FMU EPIC

In this experiment, participants will learn essential Industrial Engineering (IE) concepts, including Lean Manufacturing, Line Balancing, and the 5S methodology. Participant teams will seek to design the most efficient process to build several Lego assemblies. Yes, Legos! What’s at stake? Over the course of the day, the team that designs the fastest overall assembly process, without defects or the need for inspection, will win epic IE bragging rights, and maybe a prize!

In this activity, students will learn fundamentals of using radiation detection equipment. Using this knowledge, students will enter a radiologically controlled area and use detection equipment to find sources of radiological contamination. In this exercise students will also learn about basic procedures for entering and exiting radiologically controlled areas, the difference between contamination and exposure, and some of the different types of equipment used to detect radiation.

Exciting gamma rays emitted by an Americium 241 source will be used to stimulate the emission of X-rays from samples of gold and silver. A High Purity Germanium detector and a computer-based multi-channel analyzer will be used to detect, identify and measure the X-ray energies of gold and silver items. Samples brought by students will also be analyzed.

Measuring air speed using a Pitot Tube: To measure airspeed of the aircraft, pilots use data from a pitot tube that is installed close to the nose of the aircraft. In this experiment, a pitot tube is installed inside a wind tunnel to simulate flight conditions. The objective of the experiment is to acquire a calibration curve to determine the actual airspeed based on inputs from the pressure sensors (a water-based manometer) which will be then used to investigate the performance of an airfoil.

Lift performance of an airfoil: To investigate the performance of a NACA 0012 airfoil, the wind tunnel is set to a high airspeed setting using the calibration curve in the previous experiment. The lift is measured from a force transducer that is connected to the wind tunnel. The objective of this experiment is to examine how lift varies with angle of attack. Of particular interest is to ascertain the angle of attack at which the airfoil stalls, namely, the critical angle of attack. The session ends with the students plotting the Coefficient of lift vs. angle of attack, which gives researchers an understanding of how an aircraft with the NACA 0012 airfoil performs in real flight conditions.

Plasmas consist of high temperature gasses of charged particles (electrons and positive ions) and are the most common state of matter in the universe. Research in plasma physics may one day lead to a safe, non-polluting, and essentially limitless source of energy via sustained nuclear fusion. In this experiment, students will investigate the effects of gas pressure, electrode spacing, and high voltage on the formation of plasmas in DC electric glow discharges. They will also experiment with a 15” diameter plasma globe.

Have you ever wondered how products are designed and manufactured? In this experiment, students will use professional 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD) modeling software to design a product. They will then use 3D printers to see their designs be realized. Finally, students will use vacuum forming machines to create the packaging required to ship the product off. This experiment is designed for students at all levels of experience with 3D CAD and 3D printing.

Is the universe changing? Is space itself shrinking, expanding or remaining static? In this experiment, you’ll use light from distant galaxies to uncover the cosmological future of the universe, and calculate how long ago the universe began in the “big bang!” You’ll be looking at spectra with your own eyes, and data recorded from telescopes. You’ll be applying astronomical principles to discover a conclusion that baffled even Einstein initially!

Diffraction and spectroscopy are both powerful scientific tools. When light passes through microscopic holes, the different wavelengths of light will bend — or “diffract” — at different angles. By measuring these angles of diffraction, we will find out which wavelengths of light are emitted by different atoms, and these specific wavelengths will be used as an “atomic fingerprint” to identify the atoms. Light also diffracts when it passes around very small objects, and we will use this diffraction to measure the diameter of a hair.

Suppose it’s raining outside, and you were so busy thinking about your idea for new batteries for electric cars that you forgot your umbrella! Is it better to run through the rain, or can you stay drier by walking? We could probably answer this question with real-world experiments, but maybe we’d rather stay dry. Does it matter how hard it’s raining or if the wind is blowing? Does it matter how tall you are? What if this is all happening on a different planet? Students will use and modify simulations to explore how computers (including the Patriot Supercomputing Cluster at FMU) can be used to investigate realistic (and less-realistic) situations.

The electron is a fundamental particle that is a part of all atoms in the universe. In this experiment, a beam of electrons made visible by interaction with Helium gas is accelerated to high speed in a large vacuum tube and its path bent into a circle by a variable magnetic field. Measured values for the accelerating voltage, magnetic field strength and radius of curvature of the beam will be used to determine the mass of the electron.

Have you ever listened to the Sun? In this experiment we will use the RadioJove dipole antenna to listen to the Sun. To practice you’ll work with an ARISS Sparki kit to tune into local radio stations (and maybe hear some radio chatter). Then we’ll move outside to the RadioJove station to tune into the Sun.

Step into the shoes of a brilliant engineer in The Engineer’s Legacy, an exciting escape room experience that will test your problem-solving skills and creativity. As a team of elite engineers, you’ve been summoned to the headquarters of a legendary engineer whose groundbreaking work shaped the modern world. But there’s a catch—the engineer has mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind a series of intricate puzzles and challenges designed to safeguard his most precious secrets.

Inside the room, you’ll discover a workshop full of gadgets, blueprints, and contraptions. You will encounter clues and puzzles that require a deep understanding of engineering principles to solve. Anywhere from decoding schematics to repairing malfunctioning machinery, your team’s collective expertise will be crucial in navigating this high-stakes adventure.

As time ticks away, you’ll need to collaborate, think creatively, and apply your engineering knowledge to unlock the mysteries of the engineer’s legacy. Will you be able to unravel the secrets and escape before the clock runs out?