Performance Objectives:

1.    Understand the design and operating characteristics of wind tunnel facilities.

2.    Understand the theory and techniques for measuring pressure, temperature, and velocity in common use.

3.    Perform force measurements on various objects mounted in a wind tunnel and present results in terms of aerodynamic coefficients.

4.    Determine coefficient of lift and drag for an airfoil based on pressure measurements.

5.    Design and conduct wind tunnel experiments.

6.    Analyze, design, fabricate, instrument, and test a model for a design project.  Present results, including a formal report and an oral presentation, from the testing.

7.    Analyze experimental data, and discuss and explain the results in written reports and orally.

Policies:

 1.    CLASS ATTENDANCE

ATTENDANCE AT EVERY CLASS AND LAB IS MANDATORY!  If you miss a laboratory experiment, you will receive a zero for that experiment.  No makeup labs!  Absences that can be documented in writing that result from extreme, last-minute medical emergencies will be considered acceptable.

 ON TIME: You are expected to be in the laboratory prior to the starting time of the period.  Excessive lateness will result in a zero for that lab.

LAB PERIODS:  You are required to use the entire scheduled time for each lab period.  You may not leave early unless excused by the instructor.  This time is provided for you to complete the experiment, your logbooks, coordinate reports, reduce data, and other related activities.  The instructor may give permission to reconvene the group at other facilities to continue working.

 2.    LABORATORY POLICY:

·        Everyone is expected to observe all proper lab and safety procedures. These are posted in the facilities.

·        If you are observed to be creating a hazard to yourself or others, you will be asked to leave and will need to have a discussion with Jim Kula before being allowed back into the laboratory.

·        This laboratory is meant to be hand-on, but you must be checked out on the proper use/operation of wind tunnels and instrumentation before using them on your own.

·        You MUST clean up the lab area and put all equipment away before leaving the lab area.  When you work in the machine shop, you must clean that up thoroughly, too. Failure to clean up will result in lowered grades.

·        Equipment may get damaged with use.  You are expected to report damaged equipment or equipment not in proper operating condition. Failure to report damaged hardware will result in result in an F grade for the previous lab.

 3.    DESIGN PROJECT.  A Design Project will be assigned to each group. Details will be described during a lab period.  This information should be recorded in your Engineer’s Logbook.  See later section on Design Project for additional information. Sometimes several groups are assigned the same general project, other times each one may be unique.

 4.    ENGINEER’S LOGBOOK: Each group will need two copies of the logbook.  All pertinent information about the course must be recorded in the log.  PLEASE PRINT NEATLY.  All raw data from each experiment must be recorded in the logbook, and copies must be provided to each member of the team after the lab period. Also, record the barometric pressure and temperature for each lab period - you will likely need this as part of your data analysis.

 5.    LAB EXPERIMENTS: There will be six prescribed experiments assigned to all groups by the instructor. Each experiment will be described during a previous period prior to performing the experiment.  You must write the details of the experiment in your logbook, then perform further analysis and study of the experiment prior to performing it.  USE THE LOGBOOK. ONE COMPLETE LOGBOOK IS REQUIRED FOR EACH GROUP, but all team members should have a copy of it.

        There will not be detailed write-ups or handouts on the experiments.  You will be treated as in industry, where only brief information is provided in written form.  You will then be expected to determine what to do and how to do it.  The instructor will provide advice whenever asked, and sometimes when not asked.  Use the textbook as a reference.  Find out how similar experiments are described in it.  Also, use the Library and web!

 6.    LABORATORY TEAM EVALUATIONS: Each student is required to evaluate all members of his/her assigned team, including him/herself and the team leader.  Use a scale of 1-10, with 10 the best score.  A form is provided for this, and the evaluations should be delivered to the instructor.  The top-rated and bottom-rated evaluations MUST have a written justification statement! Use actual names, not the sample names in the format.

·        Each team member MUST comment on the inputs made by each individual.  If an individual provides no input, then so state on the form.  Team members who fail to provide such comments will have their grades for that report reduced. If scores are too close, the form must be resubmitted.

·        Failure of an individual to submit all the required written material will result in a reduction of that person’s grade by an amount proportional to the importance each missing item.  Late submittals will be penalized.

 7.    PERSONAL INTEGRITY is an absolute requirement.  Cheating will not be tolerated, and if discovered will result in an F in the course.  Your integrity is important to your career.  Employers will expect it.

 8.    COURSE GRADE: The breakdown of the grading criteria was given previously.  Grades will be based on a combination of technical, communication, and interpersonal skills.  Group dynamics is an important skill in this course, other courses, and in your career.  The Team Evaluation Form will also be used.  If a student consistently fails to perform satisfactorily as a team member, their grade may be reduced a minimum of 10%.

Design Project:

Before starting the project, a proposal is required describing the purpose, scope, expected materials, needed equipment and a schedule for completion.

Periodic status and planning reports must be written and turned in at the dates indicated in the semester schedule.  These reports may be written as informal memos but must contain all the relevant information requested.  These reports will show the teams planning and progress on their project and will strongly influence the final project grade..

A formal final project report and oral briefing is required of each team.  The final report is due at the end of the last laboratory period.  The 30 minute briefing will be made during the last laboratory day.   The briefing may be attended and evaluated by various members of the faculty and other invited.

Laboratory Experiments:

The purpose of this course is to expose you to experimental techniques, analysis of data, and reporting of same.  Thus the experiments are not “fine-tuned,” and may not exactly fit any published data.  The team is expected to research available data that is comparable, and comment on comparisons between your data and that has been published.  If an experiment does not yield data that is expected, your report should address the differences and explain them.  You should examine any possible errors in the setup, data measurements, analysis, or recording.

A formal report will be required for each experiment.  The report format will be discussed during the first lab period. Lengthy reports are neither necessary nor required.  The report should be complete but brief.

TEAM LEADER:

1.    Is responsible for assigning analysis and writing tasks to the team members.

2.    Is responsible for ensuring time is available for proofreading the report.

3.    Is responsible for turning in the report by COB on the due date.  Reports will be due two weeks after the experiment is performed.

4.    Is responsible for ensuring that the team evaluation forms are submitted promptly by all members.

Lab Team:

You will be assigned to a particular team, which will be your team for the entire course.  The team will conduct six experiments in addition to the design project.  Each member of the team will be the leader for at least one experiment, and will at that time have the responsibilities outlined above.  The leader may assign various analyses and writing tasks to team members, but still has the final responsibility for the quality and completeness of the report.

There is much to learn about how to participate in a team effort like this.  Your team may have members who are excellent and others who have difficulty operating as a team member.  It is important to learn these skills, because when you graduate, you will most likely be assigned by your employer to a team of some sort.  Furthermore, as team leader, you will learn about leadership and develop yet another type of skill.  You will also learn to appreciate what leadership entails and requires from the individual.