Wind Tunnel Research at a Community College

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers on a community college project involving the refurbishment and tuning of a wind tunnel, which was donated by a local university. The testing chamber dimensions are approximately 12 x 5 x 5 inches, and the group of engineering and science students is exploring various experimental ideas, including paper airplane design, drag testing of car bodies, and resonance frequency failures. Participants seek suggestions for impressive experiments that could enhance their resumes and potentially lead to publications, with a focus on the refurbishment process itself as a noteworthy achievement.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic understanding of fluid dynamics principles
  • Familiarity with experimental design and data analysis
  • Knowledge of aerodynamics, particularly in relation to airfoil design
  • Experience with scientific writing for potential publication
NEXT STEPS
  • Research methods for optimizing wind tunnel performance
  • Explore advanced aerodynamic testing techniques for paper airplanes
  • Investigate the design and implementation of streamline generators
  • Learn about publishing scientific papers in engineering journals
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for engineering students, aspiring researchers, and educators interested in practical applications of aerodynamics and experimental physics, particularly those looking to enhance their academic portfolios.

SphericalCow
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I'm a student at a community college that was gifted a wind tunnel by a local uni. I'm leading a group of 5+ engineering / science students to refurbish and tune it.

The testing chamber is around 12 x 5 x 5 inches, and we have free reign to do anything we'd like. We've had some ideas like testing different aspects of paper airplane design, drag of car bodies, designing air foils, resonance frequency failures, chemistry reactions at different wind speeds, etc. Most of us have a year before we transfer.

Q1) Do you have any ideas for experiments a group of engineers and science majors would love?However, we'd also like to be able to put something impressive down for our applications to internships / REUs / grad school.

Q2) What can we do with this that will look awesome on a resume? For example, could we publish a paper on tuning it, or paper airplane designs?

Additional comments / thoughts are welcome. Thank you!
 
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I would not try and impress. That said, the refurbishment is probably more "impressive" than whatever you stick in there.
 
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Does it already have a streamline generator? If not, it could be an interesting project to build one and optimize it.

1688566432549.png

https://www.cartagena99.com/recursos/alumnos/temarios/AER_T2p1-InviscidFlow_(English).pdf
 

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