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Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace Engineering is the field of study that predominantly focuses on the design. development, testing and production of aircraft, spacecraft and other related systems and equipment. It involves various disciplines, including aerodynamics, propulsion, avionics, materials science, structural analysis, and manufacturing.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering is a branch of engineering that involves the design, analysis, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It applies principles of physics, mathematics, and material science to create and improve machinery, tools, and systems that move or use energy. Mechanical engineers work in a variety of industries, including automotive, aerospace, energy, manufacturing, robotics, and more.
Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineering is the study of operation and design of chemical plants and chemical based products. Chemical engineers design and create processes to produce, transform and transport materials. They design equipment, systems and processes for refining raw materials into useful product.
Industrial Engineering
Industrial Engineering is the study and profession that focuses on the optimization of complex processes, systems and organizations by developing, improving, and implementing integrated systems of people, money, knowledge, information, and equipment. It is central to manufacturing operations.
Design Process
IMG_4720.MOVTest Launch
Test Launch
The test launch was half successful and half not. The test launch was able to launch the rocket up and have go a decent height. But the top section did not separate off the body and it did not go as high as we wanted. We thought that the reason the rocket launch was a mixed success is because of the weight of the head of the rocket and the excessive tape Also we thought the clog was too tight in the body. We changed this by lowering the weight of the rocket itself by chopping some wood off the tip and loosening the tape for the top to release when launching. Also the clog was too tight in the body so we had to trim it down to be able to be able to move sufficiently but also be able to hold itself in place. Unfortunately, this was the last launch we were able to do because of time issue, permissions, and an ineffective motor.
The Design of the Rocket
The Design of the Rocket
The rockets body is made of rolled up paper and glue and the fins are made of wood. We made the body out of paper and glue because it was stable enough to not bend and brake but also be light weight and cheap. We used a PVC pipe as a mold for the body and wrapped paper while applying glue. The glue also helps to solidify it so that the body is more solid. The fins were cut to help with the aerodynamics of the rocket. The front cup and cone were added to hold the databot. The tip itself was sanded with the sanding machine to be as aerodynamic as possible. The rounded tip provides smoother air flow which reduces drag very effectively. To have the top section be separated by the body at the second charge, we attached it with tape lightly and put a wooden rod in the body so when the charge activates, the rod will propel and and launch the top section off.
Parachute
Parachute
The parachute is designed to deploy after the second charge releases the top section of the rocket from the main body. The top section (the cups, snow cones, and head) houses the databot which is collecting data as the rocket is flying. The parachute ensures that the data bot will be able to glide back to the ground safely. When the parachute deploys, it creates air resistance which slows down an objects descent significantly. We crafted the parachute using a tablecloth and some string. After watching a video, we learned to fold the tablecloth and cut in a certain way where it would unfold into a circle. Then we knotted strings, taped them and tied the ends of all the strings to a bottle cap at the end of the top section of the rocket.
IMG_4728.MOV
The DataBot
The DataBot
The process of coding the databot was actually quite simple. I read through the instructions and watched a video on how to connect and program the databot. Than I used the sample code on their website and attached it to the databot. The sample code allowed the databot to calculate the height that the device experienced. We used this to calculate the height the rocket would have achieved. There was one problem with the databot. If we put the databot into the cup and cone, we will not be able to connect and turn on the databot on the day of launching. To get around this problem, we left thecone and the cup this attached and the morning of the launch, we turned on and connected the databot and the cones with hot glue. As mentioned before, we unfortunately could not launch the final rocket so we were not able to record any data.
Rocket Simulation
In order to maintain a stable and highly efficient launch, we used different engines, many of which made the aircraft unstable and even made it unsuccessful. During the design process, we encountered the problem that the construction of rocket model did not conform to the conventional size. After repeated modification of the position and model volume, the model we imagined was achieved.
In rocket simulation, we design nose cone, tube coupler, bulkhead, body tube with motor, centering ring, fin, shock cord and parachute set to rocket. We set a constant diameter and size and tried different engines and finally the F50T-6 was the most successful and stable rocket launch ever.
IMG_4729.MOV
Drone
Color Detection Code
Color Detection Code
This is the drone's Blockly code to detect the color of the surface it is on. The drone's color set includes: black, blue, green, light blue, purple, red, white, and yellow. Blockly was fairly hard to use because of the limited code blocks and functions. Because of this, the code is functional but it is repetitive and not the most efficient. The code instructs the drone drone to repeatedly use its front sensor to detect color and then change its LED light accordingly. It will also print the color that it detects in the console.
dronedetectingcolorsvid.MOV
Python Code
Python Code
This is the Blockly code but translated into python. It uses custom commands from their codrone_edu.drone. library that needs to be imported at the beginning of the code.
Straw Rocket
Version 1
Version 1
Version 2
Version 2
For the straw rocket, we revised our first design and the difference was extremely evident. We first started out with longer but slimmer fins. This rocket did not glide well and the fins proved to be ineffective and provided no stability. For the second design, we opted for larger fins which would provide more stability but also more drag. When testing, version 1 was launched out and tumbled in the air with no control. Version 2 dived nose first and glided gracefully to the ground. This is because the larger fins shift the center of pressure behind the center of gravity which allows the rocket to stay stable and headfirst during flight. The larger fins also helped the rocket stay mostly on its flight path.
IMG_5232.MOVIMG_5235.MOVStomp Rocket
stomp rocket.MOVThe Stomp Rocket was a major success. The stomp rocket, as the name suggests, get launched from stomping an empty plastic water bottle which is connected to a pipe which leads to the rocket itself. The rocket is made out of PVC pipe and wooden fins as well as a snow cone. The air is launched into the snow cone from the stomp of the bottle. This leads to the stomp rocket launching super high.
Foam plane
IMG_4663.MOVThis was the foam plane we made to simulate the situation of reforestation. We needed to make sure the foam plane would fly and slide steadily. Therefore, we needed to pay special attention on its center gravity. Since the plane was made of foam, rubber bands, plastic fins, card boards, and some metal components, measuring the exact distance of each part on the plane (let the plane be symmetrical) was extremely important. We marked on the wings and empennages so that left and right sides would have the same weight, and thus the plane would be stable when given a horizontal thrust.
However, we faced issues of the airscrew getting stuck by a rubber band connecting to it and also the airscrew was pointing downward because of unsophisticated and manual gluing work. As a result, our plane could glide for a short distance, but it wasn't successful for a long-time fly.
Research Paper
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