Unmanned aeriel vehicles, or drones, have become quite popular in recent years, but sharing the sky with airplanes creates a safety risk. More specifically, drones can cause significant damage to a jet engine if they collide or are ingested. Research regarding structural analysis of jet engines and their components, like blades, the nosecone and containment ring, after drone ingestion is important in order to determine how detrimental these events may be. In this design challenge, you will simulate the drone ingestion research process by analyzing damage done to a nosecone and building a reinforced version of your own!
The student handout will be given to all students working on the design challenge. It gives a brief recap of the story, it helps the students identify what they are attempting to achieve, and it recaps the design process.
This Instructor’s Guide provides the instructor additional information on how to run the design challenge with alternatives for materials and test setups as well as information to help make the design challenge a good educational experience.
The Telling the Story Video conveys the societal impact of the student’s research that is the basis for the design challenge and will set the problem-solving context for students.
The Design Challenge Video leads students through the design process. It indicates materials available, states what the criteria are for success and any constraints. It also gives a second ‘level’ of the design challenge that allows ‘early completers’ to move on to a slightly more difficult challenge.
There is also a PowerPoint presentation available that was used in the original design challenge implementation.