Two professors from Purdue Polytechnic’s School of Aviation and Transportation Technology have provided deliverable on a grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop educational modules focused on the safety and design standards for electric aircraft propulsion.
The project, led by Tracy Yother, an assistant professor, and Mary Johnson, a professor and associate head for graduate education and research, received $99,927 to create the new curriculum. The initiative addresses a critical need to train the next generation of aviation professionals as the industry shifts toward more sustainable and electric technologies.
The grant will support the creation of two new educational modules: "Airworthiness Requirements for Electric Propulsion" and "Minimum Design Requirements for Electric Propulsion." These modules will incorporate international standards, including those from the standards organization ASTM, directly into the classroom.
The curriculum will include comprehensive lesson plans, instructional videos, guided group activities, and assessment tools. The materials are designed for integration into undergraduate courses on aircraft powerplant technology and graduate-level courses in aviation and aerospace sustainability.
By focusing on real-world certification and safety standards, the project aims to bridge a critical gap in aviation education, preparing future engineers, designers, and maintenance professionals for the specific challenges of the emerging hybrid-electric and all-electric aircraft industry.
All developed materials are publicly available on a dedicated Purdue website.
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