This paper is intended to serve as a template for incorporating technical management majors into a traditional engineering design course. In 2002, the Secretary of the Air Force encouraged the United States Air Force (USAF) Academy to initiate a new interdisciplinary academic major related to systems engineering. This direction was given in an effort to help meet the Air Force’s growing need for “systems” minded officers to manage the development and acquisition of its ever more complex weapons systems. The curriculum for the new systems engineering management (SEM) major is related to the “engineering of large, complex systems and the integration of the many subsystems that comprise the larger system” and differs in the level of technical content from the traditional engineering major. The program allows emphasis in specific cadet—selected engineering tracks with additional course work in human systems, operations research, and program management. Specifically, this paper documents how individual SEM majors have been integrated into aeronautical engineering design teams within a senior level capstone course to complete the preliminary design of a gas turbine engine. As the Aeronautical Engineering (AE) cadets performed the detailed engine design, the SEM cadets were responsible for tracking performance, cost, schedule, and technical risk. Internal and external student assessments indicate that this integration has been successful at exposing both the AE majors and the SEM majors to the benefits of “systems thinking” by giving all the opportunity to employ SE tools in the context of a realistic aircraft engine design project.
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February 2012
Research Papers
Integrating Systems Engineering Into the USAF Academy Capstone Gas Turbine Engine Course
August J. Rolling,
August J. Rolling
Lieutenant Colonel
USAF Academy, HQ USAFA/DFAN, 2410 Faculty Drive, USAFA
, CO 80840
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Aaron R. Byerley,
Aaron R. Byerley
Doctor
USAF Academy, HQ USAFA/DFAN, 2410 Faculty Drive, USAFA
, CO 80840
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Charles F. Wisniewski
Charles F. Wisniewski
Lieutenant Colonel
USAF Academy, HQ USAFA/DFAN, 2410 Faculty Drive, USAFA
, CO 80840
Search for other works by this author on:
August J. Rolling
Lieutenant Colonel
USAF Academy, HQ USAFA/DFAN, 2410 Faculty Drive, USAFA
, CO 80840
Aaron R. Byerley
Doctor
USAF Academy, HQ USAFA/DFAN, 2410 Faculty Drive, USAFA
, CO 80840
Charles F. Wisniewski
Lieutenant Colonel
USAF Academy, HQ USAFA/DFAN, 2410 Faculty Drive, USAFA
, CO 80840J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. Feb 2012, 134(2): 021601 (8 pages)
Published Online: December 7, 2011
Article history
Received:
April 10, 2011
Accepted:
May 27, 2011
Online:
December 7, 2011
Published:
December 7, 2011
Citation
Rolling, A. J., Byerley, A. R., and Wisniewski, C. F. (December 7, 2011). "Integrating Systems Engineering Into the USAF Academy Capstone Gas Turbine Engine Course." ASME. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. February 2012; 134(2): 021601. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4004397
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