The principal investigator will add a Hewlett Packard 310 computer and data acquisition system to the existing materials testing and fluids mechanics laboratory. Students in the Department of Technology will conduct experiments in fan performance measurement, flow blockage, and tensile measurements. In a unique experiment structure the students will study the principles of computer aided data acquisition first. Using existing software, the students then will conduct experiments in measuring the performance of fans, to include computer calculated performance curves. Finally, the students will be given an open-ended experiment to design, write the software and prepare computer generated reports. This structure, covering experiments from "canned" to open- ended, will provide the student with an excellent understanding of computer-aided experimentation.
