A Virtual Laboratory On Fluid Mechanics
- Conference
- Location
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Chicago, Illinois
- Publication Date
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June 18, 2006
- Start Date
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June 18, 2006
- End Date
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June 21, 2006
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Instrumentation
- Page Count
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13
- Page Numbers
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11.141.1 - 11.141.13
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--1151
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/1151
- Download Count
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1861
Paper Authors
Ruiqing Jia China University of Mining and Technology
Dr. Ruiqing Jia currently holds a position as Visiting Professor at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. From 1992 to 2004, he was a Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT) in Beijing. He received a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Taiyuan University of Technology in 1982 and a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from CUMT in 1992. His research interests are fluid mechanics and virtual environments.
Shanjun Xu China University of Mining and Technology
Mr. Shanjun Xu received a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and Automation from China University of Mining and Technology in Beijing in 2004. Currently, he is pursuing a Master’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering. His research interests include mechanical design, hydrodynamics, mechatronics engineering and virtual environments.
Songyun Gao China University of Mining and Technology
In 2004, Ms. Songyun Gao received a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and Automation from China University of Mining and Technology in Beijing in 2004. Currently, she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering. Her research interests include mechanical design, robotics, hydrodynamics, mechatronics engineering and virtual environments.
El-Sayed Aziz Stevens Institute of Technology
Dr. El-Sayed Aziz holds a faculty position in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Mansoura University, Egypt. Currently, he is working as research scientist at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Mansoura University, Egypt, in 1991 and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2003. His research interests include knowledge-based engineering systems; computer-integrated design and manufacturing; Finite Element Analysis; software development and applications; as well as remote and virtual laboratories.
Sven Esche Stevens Institute of Technology
Dr. Sven K. Esche is currently holding a position as Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. In 1989, he received an undergraduate degree in Applied Mechanics from Chemnitz University of Technology (Germany). After working for three years at Mercedes Benz AG in Stuttgart (Germany), he obtained M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, USA in 1994 and 1997, respectively. His current research interests include multi-scale modeling of thermo-mechanical processing of metals, integrated product and process design under conditions of uncertainty and risk as well as remote sensing and control of distributed devices with special focus on remote laboratories.
Constantin Chassapis Stevens Institute of Technology
Dr. Constantin Chassapis is Professor and the Director of the Mechanical Engineering Department, Professor, at Stevens Institute of Technology. His research interests are in knowledge-based engineering systems; computer-aided design and manufacturing; structure-property modeling and characterization of polymers and polymer composites. He has received the best paper award from SPE’s Injection Molding Division, the distinguished Assistant Professor Award at Stevens, an Honorary Master’s Degree from Stevens Institute of technology, and the Tau Beta Pi Pi Academic Excellence Award. He has been an active member in ASME, and SPE.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
A Virtual Laboratory on Fluid Mechanics Abstract
This paper describes the development of an interactive Web-based virtual laboratory on fluid mechanics at Stevens Institute of Technology (SIT),1 which integrates animations, graphics and analysis results in order to achieve a realistic feel of the experiment and to enhance the students’ understanding of some complex concepts of fluid mechanics. Based on existing real experimental setups, different experiment simulations were implemented using the Python programming language, such as a wind tunnel and an air flow rig. In the wind tunnel experiment, the lift forces for several kinds of airfoils can be experimented with virtually. The users can specify certain parameters for controlling the simulations and obtain the corresponding lift force outputs, including tables, figures and data listings. Furthermore, the users can display a 3-D rendering of the wind tunnel equipment in the graphical user interface as well as a 2-D animation of the stream lines. The simulation achieves a good degree of accuracy for steady state conditions over a wide range of parameters.
Key words: Virtual laboratory, fluid mechanics, wind tunnel, air flow rig, Python programming language
Introduction
Fluid mechanics is the study of fluids, i.e. gases and liquids. It is one of the most challenging areas of engineering sciences with difficult to understand concepts. Many kinds of experimental equipment are used to study the various phenomena of fluid mechanics, such as wind tunnels, Reynolds number rigs and fluid flow rigs. While such equipment is very helpful to students for better understanding theoretical concepts through experimentation, it is also difficult to analyze arbitrary fluid motion. Currently, modern information technology based on the Internet is rapidly being adopted in engineering education as a tool for enhancing the educational experience of students residing on campus as well as beyond the local campus. Many educational instructors have implemented virtual and remote laboratories.2,3,4,5 Chaturvedi et al.6 developed a thermo- fluids laboratory titled “Venturimeter as a Flow Measuring Device” as a computer-based experiment for undergraduates. This virtual experiment combines three unique aspects: the use of computer-generated data to recreate the physical phenomenon, virtual experimentation and measurements on a computer, and the coupling of the virtual experiment with the LabVIEW software to introduce students to digital data acquisition and analysis. Gillet et al.7 described the development and sharing of Web-based experimentation resources. Their program integrates the necessary components to carry out hands-on practice in a flexible learning context. At the same time, the experimental devices of this program can be accessed by more students from remote locations at any time over the Internet. A physical laboratory called SoftLab was developed at Purdue University 8 to provide an environment for both physical experiments and numerical simulations. A more realistic Fluids Laboratory 9 as an integrated learning environment was developed by IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering at The University of Iowa. This laboratory is configured to provide unrestricted and user-friendly access to comprehensive insights in fluid mechanics and hydraulics. With the addition of the Virtual Fluids Lab, experiments can be conducted online at any time and from any place.
Jia, R., & Xu, S., & Gao, S., & Aziz, E., & Esche, S., & Chassapis, C. (2006, June), A Virtual Laboratory On Fluid Mechanics Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--1151
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