Example Reflection- Learning Launch

Challenge

I am a Mechanical engineering student with an avid interest in aerospace and fluid  dynamics. For this reason, I am also the part of my college official Aero team, we design RC  planes and quadcopters to satiate our curiosity and to take part in competitions worldwide.  Since, we are new to the game of designing radio-controlled planes and quadcopter, there is  no better way to do work than to do it lean. There are no set of rules and one can follow  whatever that gives them a proper design of an aeroplane, the whole process is trial and  error with lots and lots of research and trade-offs. Our challenge at this stage was to employ  a lean approach to design and eventually fabricate a 1000 mm wing span aeroplane with a  payload carrying capacity of 500g. The design was in accordance with the competition  stringent rules and regulations which required for an impeccable approach to its  development.

Selection

Learning launch is a powerful tool when it comes to testing idea and prototype in the real  word environment. It provides and quick and a cheap analysis of the prototype, which is an  essential step in designing. Designing a product or service is not a streamline process, it  includes numerous amounts of simulations and feedbacks. Thus, this approach gives us the  flexibility to design the plane and simulate it using CFD and then test it in real world  environment for its stability and robustness.

Application

For our first learning launch, we focused on designing the Rc plane using some  mathematical formulae and once we got the required area of the wing, vertical and  horizontal stabilizers, we moved to calculating the length of the fuselage and the position of  wing placement on it. We balanced the moment at its neutral point to achieve a zero- pitching moment. This design was then tested using computational fluid dynamics  approach, which gave us the result in coefficient of lift (Cl) and drag (Cd). Our main aim was  to increase the ratio of Cl/Cd, so we ran numerous simulations on various aerofoils to  achieve the highest ratio of lift and drag. As it is evident, it's not a streamline approach to  design, hence learning launch is the best tool one can use to fulfil the design criteria.

Once we successfully tested the design, we moved on to the most important phase of its  fabrication. Till now we had the design which was computer simulated but to know how it  performs in real-world we must do a test flight for it. Here, we employed our second  learning launch. Since, test flights are precarious and given the limited amount of time and  resources it becomes difficult to fabricate the plane time and again. Thus, we came up with  an idea of using the same design criteria but instead of balsa wood to fabricate the plane,  we used a much more flexible and shock proof material: coroplast (Although more in

weight). This gave us a punching bag which can used to validate our hypothesis, by doing  multiple test flights without worrying much about the plane crash repercussions. This  enabled us to do trial in a much cheaper way and to adjust our design accordingly.

Insights

By applying this tool our team verified the design assumptions, it gave us a more open and a  wide outlook to possibilities with a lot of flexibility to innovate and test faster. Using this  tool, we were now able to break an impasse between the trade-offs. We found out from  numerous test flights that to achieve a better stability our design needs to address some  latent needs which we missed earlier in our design phase. Those of them are the response  of the servo-motors and the unanticipated weight of the plane. We were also able to be find  more robust way of holding the motor mount of the plane fuselage, through many failed  landings. Thus, learning launch proved to be an effective tool letting us to fail in a cheaper  way and to gain great deal of knowledge about the uncertainties that we may face in real  world.

Approach

This tool has been very useful for our team in our design of Rc planes, hence we are inclined  to use this tool in other aspects into which our team deals, like robotics and quadcopter.  Similarly, as designing a Rc plane a design of a quadcopter requires many failed attempts to  achieve perfection. We aim to use this to enhance the design of the quadcopter and to  reduce the damage of the prototype in test flights. Also, we are hoping to use visualization  as a tool for structural analysis of quadcopter, which will help us to differentiate higher  stress area with a lower stress one. This will further help us to change the topology of the  design according to the critical points.


Example Reflection- Learning Launch Challenge I am a Mechanical engineering student with an avid interest in aerospace and fluid dynamics . For this reason , I am also the part of my college official Aero team , we design RC planes and quadcopters to satiate our curiosity and to take part in competitions worldwide . Since , we are new to the game of designing radio - controlled planes and quadcopter , there is no better way to do work than to do it lean . There are no set of rules and one can follow whatever that gives them a proper design of an aeroplane , the whole process is trial and error with lots and lots of research and trade - offs . Our challenge at this stage was to employ a lean approach to design and eventually fabricate a 1000 mm wing span aeroplane with a payload carrying capacity of 500 g. The design was in accordance with the competition stringent rules and regulations which required for an impeccable approach to its development . Selection Learning launch is a powerful tool when it comes to testing idea and prototype in the real word environment . It provides and quick and a cheap analysis of the prototype , which is an essential step in designing . Designing a product or service is not a streamline process , it includes numerous amounts of simulations and feedbacks . Thus , this approach gives us the flexibility to design the plane and simulate it using CFD and then test it in real world environment for its stability and robustness . Application For our first learning launch , we focused on designing the Rc plane using some mathematical formulae and once we got the required area of the wing , vertical and horizontal stabilizers , we moved to calculating the length of the fuselage and the position of wing placement on it . We balanced the moment at its neutral point to achieve a zero- pitching moment . This design was then tested using computational fluid dynamics approach , which gave us the result in coefficient of lift ( Cl ) and drag ( Cd ) . Our main aim was to increase the ratio of Cl / Cd , so we ran numerous simulations on various aerofoils to achieve the highest ratio of lift and drag . As it is evident , it 's not a streamline approach to design , hence learning launch is the best tool one can use to fulfil the design criteria . Once we successfully tested the design , we moved on to the most important phase of its fabrication . Till now we had the design which was computer simulated but to know how it performs in real - world we must do a test flight for it . Here , we employed our second learning launch . Since , test flights are precarious and given the limited amount of time and resources it becomes difficult to fabricate the plane time and again . Thus , we came up with an idea of using the same design criteria but instead of balsa wood to fabricate the plane , we used a much more flexible and shock proof material : coroplast ( Although more in weight ) . This gave us a punching bag which can used to validate our hypothesis , by doing multiple test flights without worrying much about the plane crash repercussions . This enabled us to do trial in a much cheaper way and to adjust our design accordingly . Insights By applying this tool our team verified the design assumptions , it gave us a more open and a wide outlook to possibilities with a lot of flexibility to innovate and test faster . Using this tool , we were now able to break an impasse between the trade - offs . We found out from numerous test flights that to achieve a better stability our design needs to address some latent needs which we missed earlier in our design phase . Those of them are the response of the servo - motors and the unanticipated weight of the plane . We were also able to be find more robust way of holding the motor mount of the plane fuselage , through many failed landings . Thus , learning launch proved to be an effective tool letting us to fail in a cheaper way and to gain great deal of knowledge about the uncertainties that we may face in real world . Approach This tool has been very useful for our team in our design of Rc planes , hence we are inclined to use this tool in other aspects into which our team deals , like robotics and quadcopter . Similarly , as designing a Rc plane a design of a quadcopter requires many failed attempts to achieve perfection . We aim to use this to enhance the design of the quadcopter and to reduce the damage of the prototype in test flights . Also , we are hoping to use visualization as a tool for structural analysis of quadcopter , which will help us to differentiate higher stress area with a lower stress one . This will further help us to change the topology of the design according to the critical points .