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Wind loads

Civil Engineers need to know wind loading on buildings. Aerospace Engineers and Naval Architects need to know lift and drag on wings and sails.

Civil Engineers need to know wind loading on buildings. Aerospace Engineers and Naval Architects need to know lift and drag on wings and sails. Automotive Engineers need to know wind resistance of vehicles.

Engineers use the same basic equation for all of these.

You will see it demonstrated, and use it as you find the power requirements of a car, such as eVe the UNSW Sunswift solar car.

We are expanding from statics towards dynamics. But we won’t encounter acceleration, so our equations for static equilibrium will still apply. And of course FBDs do too.

But we will need to understand power and velocity. We’ll quote the definitions and let the concepts seep into you as you absorb the experiments, follow the analysis and do the exercises.

Talking points

  • Are we at the beginning of the age of the electric car? If so, how can Engineers contribute?
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Through Engineers' Eyes: Engineering Mechanics by Experiment, Analysis and Design

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