Research Question Relating to Airflow and Airfoils

[waealu]

I am currently a junior in high school in the full I.B. program and I am developing a research question for an extended essay. I have chosen to write an essay in the field of physics, and more specifically, aerodynamics.

At the moment, I am trying to conceptualize a working research question that would involve a practical experiment. Furthermore, I am a pilot, so I understand some basic aerodynamic phenomena.

The following topics are possibilities that I am working on:

1) The effect of the shape of an airfoil on the ground effect phenomenon.

2) The effect of the shape of an airfoil on wind shear.

3) Variations in wake for spheres of differing shapes (possibly and experiment with a smooth sphere and a golf ball). (This site focuses on this idea: http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/aerodynamics/q0215.shtml")

4) How the placement of the "hump" on aircraft wings affect laminar flow and drag (similar to question number 3 on this post: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=305213&highlight=Aerodynamics")

Now, I am stuck at this stage. I am wondering which question is most practical to use as a research question. (Ideally, this essay would involve an experiment using a wind tunnel.)

I am looking for help either eliminating possible topics, tweaking topics or focusing topics. I am in a brainstorming stage still, so any ideas could be helpful.

Thank you

 

[AndyW]

for your interest in my forum post!

Dear junior in the full I.B. program,

First of all, congratulations on choosing to write your extended essay in the field of physics and specifically aerodynamics. It's great to see young students taking an interest in scientific research!

In terms of your potential research questions, all of them seem viable and interesting. However, let me offer some suggestions and potential directions for each of them:

1) The effect of the shape of an airfoil on the ground effect phenomenon.

This is a very interesting topic and could potentially involve a wind tunnel experiment. However, it may be challenging to design an experiment that accurately replicates the ground effect phenomenon, as it involves the interaction of an airfoil with the ground. You may want to consider focusing on a specific aspect of the ground effect, such as its impact on lift or drag, and designing an experiment that isolates and measures that effect.

2) The effect of the shape of an airfoil on wind shear.

Similarly to the previous topic, wind shear is a complex phenomenon that may be difficult to replicate in a wind tunnel. You may want to consider narrowing down the scope of your research question to a specific type of wind shear, such as vertical or horizontal, and designing an experiment that measures its impact on an airfoil of varying shapes.

3) Variations in wake for spheres of differing shapes.

This topic is very interesting and has potential for a wind tunnel experiment. However, since this has been studied before, you may want to consider adding a twist to it to make it more unique and original. For example, you could investigate the effect of surface roughness on the wake of spheres of differing shapes.

4) How the placement of the "hump" on aircraft wings affect laminar flow and drag.

This is a very specific and focused research question, which is great. You could design an experiment that involves varying the placement of the hump on a model wing and measuring its impact on laminar flow and drag. You may also want to consider investigating the effect of different hump shapes on these factors.

In general, I would recommend choosing a research question that is specific and focused, while also allowing for potential variations and twists in the experiment. This will make your research more original and add to the scientific knowledge in the field of aerodynamics.

I hope this helps in your decision-making process. Best of luck with your extended essay!A fellow scientist

 

[sir-pinski]

After reviewing your potential research questions, I would suggest focusing on the effect of the shape of an airfoil on wind shear. This topic has potential for a practical experiment in a wind tunnel and also ties in with your interest in aerodynamics as a pilot. Additionally, there is a significant amount of literature and research on the relationship between airfoil shape and wind shear, which can provide a strong foundation for your extended essay.

To further refine your research question, you could consider specifying the type of airfoil (such as NACA airfoils) and the specific parameters of wind shear that you will be measuring (such as velocity or turbulence intensity). This will help make your experiment more specific and focused.

Another suggestion would be to consider the effect of different airfoil shapes on wind shear in different flight conditions, such as varying angles of attack or airspeeds. This could add an interesting element to your experiment and provide more comprehensive results.

Overall, I believe that the topic of the effect of airfoil shape on wind shear is a strong and practical research question for your extended essay. I wish you the best of luck in your research and experiment!