NASA Ames Research Center
January 31 – May 10, 2019
Goals of your project/s:
The goal of the primary project of my internship was to determine the effect, if any, on test section turbulence levels inside the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex 80×120 foot Wind Tunnel (80×120) due to the construction of large buildings near the wind tunnel. The 80×120 has a large inlet which draws in wind and turbulence from the atmosphere. The addition of the buildings could disrupt the airflow quality upwind of the inlet. A secondary project involved determining the viability of Urban Air Mobility Vertiports as proposed by Uber. This study was to be completed using computational fluid dynamics. The Vertiport is a future transportation building concept similar to an airport but for small helicopter type vehicles.
Describe what you did during your internship:
Within the wind tunnel project there were several large tasks which were completed. I completed the data analysis work on previous data which was collected in the Fall of 2018. This data was organized into plots and tables then inserted into a data report which I wrote to explain the exact test setup and procedures. The second large task for the wind tunnel project included the creation of the model buildings. Model buildings were created at both 1/100th scale and 1/50th scale, and they were created using plywood and 80/20 T-slot framing. The plywood was cut using a CNC milling machine. Another intern created the computer models of these buildings, and he and I then CNC milled and constructed them. These buildings would eventually be placed into the flow field while we measured the change in velocity and turbulence with a probe downstream. The third large task was the testing in the wind tunnel. We had a 1/50th scale model of the 80×120 inside of the full scale 80×120. We had probes inside the model which collected velocity and turbulence measurements. I was appointed to analyze and organize the massive amount of data collected. This data will likely be used for years to come as a baseline level for future testing inside the 80×120 foot wind tunnel. On the side I also worked with the computational fluid dynamics software RotCFD to validate experimental data taken on an Uber Vertiport model. This project will be continued by a future intern to determine the effects of the vertiport on the airflow. RotCFD was created by Iowa State University Professor Dr. Ganesh Rajagopalan, and I had the pleasure of meeting with him to discuss my RotCFD work while he visited NASA Ames.
Did you achieve your goals? What were the results and conclusions?
I believe I was able to achieve all my goals during my internship. The most important tasks which needed to be completed were the data reports which I wrote for the testing conducted in the 80×120. These data reports will provide a foundation for technical reports to build from in the future. The testing program which I was a part of began in 2013 and is nearing the end of its life. The final testing will be completed in the Summer of 2019. Multiple reports will be written following the end of testing, and my tables, plots, and figures will most likely be included in some form. Unfortunately, I was not able to stay to the end of the test program, but I am eager to learn what the results will be. Our portion of testing was quite productive and successful, and it was very humbling to be completing work that had been done for so many years. The Vertiport study is also ongoing with the final decisions on the effect still unclear. My work showed a larger than expected disturbance to the flow, but my runs were preliminary. The next intern to work with the project will hopefully learn from my experiences and come to clearer conclusions.
Describe negative lessons learned from this experience: