Today I met an NC State student named Michael. He and some other students were working in the Control & Optimization for Renewables & Energy Efficiency Lab. Their focus is creating systems that can precisely control autonomous movement. This can apply to self-driving automobiles, coordinating ships, stabilizing flying objects, and maximizing fuel efficiency. Michael and the other students often use simulations to work on their control systems, but when they need to test physical models, they have a water channel to experiment with. I also got to visit the Unsteady Fluid Mechanics Lab, where the water channel resides. The water channel is a very cool machine. It pumps water in an oval loop so that there is a constant flow of water through the testing chamber. This is very useful for testing the aerodynamics of objects and controlling their movement mid-flight. I really enjoyed learning about autonomous control and optimization in moving systems with Michael today.
Pictures of the water channel:
