The Institute of Aerospace Engineering has been solving challenging research tasks within both grant projects and also contract research for industrial partners. There is a team of professionals, who are well qualified in their fields, we have cutting-edge IT hardware and software, equipment for measuring and large facilities. There has been a long-time development of a complex computer support of the CAE proposal based on the application of the tools for CAD, FEM tensile strength analysis and CFD aerodynamic analysis and their interconnection. In all the areas mentioned, we put emphasis on our own development of tools and methods, not just on using commercial tools. A good example could be a module developed for so called free-form deformation algorithm applied in aerodynamic aircraft optimization. All the procedures and methods used are validated either by tests in our testing room certified by the Civil Aviation Authority or in test flights. This system creates a coherent environment for further growth of our employees.
Students of the Master’s degree programme (who obtain practical experience in project oriented classes) take part in all the research activities and post graduate students work on complex research tasks under the supervision of experienced academic workers.
Our current priorities are: systematic research of composite materials supported by The Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TACR), research of aerodynamic optimization methods and active current control supported by the Ministry of Education and Volkswagen A.G., research in qualification tests of space equipment for ESA Mars exploration. Also, we constantly expand areas in in-flight measurements using UAV’s for photogrammetry, development of ballistic recovery systems for UAV’s and various human operated aircraft. We are developing methods of measuring dynamic and static effects in the Institute of Aerospace Engineering test-room with focus on composite structures.
Figure: CFD analysis of the flow around a probe demonstrator for Mars landing