Design of transonic airfoil sections using a similarity theory

A study of the available methods for transonic airfoil and wing design indicates that the most powerful technique is the numerical optimization procedure. However, the computer time for this method is relatively large because of the amount of computation required in the searches during optimization. The optimization method requires that base and calibration solutions be computed to determine a minimum drag direction. The design space is then computationally searched in this direction; it is these searches that dominate the computation time. A recent similarity theory allows certain transonic flows to be calculated rapidly from the base and calibration solutions. In this paper the application of the similarity theory to design problems is examined with the object of at least partially eliminating the costly searches of the design optimization method. An example of an airfoil design is presented

Students as producers: Designing games to teach social science research methods and ethics

In this paper we explore our experiences of a staff-student collaborative project that sought to design games and learning resources that could be used to 'liven-up' research methods and ethics teaching in the social sciences. Final and second year undergraduate social science students were encouraged to reflect on their own experiences of both research methods teaching and the process of doing primary research, in order to design games resources that would be useful for future cohorts of students. The concept of games was applied twofold in the project: the development of the teaching resources was itself set up in a games format: we based our initial workshops on the style of the BBC's "Apprentice" programme in order to come up with ideas for the games resources and to introduce a competitive element into the design process. Two groups of students were given a brief to design a games resource that would 'liven up' social science research methods and ethics teaching. Groups then spent an intensive day working on the brief alongside an academic facilitator before pitching their final game concept in a presentation at the end of the day when a winner was announced. In subsequent workshops students worked collaboratively to further develop both games before piloting them on further groups of students prior to production. The second application of the games concept lay in the development of an actual learning resource to be used in future research methods and ethics teaching. The premise of developing an undergraduate dissertation, its (realistic) design and the potential ethical and methodological problems encountered when doing research underpinned the learning objectives for the games developed. The developed games resources have been introduced into the curriculum to supplement the existing (more traditional) learning and teaching strategies and to add a 'fun' element into research methods teaching. Developing a game-based learning approach themselves has thereby increased students' influence on the design of teaching and learning strategies and helped produce a useful learning resource for future cohorts. The paper highlights the benefits of staff-student collaboration in the design and production of game resources, and in particular, the potential for harnessing students' experiences of teaching and learning through feeding it into curriculum development. The paper also demonstrates the benefits of gamification - through a discussion of the positive student feedback and evaluation received by the developed games

Parabolic reflector horn feed with spillover correction Patent

Device for improving efficiency of parabolic reflector horn for linearly or circularly polarized wave

Indexing microwave switch Patent

Microwave waveguide switch with rotor position contro

On including quality in applied automatic gait recognition

Many gait recognition approaches use silhouette data. Imperfections in silhouette extraction have a negative effect on the performance of a gait recognition system. In this paper we extend quality metrics for gait recognition and evaluate new ways of using quality to improve a recognition system. We demonstrate use of quality to improve silhouette data and select gait cycles of best quality. The potential of the new approaches has been demonstrated experimentally on a challenging dataset, showing how recognition capability can be dramatically improved. Our practical study also shows that acquiring samples of adequate quality in arbitrary environments is difficult and that including quality analysis can improve performance markedly

A computer simulation of Skylab dynamics and attitude control for performance verification and operational support

A simulation of the Skylab attitude and pointing control system (APCS) is outlined and discussed. Implementation is via a large hybrid computer and includes those factors affecting system momentum management, propellant consumption, and overall vehicle performance. The important features of the flight system are discussed; the mathematical models necessary for this treatment are outlined; and the decisions involved in implementation are discussed. A brief summary of the goals and capabilities of this tool is also included

Unsteady transonic small disturbance theory with strong shock waves

A theory to correct the transonic small disturbance (TSD) equation to treat strong shock waves in unsteady flow is developed. The technique involves the addition of higher order terms, which are formally of negligible magnitude, to the low frequency TSD equation. These terms are then chosen such that any shock waves in the flow have strengths approximately equal to the appropriate Rankine-Hugoniot shock strength. Two correcting approaches are investigated. The first is to derive a correction for the mean steady flow and then simply use this corrected form for oscillatory flows. The second is to derive a correction for both steady and oscillatory parts of the flow. This second development is the most satisfactory and comparisons of the present results with Euler equation results are generally favorable, particularly regarding shock location, although there are some discrepancies in the pressure distribution in the leading edge region

A compact rotary vane attenuator

Rotary vane attenuator, when used as a front end attenuator, introduces an insertion loss that is proportional to the angle of rotation. New technique allows the construction of a shortened compact unit suitable for most installations

Precision power measurements of spacecraft CW signal with microwave noise standards

Precision power measurements of spacecraft CW signal with microwave noise standard