into four main areas.
The first is the field of engines. Flight requires a level of thrust vastly different from that needed for ordinary automobiles. Furthermore, excessive weight prevents flight or demands an inefficiently large amount of energy, so one cannot simply use a large engine like those found in large ships. In other words, high-performance engines that are small yet capable of generating great power are necessary. Beyond this, engines must vary vastly depending on purpose—passenger planes, fighter jets, probes, satellites, planetary exploration, etc. This necessitates highly specialized research. In this process, new propulsion technologies, such as plasma engines or ion propulsion technology, are being researched, contributing to the advancement of aerospace engineering.
The second area is fluid dynamics. Automobiles position themselves on the ground and push against it to move forward. However, aircraft must position themselves within the invisible, intangible air, derive force from it to remain airborne, and propel themselves forward. Furthermore, when an object moves faster than the speed of sound, unusual flow phenomena not seen in everyday life emerge, exerting strong and unpredictable forces on the object. In actual flight, this can cause extremely dangerous situations. Therefore, through research, we must examine various flow phenomena in advance and discover ways to prevent or control them. Furthermore, aerodynamic design directly impacts fuel efficiency, speed, and stability, playing a decisive role in the performance of aircraft and spacecraft.
Third is the field of control. Imagine submerging yourself underwater. It takes effort, but with a little focus, you can easily stand upright. However, if strong waves create powerful currents, your body will slip beyond your control, swept hither and thither by the waves, creating a dangerous situation. Aircraft face a similar challenge. Instead of water, they must maintain their original attitude and direction stably amidst the fluid medium of air or the void of space, regardless of external influences. Research in this area is therefore crucial. Developing advanced control systems, such as automatic navigation devices, is key. These enable aircraft to autonomously set flight paths and maintain stability even during sudden emergencies.
Finally, there is the structural field. The atmosphere and space are extremely harsh environments unlike the ground. External pressure and temperature fluctuate drastically moment by moment, and movement occurs at very high speeds. Consequently, the aircraft is subjected to strong forces from the fluid, placing significant stress on the airframe and posing risks. Within these environments, the aircraft must be structurally designed to be extremely robust, absolutely preventing damage such as crushing, cracking, or melting. This leads to the process of researching and applying new materials like composites. These materials must be lightweight yet strong and capable of maintaining performance under extreme temperatures and pressures.
We’ve briefly examined what aerospace engineering deals with. One might think aerospace engineering is only for highly specialized fields, making it seem difficult, complex, and uninteresting. However, these advanced technologies have significant ripple effects and are already being used across a wide range of fields. To give a simple example, most of the advanced technologies used in automobiles and ships originated from the aviation sector, and the same applies to the GPS systems commonly used today. Beyond this, aerospace engineering is poised to become a leading field in future industries, as it drives numerous cutting-edge technologies currently in use. Furthermore, aerospace engineering plays an essential role in pioneering humanity’s future, whether through developing new energy sources or conducting space exploration.
