Structures and Composites

Good choice, you've chosen the best track there is ! :)

## Courses

### Semester 1 - DTU

For your first semester in Denmark, you can find a description of your courses on the DTU course database. This semester has three mandatory courses, all in the 13-week period (meaning lasting from September till December). You have the option to take a 5 ECTS elective, either in the 13-week period, or the 3-week period (meaning in January). With the three mandatory courses in the 13-week period (which amounts to 25 ECTS), the workload is already stocked, and it's usually recommended to take the elective course (5 ECTS) in the 3-week period. However, it is possible to have 30 ECTS in the 13-week period, which means you'll have a free month in January before starting your second semester at TU Delft.[1]

### Semester 2 - TU Delft

TU Delft is a much more competitive environment that DTU, and the workload is high, but it's definitely manageable. For the structures track, most of the mandatory courses are in Q3. Therefore, I recommend taking your elective in Q4, although this limits your options to essentially just one approved elective.

#### Mandatory Courses

##### Quarter 2 Course (must be followed online):

* Fundamentals of Aeroelasticity | AE4ASM506 | 3 ECTS

##### Quarter 3 Courses:

* Non-Linear Modeling (using F.E.M.) | AE4ASM505 | 3 ECTS | This class can broadly be divided into two areas of focus. The first focus is the theory of NL FEM. This is generally what is discussed in the weekly lectures. The second focus is the use of the FEM software Abaqus. This is covered in the weekly tutorial sections. Grading for the course is via two assignments, with each covering roughly half of the course. Each assignment will have a theoretical part and a practical part. There is no coding like in the DTU course and the practical parts are fairly straightforward if you set up your models correctly, but the theory gets rather complex, and the professor can be relatively unhelpful when it comes to answering questions. However, if you follow the lecture examples, you should be ok for the assignments.
* Design & Analysis of Composite Structures I | AE4ASM109 | 5 ECTS | This is a pretty intense course, where you must be able to understand theory as well as write codes to solve practical problems. Make an effort early to find a good group to work with for the assignments. The course is split into two parts, each taught by a different professor and graded through one assignment. Each assignment must be individually passed to pass the course. The first part focuses on analysis of composite structures, while the second part is more focused on design. There is no exam, but the assignments are quite long, especially the first one. This course is generally more technical than the DTU composites course, focusing more on calculations and less on general concepts.
* Trinity Exercise | AE4ASM105 | 4 ECTS | This is an entirely practical course with no lectures. You will work with a group of 4 to complete various labs and then to write a final report, which is graded on a pass/fail basis. You get to manufacture your own composite panels which is pretty cool. Overall, this course is a lot of fun and it's rather low-stress. However, the scheduling of the labs can be a pain and can interfere with your other classes. Make sure to check the Brightspace page for this course early in order to get placed in a group and to sort out your lab schedule.
* Ethics and Engineering for Aerospace Engineering | WM0324LR | 3 ECTS | This course is pretty easy, and it can be interesting too depending on how much effort you put in. You have to do a short assignment every week and then a final essay. The assignments are mandatory but not graded, and the essay determines your final grade. This course has lectures and weekly discussion/tutorial sessions. The lectures are probably not worth attending in all honesty, but the weekly tutorials are mandatory and attendance is taken. Be sure to check Brightspace early to get placed in a discussion group.

##### Quarter 4 Course:

* Wind Turbine Aeroelasticity | AE4W21-14 | 2 ECTS

#### Approved Elective Courses

* Stability & Analysis of Structures II | AE4ASM511 | 3 ECTS | Q3

### Semester 3 - DTU

#### Mandatory Courses \*\*\*Choose ONE of the following:

* Loads, Aerodynamics and Control of Wind Turbines | 46320 | 10 ECTS | 13-week period
* Wind Turbine Measurement Technique | 46400 | 10 ECTS | 13-week period

## Track Coordinator (Faculty)

### TU Delft

Julie van Teeuwen J.J.E.Teuwen@tudelft.nl

## Track Representative (Student)

Eric Folmar E.T.Folmar@student.tudelft.nl