Glider's Design Competition

During the 2 weeks break, our team went back to school to discuss about our glider. Before when we went back to meet, we went to get the materials that for the glider.

The following material that we used are: 

1. One sheet of foam
2. A box of Plasticine
3. Pencil and papers
4. Penknife.

Total price (one sheet of foam, and box of plasticine) : $3 only.

During the discussion, we research on how the glider should look like. After we get the rough idea of how a glider should look like, we then draw rough sketches to see how the plane looks like. After we confirm with the design, we then trace out each individual part of the glider and then we cut them out as templates. After we managed to get the templates out, we did some rough gliding sessions by cutting out the shape out on those recycled foam boards. For our glider, we did not use any scotch tapes or glue. We cut slips and we slot the parts into the different slips. We slowly experiment with it, by adding more weights, which is the plasticine, to allow it to be stable and also to allow it to glide further. 

We first added some weight at the tip of the glider, which is the nose. This allow it to glide a bit, but we encountered one problem: the plane keep doing stunts like spinning 360 before it crash. To solve, we added some more weights, but this time is place on both side of the wing. This improves it as it stable the whole glider itself, but the glider did not go far because of the weight. Then we went to research more about glider design itself again, then we realize we can expand the wing span of the plane, to allow it to have the maximum lift. We then recreate a new wing for the glider. And this time round, the surface area of the wing is much more larger then the original. 

After we had everything in place, we try to glide it, but it failed. the whole glider tilted and it spins again. We then again add plasticine at the nose to give the front more weight. But again the same result happens. Then melvin went to grab more plasticine and stick it at the nose of the glider. Then we give it a go again. And this time round, the result was perfect. It glides very far. 

Here is our 1st success test glide

Because we kept on testing, the glider keep knocking onto the walls and in the end, our 1st prototype the nose broke. This is due to the large amount of weight at the front. We then return back to our work place and we come up with the same design, prototype 2. Since we know that to keep the glider glide the furthers, we need to add weight in front. Then we added weights at the nose of the glider using plasticine. We then shape the plasticine according to the nose of the plane. And we give it another go.

Here is our 2nd test glide

This time round, the nose of the plane is much more durable. But because we are happy with the result, we keep flying it, and thus finally the body of the glider gave away and prototype 2 was destroyed again. Then we bring home and we make a better one, with cleaner edges etc. 

Here is our final version.

We also thought of adding some supports to the main body since the main body of the glider is quite weak compare to the rest of the parts. This is to prevent the glider to be destroyed easily when it bumps into walls or had a crash land.

This activity taught us how to create our own foam glider. In the past, we only buy and we fix it and play it, but we do not know how was it created. And also, this activity is very interesting as we get to "play" in when we test the glider. 

Reflection on Propulsion Demonstration - Chong Yun Xiang

A few lessons ago, we had an activity on propulsion. This is to get us a better understanding on how propulsion works in engines. For that activity, we were given a few materials, paper, scizzors, balloon and a ping pong ball. Our main objective is to propel the ping pong ball as high as possible using the limited materials provided.

We had a few ideas. Our first idea, was to use the paper cone as a funnel, then use the air in the balloon to propel the ping pong ball upwards, just like the engine of a jet fighter. When it uses after burner, the ends of the engine will cave in, creating a smaller hole which will produce more energy to push the plane forward. We rolled the paper a few times, trying to find the better size for the funnel. In the end, we settled for a shorter funnel length, thinking that the distance will be short enough for the air to propel the ball upward. The longer the length, the further the air has to travel, which will lose energy as it travels.

But it turns out that the structure for the funnel was not strong enough for it to last when we release the air in the balloon. Thus it made us realize that we need a strong structure to sustain the energy of the air coming out of the balloon.

Our next idea was to stick the ping pong ball at the mouth of a full blown balloon, then squeeze the balloon to force the air out of it, which will shoot the ping pong ball forward. With the amount of air in the balloon and the amount of pressure that was exerted beneath the ball, it should be able to generate enough lift and energy to push the ball into the air, but we failed to be able to carry out our idea. The ball refused to move no matter the amount of pressure we generated on the sides of the balloon.

In the end, we put in too much strength on the balloon until it burst. Even though we failed and had a good laugh about our mistakes, we did learn that the main reason why our second idea did not succeed was due to friction and resistance. The balloon failed to shoot out despite the pressure was due to friction that prevented the balloon from moving.

Thus this propulsion activity taught me a few important things. The structure must be strong enough to be able to hold the air inside and friction will reduce movement.

Reflection on Propulsion - Cheng Yong

The engine demonstrates how loud the surrounding environment can become when combustion created enormous engine power enough for us to feel the amount of needed to drive airplanes. Inside the room, i can feel the push of the engine even though only the sound of it is reaches us considering that we are protected from the engine from both ears and temperature. I wondered how does it felt to be even closer for the teacher operating the demonstration.

To think that compressed air can be so strong when facing ignition drive airplane engines of real life is still something that never came to my thought. This makes me think of the fan section that was used for the engine, as explained it surely isn't something i want to use for my home fan as it contains enough power to kill. Also, the size of the engine looks small in comparison to the power it produced as the room used for demonstration is even smaller than the classroom used to teach us.

Reflection On the Propulsion Game

Few weeks ago, we had our in class activity: Propulsion game. The purpose of this activity was to allow us to understand how propulsion works in engine. We were given set of materials for the class activity: a balloon, papers and ping pong ball. The objective is simple, all we need to do is to send the ping pong ball as high up as possible using those materials. 

We started off by rolling the paper into a cone shape and also blowing the balloon up. After the balloon was blown to a suitable size, we then place the paper cone into the balloon mouth. Once everything is in place, we then put the ping pong ball into the cone. What we were doing is to allow the air from the balloon to escape and enters from the end of the cone. This is to generate enough lift for the ping pong ball to float. However, this idea was not very helpful as we cannot get the ping pong ball to lift high enough.

We then slowly discuss what other ways to solve the problem. Then we came up with the idea of placing the ping pong ball directly in the mouth of the balloon after it was blown up. After all is in place, we tried to force the air out of the balloon, by exerting force on the balloon. Why we did this is to force the air to rush out as fast as possible, to generate the maximum lift for the ping pong ball. However, we encountered problems. The ping pong ball just stuck there and we cant force the air out. 

This is the video of our first attempt using the balloon method: 

We even had to force the balloon out ourselves, which turns out to be a failed method. The whole class did have a good laugh because of the method we use. 

We never give up. We continue with that method, hoping that it will work. We then place the ping pong ball again at the mouth of the balloon. We then try to do it slowly, preventing the balloon from bursting. But we were wrong. The balloon eventually burst, causing a loud bang in class and everyone was again having a great laugh because of it.

Here is the second try of the method, and also the bursting of the balloon. 

Vincent Chua thoughts on PROPULSION DEMONSTRATION.

During the lesson of propulsion, me and my class was given a chance to view and observe an turbine engine that provides the aircraft the energy for flight. Its a really valuable experience for me as its such a rare opportunity to get to observe how it works in a controlled environment.

We proceeded over to the lab where the engine is. An explanation was given and this is how the engine actually works. First the engine is started and the turbine in the engine starts to rotate. The rotation of the turbines results in air in the surrounding to be suck into the engine and compressed. Then the air is transferred to the burner, where the ignition takes place. The compressed air and fuel ignited produces a large amount of heat and energy that will provide the propulsion required in flight.

I was suprised that there was actually an silencer installed in the engine. The sound of the engine is still really loud and we got to where earmuffs to protect our ear. To add on the engine is considered a scaled down version. Imagine it at the size the engine from an actual aircraft that generates more power. The sound produce would be even louder.

Individual Reflection on Propulsion Demonstration - Ling Wen Huan

Before the E-learning week, we had a demonstration on the turbine engine, and how the engine works. From my own understanding on the engine, the engine started to turn its compressor, allow the external air to enter the engine. Once the air is compressed, it then flows to the next part of the engine, which is the burner. Within the burner, a device ignites the compressed air with the fuel. This will in turn create power for the aircraft to take off and fly. More power will be generated when the pilot, in this case the operator, push the throttle. This will cause the compressor chamber to turn more, in order to take in more external air from the surrounding. And thus, more power is generated.

Before this demonstration, I am clueless about how a real engine looks like from the interior. I thought it would be something complicated. Also, i always thought that engines will produce flames from the end of the engine, which helps the plane to take flight. I was wrong for both. The interior of the engine is not as complicated as i thought it is. I was expecting more stuffs in a engine, like wires etc. The end of the engine does not produce flames. It just blows out hot air, which gives the plane the lift. I did saw some flames, but that was in the burner chamber, when the compressed air and the fuel first get ignited. But after that, no more flames were seen.

The engine does produce a lot of noise, therefore, we were told to wear earmuffs to reduce the sound. Even though we wore it, the sound of the engine still can be heard.

And also, I realize that the the burnt fuel smell likes roasted coffee beans smell. But apart from that, it was really something different and also first time getting so close to a engine.

Reflection on Propulsion - Melvin Yeo

The propulsion demonstration that was shown during one of the weeks for WoA was amazing. It is the first time I've seen a gas turbine engine up-close. The way how the turbine works is fascinating, is like how air that we breathe in everyday is being used to power up an engine. We had to wear ear mufflers as the sound that the engine produces is very loud as the turbine is rotating at extremely high speed.

At the start of the ignition, flames can be seen slightly for a moment after fuel is being injected into the air and being ignited. After that, the turbine just turns at very high speed, the air around the area is slightly distorted due to heat and also the air travelling into the engine at high speed. The rotation per minute of the engine went up to 70000 rpm after the engine started up for quite sometime. As this is the smaller engine that is used to power smaller aircraft, the engines that are used by commercial airplanes will be much more bigger and it will run faster and even louder.

The propulsion game that we played is also interesting, even though its a simple game of just making a ping pong ball float up, everyone came up with different ways of getting it to propel as high as possible. We thought of just covering the end of the balloon with a rolled up paper and then put the ping pong ball on top and release the air, but the ping pong ball did not really fly high. So we decided to make it into a cannon structure, like those cannon used in medieval days, where an explosion will propel the cannon ball forward. We placed the ping pong ball half way into the balloon's tip, then we apply pressure on the balloon to make the ping pong ball shoot out. But in the end, the balloon burst before the ping pong ball could even fly out. It is very interesting as it really makes you think about the wonders of air, how it can help change the world like flying and also how we can survive because of it..

Individual Reflection on Propulsion Demonstration - Chong Yun Xiang

We had a demonstration on how to operate an engine and how the engine works. Basically, how the engine works is by turning its compressor with its starter, to allow external air outside the engine to enter. Inside the burner, a device will initiate a spark, to ignite the fuel and the air inside the chamber. This in return will produce power to push the plane forward, enabling it to fly. How fast it flies depends on how much power the operator puts in by pushing the throttle.

The engine produces sound so loud that ear protectors are required during the demonstration.

Thus this demonstration opened my eyes as to how an engine of an airplane works, and how it is able to push the plane forward, enabling it to fly. It also clears my doubts as to why all the interior of an airplane smells that same. This is because the engine burns the fuel, and produces the same smell!

The engine that we're shown was a small engine that is used to fly drones like the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Therefore a bigger engine will be needed to fly planes like the Boeing passenger plane or the Airbus. A small engine during the demonstration, is capable of producing so much power and force. With such a big engine for the passenger planes, one can easily imagine how much energy the engine is capable of producing!

It is truly a good experience to see for my own eyes how an engine of a plane works.