Engineering Commons^™

Cannons To Spark Thermal-Fluid Canons, Francis M. Haas, Nicholas W. Dow, Thomas L. Merrill, Smitesh Bakrania

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Hands-on projects are launch pads for sparking student interest. Specifically, design-build-test (DBT) projects can be effective tools for boosting students’ confidence in their ability to apply theoretical knowledge to practical engineering. Recognizing the need for relating the theoretical aspects of thermodynamics to its application, an air cannon design-build-test project was envisioned and implemented.

Air cannons can be simple and inexpensive to construct, while offering a robust platform to explore thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics concepts. At the same time, the ability to launch projectiles from the cannons carries an obvious appeal for many students. An air cannon design project …