Week 4: Aerospace
Week 4: Aerospace
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Types of Engineering
Types of Engineering
Aerospace Engineering is the branch of engineering that focuses on the design and development of aircraft and spacecraft.
Mechanical Engineering is the branch of engineering that involves the design, analysis, and manufacture of mechanical systems and devices.
Industrial Engineering is the branch of engineering that focuses on optimizing complex processes, systems, and organizations by improving efficiency, productivity, and quality.
Chemical Engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with the design and operation of processes for the production, transformation, and purification of chemicals and materials.
Drone
Drone
When we received the drone, it was already built along with the controller. We followed the instructions in the manual that was given to us and the drone was able to fly normally. However, the battery life of the drone was short and was a big issue for our group.
Drone.MOVPlane
Plane
The four primary forces that affect a plane when it's in flight are lift, weight, drag, and thrust. Lift is generated by our plane's wings and acts upward to counteract the downward force of weight, which happens because of gravity. Thrust, produced by our plane's propeller, can send a plane forward, while the opposing force, drag, is caused by air resistance.
The tail assembly at the back of a plane is used to control the three motions of a plane: roll, pitch, and yaw. Our horizontal stabilizer and elevator control the pitch, or the up and down movements, while our plane's vertical stabilizer and rudder control the yaw, or the left and right movements. However, the roll is controlled by the aileron shape of the plane's wings.
Plane.MOVOur plane's base and wings are made from styrofoam. The tail assembly is made from balsa wood. Even though the wings were shaved down a little too thin, the plane was still successful and able to fly well.
Straw Rocket Prototype
Straw Rocket Prototype
We created a paper tube using the paper straw that was given to us to create the main body of the rocket. The three fins of the rocket are made from diagonally cut index cards. The nose of the rocket was shaped using a snow cone. We used a straw attached to the bottom of the rocket and blew into it to launch it.
Stomp rocket.MOVStomp Rocket Prototype
Stomp Rocket Prototype
The stomp rocket is very similar to the straw rocket. Instead of using straws, we used a PVC pipe to shape the body of the rocket which is again made from paper, however, the PVC pipe wasn't included in the final prototype. There are also three fins which were diagonally cut from index cards. The nose of the rocket was made with the same snow cone. The launcher used for this rocket consisted of two PVC pipes connected perpendicularly with an empty water bottle at the end of it. We jumped and stomped on it to launch our rocket.
Rocket Design Process & Launch
Rocket Design Process & Launch
Initial Rocket Design
Initial Rocket Design
We followed the rocket guide that was given to us to construct our rocket. We started by marking and gluing paper to form the rocket body using a PVC pipe. After the cylinder dried, we cut and sanded a balsa wood block into a cone for the nose. We prepared the motor mount, glued it inside the rocket body, and attached four balsa wood fins at the bottom. We added a small tube for the launcher guide, assembled the nose cone with the string inside.
Parachute Design
Parachute Design
Our team encountered many setbacks with the parachute. We first used a black garbage bag to make a very sturdy and large parachute. When we tried to put it into the rocket, we were surprised to find insufficient space inside the missile. Then, we tried to cut the giant parachute so that it could fit into the rocket. However, the space inside the rocket was tiny, and the cut parachute still could not fit into the rocket. Finally, we used a small plastic bag to make the parachute. In the end, the small parachute was successfully stuffed into the rocket. However, after launching the rocket, the small parachute did not open but melted inside the rocket. We decided to not use it in our 2nd launch because we didn't think it would work that well and didn't find a point in using it.
DataBot
DataBot
For this project, the DataBot needs to be able to properly detect and record air pressure, UV index, humidity, CO2 levels, and temperature. Using the same app we used for the DataBot in week 2, we were able to get DataBot to record all of this. We decided to put our DataBot in the rocket nose which is made from styrofoam.
1st Rocket Launch Video
1st Rocket Launch Video
This was our first rocket launch test. We didn't use the DataBot for this one and instead gathered objects that were a similar weight and size to it. Although our rocket flew very high, there was also a lot of damage done to different parts of the rocket. The styrofoam nose part of our rocket and one of the fins broke. The parachute we made was also brunt and covered in charcoal. There was a strong, unpleasant smoke smell afterward as well.
1st rocket launch.MOV
Final Rocket Design + Victoria
Final Rocket Design + Victoria
For our final rocket, we repaired the fin just by taping it together instead of cutting out a new one. We also repaired the styrofoam. Victoria vandalized our rocket by drawing a lot of cats on it and said the cats would add more protection. Along with this it was also later shortened for weight reasons.
IMG_7376.MOV.3gp2nd Rocket Launch Video
2nd Rocket Launch Video
We had several motor ignition failures, most likely due to 3 separate motors being duds. Due to this, and the fact that our group was scheduled to leave for a field trip at that time, we had abandoned the second launch, but the rocket was left in the hands of Eddie and Victoria who got it to finaly launch. This was the video they sent us.
RockSim Rocket
RockSim Rocket
Research Papers
Research Papers
Research Paper G12 Week 4 B.docxResearch Paper G12 Week 4 A.docxPage updated
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