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Background information of our project
Background information of our project
The aim of this project was to allow us to understand the application of wind tunnels, learn how the smoke is generated and captured, practice hand on skills of mechanical assembly, and learn scientific ways to process pictures and data. We were attached to a final year student, Jing Jie Yeo who was working on her final year project, which was the testing of the aerodynamics of the Sierpinski tetrahedron at different factors, as they were wondering if it could be used as an artificial windbreaker instead of trees, as they are equally porous but more predictable than trees, making them a better alternative to existing natural and artificial windbreakers. We spent most of our time working either researching on the topic of aerodynamics or in the wind tunnel lab, where we could watch Jing Jie Yeo making use of the wind tunnel to conduct experiments. However this wasn’t the case from the start, as the main focus of our project shifted a couple times, as at first we were asked to research on how all the parts of the wind tunnel work, as well as do some preliminary research on aerodynamics to improve our understanding, then our focus shifted to researching on drones, and then shifted to the final year student attachment.
observations of the experiment
observations of the experiment
Steps Taken
Steps Taken
1. Set up the object to be tested on top of a weighted load that raises the object high enough such that smoke passes around it.
2. Mark out points that are going to be used to measure wind speeds at specific points (done here by using red stickers) as well as measure the height at which the laser is going to be pointed at (done here by pasting a sticker onto a set square.) (Paper was used to see whether or not the LDV's lasers intersected at the right point).
3. Then, the wind tunnel would be turned on with the smoke generated, with wind speed starting at 4m/s. Wind speed its to be measured before it flows after the body that is being tested, to ensure wind speed has reached a constant.
4. Then, points that are 5 cm apart are measured for their wind speed, as shown in the diagram on the right, with the x's labeling the points at which wind speed is measured.
5. Values of the wind speed obtained by the LDV are displayed on the monitor below, each channel showing results for airflow along different axes. The results are collected and analysed later.
6. Steps 3 to 5 are repeated again but instead with wind speeds of 6m/s and 8m/s.
7.Steps 3 to 6 are repeated 3 times for Sierpinsky tetrahedron orders of 0 to 2.
Challenges faced
Challenges faced
The LDV used at SiT used 4 lasers in order to measure airflow along 3 different axes, but this resulted in the LDV being harder to adjust to the right point, and most of the time spent in the wind tunnel lab was spent adjusting the LDV. We also did not learn about how the data collected would be analysed and used to come to a conclusion about the aerodynamics of Sierspinky tetrahedron. Although we can make some guesses from what we learned doing our preliminary research, its still not very clear to us, and there are some gaps in our knowledge when it comes to this.
3 Skills learnt
3 Skills learnt
We learnt a lot more about aerodynamics from this experience, as during our research and talks with our mentors we learnt about things such as flow over a bluff body, volumetric and mass flow rate and Reynolds number .
We also learnt how a wind tunnel and all their parts work, each serving its own function, with the wind tunnel making use of volumetric flow rate to achieve high wind speeds, that the smoke generator its used to better visualise the aerodynamics of an object, as well as allow the LDV to measure the wind speeds at certain points, and that the LDV is a delicate machine, and people must go through a course before being allowed to operate it.
We learnt that when it comes to more practical work, a lot more time is spent collecting data than any other part, as data is essential to notice trends and come to a conclusion, but also requires a lot of work to ensure the data collected is precise and accurate.
2 Interesting aspects
2 Interesting aspects
One thing that I found interesting is how available such expensive equipment is. At first I thought that the equipment that we saw in the lab would only really be available when one gets a job that requires such equipment, and that for example someone who wanted to work on creating jets would only get the chance to experiment with jet engines and aerodynamics once he gets a job that provides the equipment to do so, which would not be available when still in school. Although expensive lab equipment we saw is still hard to get, it isn't as unavailable as I once thought it was.
Another thing I found interesting was that there was such a wide variety of different equipment that was specific to different courses available at the campus, and has made me realise how many career choices there are in the future, and that maybe I should take time to properly think about what I want to do instead of making decisions only once they arrive.
1 takeaway for life
1 takeaway for life
Working with my mentors, I realised that there is still a lot more about the world that I still don't fully understand, and although beforehand I knew I still had a long way to go, I didn't realise that the gap in knowledge was somehow so far yet most definitely achievable. This has made me want to learn more, not just about aerodynamics, but about everything else that there is to know.
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