This past week was an exciting one for our team, filled with high-tech imaging, creative demonstrations, and valuable feedback. Our first order of business was to capture a higher-quality shadowgraph image to better visualize the flow behavior in our prototype. Previously, we relied on phone cameras, but this time we upgraded to a high-end camera that provided much clearer and more detailed images.

The results were fascinating! We observed two distinct shocks: one near our bleed holes, as expected, and another near the “lip” of our prototype, indicating a disturbance in that region. This discovery gives us deeper insight into the flow dynamics at play and will be a fantastic addition to our reports and presentations.

Speaking of presentations, we recently participated in our second Prototype Inspection Day (PID). Since our project is more data-driven and research-focused rather than centered around a physical product, we wanted to find a way to make it more tangible. Enter our genius idea: using a can of compressed air to simulate “supersonic” flow through our bleed holes! This helped our audience better visualize the airflow behavior we are studying.

The judges responded well to our presentation, praising our demo and engaging delivery. However, they also provided constructive criticism, pointing out details and discrepancies in our CFD analysis that we had previously overlooked. This feedback is invaluable, and we’re excited to refine our approach as we push full steam ahead toward our final deliverable: the Final Design Review (FDR)!

With improved visualizations, creative demonstrations, and actionable feedback, we’re making great strides in our project. Stay tuned as we continue to refine our work and take our research to the next level!