EGA324

MECHNICAL ENGINEERING
PRACTICE
PREPARATION FOR C3
Dr Spencer Jeffs

ISM 0.17

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Overview

❑ Mid-Module Feedback
❑ The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
❑ Requirements for C3
❑ C3 Assessment Guidelines & Layout
❑ Hints for C3:
▪ Flow over an Aerofoil – Fluent (Lecture 5)
▪ Stress Concentrations – Transient Structural

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Mid Module Feedback
❑ Response rate (9%)

EGA324 – Prep for C3

❑ Different to other modules. Improves report writing and research skills
❑ Good and clear instructions and support provided
❑ It's nice to be able to undertake a variety of interesting experiments.
❑ Nice to do some practical experiments
❑ Practical application of engineering principles helps me to understand and remember.
❑ Practical work
❑ The deadlines were made clear
❑ Professors in charge were helpful when needed.
❑ The experiments.
❑ The lecturers are helpful and the experiments provide good practical experience.
❑ The range of lab practicals is very good. Lecturers and demonstrators are easy to
understand and inspiring. Periodic deadlines are preferable, rather than one big hand in at
the end of term.

EGA324 – Prep for C3

❑ Have a lecture on technical report writing earlier in the semester or in previous years.
❑ I will provide to the students more clear material to work with. More clear guidelines for the assignment and a more efficient marking scheme
❑ Keep handout documents updated and check the information given.
❑ Less assignment work
❑ The amount of work required is allot for a 10 credit module. The information given for the assignment was not enough resulting in low grades. The
timetable for the lecture
❑ The assignment briefs are far too vague. I suspect that this is probably partly deliberate, but I genuinely feel that they need to be a bit more detailed.
❑ The Bolt-joint test was poor and included very poorly worded questions and was overall quite hard to understand.
❑ The guidance for lab reports is not sparse, but distributed. I found direct imperative guidance on a number of different sources on BB. It would be better
to compile and condense guidance into one document per lab practical.
❑ The report requirements should be all in one place rather spread all around blackboard (some in the lecture notes, some in the videos, some in the course
notes etc.) Especially when we are being marked on doing something similar in our reports (being organized).
❑ The way students are left to write Report 1 with no guidance. This is then extremely harshly marked. I then assume the next two reports are more
leniently marked. This is the wrong way to do things. Students should be given the resources to do well in the first report and each report should be
marked the same way. Students should not be punished with their grade just because its the First Report and they are expected to improve there after.
❑ We're all currently working on our 30 credit research project, as well as other work, and we're being asked to write 8 page reports in less than 2 weeks. its
a lot to ask and has added a lot of stress to an already heavy workload, even an extra week would be a lot of help and give people a better chance to
produce better work.

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Further Comments
❑Doing this module at the same time as my dissertation not only relieves
me of valuable time that I feel would be much better spent working on
my dissertation, but it also means I have to redraft my dissertation
writing more times as I learn new things from this module. Therefore, I
feel that this module should be completed before third year. Is there any
way the module can be integrated with, or replace the 'Experimental
Studies' module undertaken in second year?
❑Keep recording lectures
❑Overall a very enjoyable module for those of us who prefer more hands
on learning.
❑The first groups to do the experiment, any problems with the
experiment or any misinformation, it gives the first groups less time to
write a good report
❑We are marked on our report writing skills, but this course doesn't cover
anything on report writing skills, so are we supposed to learn how to
improve our report writing on our own on top of having to basically
search blackboard to find out what is required in the report in order to
even get a chance to get high marks

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Recap Learning Outcomes
❑LO1 – Advanced Technical Reporting - Undertake scientific experiments
and report the outcome in a well written technical report.

❑LO2 – Experimental Practice - Advanced knowledge and critical

understanding of a wide range of experimental techniques, designing
specific experimental test programmes to meet open-end objectives. An
ability to select and implement suitable measuring equipment and
develop appropriate advanced experimental procedures to meet the
experimental objectives.

❑LO3 – Computational Validation - Advanced knowledge and critical

understanding of computational modelling techniques in order to
achieve accurate predictions. An ability to critically appraise the
accuracy of numerical predictions, by comparison with alternative
solutions

EGA324 – Prep for C3

C3 Requirements
❑ All students have undertaken the Modelling tutorials
PC laboratory sessions over the first 6 weeks of term,
progressing from Beginner through to Advanced levels
❑ In the PC labs, you have learned the basics of using
ANSYS-Fluent and ANSYS-Structural, as applied to
specific examples which are linked to the experiments
❑ A key aspect of this module is the ability to undertake
computational modelling as a guide to the
experimental work, and most critically to be able to
interpret and validate the computational results

EGA324 – Prep for C3

C3 – Layout & Guidelines
❑ 5 pages per experiment – don’t worry if it drifts
slightly over this – excludes cover sheet and you can
input a blank page to separate the two experiments
❑ Typically expect to see ~3 pages of technical writing
and ~2 pages of associated figures per experiment

▪ Summary & Objectives (0.5 page)

▪ Computational Methodology (1.5 pages)
▪ Results (1.5 pages)
▪ Discussion (1 page)
▪ Conclusions (0.5 page)
▪ References

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Summary and Objectives (max 0.5 page)

❑ Brief introduction and aims of computational model/s

along with the key details and findings.
▪ One or two sentences briefly describe the aim of the experiment
▪ Summarise the methodology, highlighting key details (e.g. what foil
was used, what Re was the test done at, how many samples were
tested and the different stress raisers, what was the equipment it
was tested on)
❑ Comparison to experimental data, previously published
and/or theoretical estimates, e.g.
▪ peak lift prior to stall was within 10-20% of the experimental data,
occurring at an AoA of 14° in the experiment, as compared to 15°
for the computational
▪ The effective stress concentrations of the modelled specimens are
shown to be within 15% of the values calculated for the
experimental specimens – alternatively you could mention value
such as yield stress, UTS comparisons

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Summary and Objectives (max 0.5 page)

❑ Any significant findings claimed in the summary should

tally to your discussion and conclusions sections
❑ Present the key objectives, e.g.:
▪ Investigate the pressure distributions, lift and drag forces over a
NACA0012 aerofoil at a range of angle of attacks and Re numbers
▪ Validate experimental data of lift and drag forces through CFD
analysis in ANSYS Fluent
▪ Investigate the effect of introducing stress raisers to a specimen
under tensile loading
▪ Investigate their stress-strain responses and effective stress
concentrations through computational modelling and validate with
experimental data
▪ Differences between experimental and computational results will
be investigated and discussed.
Do not confuse your own learning objectives with the
technical objectives

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Computational Methodology (1.5 pages)

❑How was the model built-up? What specific capabilities and

physics were modelled in ANSYS? Any refs on these models?
▪ k-eplison
▪ k-omega
▪ multi-linear plastic
❑Is the modelling in ANSYS on finite element or finite volume
based? 2D or 3D? Transient or steady-state? Non-linear or
linear?
❑Show geometry/boundary conditions and a typical mesh.
▪ Use of functions, inflations, refinements, min sizes, number of
nodes, symmetry etc.
❑How was the model deemed to be accurate (mesh
sensitivity)?

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Computational Methodology (1.5 pages)

❑Show geometry/boundary conditions and a typical

mesh

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Computational Methodology (1.5 pages)

❑Show geometry/boundary conditions and a typical

mesh

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Computational Methodology (1.5 pages)

❑How was the model deemed to be accurate (mesh

sensitivity)?
▪ Influence of mesh refinement on results – accuracy on
results/sensible solver time, effect on convergence

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Computational Methodology (1.5 pages)
❑ Sensitivity to boundary conditions – were any
boundary conditions subject to sensitivity testing?

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Computational Methodology (1.5 pages)
❑ What material properties are used in the model?
Are these as close as they could be to reality?
▪ Fluid properties (density/viscosity), material properties (yield, UTS)

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Results (1.5 pages)
❑ There is no need to include all the data which you
will already have reported in detail within previous
assignments (C1/C2). The key objective of is to
directly compare experimental results and model
results
❑This is best done by superimposing measured and
modelled data on the same graphs, for example:
▪ Lift/drag forces or CL vs. AoA for different
windspeeds/Re numbers
▪ Force-displacement/stress-strain curves for stress
concentration samples

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Results (1.5 pages)
❑What physical entities you plot is up to you, they may
be dimensional (e.g. velocity, pressure, stress, strain,
force, displacement) or non-dimensional (e.g. lift/drag
coefficients) – be sure that the units are correctly
labelled. All graphs should have a figure number and
caption, and be referred to within the text of this
and/or the discussion section.
❑Modelling allows variables to be determined at all
locations within the domain, so consider including
contours and/or vector plots which add to the
interpretation of the physics
❑ Some examples…

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Results (1.5 pages)
❑ Lift/Drag vs. AoA

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Results (1.5 pages)
❑ Pressure/velocity profile over foil at AoA

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Results (1.5 pages)
❑ Force vs Displacement / Stress vs. Strain

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Results (1.5 pages)
❑ Tensile specimen stress/deformation distributions

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Discussion (1 page)
This section should include some description of any
modelling which can be validated against the experiment
❑Where appropriate, how does the modelling compare
with the corresponding experimental/published test
results?
▪ Lift/Drag magnitudes vs. AoA/Re
▪ Stall angle comparisons
▪ Yield, UTS, strain to failure
▪ Stress concentration factors (Neuber’s)
❑ How do the computational result corroborate the
underlying physics of the experiment

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Discussion (1 page)
❑ How can the discrepancies between model and
experiment be reduced?
❑How could the modelling be improved? Is the
correlation consistent?
▪ e.g. Better fit at higher windspeeds or bigger stress raiser
features?
❑Would your conclusions from the modelling have been
different had you only undertaken a modelling
exercise?
You are not answering these questions directly, but they help to form the
basis of your discussion. Not all questions need necessarily to be
answered – just what is relevant and justifiable from your own results

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Conclusions (0.5 page)
❑This section should summarise key findings of the
computational study, for example:
▪ Influence of AoA, Re on lift/drag; stress raisers on yield,
UTS
▪ How does the data compare to the experimental data?
And any published data?
▪ How does it compare to theory or empirical equations?
▪ How reliable are your results?
You can also, if you wish, bring up future areas of investigation
which would further improve achieving the objectives of the
experiment.

EGA324 – Prep for C3

References
❑Minimum 4 references which are relevant, and
cited in a consistent and appropriate format such as
Harvard or Vancouver.

Remember:
❑All references recorded must be given in the body of
text – in known style/format e.g. [1] or (Hearn, 1997)
❑As a general rule: Author(s), Title, Publisher/Journal,
Edition, Year, Pages.

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Hints for C3 – Stress Concentration
❑ Specimen tabs have been removed from the simulation to reduce the
number of elements in the simulation. Why is this ok? (is it ok?!)

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Hints for C3 – Stress Concentration
❑ Differences in elongation due to incorrect selection of gauge length in
calculated strain rate from experimental data – this can be improved in
the multilinear isotropic plastic hardening curve used in ANSYS
engineering data.

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Hints for C3 – Stress Concentration
Data extraction from experiment for use in multilinear isostropic hardening
ANSYS
400

350

300
❑ Use true stress / true strain... The
strain range will determine your
True stres (MPa)

250
elongation.
200 ❑ Don’t use too many points ANSYS
won’t like this.
150
❑ Ensure that there is not too much
100 difference between the Young’s
modulus that you declare in
50 Engineering Data and that which is
inherent in the stress-strain curve.
0
0.0000 0.0500 0.1000 0.1500 0.2000 0.2500 0.3000 0.3500 0.4000
True strain (m/m)

EGA324 – Prep for C3

Hints for C3 – Stress Concentration
Ideally comparing all 5 samples and there responses:
❑ Force-displacement curves (good)
❑ Stress-strain curves (better)
❑ Comparing SCF values for empirical, experimental
and modelling (even better)

Remember – the plain sample results (esp. when pulled

with the extensometer) contains all the information you
need for the computational models ... Young’s modulus,
Yield, UTS and hardening rule in the plasticity region ...
Regardless of what steel you believe the samples were
manufactured from.

EGA324 – Prep for C3

C3 – Deadline

C3 – 10 page report comparing E1 & E3 with

computational model results (5 pages per
experiment):

❑ Deadline 12th April 2019 for all groups

EGA324 – Prep for C3

 Thanks for listening
Any Questions??

EGA324 – Prep for C3