Embry-Riddle: Libintag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/embry-riddle/Libin//4352009-02-04T23:55:13ZMovable Type 3.342nd semestertag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.88922009-01-31T17:02:59Z2009-02-04T23:55:13ZThis semester has been keeping me busy. That is one of the main reason I am blogging after a month of this 2nd semester. Nonetheless, it has been amazing and much more fun than the 1st. I love the Conceptual...Libintargetx
This semester has been keeping me busy. That is one of the main reason I am blogging after a month of this 2nd semester. Nonetheless, it has been amazing and much more fun than the 1st. I love the Conceptual Design class taught by Prof. Helbling. It goes into the details about how and why is lift created and how it should be maintained. All the topics in the classes are the ones that make Aeronautical Engineering the way it is; amazing.
The first assignment was to build a paint can holder. As a team of 6, we made a design that can hold 1 gallon paint can by attaching the holder to a ladder, or holding it using the handle. A complete report was written by the team describing each step of the design process: Problem Identification, Preliminary Ideas, Refinement, Analysis, Final Decision and, Conclusion and Recommendations. I think our team wrote the best report in the class. After this assignment, we started off with CATIA. It is a really easy soft ware and interesting too. Since it is build around the Windows design and format, the learning curve is steep. One can grasp the concepts really fast and easy.
Statics has been the next amazing class in this semester. Prof. Ashworth surely keeps everyone entertained. Even though the topics are familiar, there are still minute differences which matters a lot. Tech Report Writing is the only non-engineering class that I am taking this semester and it doesn’t seems to be bad at all. This class is a lot of help when it comes to writing the reports and official documents.
I have started off my research on airfoils with Dr. Traub. After reading the journals, I have been looking for an inverse airfoil design program. I did try AeroFoil but the stupid Vista 64-bit doesn’t allow me to use it on my laptop. I believe it is going to be a fun and informative research, if I am able to carry it forward. As for the Jet Dragster Project, we are stuck at a dead end. The team is supposed to build the whole Chassis Jig in CATIA or Solidworks. However, no one knows how to use the tubing discipline and make welds in CATIA. Welds and tubes can be made in SolidWorks. However, it can be done only in one plane. If anyone has got any suggestions about any such program, please leave a comment.
I am excited for March 14th! I am going back to India for the Spring Break. I would be coming back on March 23rd. So, I get to stay for a complete week in my home. It is going to be a real good Spring Break!
Alright, I need to get a lot of homework done, study for 2 exams and keep looking for the programs.
Have fun!
Detail Presentationstag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.83772008-12-13T06:21:23Z2009-01-06T20:18:53ZThe semester is going to end pretty soon and so a lot of my friends are not going to be here next semester because they are graduating! On Thursday, the space Department gave their Detail Presentation. It was presided over...Libintargetx
The semester is going to end pretty soon and so a lot of my friends are not going to be here next semester because they are graduating! On Thursday, the space Department gave their Detail Presentation. It was presided over by 4 judges. 2 of them were the faculty advisors and the remaining two were from the Industry itself. One of them was from NASA Dryden Research center, I believe. It was a great experience. You get to learn a lot of stuff and realize what freshmen have to expect. The scientific detail they go into in these presentations is amazing. I believe, it was a 100+ slide presentation. The questions asked by the judges were surely challenging. The seniors always used to say that the time the slides take is almost always less than the time taken during the question and answers sessions.
The Prelim & Detail Presentations of the Aero Department were conducted the next day. I couldn’t go for the Prelim presentations because I had an Economics Exam on Saturday. Adam’s team gave their Detail presentation today. It was a 170+ slide presentation and was surely exhaustive in detail. I liked their presentation and am pretty happy and excited that I too would get to do all of this in 3 years. They might fly their aircraft on Dec 11. They were required to make an aircraft equivalent of DC-10 because the DC-10 has been in the industry for a really long time now and a replacement was more than required. The Q&A Session was surely challenging and tough. Every small mistake was taken into consideration by the panel and they asked the team all kind of questions. It was fun to watch as well!
The panel included the same ratio of faculty members and people from the industry. All the people from the industry were actually graduates from the campus. It just says more than enough of how popular our school is in the aviation industry. I believe that one of them was from Boeing.
The semester is about to end and my finals start tomorrow. They should go fine. I am looking forward to work on CATIA and all fun stuff next semester. A lot of stuff has to be done in the Jet Car Project. I really want to get something done during the break. Then, I am also looking forward a lot for the study in airfoils that I will do with Dr. Traub. It is going to be pretty exciting. I have already started with the journals. It is pretty exciting. Modifying and testing airfoils, running wind tunnel tests, observing the trend, collecting data and results…sounds interesting? Of course, it does
All right, back to serious studying for finals ;)
Finals Weektag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.83762008-12-13T06:21:02Z2009-01-06T20:18:06ZThe finals ended this Wednesday and it is high time for studies. I am pretty sure that I will have an A in Economics, MATLAB and Calculus. The two classes that are worrying me are Intro to Engineering and Physics...Libintargetx
The finals ended this Wednesday and it is high time for studies. I am pretty sure that I will have an A in Economics, MATLAB and Calculus. The two classes that are worrying me are Intro to Engineering and Physics 2. After a bad performance in the LTAV Competition, my grade just went down badly. I can make it up to an A but I will have to do really good in the finals. Everyone in my physics class has been striving real hard to get a good grade in this class. Since homework assignments count to 52% of the final grade each and everything counts to the final grade. A great final would change the tides, though. The final, itself, is 25% of the final grade.
I had the Economics Exam this Saturday, Calculus on Monday, Physics and Intro to Engineering on Tuesday and MATLAB on Wednesday. Tuesday was a long day. I think I aced both the exams. Calculus exam was a really easy one. Almost everyone got it done before time. Half of the class got it done in an hour instead of two. The shortest exam was Intro to Engineering which lasted only 20 minutes. It was a total of 25 multiple questions. MATLAB exam on Wednesday was a tricky one. Though the written part (Part 1) was easy, the programming was not that easy. There was an extensive use of programs that we made in our class and it did take a long time. However, I did get it done before time and I did really well. The MATLAB results are out and I am pretty happy that I got 107 out of 100 all thanks to extra credits and curves.
I am right now at the Denver Airport en route to Oklahoma City. I am awaiting grades of the remaining classes and am making up plans of what is to be done during the break. I will try my best to get my driving license. That will also help me in the summer job that I got at the Events Management. We, my suitemates, friends and I, ended the semester is style. We had a great lunch at the Olive Gardens and then had a fun filled dinner at the Buffalo Wild Wings. I tried Mango Habanero Suace and I am pretty sure that I will never ever try for anything more sizzlin’. The Blazing Competition is surely out of question now !! Whatever is the case, it was a great break from Chartwells!
I am also looking for some amazing Indian food, a lot of sleep and fun back at Oklahoma City. Nonetheless, I am highly pumped up for my next semester as well. The only thing I could have asked for right now is to be back home at India with my friends and family. It would have been amazing if I could meet them this Christmas.
Thanksgiving Breaktag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.83752008-12-13T06:20:23Z2009-01-06T20:17:21ZThis was my first Thanksgiving ever and I should say that it was fantastic! Kevin’s parents invited me to their home for Thanksgiving. I was pretty excited about it. We got done with our classes on Tuesday and left for...Libintargetx
This was my first Thanksgiving ever and I should say that it was fantastic! Kevin’s parents invited me to their home for Thanksgiving. I was pretty excited about it. We got done with our classes on Tuesday and left for St. George, Utah at 5.15 PM. It was a long drive to Utah. So, we decided to stay at his uncle’s place for the night and continue with our drive to Utah in the morning. His uncle stays at Boulder City, right at the boundary of Las Vegas. I got to see Vegas as well! The city never sleeps for sure. It was amazing beyond words. I surely plan to make a trip down to Vegas later during the next year. We had a fun time at Kevin’s uncle’s place cracking up jokes all the time.
On Wednesday,After a sumptuous breakfast, we started our trip to Utah. First, we went to Kevin’s school, met his mentors, teachers and ROTC Officers. They were really proud of him and happy to see him again. Then, we headed to his home where we good some really good food. Shortly after having food, Kevin’s friend TJ came and we decided to go offroading. It was my first time on an ATV and I was scared and excited at the same time. It didn’t go too bad except that I almost broke my hand while making some huge air. Lesson learned: Watch Kevin and then do stuff..lol. It was an amazing experience. I think we went offroading for at least an hour. We came back home all muddy. I was in a complete mess. However, after a good shower and some more great food, everything was fine, good and amazing! Nothing else to do, we spent a lot of time playing ping-pong. Kevin did beat us all individually. However, when teamed up with Kevin’s Dad, we did beat him…badly .Finally, we all came around to play Aggravation! I was teamed up with Kevin’s Mom. We were too hard for all of them. We started with slightly annoying TJ and persistently annoying Kevin. The game was amazing. Later in the evening, TJ, Kevin and I went for a movie: The Transporter 3.
On Thursday, it was Thanksgiving. We woke up at 0900 since we were tired after the late movie. Kevin’s uncle, aunt and grandparents came for the huge, amazing and sumptuous lunch. Obviously, leftover was coming back with us to the college! We had a great lunch and the best desserts ever. We, then, played some classics NES Games and watched Ratatouille. Sporadic games of ping-pong was all day through. We did play basketball as well. Finally, we all came around to play Aggravation! I was teamed up with Kevin’s Mom. We were too hard for all of them. We started with slightly annoying everyone and persistently annoying Kevin. It was a close game and we won again. Yet again, we won and Kevin was aggravated. It was really hilarious! No wonder, I love that game.
On Friday, we went to his family ranch and got some Christmas trees. On the way back, we rode the ATV for at least an hour again. I splashed Kevin with mud twice. It was hilarious. We were too tired to anything. So, we went to sleep.
Saturday was the best day of all. We started off with go-karting, Mini Golf and video games. Kevin’s Dad and Jen, Kevin’s young sister, were flying. And then there was mini-golf. I still have the score card with me. It was my first time and I did beat everyone by 11 strokes. Ha ha, Kevin was aggravated this time as well. Then, we went to the Ultimate Pizza Factory and had some amazing food. Then, we went to play racquetball (squash). It was a great game. I didn’t knew we had this game on campus as well.
On Sunday, we went to the Mass and then drove back to college. Kevin’s Mom gave me a Christmas Gift and it was possibly the best gift I could. It was Aggravation! Ha ha. It was really a funny moment to observe the look at Kevin’s face. She also gave us a box of cashews . It was the best Thanksgiving I had. I brought back so many happy memories. It was great!
And that has been my 1st.tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.81182008-11-23T07:51:00Z2008-11-25T16:59:21ZThe semester is reaching its end really soon. The topics in each class are almost over. A fun filled Thanksgiving break at Kevin’s place and a week filled with tension, confusion before the exams awaits me. I hope I start...Libintargetx
The semester is reaching its end really soon. The topics in each class are almost over. A fun filled Thanksgiving break at Kevin’s place and a week filled with tension, confusion before the exams awaits me. I hope I start of this semester with a good GPA. We have a MATLAB Exam for which I have to actually start studying. I have been goofing around all weekend.
I have got 17 credits transferred and thus I might graduate in 3.5 years. This is how my schedule looks like for the next semester:
Technical Report Writing
Physics 3 with Lab
Calc 3
Statics
Computer Aided Design (CAD)
That is a total of 17 credits. I am pretty excited for the next semester for CAD and Statics. Physics 3 should be easy as I have done the course already in my high school. This semester I did make a considerable variety of things. I just hope the grades reflect the same. I got one of the most sought after job, The Machine Shop Lab Monitor, as a freshman. I would be a sophomore in my 2nd semester. I tested out of Physics 1 and Calc 1. Our team for the EGR 101 Robotic Competition did a really good job and we were asked specially to showcase our robot during the Open House. I will be starting off an independent study on airfoils with Dr. Traub. I have got a head start by procuring the required journals and have been reading them. I also managed to get into the Structures Team for the Jet Dragster project and I have been working on Solidworks to figure out a way to make weldments in it and create curved tubes so that we can a have a digital design of the chasis and the complete dragster so that we can run analysis tests on the computer to figure out the crush zones and work to improvise them.
I am leaving with Kevin to Utah on Tuesday evening for Thanksgiving. I am pretty sure that we are going to have a really good time. We are planning on the playlist for our 6 hour road trip to his home. After a really good time, we would be back at our dorms preparing for a lot of exams and tests that are scheduled for the first two weeks of December. I would be done with my exams on December 11 and would be off to Oklahoma City for a really good Christmas break with my cousins and would be back at the campus for my second semester on the 6th January. The classes begin on 7th December so I hope that my flights do not get delayed.
It’s really late right now. To be exact it’s 12.50 AM. I would need to wake up tomorrow early for church followed by rigorous MATLAB study.
Sayonara!
Fun filled Saturday and a quantum of advicetag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.81172008-11-23T07:27:04Z2008-11-25T16:58:35ZThe Saturday was a lot of fun. I got up really late because I was exasperated with all the things that happened on Friday. Besides, I worked an additional 5 hours at the machine shop too. So, I woke up...Libintargetx
The Saturday was a lot of fun. I got up really late because I was exasperated with all the things that happened on Friday. Besides, I worked an additional 5 hours at the machine shop too. So, I woke up after a long good sleep at 10 AM. I went ahead and checked my planner and realized that the books I took from the library were to be returned yesterday. I ran to the Library and reissued the three books.
At the library, the thought struck me that I didn’t had MS Office because I had formatted my hard drive this week and was working with Open Office. So, I got a free copy of MS Office 2007 from the Library. Then, I made a sprint to check my mailbox. It was 11.30 AM by then, so I decided to stop by Chartwells to have my breakfast and lunch combo By that time I reached back to the dorms, I got a call from Ram, a senior from India, asking if I could tag along with him, Praful and Sreyes, all upperclassmen from India, to Barnes & Noble’s. We ended up roaming around the Gateway Mall and making a stop at Walmart and got back to our dorms at 4.30 PM. Then, I decided to finally utilize my weekend by studying a bit for the MATLAB Exam this Monday. It’s Saturday and thus it’s a great day for a game of pool. I closed my MATLAB book and went along with Payton and Eric for a couple of games. I then came back to Chartwells at 6.30 PM for my dinner. I had a quick dinner and was at my room when Praful came in and asked me to go with them to Taj Mahal, an Indian Restaurant in town. I had been missing some good Indian food for a long time. I got along with them for a fun filled dinner at the Taj Mahal. I did get Indian food but it was not as good as I expected.
I am back at my dorms now. Today was Kevin’s last training day for Arnold Air Society, an elite society for the Air Force. He was very happy, excited, relived and enthusiastic that he is now a part of the Arnold Air Society. 14 hour training exasperated him but his enthusiasm kept him up. I am right now going through the notes for my MATLAB Exam and writing a blog because it has been a long time since I blogged.
I remember this time of the previous year as a time filled with confusions and impending decisions. I had almost wrote every single college application essay and was having a hard time getting all financial and transcript related documents ready. Just a suggestion: Apply to as many colleges as you can and never rate a college according to the Ranks available online. It is much better to talk to a student and get a feel of what school emphasizes. For example, if you are an engineering student, you have to make sure what engineering means to you. Does it mean designing things/machines with the assistance of the knowledge you acquire or does it mean to you a job that requires you to be involved with research and science topics throughout your life. Or does it mean both of those to you? There is a subtle difference and that is everything.
LTAV Competitiontag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.81162008-11-23T07:09:49Z2008-11-25T16:57:44ZOur LTAV Competition was this Friday and our team royally sucked at it with a 84 where the maximum score was 180. It is still a B though. I expected much better and wanted much better score too Well,...Libintargetx
Our LTAV Competition was this Friday and our team royally sucked at it with a 84 where the maximum score was 180. It is still a B though. I expected much better and wanted much better score too Well, the thing that went wrong was that 2 out of 4 propellers stopped working in the middle of the course. We had two vertical and horizontal propellers and by the time we ended we had just one of each. One was on the ground and the other was hanging on to the LTAV.
I was surprised how easily I was able to control it during the day of the competition. It was a real pain to control it on Thursday night. We got 2 runs on Friday. The main course was to rise above a table, slalom between three balloons, drop 10 ping pong balls in a basket and go beneath a pole. The total came to 180 and there were bonus points if we did it within 4 minutes.
In the first run, the LTAV crossed the table, slalomed between two of the balloons and it dropped the balls on the ground where the score range was a 5 point each. It was not a satisfactory run. We got a meager 80 points. I thought we would get a lot of time before the 2nd run. However, we were asked to do our 2nd run in 5 minutes of the first run. After we crossed the balloons, the vertical propeller started clicking and stopped working. So, we couldn’t good enough of thrust to place our balls in the basket.
In the 2nd run, we couldn’t cross the table as we lost the vertical propeller. So, we went around it and moved forward to slalom between the balloons. The ping pong ball bag was dragging along the ground all the time. So, this time to we had to release at the same spot. Then, after the balls were released due to reduction in weight the whole balloon started moving up. Since, I only had one vertical propeller, I had to give up. Before I could give up, one of the horizontal propellers also broke down thus preventing us from going forward or back.
It was kind of a disaster for our team but I did learn a lot of valuable lessons on teamwork and cooperation between team members. Everyone doesn’t share the same ideas and this is what we have to understand and reach to a compromise all the time.
Larsen Motorsportstag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.79082008-11-08T21:03:40Z2008-11-25T16:57:22ZERAU Jet Dragster Project had a lot of advancement this week. Larsen Motorsports is the main sponsor of the project. Mr. Larsen was here on Monday and Tuesday for preparing us to start working on the jet Dragster as soon...Libintargetx
ERAU Jet Dragster Project had a lot of advancement this week. Larsen Motorsports is the main sponsor of the project. Mr. Larsen was here on Monday and Tuesday for preparing us to start working on the jet Dragster as soon as possible.
The meeting started on Monday with an introduction at 9 AM in the AC1 Executive Conference Room. Mr. Larsen emphasized that this Project’s main purpose is to educate and make students understand what drag racing is all about. It is not about making a dragster for Larsen Motorsports. The campus is going to get a lot of sponsors really quick just because the project is intense, fun, educative and impressive. Most of the members would also be taught how to do TIG welding as well. The campus is going to receive new TIG welding machines as well as Plasma cutters.
On Monday, we had meeting for the Aerodynamics and System Integration teams. I did attend all of the meeting on Monday though I was in the Structures meeting. Aerodynamics covered all the topics from the parachutes to the front wing. It is basically going to be opposite of what is needed in an aircraft because the dragster is supposed to stay on the ground, obviously. As a result, the centre of parachutes supposed to be aligned to the ground such that the line connecting it crosses the front tires. The front tires won’t be aligned in the longitudinal axis of car. Instead, it would have a small angle with the axis so that it is not tough to steer a little bit, when steering is needed. The front wing is obviously created to provide as much down force as possible.
System Integration had meetings that basically described how to get the whole dragster build while maintaining or improving on the basic standards for the safety of the driver. We are going to have a specific weld on all the joints. That is the standard of NHRA and IHRA, the governing bodies that lay down the laws for Dragster Racing.
Structures Team is the most amazing team. We would be getting a j-60 Engine for the dragster and we are also going to get a custom made afterburner. There is also going to be a hot streak. What it all means is that the dragster is going to be fast. When I say fast, it is going to run at 290 mph or more. The limit is 320 mph. It is crazy fast. If that afterburner and hot streak is attached to the same engine and used in a business jet, it is going to blow up the structural integrity of the aircraft. It is POWERFUL! With so much power, the Structures Team basically needs to come up with genuine, creative, new and great ideas to reduce weight, temperature and increase the life of the engine.
Propulsion team basically had a similar discussion as Structures but then we went more into depth just because the engine would be dealt much more by the Propulsion team than the Structures Team.
It is surely going to be a crazy and busy project. The teams have been created finally and I am in the structures team. It is going to keep me busy for a long time.
Semester ends in a month, Really?tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.79052008-11-08T19:29:21Z2008-11-25T16:56:06ZI am just surprised how fast things move in here. It feels like a month since I have been here, but it is already the last month of my semester. The realization that the semester is about to end struck...Libintargetx
I am just surprised how fast things move in here. It feels like a month since I have been here, but it is already the last month of my semester. The realization that the semester is about to end struck my when I got the green booklet in my mailbox the other day. It was the Spring Class Schedule.
My classes have been pretty easy and fun throughout until this month. Things begin to pile up like anything during this month. The classes are still easy and fun, but there is way too much work now. The main thing that concerns me now is EGR 101. It has been my favorite subject throughout but the last project of LTAV is extremely challenging. Physics 2 is also going fine. I am striving for an A in that class, which seems to be another challenge. I hope this semester ends really well for me.
Anyways, I have decided what classes I will be taking the next semester. I will be taking 17 credits. The courses will be CAD, Statics, Calculus 3, Technical Report Writing and Digital Circuits with Lab. I will be a sophomore the next semester. I am extremely excited for my CAD and Statics classes. I am sure Technical Report Writing would take a lot of time. I also have decided to do a double major in AE and ME. It would be possible only if I am able to complete both the degrees in 4 years. So, the summers are going to be really busy for me, which is good.
According to the schedule I set up, I would have classes at a stretch from 0800 to 1500 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I will have two classes on Tuesdays which will include Calc 3 and Lab. On Tuesdays, I will have no classes at all. This is going to be pretty intense and fun too. I will have a completely free Tuesday in every week. This will help a lot in getting things done on time like homework and laundry.
I had my CDR ( Critical Design Review) on the LTAV on Friday. It was my first CDR. It went pretty good. Professor Romeiser went through our CDR. The only problems we bumped into were that the weight of the two wings were a bit different and since our release mechanism for the ping pong ball was completely mechanical, without any sensors or motors, it was imperative that we tested our whole LTAV properly on the Blimp to make sure the release system works. Overall, it turned out to be really good. Hope the grades speak a similar story.
Sunday Fun and its consequences!tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.77692008-10-30T05:00:55Z2008-10-30T17:30:57ZSunday was a fun filled day. Kevin and I go to the Sacred Heart Church almost every Sunday for the Eucharist. We met a family there. The father graduated from Embry Riddle, Florida and was a pilot. They invited us...Libintargetx
Sunday was a fun filled day. Kevin and I go to the Sacred Heart Church almost every Sunday for the Eucharist. We met a family there. The father graduated from Embry Riddle, Florida and was a pilot. They invited us for a mountain hike at Sedona this Sunday. Despite the Economics Exam that was on Tuesday, we decided that this was a much required break from campus. So, we decided to go for the Mountain Hike. They met us at the campus at like 2.30 PM. We went to Sedona through Jerome. Jerome is a really ‘different’ city. You get goose bumps looking at the landscape, at least I did. As said by someone’ It is a haunted city that has been transformed into a hippie artist community’. It is so true. Ghost stories flow like anything here and things are spooky here. They gave a place called the Haunted Burgers. And the whole city is on a cliff. Houses are built so close to the road, that is difficult to even imagine. Finally, we reached the place we had to reach. It is a mountain trail in Sedona that also has a creek. We basically wanted to walk the trail, cross the creek and reach the end of the trail. It was supposed to be a 4 mile hike, one way.
We started our hike. It was a bit late by the time we started. It was around 4PM. So, we just went till the creek. It was not at all a tiring hike. The landscape was amazing. There were huge mountains on one side and the whole city, Sedona, was visible on the other side. After reaching the creek, we just relaxed for some time. The kids, Kevin and I skipped stones in the river. Stones ranged from small smooth ones to really huge ones. However, it was getting really dark and we had to make a 2.5 mile hike back to the origin. We started our way back quickly. Kevin happily carried Elias on his back all the way. It was pitch black and we had nothing but my camera with a flash. So….?
We took random pics and tried to figure out our way back using the light from flash. It was way fun. We knew that we would not be lost, but still the night was really creeping out everyone. I kept taking pictures now and then just to make sure that we are on a track instead of walking along the greens. We finally reached the beginning spot without any problems. On the way back, everyone was way tired. Everyone slept within 30 minutes of being in the car. We finally stopped at the Fry’s to get some Powerade and they dropped us at the campus. It was a much needed break. We were so tired when we finally reached the dorms that we fell asleep without getting anything done.
The next day, Kevin and I toiled at the Library, the dining hall and the room before the exam. In EGR 101, we are making the LTAV. It is way too complex. We have LEGO bricks, Bluetooth and a whole lot of confusion about what is to be done.
EXAMS!tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.77662008-10-30T04:41:29Z2008-10-30T17:28:38ZLast few weeks have been really busy for me. I had 2 exams last week, took one this week and will be taking another one the next week. Last week, I took the Physics Exam. It was a nightmare. It...Libintargetx
Last few weeks have been really busy for me. I had 2 exams last week, took one this week and will be taking another one the next week. Last week, I took the Physics Exam. It was a nightmare. It had a total of 6 questions and the total mounts to 320. A single numerical problem is worth 70 points and a single discussion question is worth 40 points. I have no idea how the instructor is going to give partial credits. The questions were simple enough, and I think I have done well but the grade heavily depends on how it is graded. It covered chapters that I have completed in my high school. However, I am not confident about the exam.
There was a MATLAB Exam too. It was another (un)pleasant experience while I was taking the exam. We had a total of 4 questions out of which one was the bonus question. I got the 1st question working perfectly as well as the bonus question. However, the remaining questions were not up to the mark. My programming was not good enough for the 2 questions. However, time was running out. SO, I got all the pseudocode and algorithm I could think of for those questions. I wrote them in the M-Files and saved them and printed them out. I was so sure I would be getting something near 50% because of the remaining 2 questions. However, on Monday, we got the test papers back. The result was a pleasant surprise. I got 106 out of 100. Dr. Gally reduced 14 points in total for the flaws I had in the 2 questions. However, I got the bonus question that was worth 20 points. So, I had a total of 106. Now, Dr. Gally decided to curve the points by 20 for everyone. So, now I had 126 out of 100. And thus, the final grade I have now is 100.44%. I was so surprised how a really bad exam according to me turns out to be fine enough for a great grade.
Physics results are yet to be out. I am barely making a B on that. This exam can make or break my grade. Hope everything turns out to be good. Today, I also took the Engineering Economics Exam. It was a really long exam. The exam went good enough, according to me. The results would be available tomorrow, I think.
Tomorrow is going to be an interesting day. Physics and Economics results are going to be declared tomorrow. Hope it is good.
The Screaming Jellyfish.tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.77032008-10-25T19:10:55Z2008-11-13T00:36:05ZThe rocket we build was launched on Oct 23, 2008. It had a lot of surprises in store for us. First of all, our unique model got us the Most Creative Rocket Award. My team( Kevin, Eric, Payton and I)...Libintargetx
The rocket we build was launched on Oct 23, 2008. It had a lot of surprises in store for us. First of all, our unique model got us the Most Creative Rocket Award. My team( Kevin, Eric, Payton and I) were the third group to launch the rocket. The rocket was shot, it didn’t scale much height, because a strong wind was blowing and it billowed up the exterior parachute. The rocket actually zigzagged all the time it was scaling the height and it came down crashing towards the benches we were sitting on. It was so close to make a vertical landing as it didn’t had much speed. However, after it fell it shot out the wadding. The burning wadding shot out of one end. Jake got hold of the burning wadding. It was hilarious! By that time, two other teams made a great launch and one of them got the award for the Longest Duration. However, we had another engine left. So, we decided to strip off the exterior parachute and get rid of the additional fins too. And then, the magic began.
The C6-5 Engine gave the ’Screaming Jelly’ an unprecedented amount of thrust and the next thing every notices after I make the second launch is that they have to crane their necks really bad and squeeze their eyes to search for the rocket that has scaled a height that couldn’t be imagined. It was a perfect vertical launch. Nothing went wrong. The parachute came up after the rocket reached its apogee and the parachute helped it to remain in air for a long time. While the rocket was on the way down, everyone of us ran towards getting hold of it. Finally, Landon got hold of it.
We were not satiated by that performance. All of our team members were sure that it deserved another launch. However, the C6-5 went out of stock. I had 3 of them for our rocket. I rushed to my dorms to get them and we used the three engines for two other teams as well. The launches were conducted at the rugby field near AC1 and AFROTC Buildings. There was a vast expanse of barren land besides the Rugby Field. The third launch was eventful. Nothing went as expected. However, it was amazing. The launch was a perfect vertical one. So far so good. However, the wadding we had was not good enough. While coming down, the string that attaches the nose and parachute to the main body was burned due to inadequate wadding. We could see a white parachute (though it was yellow and black) with a nose coming down slowly and the main body of the rocket crashing down to the Earth. We went for the parachute. To get hold of that, we almost crossed the whole expanse of the barren land. We got hold of it at the edge of the land. The string was burned out which helped us to confirm that what we thought about the mishap was correct. However, it was a great exercise and I completely loved it.
Our team got the award for the Most Creative Award and though we clocked the longest duration, it was too late for another award. However, we are happy that we put up a good work and everyone of us had a lot of fun. In the end, everyone got some spooky gifts, thanks to Halloween, and lots of chocolates.
Clubstag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.75342008-10-25T05:13:46Z2008-11-13T00:36:48ZI am a member of a total of 3 clubs right now. I am in the Structures Team for both AIAA and ERAU Jet Car Project. I also am a part of the music club. When I started college, I...Libintargetx
I am a member of a total of 3 clubs right now. I am in the Structures Team for both AIAA and ERAU Jet Car Project. I also am a part of the music club. When I started college, I decided that I have to do much more than just studies here. I know the basics of playing a guitar but I am not that great at it. The drum kits have always amazed me and I have always been looking for an opportunity to play them. I joined the Music Club for the same. I would be able to get my hands on drums and learn it how to play! I also would be improving myself on the guitar.
ERAU, or for that matter any other college, can prove to be really stressful. I do know all that is being taught in Calculus 2 and Physics 2, however there is a lot of stuff to be done every single day that there is no escaping it. I am yet to come across a day when I had no homework to do. Something like music can be a real stress buster. Besides, having a GPA less than 4.0 and a lot of creative skills and talents looks much better than a solid GPA of 4.0 in a resume.
We meet every Thursday at 9PM at the Davis Learning Center and jam out, learn and have fun. The Club did take part in some programs at the October West. I am just waiting for my guitar to be shipped as soon as possible.
ERAU Jet Car Project is the biggest project that is been undertaken at the college. It is headed by Dr. Nafziger. Even though being a freshman, I have been selected in the structures team and would be working and learning a lot with the upperclassmen. I believe this is going to be the most exciting thing the whole semester. I will actually get to engineer! Not just tweak those physics and math formulae, but get to do the ACTUAL Stuff! We would be working on the chasis beginning this week. Just waiting to get things rolling!
AIAA Design, Build and Fly Competition is going to be a tough challenge. We are supposed to work on a design for an aircraft that can hold 4 liters of water and still make 4 fast lap times. It’s going to be a real challenge. However, a lot is to be gathered, learned and understood in the process. We have meetings every Tuesday where we discuss the basic ideas and come up with better ones.
EGR 101tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.75292008-10-17T04:52:28Z2008-11-13T00:36:06ZThis is the best class. All you have to do is work with robots, on SolidWorks and have fun. I just can’t stop adoring this class. We will have a competition in which we are supposed to get the golf...Libintargetx
This is the best class. All you have to do is work with robots, on SolidWorks and have fun. I just can’t stop adoring this class. We will have a competition in which we are supposed to get the golf balls (a total of 5) and put them in the hole, that is placed in the middle of a 48 inch square table 1 point is awarded for each ball and 2 points will be awarded if the robot or at least a part of it crosses the starting line. We are provided with the LEGO Mindstorms Kit and are supposed to work out a robot using the available parts. Sensors or the LEGO Computer Program can be used for this purpose. It is upon us to chose either one or use both. This is where the trick is. Neither the sensor nor the program can provide you with a foolproof program. There is going to be something or the other that will mess things up.
In SolidWorks, we are designing the 3D model of the basket that will hold the LEGO robot that is supposed to carry something and put it into another basket while afloat a hot air balloon.
We will have to work out the dynamics and weight of the components so that it also passes the various drill tests. There is a video link to the last year competition.
Talking about the basket, it is not a regular square or rectangular one. It has to have lightening holes that can reduce its weight to a measure that it is good enough for lift and for carrying the robot. We would probably use the truss bridge structure to reduce its weight and make it efficient.
And guess how we are going to get a 3D model of the components?
THE 3D Printer…
It uses ABS Plastic to make the model that has been made in the various 3D Design programs like CATIA, SolidWorks etc. It melts the plastic and the melted plastic is used to make the model. It is a really a neat thing. We had a trip to the 3D Printer Room in our Univ 101 Classes as well.
This is how the class has turned out to be in 3 weeks. I am sure it is going to be much more fun as time passes by.
Day full of Surprises:tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/embry-riddle/Libin//435.75312008-10-14T04:58:40Z2008-11-13T00:36:06ZToday was really an awkward day. The first instance: For the Physics Class, I was supposed to submit homework today. However, I was so sure that I had no homework due. I was sure that I have done all the...Libintargetx
Today was really an awkward day.
The first instance:
For the Physics Class, I was supposed to submit homework today. However, I was so sure that I had no homework due. I was sure that I have done all the homework. I had no assignment to turn it. Combine that situation and the fact that I did not do really awesome in my previous homeworks. I was really upset. I was worried about it during my whole class. However, at the end of the class I went to Dr. Buckalew and told him so. Guess what he told me?”I have your homework for today since last week. I don’t know why, but you have been submitted your homework a week earlier." This is when I realized that since I joined the Physics2 class a week late, I submitted all the three homework on the first day and have been messing up since then. I also didn’t have my schedule for the physics class for the same reason. However, I asked it yesterday, and realized that the first exam was going to be on Oct 9 but it is now rescheduled for Oct 23.Lucky lucky me!
2nd instance:
The MATLAB Exam was supposed to be on Wednesday. However, it was announced today that it is going to be done on Friday. I felt like being a dumb then. I spent most of my weekend doing my homework done and learning for all the exams for this week. I missed all the fun with my roommates. We didn’t even went to play pool (which we do always otherwise). Things change rapidly here, so you need to be at the top of your academics every time.
3rd instance:
I had to work at the Machine Shop on last Thursday and we were supposed to have the first AIAA meeting. It was scheduled to be from 5-6 PM. However, another meeting with the FFH Club was supposed to be at the same place but from 7-8 PM. I signed out of my work at 7PM for the AIAA meeting and really felt stupid. I also almost broke my back trying to skateboard. Feel over seven times in various ways and was really messed up.
So in all you can see, how confused, stressed and stupid a person you can be if you are not planning things out ahead of time in college.
“Do what I say, not what I do”