Learning about wind on the highway took up a good part of the year for StFX engineering students Jenny Bowie and Connor McCabe, who hope to use the knowledge to help increase fuel efficiency.
The two, who graduated this spring, spent the last year as part of a group of four students in StFX earth sciences professor Dr. Dave Risk’s FluxLab involved with novel wind modelling. The work originated within a project helping advance truck-based gas detection technology, funded by ACOA Atlantic Innovation Fund. The goal was to improve wind measurement with better anemometer placement on the research trucks, and offset calibrations for speed and yaw. Tara Hanlon, who graduates from StFX with a MSc degree this fall, and Meghan Flood, a 2018 engineering graduate, laid the foundational research, and wind work steadily branched out in the research group. Ms. Bowie, recipient of a 2018 Wallace Family Internship, created a mathematical algorithm to aid in measurement of wind from vehicles and started testing her product on a real vehicle. She’s been working to find the frontal wind speed experienced by a car without the use of an anemometer.
“By measuring the wind from a vehicle, the winds that highway vehicles encounter can be better understood. With greater knowledge of the relationship between wind and fuel consumption, several methods to increase fuel efficiency can be developed. Some of these include mapping winds, adjusting routes based on wind patterns, and even developing an adjustable cruise control system that accounts for wind. Research in this area is important because it is highly applicable to the industry—decreasing emissions goes hand in hand with financial savings on fuel.”
A large part of his work included using a computational fluid dynamics software to model the air flow over a transport truck.
For his field work, he worked with Classic Freight, a freight company out of Dartmouth, NS, to attach an anemometer to measure winds from one of their trucks. The truck travelled around Atlantic Canada for over two weeks, collecting data on wind speed and direction. This data will be used to gain a better understanding of the winds experienced by highway vehicles and how they affect fuel efficiency.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE HARD TO BEAT
“The opportunity to be involved in research as an undergraduate is one that is hard to beat,” he says.
“The critical thinking, communication, project management and hands-on skills that I have gained from this experience are ones that I will carry with me throughout my academic career and onward. Research as an undergraduate not only helps you to develop your academic skillset, but it also allows you to better understand and appreciate the scientific method,” says Mr. McCabe who begins his first co-op term as he moves on to Dalhousie University to complete his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering over the next three years.
“The opportunity to get involved in research is one of the great benefits of being a student at StFX. Having faculty and supervisors that encourage you to explore your ideas and ask questions provides an exceptional academic experience.”
He says what he found most surprising about his research experience is just how impactful it can be. “You don’t necessarily expect what you do as an undergraduate to have a large impact on society. But when you’re given the opportunity to ask questions and the right tools to look for answers, the results can be quite surprising.”
This research is, in part, made possible by the Government of Canada Research Support Fund.