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Michael McBride
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Advisor: Dr. Fathi Finaish
Abstract
A new experimental setup was developed to study the effects of temperature stratification, layering of different temperature airflows, inside a mixing chamber of a wind tunnel. This was accomplished by having a mixing chamber of which two separate flows, outdoor and return, enter at different temperatures at variable speeds. Hotwire anemometers were placed inside each flow to measure the velocity of the flow as it enters the mixing chamber. To measure several points in the mixing chamber, a grid of 62 thermocouples was developed and used. Inside the outdoor and return ducts, smaller, nine thermocouple grids were placed to measure the free stream temperature coming into the mixing chamber. All thermocouples and the anemometer fed their output voltage differentials into data acquisition units that then output the data into a computer where it could be easily read and graphed. From two preliminary tests, the mixing chamber thermocouple grid showed separate layered temperatures across the mixing chamber thus showing the temperature stratification. From here, the developed setup will be used in the study of static air mixing devices. One such prototype mixing device was tested with negligible effect on the mixing of the air flows.
Michael McBride is from Cape Girardeau, MO. He is currently a senior at Missouri University of Science and Technology pursuing a double Bachelors Degree in Aerospace Engineering as well as Mechanical Engineering. After graduating, he plans to start work with an aircraft manufacturer in designing the next evolution in personal aircraft.
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