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Reflective Letter:
I would like to express how my work in the fluid dynamics course aptly aligns with the outlined objectives. Throughout the course, I have studied and used of my knowledge to accomplish many tasks such as completing the tests which were very demanding and the learned course objectives were best displayed by my groups pipeline design project where we put all the knowledge, we have refined to tackle a real-life application. In the Beginning of the class I learned the fundamentals of fluid mechanics and how to solve problems with stagnate fluids in HW 1.1 and throughout of the course and developing my skills I was able to complete design problems shown in HW 3.2 This showcases a seamless integration of theoretical knowledge and practical applications in my portfolio. From computing pressure and associated forces to addressing specific industrial problems, such as open-channel flow and water hammer, my work reflects a comprehensive understanding of fluid dynamics principles. The application of conservation of energy, friction losses computation, and the selection of appropriate pumps for various configurations further demonstrate my commitment to mastering the subject. I welcome any feedback and look forward to discussing my portfolio in more detail.
Sincerely,
Tyler Gray
Answered Questions:
1) Where is your learning demonstrated in the course?
My Knowledge I felt was best displayed during my pipeline design project.
2) What areas did you feel you were most successful, or improved the most?
I felt most successful and improved on buoyancy forces. As seen in Test 2.
3) How do you see this course’s content intersecting with your field or career?
I believe my problem solving skills acquired during this course will be used extremely often in my career.
4) Have you been able to apply concepts you have learned in the course to what you
do at work or in other courses?
I have not yet but I fully expect to.
5) How, when, where and why you might use this information or skill in the future?
This knowledge would be very handy in a situation where I needed to create a run-off system for a tank, Using my knowledge of open channels I could calculate the area I would need to make a system that would be able to withstand the flow rate coming out of the tank.
6) Do you think what you learn is important for your professional career?
Yes, I do.
7) Where do you think you will be using everything you learned?
In the industry, with my knowledge of fluid mechanics I could tackle any problem that deals with fluids.
8) If you were starting this class again, what advice would you give yourself to
ensure that you had a successful semester?
If I were to take this class again I would try and create more time to dedicate to this class as it was very demanding.
9) After taking this class, in what ways have you improved as an engineer? What
brought about those improvements?
I felt that my problem solving and critical thinking has drastically improved.
10) What was your biggest accomplishment in the course? Be specific with respect to
your work and the topics you learned in the course.
My biggest accomplishment was the completion of the pipeline design problem. Where my team was tasked with creating a coolant system. By using the principles learned in the class our team was able to pick the best possible pump for our design by solving for energy losses in the system from elbows and internal pipe friction losses.
11) What skills did you master in this course? How are they reflected in the
assignments (HW, tests, etc.) Be specific.
I felt that I mastered the application of Bernoulli’s Equation. Being able to accurately chose where to place the points where you apply the equation is critical! I felt this was best displayed on Test 2 where points were not given. With my knowledge of fluid mechanics and understanding what I need to solve for allowed me to chose the best possible locations for the points.
12) What do you feel are your strengths and weaknesses? Explain while making
specific references to your work.
My weaknesses tended to be creating excel sheets that solved the problem iteratively. I was able to get the equation to a point where I could input into excel with confidence but I ran into errors as I wasn’t setting up the functions correctly. My strengths are rooted in my resiliency, this class was very difficult. I spent a large majority of my time dedicated to this class, but I never let it get to me. I focused on the task at hand and by not giving up was able to build a strong understanding of fluid mechanics.
13) How did you think about this course before you took it and how you think about it
now that it is over? How many of your assumptions of understandings changed?
Why?
I knew going into this class it was going to be difficult that did not change throughout the entire course as it pushed me the entire semester, there was no time wasted in this class everything we learned was applied. I really enjoyed seeing my development over this semester as I got a better understanding of the course material my confidence in my problem solving skills continually got stronger.
