Wind tunnel testing at NASA Glenn
Knickerbocker in the lab.
Name: Matthew Knickerbocker
Major: Aerospace Undergraduate Senior
Hometown: Bay City, Michigan
Internship Location: John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.
What was your assignment at NASA?
I worked within the Testing Branch which is part of the Facilities division. Specifically I was assigned to work in the Icing Research Wind Tunnel and partially in the Engine Research Building.
My work assignments varied widely over the summer but a typical day might include creating 3D CAD drawings of a wind tunnel test model, doing flow calculations for an exhaust cooling system, or performing wind tunnel test operations.
A large part of my work involved running icing tests in the wind tunnel. For example, I was fortunate enough to participate in the FAA certification testing for the Boeing 777-x. These tests were intended to show how ice would accrete on the wing surface and how effective the anti-icing system was at removing that ice.
What did you enjoy most?
I enjoyed partaking in the wind tunnel test operations, learning about and witnessing ice accretion on wing sections, and networking with highly experienced researchers.
Knickerbocker in the wind tunnel.
What was the toughest part of your experience?
The most challenging part was having to learn about new topics such as ice formation and supersonic flow.
How has the internship impacted your future career plans?
This internship helped to solidify what I am most interested in my career and I believe it will better prepare me for an actual job in industry.
What would you tell another student about your internship if they asked?
I would highly recommend pursuing this type of job/internship to another student because it allowed me to be exposed to a wide range of topics that I'm interested in while also making me feel very comfortable and like I was a part of the team.