Friday, August 9, 2024
Courtesy of OSU News
Dr. Kurt Rouser, associate professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology, shows parts of an air compressor assembly.
MAE students take on challenge to design compressor assembly for unmanned aircraft Courtesy of OSU News
“The Projector.” The partnership between OSU and W9er Engineering was made possible through funding from a Small Business Technology Transfer Research grant, which provides a percentage of Students in the College of Engifunding to university research. neering, Architecture and Technology’s Rouser said students were focused School of Mechanical and Aerospace on crafting a way to generate airflow Engineering recently worked on a at a rate and pressure needed for the project to develop an engine to power vehicle to takeoff, and said the vehicle a unique unmanned aircraft made by is unique in how its rotors operate. W9er Engineering. “What makes that vehicle so Overseen by Dr. Kurt Rouser, an unique is the power and propulsion MAE associate professor, the chalsystem,” Rouser said. “It has lifting lenge students undertook was to design rotors, so it is very similar to what has a compressor assembly retrofitted to been done with other vehicles that have a small gas turbine engine to supply lifting rotors. How it drives the rotor is high-pressure air for an aircraft dubbed what is so unique.”
Rouser said a turbine engine was selected for this vehicle instead of a piston engine. There are practical considerations that give turbine engines an advantage for this application, such as low-vibration and high-altitude operation. In a turbine engine, the turbine and compressor are on the same shaft and rotate together with the turbine driving the compressor. The combustor sits in between the turbine and compressor. The compressor prepares air flow for combustion, which flows through the turbine, which drives the compressor. It creates a cycle known as the Brayton Cycle. “Rather than using a piston engine to drive this we are going to use
a turbine engine,” Rouser said. “The turbine engine has a better power-toweight ratio than a piston engine. Even though a turbocharger might be more efficient for a car application for a piston engine, the problem is a piston engine has a lower power-to-weight ratio, and for the aircraft, weight and volume are critical because you must lift it off the ground.” Students first did an analysis to figure out which air pressures, mass flow rates and shaft rotational speeds would be needed for the aircraft system. They discovered that a turbocharger from a car met the requirements but adds significant weight to the engine itself. See MAE on 3
A career of commitment: Carr named to Spears Business Hall of Fame Courtesy of OSU News
global destinations. Her first international flight was on a double-decker aircraft to Malaysia, she spent significant time in Belgium and one of her favorite memories is dining in a Turkish palace near a suspension bridge where Asia meets Europe. Editor’s note: The Spears School of She went on these adventures withBusiness is releasing a series of feature out leaving Deloitte, a Big 4 accounting stories to celebrate the 2024 Spears Busi- firm with offices spanning the world. Amid ness Hall of Fame inductees and Outmergers and technology changes, Carr has standing Young Alumni. Check back each built a nearly 40-year career with the same week for a new profile leading up to the organization, and it doesn’t mean she has Oct. 4 ceremony. settled for a mundane routine. Vickie Carr’s face lights up when she “Deloitte has done such a great job starts talking about global travel. of letting its professionals raise their hand The Oklahoma State University acand do something different,” Carr said. counting alumna eagerly shares stories of “Every four or five years, I would want business trips from the past four decades, a new challenge or to do something difsprinkling in helpful hints only a seasoned ferent. I would raise my hand, and nearly traveler would know. every time they’d agree to let me do someGrowing up, Carr and her family thing new, so I was always energized.” never flew, but her professional life allowed her to experience the beauty of See Carr on 2
Vickie Carr is a 2024 Spears School of Business Hall of Fame inductee.
Courtesy of OSU News
File Photo When moving into a new dorm or apartment, make sure you clean your new space.
3 college move-in tips for dorms, apartments Kennedy Thomason Editor-in-Cheif
keep the clothes hanging, or they can be packed like folded clothes. Deep clean Before you begin moving in all of your belongings, take some time to clean up your new space. The dorms and most apartWith a new school year ments require their previous ocweeks away, students are returncupants to leave the spaces clean, ing to Stillwater. but that is not always the case. Whether you are a freshman moving into your first dorm Sweep or vacuum the floors, wipe or an upperclassmen returning for down door handles and drawers, and clean the bathroom. another year, here are three tips Move into your new space to help you have a smooth movewith a clean start. in process. Pack kitchen items with Clothes care Although folding clothes Although it may be tedious, and stuffing them into bags works there’s little worse than finding just fine, for clothes that you want broken items when moving in. to hang up, keep them on their With all glassware or hangers. fragile materials, use newspaper Section portions of your hanging clothes and place a trash or bubble wrap to secure them. bag over them. Poke a hole in the Stack them in the middle of a box, preferably with softer items bottom of the bag to go over the lining the box. You can also use top of the hangers, allowing the kitchen towels or bathroom towopen end to hang downward. If els to further pad the items. the trash bag has strings, tie it closed to keep your clothes clean. A shower rod can be used to news.ed@ocolly.com