![]() ![]() ![]() “This approach has opened the door to experiments with a flexible wing and has elevated our design and analysis framework.” ![]() “Wind tunnel models must have the same weight and strength distribution as the actual airplane wing to accurately measure the structural and aerodynamic responses,” Tamijani said. I also hope to build a career that will inspire minorities and prove that there are no boundaries other than those set by our own beliefs and mind.”įernandes’ work with Tamijani promises to improve the manufacturing of traditional wind tunnel models thanks to 3D printing’s ability to build objects relatively quickly, easily and - most importantly when experimenting with flexible wing designs - with varying levels of structural stiffness. “I am eager to contribute to the next technological breakthrough. “After years of work, the most rewarding part is seeing the model being tested in the wind tunnel and fueling the interest of wind tunnel visitors,” she said. But for now, her focus remains on her research. “I decided to apply to Embry-Riddle because it offered the top Aerospace Engineering program.”Īfter graduation, she plans to work in academia for a few years before transitioning into structural engineering research and development. “My passion led me to embrace the ambitious dream of becoming one of the first Angolan women to pursue a degree in Aerospace Engineering,” she said. Pursuing those fields as a career, however, almost seemed like a fantasy growing up in her home country. “We are using additive manufacturing to fabricate high-quality models with aeroelastic deformations to allow their behavior to be studied in the controlled-flow environment of the wind tunnel.”Īs far back as she can remember, Fernandes has had a love for airplanes and been fascinated with space exploration, and especially the possibility of discovering intelligent life on other planets. “Aircraft structures are strong and lightweight, but they deform during flight,” said Tamijani. Ali Tamijani, along with doctoral student Rossana Fernandes, a native of Angola, Africa, are pioneering the use of additive manufacturing (3D printing) to develop higher-quality and more complex aeroelastic models, which are then put to the test in Embry-Riddle’s subsonic wind tunnel. In an attempt to advance the study of fluid-structure interactions, Aerospace Engineering associate professor Dr. Models must first be built - usually from metal, fiberglass and wood - then evaluated in a wind tunnel and, finally, iterated, making the endeavor both costly and time-consuming.īut that could all soon change, thanks to research being conducted at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach Campus. Testing experimental aircraft wing designs has historically been a difficult task. ![]()
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