How is statistics used in aerospace engineering?

Question

What are some examples.

Answer 1

Statistics is used extensively in aerospace engineering and in general in any mission-critical situatations where the consequences of failure can be significant. The medical device industry is another area where statistics is used heavily.

One example is in Monte Carlo analysis. This is an analytical approach to figuring out what the limits of performance are of a complicated system, given that every component in the system has a tolerance variation of its own. A simple example: Imagine you have 12, 1-inch blocks placed end to end. The total length will be 12 inches, but only if each block is exactly 1 inch.

In reality, each block will be a little off, some longer, some shorter. Monte Carlo analysis allows you to figure out how long the 12 blocks will be, on average, and what the statistical distribution of overall length will be, given random variation in the sizes of each individual block.

This approach can be extended to much larger systems as a means to predict performance, and also the variation in performance due to random variation in the components in the system.


Another application is in estimating failure rates. What is the probability that a rocket will launch safely? Well, the probability of failure of each of the individual components is estimated and combined statistically to provide an estimate to the question.

Imagine the complexity in answering this question. Every component and subsystem in a rocket has some finite probability that it will fail. Some will be catastrophic, in which case redundant systems are designed in to guard against this because the cost of failure (e.g. a fuel leak) is too high. Some failures are not so important.

This leads to the general topic of risk analysis. There is a certain probability of each component failing, and also, a severity associated with the failure. If something breaks but it doesn't cause a mission abort, who cares? On the other hand, some failures are life-threatening. What is the probability that a failure will occur sufficient to cause an abort to the mission? Statistics is used heavily to help answer questions such as this.

Hope this helps..

Answer 2

Aerospace Engineering Statistics

Answer 3

All branches use information in some variety. No cloth has an absolute power, however the rated power is often the consequence of a extensive pattern of try outcomes for that cloth. while the "yield power" of a cloth is listed, this is not a physics or crystaline computation, yet a compilation of many assessments. through undeniable fact that's a try consequence, there is likewise a risk and a bell curve linked with it. Does the yield power characterize the 50% passing mark of the assessments? ninety%? Six-sigma? In aerospace engineering, the climate used are pushed closer to their limits than in maximum different disciplines, so understanding the answer to that question is serious. in case you compute the essential power as 100ksi, and upload a element of 15%, does a 115ksi cloth fulfill your requirement? If the 115ksi score is the median try consequence, your venture is in all threat to come back crashing down. information supply the engineer a potential to evaluate the risk or threat linked with cloth failure. you may locate you may go with a a hundred twenty five ksi cloth to cut back the production failure value to a suitable point on your one hundred ksi requirement.

Answer 4

My cousin is qualified to be an aerospace engineer. He has taken up to calculus 4, but he says that statistics is not required.

Answer 5

Statistics would tell you that all aerospace
engineers are gloing to die at some point in time!