Both of us have been extremely fortunate to experience the natural wonder of our great lakes and oceans, and we are both extremely knowledgeable about the threats that could devastate the profound beauty this world has to offer. As passionate engineering students, we decided that we would both like to extend these profound experiences to generations to come.

In so doing, we plan to use our knowledge of the impending threats that our natural sources of water face, as well as our passion for engineering and problem-solving, to produce a solution to the issue without an extreme limit to our freedoms on the water.

Wesley’s Interest:

I am a certified scuba diver, and it is my dream to visit Australia and dive into the Great Barrier Reef. So much of it is already being destroyed due to climate change, which is why water conservation efforts and pollution control are of great importance to me.

Caleb’s Interest:

Growing up at my grandparents' cottage, I spent countless hours on the water and fixing watercraft out of the water. My passion for engineering developed from working on boats with my Grandpa. I am who I am today because of the time I’ve spent on the water, and I would like to give the same extraordinary experiences to generations to come. In order to do that, we must preserve our waters before it’s too late.

Over the course of this project, the aerodynamic properties and performance of a hydrofoil were researched, studied in a lab setting, and evaluated in terms of performance, environmental savings as well as consumer savings.

After much research, a commonly shaped hydrofoil was designed using CAE software and 3D printing, which are available to us from Kettering University. A wing and a fixturing device were produced to utilize Kettering’s wind tunnel and lift and drag measuring equipment.

By fixing the scaled hydrofoil into the wind tunnel, we were able to record the lift and drag it produced. With the adjustable fixture we created, our team was able to measure the hydrofoil at different angles of attack and fan speeds, allowing us to find the optimal angle at which to mount the hydrofoil in a real-life situation. After collecting and sorting through the data from our experiment, conversions were made to show us the results if in water, as our hydrofoil’s intended use is as such. Once converted, this data was applied to many calculations, including fuel savings, drag reduction, and the environmental impact of our designed hydrofoil. From these calculations, we were able to see the positive impact that a hydrofoil would have on both macroscopic and microscopic levels.

Click here to read the Report.

Click here to view the Presentation.

Click here to view Caleb's personal essay.

Click here to view Wesley's personal essay.