ACADEMIC SERVICES

PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION

Part 1: Basic Data

Awarding Institution University of the West of England, Bristol

Teaching Institution University of the West of England, Bristol

Delivery Location UWE Frenchay

Study abroad / Exchange / Credit recognition

Faculty responsible for programme

Environment and Technology

Department responsible for programme

Engineering Design and Mathematics

Modular Scheme Title

Professional Statutory or Regulatory Body Links

The programme has been designed so that future approval by Royal Aeronautical Society and Institution of Mechanical Engineers would be possible but will not be pursued at this point.

Highest Award Title PG Certificate Fatigue and Damage Tolerance

Default Award Title

Fall-back Award Title

Interim Award Titles

UWE Progression Route

Mode(s) of Delivery Block Module Delivery

Codes UCAS: H40X1 JACS:

ISIS2: H40X13 HESA:

Relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Statements

First CAP Approval Date June 2016 Valid from

September 2016

Revision CAP Approval Date

Revised with effect from

Version 1.0

Review Date

Programme Design Template CDA3 Programme specification (2014-15)

Part 2: Educational Aims of the Programme

The PG Certificate Fatigue and Damage Tolerance aims to:

Provide an educational experience directly relevant to Airbus’ organizational needs

To meet this learning need within the South West region, with potential for a wider, international application within the organisation.

Provide a strong academic foundation for graduates, or equivalent, within Airbus or its supply chain, by developing company-provided training requirements into an academic learning programme.

Provide a set of technical skills to develop their capability in this subject area to meet the organisation’s requirements.

Offer a coherent yet flexible programme of study at post graduate level to meet individual and organization learning needs.

Provide appropriate facilities and resources to deliver a quality teaching and learning experience for students, as appropriate.

Enable collaboration between academia and industry to provide a study programme of immediate benefit to the organization.

Programme requirements for the purposes of the Higher Education Achievement Record (HEAR)

N/A

Part 3: Learning Outcomes of the Programme

The Learning Outcomes are identified to ensure a sound technical foundation for engineers to understand fatigue and damage tolerance, and allow them to be able to implement the learning – critically evaluative concepts, tools and techniques - they have received on workplace projects. They are also expected to be prepared to identify and learn from “lessons learnt” through this process. The award route provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas: A. Knowledge and Understanding (subject specific) Students are expected to be able to understand how and why fatigue occurs, and the limitations of related damage tolerance.

Manufacturing defects and their impact on cycle fatigue and crack propagation

Limitation of numerical analysis and methods and different experimentation levels in the industry

The physics of fatigue processes and mechanisms of material failure: crack nucleation, crack coalescence and crack propagation in Metals

Critical aircraft components prone to fatigue and damage failure

The in-service behaviour of load bearing components

The different airframe components that are subjective to loading

The major fatigue tests carried out on an aircraft

In-service fatigue loads in relation to maintenance and extended service. B. Intellectual Skills (generic) Students are expected to be able to critically evaluate their implementation activities, and to reflect on what was done and why. This involves information synthesis, related calculation processes and analysis of the results. It is expected that the application chosen will be thoroughly analysed, lessons learnt and recommendations made for future activities:

Critically evaluate of the different methods used for material characterisation for fatigue, damage and tolerance and different material failure modes

Able to design aircraft structures to improve fatigue life demonstrating the importance of load path and transfer

Characterise fatigue life distribution and the different methods used for the characterization of fatigue strength as a function of fatigue life (SN curve)

Characterise the different stress concentrations in structural components including notches and lugs

Conduct and critique acoustic fatigue analysis techniques: e.g. identify noise sources and the main components susceptible to acoustic fatigue failure

Calculate the fracture toughness of a given material and geometry and predict the residual strength or service life or a structure with a defect

Part 3: Learning Outcomes of the Programme

Conduct analysis on the life of a crack and how this propagates from an initial detectable crack size to a critical crack length

Make design improvements of components/structures in order to improve the in-service performance, and crack retardation

Analyse key factors influencing materials failure: evaluate complex materials/structural failure situations and propose appropriate engineering solutions

Derive the gust and manoeuvre spectrum using the information defined by the flight profile

Conduct analysis on different structure temperatures including allowable maximum hot day, structural design hot day; structural extreme cold day, and tropical, standard and polar mission.

C. Subject/Professional/Practical Skills (subject specific) Students are expected to identify, analyse and manipulate data and information to understand issues arising and how to use this to ensure lessons are learnt and processes are improved to minimise fatigue and damage problems. Testing and results are expected from the students’ workplace projects:

Analyse test spectrums for use in fatigue and damage tolerance analysis.

Identify and assess critical aircraft components that are prone to fatigue and damage failure.

Implement relevant structure classification processes and the classification of the loading in aircraft structures and evaluate their impact in failure.

Demonstrate ability to implement the methods for fatigue life prediction and the use of the Airbus Fatigue Index (AFI).

Identify appropriate testing approaches to evaluate materials' service Performance.

Show the effect of different sorts of loadings in terms of their influence on the fatigue life of various structures

Calculate the cumulative frequencies and obtain the fatigue spectra

Conduct a complete flight and ground event spectra analysis D. Transferable Skills and other attributes (generic)

Quantitative analysis

Communication

Requirements/Specification Comprehension

Ability to take academic learning into the workplace setting as a foundation for fatigue and damage mitigation projects This programme aims to help reduce incidents of fatigue and damage within airframes, enabling a more sustainable design, manufacturing and modification process.

Part 3: Learning Outcomes of the Programme

Learning Outcomes: U

FM

FA

J-1

5-M

UF

MB

J-1

5-M

U

FM

CJ-1

5-M

U

FM

DJ-1

5-M

A) Knowledge and understanding of:

Manufacturing defects and their impact on cycle fatigue and crack propagation. √

Limitation of numerical analysis and methods and different experimentation levels in the industry.

√

The physics of fatigue processes and mechanisms of material failure: crack nucleation, crack coalescence and crack propagation in Metals.

√ √ √

Critical aircraft components that are prone to fatigue and damage failure. √ √

The in-service behaviour of load bearing components. √

The different airframe components that are subjective to loading √

The major fatigue tests carried out on an aircraft. √ √

In-service fatigue loads in relation to maintenance and extended service. √

(B) Intellectual Skills

Critically evaluate the different methods used for material characterisation for fatigue, damage and tolerance and different material failure modes.

√ √ √

Design aircraft structures to improve fatigue life demonstrating the importance of load path and transfer.

√ √

Characterise fatigue life distribution and the different methods used for the characterization of fatigue strength as a function of fatigue life (SN curve).

√

Characterise the different stress concentrations in structural components including notches and lugs.

√ √

Conduct and critique acoustic fatigue analysis techniques: e.g. identify noise sources and the main components susceptible to acoustic fatigue failure.

√

Calculate the fracture toughness of a given material and geometry and predict the residual strength or service life or a structure with a defect.

√ √ √

Conduct analysis on the life of a crack and how this propagates from an initial detectable crack size to a critical crack length.

√ √

Make design improvements of components/structures in order to improve the in-service performance, and crack retardation

√

Analyse key factors influencing materials failure: evaluate complex materials/structural √

Part 3: Learning Outcomes of the Programme

failure situations and propose appropriate engineering solutions

Derive the gust and manoeuvre spectrum using the information defined by the flight profile √

Conduct analysis on different structure temperatures including allowable maximum hot day, structural design hot day; structural extreme cold day, and tropical, standard and polar mission

√

(C) Subject/Professional/Practical Skills

Analyse test spectrums for use in fatigue and damage tolerance analysis. √ √

Identify and assess critical aircraft components that are prone to fatigue and damage failure.

√ √

Implement relevant structure classification processes and the classification of the loading in aircraft structures and evaluate their impact in failure.

√ √ √

Demonstrate ability to implement the methods for fatigue life prediction and the use of the Airbus Fatigue Index (AFI).

√

Identify appropriate testing approaches to evaluate materials' service Performance. √

Show the effect of different sorts of loadings in terms of their influence on the fatigue life of various structures

√

Calculate the cumulative frequencies and obtain the fatigue spectra √

Conduct a complete flight and ground event spectra analysis √

(D) Transferable skills and other attributes

Quantitative Analysis √ √ √ √

Communication √ √ √ √

Requirement / specification understanding √ √ √ √

Ability to take academic learning into the workplace setting as a foundation for fatigue and damage mitigation projects

√ √ √ √

Part 4: Student Learning and Student Support

Teaching and learning strategies to enable learning outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated This Postgraduate Certificate in Fatigue and Damage Tolerance has been designed to specific provide in-depth technical learning to those who are already working in the field, within Airbus and its supply chain. Students are, therefore, experienced professionals, who are having their skills in this topic area increased by this award programme. As the programme is directly related to some of the competencies required by the Engineering Council’s UK-SPEC, it can be used as supporting evidence towards Professional Accreditation, e.g. Chartered Engineer (CEng). There is an Airbus project leader, who directly liaises with the Programme Leader. All

modules are project modules, appropriate to workplace learning and for the application of

knowledge to be directly relevant to their own professional development and the needs of their employer. As experts of the future, students are expected to understand the technical requirements and also how to reflect upon them, to critically evaluate processes and activities

to ensure optimal results. The depth of knowledge and research required by students is best assessed through such project work. All assessment projects are double-blind marked. Airbus may choose for students to present their work internally – however, it is not required for the PG Certificate. Teaching is conducted by a mix of taught, distance / e-learning and work-based learning. Modules can be offered in a number of formats, to best suit the learning offered, in combination with the needs of the student and organization. Scheduled learning includes lectures, demonstrations, and case studies. These taught modules are in a “short, fat” format, normally between 3 – 5 consecutive days in length. They are scheduled in agreement between UWE and Airbus, to ensure attendance will be achieved, alongside workplace commitments. Independent learning includes hours engaged with essential reading, case study preparation, assignment preparation and completion etc. Work-based learning is key to this activity, and each student will be required to complete an assessment based on workplace requirements, within the context of the academic learning. Student Support All students will have access to student support services, including Student and Disability Advisers. This support may be accessed through email and by telephone during periods when the students are not in University. The Programme Leader has responsibility for supporting students academically through the programme, and all module leaders are available to support their specific module related topics. These students attend sessions at the University during block release periods of study. During these periods, students are in close contact with academics. At other times students can seek support from academics either through face to face support appointments, email and other remote access, e.g. Skype. Students will be registered at UWE and have:

• Provision of Open Access and other available computer laboratories that provide access to a range of relevant computer based applications.

• Provision of the Faculties and University’s System Support Helpdesk that provides a

Part 4: Student Learning and Student Support

range of support for learning to students including: o Support for a wide range of applications used by the students; o Help in the form of Assistants who are trained to resolve many common student

problems and help in the form of a large set of ‘help-sheet documents’, developed over a number of years, which cover a variety of common student requests for information.

o Some computer laboratories include specialist software for aerospace applications and have dedicated technical support staff available.

• Pastoral care is provided through the standard UWE student support services.

Description of the teaching resources provided for students There is an academic teaching team, supported by current Airbus experts, to ensure both generic, fundamental knowledge and more specialist-Airbus-focussed material is provided. Delivery of all module material is done at UWE and by UWE staff. Material will be available through UWE Blackboard, and all students will have access to UWE facilities, such as the Library.

Description of any Distinctive Features This award is for students within Airbus or the Airbus Supply Chain to enhance their skills and competencies in Fatigue and Damage Tolerance. The award will help them prepare for more senior technical roles relating to this field.

Part 5: Assessment

Delete one of the following statements as appropriate A: Approved to University Regulations and Procedures

Assessment Strategy Assessment strategy to enable the learning outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated:

A: Approved to University Regulations and Procedures. The programme is aimed at a professional audience, who are active practitioners. Each module provides concentrated exposure to the underlying theory. Students are expected to work on assignments which integrate academic theory with professional practice. This philosophy is used throughout the programme in the delivery of each module, to ensure the programme achieves its aims. The assessment is based on one assignment per module to demonstrate learning through implementation, as well as understanding of the concepts. Typically, each assignment is provided at the end of the block delivery, with students having typically 8 weeks in which to complete it. Assignments are designed to enable students to develop the learning they have achieved through each module; developing a portfolio of evidence of skills/competencies in each subject areas, with a solid academic foundation to support project-based implementation of the learning. Students are expected to provide conclusions and recommendation for their work, enabling them to link the various aspects into an overarching competency in fatigue and damage tolerance. It is expected that students will engage in a detailed background research / literature survey to underpin their learning. Such research should not be limited to company-specific material; students should demonstrate wider reading and analysis of that reading to support their implementation of the learning.

Part 5: Assessment

The assessment methods ensure the learning outcomes are achieved to support the relevant competencies from the Engineering Council’s UK-SPEC – and also to ensure industry standards, such as CAA/FAA regulations, are embraced. At Masters level, assessing these outcomes through project-based implementation and reflection is the optimal manner in which to demonstrate the competency requirements.

Assessment Map

The programme uses a report/project assessment method, as detailed below:

Assessment Map for PGC Fatigue and Damage Tolerance Type of Assessment*

Instructions: Add the Component (A or B) to the appropriate column for each Module Number If group work please add a ’G’ in the box i.e. A(G) Add further columns as necessary* U

nse

en W

ritte

n E

xam

Op

en

Bo

ok

Writt

en

Exa

m

In-c

lass W

ritte

n T

est

Pra

ctica

l E

xam

Pra

ctica

l S

kill

s

Assessm

en

t

Ora

l a

ssessm

en

t a

nd

/or

pre

sen

tatio

n

Wri

tte

n A

ssig

nm

en

t

Rep

ort

/ P

roje

ct

Dis

se

rta

tio

n

Po

rtfo

lio

Compulsory Modules Level M

UFMFAJ-15-M A (100)

UFMFBJ-15-M A (100)

UFMFCJ-15-M A (100)

UFMFDJ-15-M A (100)

*Assessment should be shown in terms of either Written Exams, Practical exams, or Coursework as indicated by the colour coding above. Delivery is in the preferred order of:

UFMAJ-15-M

UFMBJ-15-M

UFMCJ-15-M

UFMDJ-15-M UFMFAJ-15-M must be taken before any other; the other modules can be interchangeable if required, owing to work commitments breaking the preferred order.

Part 6: Programme Structure

There is NO Full Time pathway for this award. CPD Students enter as part of a defined cohort from Airbus. The compulsory modules for this pathway are shown in the table below. This is a “closed, secure” programme, open only to Airbus-approved applicants. All are further subject to approval through standard UWE entry processes. On completion, this PG Certificate can be used towards a PG Diploma or MSc Aerospace, when students will be expected to study the compulsory modules for the chosen pathway.

Compulsory Modules Optional Modules

UFMFAJ-15-M: Introduction to Fatigue and Damage Tolerance in Aerospace None

UFMFBJ-15-M: Fatigue Analysis in Aircraft Structures None

UFMFCJ-15-M: Damage Tolerance in Aircraft Structures None

UFMFDJ-15-M: Loads and Spectra None

Benchmarking to UK-Spec (Engineering Accreditation Board): Specific Learning Outcomes Matrix

GRADUATION The PG Certificate Fatigue and Damage Tolerance requires 60 compulsory taught credits. There are no optional modules available.

Ref US1m US2m US3m US4m E1m E2m E3m E4 D1m D2 D3 D4m D5m D6 S1m S2m S3 S4 S5 P1m P2m P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8m

UFMFAJ-15-M √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

UFMFBJ-15-M √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

UFMFCJ-15M √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

UFMFDJ-15-M √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √ √

Part 7: Entry Requirements

The University’s Standard Entry Requirements apply with the following additions/exceptions:

Normally a 2:2 in a relevant degree, or significant work experience in an appropriate setting.

For this programme, all students are employed by Airbus, or an Airbus-approved supplier. To be eligible for entry to the PG Certificate, they must also meet the required Airbus standards.

Students who do not meet the minimum academic entry requirements but have significant work experience will be considered on an individual basis by the Programme Leader.

Part 8: Reference Points and Benchmarks

Description of how the following reference points and benchmarks have been used in the design of the programme: In designing this PG Certificate, the following external reference points have been drawn upon:

QAA UK Quality Code for HE

University strategies and policies

o UWE 2020 strategy for practice-oriented learning In addition, the following have been considered:

1. The SEEC Level Descriptors for Masters learning outcomes: –

http://www.seec.org.uk/academic-credit/seec-credit-level-descriptors-2010

2. Engineering UK-Spec Specific Learning Outcomes, with respect to the requirements from the Professional Engineering Institutions.

3. UWE’s Learning and Teaching Strategy, which has been used to inform the faculty’s policy’s for the delivery of its programmes.

Points 2 and 3 outline the set of objectives that a typical graduate of an Engineering Masters Level programme should reach, including:

originality in application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in the discipline

deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgements in the absence of complete data, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences

Lead teams and develop staff to meet changing technical and managerial needs The programme’s skills and learning outcomes map very closely to the learning outcomes of the above three documents.

Part 8: Reference Points and Benchmarks

What methods have been used in the development of this programme to evaluate and improve the quality and standards of learning? This could include consideration of stakeholder feedback from, for example current students, graduates and employers. The programme has been developed with the support and input from Airbus specialists. They are closely involved in the assessment process and they will receive relevant feedback, and be able to provide feedback themselves. This process will ensure a close relationship between the academic staff, for academic standards and integrity, and Airbus specialists, who will ensure the material’s depth is sufficient for their purposes.

This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided. More detailed information on the learning outcomes, content and teaching, learning and assessment methods of individual modules can be found in module specifications, available on the University’s website.