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Lab 11: Heat Transfer

Objective: The experimental objective of this lab is to design and build a container that minimizes the heat lost by an egg placed inside. The heat loss will be measured by recording the temperature of the surface of the egg. Furthermore, you will learn about heat as a form of energy (thermal energy) and how it is transferred. We will also investigate the principles of minimal design. Your design will be entered in a competition against the other containers in your section. The team with the lowest Minimal Design Ratio (MDR) will be declared the winner.

Just-in-time Review: Important equations

Heat transferred through convection: ${\frac {Q}{t}}=hA\Delta T$

Heat transferred through radiation: ${\frac {Q}{t}}=\varepsilon \sigma A(T_{s}^{4}-T_{sur}^{4})$

Materials with Price List

Large foam cup - $0.50
Lid - $0.25
Paper cup - $0.40
Styrofoam pieces - $0.05/6 pieces
Tape - $0.10/ft
Aluminum foil - $0.30/ft²
Plastic wrap - $0.02/ft²

Procedure

Brainstorm container designs
Sketch design
Purchase Materials
Assemble container
Assemble measurement circuit
Test design for 15 minutes
Analyse results

Minimal Design Ratio:

$MDR=\left|IC\right|\times cost\times {\frac {T_{\text{R}}}{T_{\text{F}}}}\,$

Lecture of the Week

Professor Gunter Georgi

Gunter Georgi, current Director of the General Engineering Program, will be presenting about aerospace engineering and his experiences working for Northrop Grumman. The presentation will review a brief history of NASA's manned space program beginning with Mercury. The focus of the presentation is on the process and design work put into the Apollo missions as well as the complete mission profiles and a look at the technology used.

Featured SLDP

Search and Recovery Robot (SRR)

In 2007, meteor Billy1987 collided with the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS orbits the moon and is a research facility assembled in space and formed among the space agencies of the US, Russia, Japan, Canada and eleven European countries. During the collision, several pieces of the ISS landed on the Moon, including "Zarya", the power supply module. NASA has issued an RFP for the development of a cost-effective autonomous robot that will retrieve Zarya. The robot should be compact in size in order to fit into the space shuttle. It will be released from the shuttle, land on the moon, traverse through the debris, retrieve Zarya, and return back to its landing site where it will take off back to the space shuttle.

SRR Course Configuration

Important Deadlines/Policies

Deadlines

Milestone 1 (Week)
Milestone 2 (Week)
Milestone 3 (Week)
SLDP Early Submission (4/18-4/22)
SLDP Standard Submission (4/25-4/29)

Policies

Engineering in the News

Einstein's theory of relativity faces satellite test

Einstein's theory of general relativity is to be put to the test by a newly launched satellite in an experiment that could upend our understanding of physics. The French "Microscope" orbiter will try to poke a hole in one of Einstein's most famous theories, which provides the basis for our modern understanding of gravity. Scientists will use the kit to measure how two different pieces of metal—one titanium and the other a platinum-rhodium alloy—behave in orbit.

NASA launches new X-plane program to create cleaner, more efficient planes

NASA has announced the launch of the “New Aviation Horizons” initiative, which will lead to a new generation of X-planes that are fueled by greener energy, use half the fuel, and are half as loud as commercial aircraft in use today. A 10-year initiative, New Aviation Horizons is a reminder of the importance of the first “A” in NASA. Through a series of research and development investments, NASA hopes to identify new technologies that can push the commercial aviation industry forward.