Through the application of Fluid Mechanics, this report has attempted to determine what lift and drag effects impact three different plunge-diving birds: the Common Tern, Belted Kingfisher, and Northern Gannet. By using a wind tunnel, 3D modeling, and fluid analysis, we were able to determine the possible effects that each of these birds experienced as they reached their maximum speed before impacting the water. To accomplish this, we used multiple methods of approximating the bird's dimensions and conditions along with simulating the final 3D-printed bird heads in a wind tunnel at conditions they are expected to experience in the real world. By the end of this report we have shown the effects of lift and drag each studied bird experiences and explained how the experiment was conducted.

Personal Interest Statements

Bryan Burhardt:

My personal interest comes from my co-op where I had a rotation in the airflow lab where I tested turbochargers, induction systems, and cylinder heads to verify/test the flow through the system/part. While there is a wind tunnel that I could potentially get a rotation at to do aerodynamics testing of vehicle models I likely will not as I am not really a car person. When this project idea was brainstormed I thought it would be a cool way to do some wind tunnel testing with things that I would not see while at my co-op.

Joshua Greene:

My personal interest in this project lies in the application of this study to aerospace applications, particularly downmass capabilities (the ability to return objects put in space to Earth’s surface). One aspect of my work at my co-op is designing systems to allow for the recovery and recycling of our satellites. Currently, this would likely be performed with two-stage vertical takeoff and landing vehicles like Starship; however, there is increasing interest and work towards single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) spaceplanes that can fly into space from a runway. The results gained from this project could help inform future designs for vehicles returning from space that, in the event of a vehicle failure or some anomaly that results in an unintended water landing, improve survivability for the vehicle itself along with any crew or cargo aboard.

Nathan Rager:

My personal interest comes from the lessons that can be gained from biology and as a way of demonstrating the reasons those in engineering should be aware of other disciplines like biology. I was made aware of plunge-diving birds when I took the ecology class here at Kettering and I was always curious about how they work. From my time going through the bio-application concentration I’ve been made aware of the potential value of studying and understanding biology and the unique ways life finds achieves things we have yet to do. I believe that if we can recreate some of the amazing things animals and plants can do I feel engineering and society can grow as a whole. If it can be proven that there is value in protecting animals for potential discoveries, as unfortunately some of these birds are at risk of being endangered, I feel that all of us are in a better position to succeed. With the opportunity to potentially better understand the way plunging birds are able to keep enough momentum to catch fish, I hope to demonstrate the value of studying biology from an engineering perspective.

Click here to read the Report.

Click here to view the Presentation.

Click here to view Bryan's personal essay.

Click here to view Joshua's personal essay.

Click here to view Nathan's personal essay.