Coursework

MAE at NCSU is the largest in the state and among the most prominent Mechanical and Aerospace departments in the nation. We take pride in our ability to graduate highly skilled, ethical engineers who will be able to stay at the forefront of a rapidly changing world and be the future leaders in technology and society.

Our experimental coursework provides students first-hand experience in running experiments, acquiring and processing experimental data using computer tools such as LabView and MATLAB, and interpreting their results — all essential skills for the modern-day engineer.

MAE 253: Experimental Aerodynamics I

MAE 253 is the introductory course to experimental aerodynamics, taught to sophomores in the low-speed wind tunnel. Topics covered instrumentation, data acquisition techniques, data processing, and technical report preparation. Experiments involve pressure and force/moment measurements of various aerospace vehicle components with supplemental flow visualization. Students learn to use instruments like a pitot tube, turbulence sphere, airfoils with pressure ports, six-axis load cells, and a wake rake.

Experiments:
  • Pressure Transducer Calibration: Obtaining the calibration curve for an Ashcroft® differential pressure sensor using a water manometer and a pitot tube.
  • Wind Tunnel Turbulence Characteristics: The turbulence characteristics of the wind tunnel are found using a turbulence sphere.
  • Airfoil Aerodynamics: Finding the lift acting on an airfoil at different angles of attack using static pressure ports on the airfoil surface. Finding drag experienced by an airfoil using a wake rake to survey the dynamic pressure deficit behind the airfoil. Using the xfoil code to obtain low-order computational predictions for experimental results
  • Wing Aerodynamics: Calculating the forces and moments acting on finite wings of different planform shapes at different angles of attack using a six-axis load cell.

MAE 352: Experimental Aerodynamics II

MAE 352 introduces juniors to the supersonic wind tunnel. Students learn about flow visualization using surface streaklines, shock visualization using Schlieren photography, pressure measurement using pressure-sensitive paint, and flow through nozzles. Students are introduced to advanced data processing techniques such as image processing.

Experiments:
  • Wind Tunnel Block Calibration: Calibrate the block number setting for the wind tunnel against the speed obtained in the test section using a pitot tube and the isentropic and Rayleigh equations for supersonic flows.
  • Shock Wave Analysis: The oblique shock wave in front of a wedge in a supersonic flow is captured using Schlieren photography. The angle of the shock is obtained by image processing using edge detection algorithms. The speed of the flow can then be deduced from the angle of the shock using the $latex \theta$-$latex \beta$-$latex M$ equation.
  • Surface Flow Visualization: The flow on the surfaces of various shapes is examined using dye flow visualization. The surface is coated in a dye-mineral oil mixture that flows with the wind and indicates flow features on the surface such as boundary layer separation, shocks, and tip vortices.
  • Nozzle Analysis: Flow through converging and converging-diverging nozzles is analyzed. Using pressure and temperature probes inserted at regular intervals along the length of the nozzle, various regimes of flow such as subsonic flow, choked flow, underexpanded flow and overexpanded flow are studied.
  • Pressure-Sensitive Paint: The pressures on the surface of a wedge are analyzed using PSP.

MAE 372: Aerospace Vehicle Structures, Instrumentation, and Solid Mechanics Laboratory

Description

Experiments:
  • Coming soon…

MAE 451: Experimental Aerodynamics III

MAE 451 is the second lab taught in the low-speed wind tunnel. Here, seniors perform experiments to test the concepts they have learned in courses such as Propulsion, Flight Dynamics, and Stability and Control.

Experiments:
  • Coming soon…