Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
The Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering was contacted by an automotive engineering firm seeking to use the college’s wind tunnel for gathering data on the aerodynamic performance of a proprietary prototype automotive door. Specifically, the client requested the quantification of the drag coefficient of the model at extreme wind speeds. The drag coefficient, a dimensionless number that quantifies the resistance of a specific geometric shape to airflow, will be a valuable datapoint for the client’s design iteration. Due to the sensitive nature of their work, the client has wished to remain anonymous. RBJCOE professors tasked a senior design team to develop the mounting and instrumentation systems required to gather the coefficients of drag for the client’s model under various airspeeds. For mounting the test model, the students utilized an AEROLAB Pistol Grip that contains strain gauges which convert deflections caused by drag forces into voltage outputs. From there, the voltages pass through the student-built instrumentation infrastructure where it is processed and conditioned into a readable output for experimental drag force calculations. Using fluid mechanics, the drag coefficients were calculated for standard geometric shapes with known coefficients to verify the team’s procedure. Once the acquisition and computation process was verified, the team’s test data and calculations were given to the client for product improvement.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. David Collao
Recommended Citation
Marek, Nicholas; Mezera, Abraham; Jin, Laura; Smith, Hayden; and Cook, Curtis, "Wind Tunnel Instrumentation and Testing" (2025). Student Scholar Symposium. 176.
https://digitalcollections.lipscomb.edu/student_scholars_symposium/2025/Full_schedule/176
Included in
Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics Commons, Computer-Aided Engineering and Design Commons, Electrical and Electronics Commons, Signal Processing Commons, Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Commons
Wind Tunnel Instrumentation and Testing
The Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering was contacted by an automotive engineering firm seeking to use the college’s wind tunnel for gathering data on the aerodynamic performance of a proprietary prototype automotive door. Specifically, the client requested the quantification of the drag coefficient of the model at extreme wind speeds. The drag coefficient, a dimensionless number that quantifies the resistance of a specific geometric shape to airflow, will be a valuable datapoint for the client’s design iteration. Due to the sensitive nature of their work, the client has wished to remain anonymous. RBJCOE professors tasked a senior design team to develop the mounting and instrumentation systems required to gather the coefficients of drag for the client’s model under various airspeeds. For mounting the test model, the students utilized an AEROLAB Pistol Grip that contains strain gauges which convert deflections caused by drag forces into voltage outputs. From there, the voltages pass through the student-built instrumentation infrastructure where it is processed and conditioned into a readable output for experimental drag force calculations. Using fluid mechanics, the drag coefficients were calculated for standard geometric shapes with known coefficients to verify the team’s procedure. Once the acquisition and computation process was verified, the team’s test data and calculations were given to the client for product improvement.