Aero Team Focuses on CFD Analysis for Planned Monument to Wright Brothers

Analyzing the aerodynamic forces that will be exerted on a yet-to-be constructed public monument was probably not the work that four aerospace engineering students had in mind when enrolling in their senior year Experimental Projects course (AAE4510/4511). But as luck might have it, their project, titled "Minimization of Loading on Wright Flyer Monument," is certainly apropos for a team of aerospace engineering students that one day hopes to drive by the monument and tell their children and grandchildren that they played a role in the construction of the replica 1905 Wright Flyer III that will soar over the intersection of interstate highways I-70 and I-75, near Dayton, Ohio.

The Wright Image Group (WIG), the nonprofit organizers of the project, are currently raising funds to build the 250-foot tall monument to the Wright Brothers, inventors of the world's first successful airplane.  The monument design consists of an airplane with a 144-foot wingspan "perched" on top of a pylon.  As architectural and technical discussions about the monument's construction progressed, it was determined that further study through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) for a more in-depth analysis of wind effects on the monument was required. Cue Ohio State's involvement in the project.

Advising the four seniors is Ohio State Professor Mike Benzakein in collaboration with the project's aero test and evaluation coordinator Chuck Stevens, an aerospace engineer with Stevens Aircraft Engineering, who have extensive backgrounds in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnel testing. According to WIG, the students' key objectives are to: conduct in-depth CFD analysis on both a tunnel-scale model and a full-scale model of the monument; determine what additional wind tunnel work is warranted; and conduct that additional testing in Ohio State's 3’x5’ wind tunnel. The students began their involvement in the project at the outset of Autumn Semester and will wrap up their work prior to graduation in May when they submit their findings on the aerodynamic loads that they believe the Wright Flyer Monument could sustain from a F3 strength tornado (220 mph). They have planned for their modeling to be accurate to 1/34th scale of the actual planned monument.

"This has been a very exciting project for our students," says Benzakein.  "It gave the students the opportunity to tackle a real-world project, work with industry, define and carry out a total engineering investigation starting with the CFD analysis of the structure, and required them to define and build a model and run tests in the 3’x5’ wind tunnel at Ohio State's Aeronautical and Astronautical Research Laboratories.  It's been a great experience all the way around. Putting together the analysis and experiments for an important, historical project has made for a unique and memorable capstone project.  It motivated our students and gave them a chance to demonstrate their expertise, their entrepreneurship, and their interaction with the outside world.  

The Wright Image Group is extremely pleased – it's been a "win-win situation." The students have all agreed that the project has taught them a lot about time management, teamwork, and dedication – all important attributes and skills that Wilbur and Orville Wright would, no doubt, consider important to the future career of any aerospace engineer.