Fluid Dynamics of Wings Encountering Finite Grounds for Drone Applications

Schematic of the project: high-angle-of-attack drone wing approaching a finite ground obstacle.

Undergraduate research in low-speed aerodynamics, using scaled experiments in a water tank to understand the fluid dynamics of drone wings encountering finite-length grounds (unsteady ground effect). 

Project is Not Currently Available

This project has reached full capacity for the current term. Please check back next semester for updates.

Project description

This project will augment an AFOSR-funded grant, to understand how maneuvering drone wings interact with obstacles. Small fixed-wing drones could operate in complex environments (disaster sites, forests, indoors) to gather real-time information for search and rescue, scientific studies, etc. However, first we must understand flight near finite-sized boundaries, which can reduce or enhance lift and drag. We simplify the obstacles to rectangular shapes, and study forces and flow patterns using slower, larger wings in scaled water-tank experiments. A small, high-angle maneuvering wing can stall and form swirling vortices, in some cases helping the lift. The undergraduate will study ground effect: how it alters stall as the wing passes a finite-length ground, for different heights and ground lengths. They will build grounds using walls in our tank, employ a transducer to measure forces, record flow interactions via dye visualization, and relate flow and force changes.

The project commitment is nominally for summer 2024. It will be done in-person in Dr. Ringuette's lab, 122 Jarvis Hall, and the student will work with Dr. Ringuette and two of his graduate students who are involved with the project. The graduate students will help with the mentoring process, and aid the undergraduate with detailed training and best practices. The next appropriate conference is Nov. 2024, and it is hoped that the student will continue in the group and present their summer work there via a poster. 

Project outcome

The specific outcomes of this project will be identified by the faculty mentor at the beginning of your collaboration. 

The student will learn how to design an experiment, from the research questions, to planning the parameter space to isolate physical phenomena, the diagnostics, setup fabrication, and run procedures. They will also learn data processing, e.g., identifying and filtering unwanted frequencies in forces. Further, they will gain experience analyzing and interpreting data, such as identifying differences in flow features that change the forces. Also, the student will enhance their communication skills, by creating a clear poster and explaining it to others, ideally presented at the Nov. 2024 APS DFD conference. Lastly, Dr. Ringuette and his graduate students will provide knowledge and mentoring about graduate school and career opportunities. 

Project details

Timing, eligibility and other details
Length of commitment about a semester; 3-5 months
Start time Summer (May/June) 
In-person, remote, or hybrid? In-Person Project 
Level of collaboration Individual student project 
Benefits Stipend 
Who is eligible Juniors & Seniors who have taken MAE335

Project mentor

Matthew Ringuette

Associate Professor

MAE

Phone: (716) 645-1461

Email: ringum@buffalo.edu

Start the project

  1. Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
  2. After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.) 
Start the Digital Badge

Preparation activities

Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase. 

For preparation, the student should read the attached, recent AIAA Journal paper from the Ringuette group on the unsteady forces and flow interactions of high-angle-of-attack translating wings encountering finite-obstacles (channels, ceilings, grounds) and write a brief summary (no more than 1 paragraph) on the main findings. 

Keywords

MAE, aerospace engineering, experimental fluid dynamics, unsteady aerodynamics, vortex dynamics