Day 12- Use the force (balance), Luke
Today my group tested two finite wings (Naca 4412, duh) of varying aspect ratios. Each of the finite wings was put in the wind tunnel attached to a force balance to obtain lift and drag data. To accurately compare these two wings, the Reynolds number was matched based on the chord lengths. In addition to this data that was gathered, data with no wing section was gathered about the baseline values for lift and drag that are associated with the rig without the airfoil. Above are the plots that we have after a short testing period of no Matlab because we were the first group to test and the lab manual/sample data was distributed on a short timeline.
The Cl data looks great, it matches up well with expected trends...but the specific values seem to be off. Cd however, doesn’t match any trends that are accepted or values. Either way, there needs to be more in depth analysis and some Matlab Sluthing. Good thing we have two weeks to work on this. Clearly, the aspect ratio has a strong influence on the efficiency while trends remain true. For example, both the red and blue wings have a the same shapes of data but only shifted. More analysis is to be done after the Matlab is checked more closely.
I like my group so far! Everybody is quick to volunteer for work that needs to be done and everyone has a clear idea of what needs to be done to complete the memo. We also all came to the understanding that this week is very busy with other classes (sadly structures and tech electives) and stronger progress will be made next week when we all have more time. I’m super hopeful that this group will be the best one yet!
