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SENIOR YEAR 2013 - 2014 

ESLR |01 Academic Achievers who:
Apply the concepts and skills learned in their courses to make connections or solve problems that exist beyond the classroom.
COURSE: Engineering Design &
                 Development PLTW
 
ASSIGNMENT TITLE: Wing Project
 
DATE OF PROJECT: 10-30-13
 
 
Topic​

This project focused on using the concepts learned in class to design and create a wing. The main topics of discussion were thrust, lift, drag, and weight. These four elements are necessary for a wing design to have a proper flight. However, the ratio of these elements was caused by the shape of the wing design. The decision process of the wing design included theoretical data and experimental data – with the theoretical being digital (classroom) and the experimental being physical (real-world). The process was meant to prepare the class for the next year-long design project.

 

 

 
 

 

Parameters

This project required two weeks of work to complete every element. The first piece was the digital design creation of the wing; the second piece was the physical creation of the foil wing; and the third piece was the lab report of the process. I used two programs, Inventor and Foilsim, to design a geometric airfoil wing. I cut out the foam model and tested it in a wind tunnel. The experimental drag and lift values were determined at different angles - between 5 degrees and 20 degrees – to contrast with the theoretical values.

 

 

Decribe the concepts you learned in class and analyze how they connect to the real life application.

 

This wing lab project served as an example of what an engineer would have to do when designing a wing (on an airplane). In this classroom scenario, there were different stages to what needed to be done. First, questions such as, “What shape would have the best flight ratios,” needed to be asked. I proceeded to the research stage using a Foilsim website (http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/foil3.html) to collect theoretical data. Of the choices provided on the site, only one was selected to design on Inventor (an Engineering CAD imaging program). The following stage was the physical creation of the foil wing. This consisted of printing out the Inventor design and cutting a cube of foam (using a foil cutter). The next stage was determining the experimental data by testing the foil wing in a wind tunnel. These are the sort of processes that an engineer would have to complete in the real world. It is also necessary to afterwards write a report that presents the project to a company or manufacturer, advocating the design.

 

 
ESLR #1 Reflection​

 

In terms of ESLR One, I have reached a point where I naturally use what I learn in class to see the world differently. I have grown in making connections between the classroom and the real-world. I relate the concepts that I learn in class with the solutions created in response to problems (e.g. the calculator is a tool made to perform arithmetic quickly). In tenth grade, I developed a program that powered an elevator prototype. This project began to help me think about the outline programming of electronics and mechanisms. However, this wing project allows me to connect more elements together - such as the design process and the testing process of many common mechanisms that I encounter (e.g. escalators, airplanes, and cameras). In terms of development, I have not grown in using my skills (from the classroom) in the real-world. Connecting the concepts together is one thing, but utilizing the skills is another. I hope to further develop this when I create more projects at college or begin to work. As I receive a higher education, I am sure that the projects will be much more challenging and much more interactive with the community beyond the classroom. After all, an occupation is associated with solving problems via specialization (e.g. an architect designs structures).

 
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