This post is intended to be more of an educational blog and was inspired by a few recent events.

I recently crashed my RC helicopter and it suffered some critical damage. A few parts need to be replaced, such as the tail boom, main and rear blades and the belt that drives the rear rotor. Luckily, these parts are easy and fun to replace!

The rotor blades of a helicopter are like the wings of a plane in that they provide lift and keep the helicopter in the air. The picture above shows the damage on one of the main rotor blades of my RC helicopter. On heavy impact, such as my recent crash, delamination occurs. In Aerospace Engineering, specifically in your third year Materials class, you will learn about this phenomenon.

The blades on my helicopter are made out of carbon fiber. Composites such as carbon fiber are made of multiple layers of carbon cloth bonded together with epoxy. When delamination occurs the layers of carbon separate and the structural properties of the material are lost. When laminated, the epoxy helps to transfer stresses to the stronger carbon structure.

I’ve had the opportunity to learn about helicopters in my third year Aircraft Design classes. Because helicopters have a lot of moving parts and undergo a lot of vibration and cyclic stress, it is not uncommon for certain parts to fail. I’ve noticed on my helicopter that bolts and screws have a tendency to loosen and, just like a full-scale helicopter, my machine requires a lot of maintenance to keep it safe and functioning properly.

In fact, a research group at Carleton is currently conducting research to help dampen vibration in helicopters in order to improve reliability and comfort.

That’s all I’ve got to say for today! If you have questions or things you’d like me to talk about in my future posts, don’t be afraid to write a comment in the section below.

Cheers,

Carl

This exciting opportunity set me on course to cross the country on a motorcycle. I set out on my adventure with high hopes that I would make it all the way to Vancouver on my bike. Instead, my motorcycle broke down in the middle of South Dakota. Desperate and out of options, I was lucky that a couple of complete strangers stopped to help me out. I will always be grateful for the compassion they showed me. Simple gestures like letting me use their phone and driving me to the bus stop meant the world to me in my time of need. Although I am saddened by the loss of my motorcycle, I learned some important lessons on that trip.

I am sure that I will have many stories to share about my new job and my adventures in Vancouver – so look out for more posts soon!

Cheers,

Carl

My group started by coming up with some ideas – some complicated, some bizarre and some that were not feasible. We ended up choosing something simple and elegant. The design was an acrylic glass structure that had a motor and rotor which could be mounted and bolted to a measuring device.

The most important part was getting the rotor just right. If the rotor wasn’t balanced properly the structure would vibrate and in extreme cases break. This took a lot of time to refine because each rotor was hand carved from balsa wood.

Luckily, our design worked really well and we ended up winning the completion with an average of 110 grams of lift generated.

It was a very interesting competition. There were some designs that either broke or generated no lift, however, there were also some very interesting and complex designs. A few teams decided to build coaxial counter rotating props which I found to be very interesting, but also very gutsy. Whether each group won or lost, what counts is that we had fun and learned new things. I especially love challenges like this!

I’ve been extremely busy this semester. The third year of the Aerospace Engineering program at Carleton is very demanding. There have definitely been a few sleepless night! At this point we’ve started to specialize our studies, which makes classes very interesting and the work load much more manageable. Since the work load in the Engineering program is very challenging, it is important to have really good time management skills.

On the bright side, I found a job for the summer! I’ve been given the opportunity to work at TRIUMF, Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics. My duties will involve testing the new Muon Detectors for the ATLAS detector and analyzing the data.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the work being done with the ATLAS detector in Switzerland, in very brief and simple terms, it involves accelerating two particles towards each other and…SMASH! Things go boom, subatomic particles fly everywhere and they record and analyze them. This reaction helps to develop a greater understanding of how our universe fundamentally works!

Ok, it’s not quite that simple! I assure you, there’s much more to know and it’s all very fascinating. If you’d like more information, check out the Carleton ATLAS Group website. I recently spoke with a Carleton Physics professor involved with the project who was very kind and provided me with lots of great information regarding the research they are conducting. I’m finding that I have a new found interest in physics and my attention will most likely shift in that direction for graduate studies.

Before I let you go, I have more great news! The Carleton Student Engineering Society has graciously funded part of the weather balloon project. We’re very happy about this and plan to launch the balloon upon my return from Vancouver at the end of summer.

Later!

The next steps to be completed are to fiber glass the foam module and carve the interior compartments to fit the internal payload. I also want to learn more about time lapse photography and use the camera we purchased to its full potential. If you’re not aware, time lapse photography is essentially taking a number of photos consecutively and then playing them through quickly. You get the same smooth moving picture effect that you would get in a flip book. You can use time lapse photography to capture lengthy events (such as a cloud forming during an entire day) and fast forward through it. When I capture something interesting, I’ll be sure to post it!

I’ve also been doing some project planning lately to get ready for the launch. This required me to read through aviation regulations. Due to the amount of planning required to certify the launch, it will likely not take place until the end of the summer. This may not be the most convenient time, however, aviation is heavily regulated and safety is the number one concern.

I also completed some flight path predictions and discovered something very interesting. Based on this week’s weather conditions, the balloon would head south-east and land in the United States. However, when I looked into the prevailing wind conditions during the summer, the upper-level winds tend to change and come from the south-west. As such, the balloon should head towards and land in Quebec.

I’ve included a look at the initial flight plan (below), which would have resulted in the balloon landing in the United States. With this little flight planning application, we were also able to determine the type of balloon and the amount of helium required for the targeted altitude. Stay tuned!

-       Carl

Tell us about yourself.
“I’m a fourth-year student in the Electrical Engineering program at Carleton. One day I hope to be an analogue designer. I began my studies at Carleton in 2009 and just completed my third co-op term. For my first four-month placement, I worked at an aerospace and defense company in Ottawa and was then transferred to the company’s Calgary operations to finish my second term. After this, I returned to Ottawa to finish my third year of studies at Carleton and I am now completing a 12 month co-op placement at an engineering consulting firm.”

What are your daily tasks at work?
“In my current position I am a circuit analyst. When we are asked to analyze a competitor’s product, my department looks specifically at the integrated circuits and micro chips. We look at the layout, identify components and build schematics with them.”

What purpose does your work serve?
“We try to help company’s devise business plans around their intellectual property. If they think another company is infringing on their patent or wants to create a patent, we investigate products in order to identify any conflicts.”

How have you enjoyed co-op so far?
“So far, my co-op experience has been very positive. I’ve had the opportunity to work with cutting edge technology and really enjoyed getting the chance to investigate the technology behind smart phone devices. The experience gained on the job also compliments well with my studies.”

After taking co-op, do you feel you will have more opportunities for future employment?
“Yes! Co-op is a great way to meet and network with people in the industry. It also gave me the opportunity to explore my interests and identify areas for future employment. “

See, I told you! It’s not just me who loves co-op.

-    Carl

During the break, not only did I have the chance to see my family and enjoy lots of good home cooking, I also got some work done on the high altitude balloon (as described in my previous post). The fiber glass has been purchased and we’ve started carving a foam block into the shape of the module. Once the desired shape is obtained, it will then be covered with fiber glass cloth and resin. The fiber glass will provide the structural strength to our module and its smooth surface will help it penetrate the air during its descent. I also think it adds an aesthetic element as, when painted white, it will look like a real NASA capsule (just smaller).

The completed parachute featuring the Raven’s logo.

The parachute has also been completed and is looking great! Nylon fabric was purchased and sewn to make the hexagonal parachute. To add some detail, the Carleton Ravens logo was screen printed onto the parachute. If you’d like to see the progress, you can check out the Carleton Space Exploration Association Facebook page.

I’ve been looking into acquiring equipment to capture some video footage of the flight. This, however, depends on how much money is left in the budget. Initially we were just going to take still photos (in order to save cost); however, I think video will have much more of an impact.

Another hurdle has been acquiring the chemical propellant required to deploy the parachute. Securing the particular product we need has been difficult as its availability is scarce. If it’s not possible to obtain, I guess it’s back to the drawing board. Engineering often works like that – sometimes you have to compromise in order to obtain a feasible outcome.  This, however, just adds to the challenge and makes it more fun!

Until next time – cheers!

To clear the air, I would just like to say that I am still 100 per cent a Raven. For future reference, maybe I should say “be the Ray Ray!” It’s my made up slang for the first raven out of the nest (I kind of like it!).

Okay, so now you’re probably asking, how do I become a Ray Ray and how will it benefit me? A couple months before the summer, everyone is applying for jobs. You don’t want to be just another resume in a pile. Starting the job search early allows you to network, get ahead of the competition and find hidden job markets.

This past week I attended a career workshop on campus and I found it very beneficial. We have great career resources at Carleton and staff/advisors who are always willing to help. The Co-op and Career Services Office provides excellent career advising and workshops including resume reviews and mock interviews. Now that you know about the amazing career services available at Carleton, make sure to utilize them! I will leave you with that thought.

Until next time – cheers!

Carl

I apologize for my absence lately. Like most students around this time of year, midterm exams and assignments have certainly been keeping me busy. Fortunately, we have Christmas to look forward to. To my surprise, this year I will be getting three weeks off during the Christmas holiday. Mom will be happy about that and I will get to eat some good old home cooking, yummy!

My latest endeavor has been starting a club at Carleton. The idea had been floating around in my mind for quite some time, but I only recently decided to undertake this project. I founded the Carleton Space Exploration Association and got it accredited by the university. The process was fairly simple and anybody can do it. I just needed an idea, some people who were interested in joining and an application.

The goal of the club is to promote interest in engineering and space exploration. I decided the best way to get people interested in the club was to have them work together on a challenging and exciting project. The project I came up with involves sending a helium balloon and its payload to around 100,000 feet. The payload will carry equipment such as cameras and a GPS receiver to track the balloon.

Ok, so we’re not sending someone to Mars, but I still think it’s awesome! This project has been done before, however, to gives us more of a challenge, I chose to have the parachute automatically deploy during the descent. To do this we will be using a chemical propellant in order to rapidly inflate a bag and eject the parachute at a predetermined time.

Conventionally, the parachute is outside the capsule the entire flight and opens when it catches air. I chose to do it this way in order to help minimize the chance of the parachute getting tangled as the module made its way back to earth. I also wanted to try and simulate (as much as possible) a real space mission where something such as the Mars Rover would enter the Martian atmosphere.

The team is working hard to get the project done and when the nice weather comes around in the spring we will be able to see the fruits of our labor. If anybody would like to know more about the project, don’t hesitate to leave a comment. I’ll be glad to get back to you.

Wish me luck!

Carl

This year I’ve been attending more events held both on- and off-campus. Carleton offers many special events to help students reach out and grab potential opportunities.

As some of you may have read, I plan on gaining international experience and completing graduate studies abroad. When I saw that a graduate fair was being held in the University Centre galleria, I jumped on the opportunity and went to see what it was all about. They had many university representatives from Canada and across the globe. Later that day there was a Study and Go Abroad fair held at the Ottawa Conference Center. I was able to learn a lot and gather information about the different schools and locations I am interested in travelling to. It was a very beneficial day and now I’m even more excited about going abroad!

Never underestimate the importance of networking! If you’re looking for information about a particular topic, it could be as simple as asking the person beside you. At university, there are many people to network with including professors, teaching assistants and your fellow students. Joining different clubs and groups is also a great way to meet people and network. For instance, I am part of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI). Whenever our club meets, I always benefit from the wealth of knowledge shared by each member. Not too long ago, CASI held a joint gathering with Carleton’s Mechanical and Aerospace Society. The discussion that day was about micro satellites and, to top it off, they had free cookies!

I also attended a recent career fair hosted by Carleton’s Career Services Office. The diversity of employers present and the turnout of students was very impressive. The fair provided me with some great leads for summer employment.

As you can see, attending events and networking can greatly benefit you and your career. I highly suggest you make an effort to get involved at university and make use of the excellent support services offered.

As far as school goes, I’ve been managing my classes and assignments fairly well. My favorite class once again is Material. Later in the semester in this class we will be learning about manufacturing techniques – I am really looking forward to that. This class has a lot of practical applications and I think that is why I like it so much.

This reminds me, I have a test tomorrow in my Material class! Back to studying I go. Until next time…

- Carl