Fluid Flow around a Paddle: Assignment Task and Guidelines

All written assessments, where practical and possible, must be submitted via Turnitin unless otherwise instructed by the Lecturer. (Please DO NOT put this assessment specification into Turnitin or it will match many similarities with other students’ submissions.)

Alternative submission method (if applicable):

Late submission of the assessment will result in a late penalty mark.  Penalties for late submission: Up to one week late, maximum mark of 40%. Over one week late, 0%. Only the Extenuating Circumstances Panel may approve a change to submission dates

Academic honesty is required. In the main body of your submission you must give credit to authors on whose research and ideas your work is based. Append to your submission a reference list that indicates the books, articles, etc. that you have used, cited or quoted in order to complete this assessment

Critically analyse and evaluate techniques for structural and fluid problems and CAE results.

Engineering Council AHEP3 Learning Outcomes Assessed in this Module

SM1 Knowledge and understanding of scientific principles and methodology necessary to underpin their education in their engineering discipline, to enable appreciation of its scientific and engineering context, and to support their understanding of relevant historical, current and future developments and technologies

EA1b Understanding of engineering principles and the ability to apply them to analyse key engineering processes

EA2 Ability to identify, classify and describe the performance of systems and components through the use of analytical methods and modelling techniques

EA3b Ability to apply quantitative and computational methods in order to solve engineering problems and to implement appropriate action

D3b Work with information that may be incomplete or uncertain and quantify the effect of this on the design

D5 Plan and mateme the design process, including cost drivers, and evaluate outcomes

P2 Knowledge of characteristics of particular material, equipment, processes or products

P3 Ability to apply relevant practical and laboratory skills

P4 Understanding of the use of technical litreture and other information sources

P6 Understanding of appropriate codes of practice and industry standards

P8 Ability to work with technical uncertainty

Task description

In class we have been discussing fluid flow around an object. This assignment consolidates and builds upon this. Figure 1 shows the blade of a paddle.

Figure 1: A paddle blade

Given the above geometry you must now consider the following tasks;

1. Discuss Reynolds number. Why is this important, how it influences the flow around the blade and estimate what the Reynolds number is of the fluid flowing around this blade?
2. Discuss boundary flow around the blade and relate this to the separation and the turbulence around the blade. Link this to how are blades different depending on the application that they are designed for (Paddleboarding/Kayaking/Rafting/flat water/white water)
3. This blade is to be manufactured from glass fibre reinforced plastic. Discuss the implications of this in terms of the performance of the blade. Relate this to the historical, current and future developments of such components. You should include reference to technical literature, industry standards and any relevant codes of practice.
4. Discuss what modelling techniques could be used to simulate the fluid flow around this blade. Discuss the advantages and the disadvantages of the tools highlighted.
5. During the development of this component, it is proposed that a prototype is produced and tested in a laboratory to understand the fluid flow around the blade and also to correlate it to the simulation carried out in task 4. Discuss how you think this experiment should be carried out and how the acquisition of data should be obtained and compared to the simulation.

You are required submit a report equivalent to 3000 words which discusses the above tasks

NOTE: The guidance offered below is linked to the five generic assessment criteria overleaf.

Submission method

Your work must be informed and supported by scholarly material that is relevant to and focused on the task(s) set; you should make use of scholarly reviews and primary sources, where appropriate (for example, refereed research articles and/or original materials appropriate to the discipline). You should provide evidence that you have accessed a wide range of sources, which may be academic, governmental and industrial; these sources may include academic journal articles, textbooks, current news articles, organisational documents, and websites. You should consider the credibility of your sources; academic journals are normally highly credible sources while websites require careful consideration/selection and should be used sparingly. Any sources you use should be current and up- to-date, mostly published within the last five years or so, though seminal/important works in the field may be older. You must provide evidence of your research/own reading throughout your work, using a suitable referencing system, including in-text citations in the main body of your work and a reference list at the end of your work.

Guidance specific to this assessment: Assessed in task 3.

At level 6, you should be able to demonstrate coherent and detailed knowledge and a systematic understanding of the subject area, at least some of which is informed by the latest research and/or advanced scholarship within the discipline. You should be aware of the uncertainty, ambiguity and limits of knowledge. Your work must demonstrate the growing extent of your knowledge and systematic understanding of concepts and underlying principles associated with the subject area. Knowledge relates to the facts, information and skills you have acquired through your learning. You demonstrate your understanding by interpreting the meaning of the facts and information (knowledge). This means that you need to select and include in your work the concepts, techniques, models, theories, etc. appropriate to the task(s) set. You should be able to explain the theories, concepts, etc. meaningfully to show your understanding. Your mark/grade will also depend upon the extent to which you demonstrate your knowledge and understanding; ideally each should be complete and detailed, with comprehensive coverage.

Guidance specific to this assessment: Assessed in tasks 1 and 2.

You should be able to: critically evaluate evidence, arguments, assumptions, abstract concepts and data some of which are at the forefront of a discipline (and that may be incomplete) to devise and sustain arguments, to make judgements and/or solve problems; describe and comment upon particular aspects of current research, or equivalent advanced scholarship, in the discipline Your work must contain evidence of logical, analytical thinking, evaluation and synthesis. For example, to examine and break information down into parts, make inferences, compile, compare and contrast information. This means not just describing what! But also justifying: Why? How? When? Who? Where? At what cost? At all times, you must provide justification for your arguments and judgements. Evidence that you have reflected upon the ideas of others within the subject area is crucial to you providing a reasoned and informed debate within your work. Furthermore, you should provide evidence that you are able to make sound judgements and convincing arguments using data and concepts. Sound, valid conclusions are necessary and must be derived from the content of your work. Where relevant, alternative solutions and recommendations may be proposed.

Guidance specific to this assessment: Assessed in task 4.

At level 6, you should be able to apply the methods and techniques that you have learned to review, consolidate, extend and apply your knowledge and understanding, and to initiate and carry out projects. You will deploy accurately established techniques of analysis and enquiry relevant to the discipline, and apply them in complex and unpredictable contexts, to devise and sustain arguments and/or to solve problems. You should be able to frame appropriate questions to achieve a solution - or identify a range of solutions. You should be able to demonstrate how the subject-related concepts and ideas relate to real world situations and/or a particular context. How do they work in practice? You will deploy models, methods, techniques, and/or theories, in that context or circumstances, to assess current situations, perhaps to formulate plans or solutions to solve problems, or to create artefacts, some of which may be innovative and creative. This is likely to involve, for instance, the use of real world artefacts, examples and cases, the application of a model within an organisation and/or benchmarking one theory or organisation against others based on stated criteria. You should show awareness of the limitations of concepts and theories when applied in particular contexts.

Guidance specific to this assessment: Assessed in task 5.

Your work must provide evidence of the qualities and transferable skills necessary for graduate-level employment requiring the exercise of initiative and personal responsibility and decision-making in complex and unpredictable circumstances. This includes demonstrating: the learning ability for professional development to advance existing skills and acquire new competences of a professional nature that will enable you to assume significant responsibility within organisations; that you can initiate and complete tasks and procedures, whether individually and/or collaboratively; that you can use appropriate media to effectively communicate information, arguments and analysis in a variety of forms to specialist and non-specialist audiences; fluency of expression; clarity and effectiveness in presentation and organisation. Work should be coherent and well-structured in presentation and organisation.

Guidance specific to this assessment:

This will be assessed in the way that you present your work. Your report should be presented in a professional manner, be easy to read with each of the above tasks clearly addressed.