Jet engines are a special type of engine called a gas turbine. A gas turbine is made up of several components, namely the fan, which sucks in air from the environment, the compressor, which pressurizes the air, the combustor, which ignites the air using jet fuel, and the turbine, which uses some of the fuel to power the fan. All this air and fuel flowing through the engine creates thrust, which allows the airplane to fly. In each section of the engine, the blades are very close to the casing. This is to make sure a minimal amount of air escapes, which would waste a lot of energy. Sometimes, the blades can elongate slightly, and the blades can rub against their casing. This was the focus of my research.
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.