Marissa Blakley YES Prep Public Schools – Houston, Texas Dr. Giovanna Biscontin & Dr. Charles Aubeny Department of Civil Engineering

 The strong lateral forces present at sea cause wind turbines to vibrate, or rock back and forth.  These vibrations cause the soil at the bottom of the ocean to weaken, creating a vertical angle between the pile and ocean floor.  If this angle exceeds 5 o, the wind turbine stops producing energy. Texas A&M University, Department of Civil Engineering

 In order to measure the strength of the soil, the research team conducted T-bar and Mini Shear Vane tests using soil mined and shipped from Florida.  Teachers were responsible for mixing powdered clay and water to a predetermined water content of 55%, and determining the soil strength by running each of the tests.  Data was collected using the T-bar, Mini Shear Vane, Basic DAQ and Smart Motor Interface computer software.  The T-bar test recorded voltages and then multiplied by the calibration factor giving force, which is an indicator of soil strength.  The Mini Shear Vane test recorded voltages and multiplied by the calibration factor giving torque.  With these different methods of collecting data, we were able to improve our understanding of the soil mechanics in the ocean.

 Enduring Understandings ◦ Using the Unit Circle and right triangle trigonometry, we can generate the graphs for the sinusoidal functions y = sin(x) and y = cos(x). ◦ Sinusoidal functions can be used to model real world applications – the rise and fall of tides, pendulum motion, the movement of weights supported by springs, etc. ◦ All previous transformations of functions can be applied to sinusoidal functions.

TEK S 3.B - Use functions such as logarithmic, exponential, trigonometric, polynomial, etc. to model real-life data 3.E - Solve problems from physical situations using trigonometry, including the use of Law of Sines, Law of Cosines, and area formulas and incorporate radian measure where needed. College Board PC Graphs functions of the form f (t) = A sin(Bt + C) + D or g(t) = A cos(Bt + C) + D, and interprets A, B, C, and D in terms of amplitude, frequency, period, and vertical and phase shift. PC Compares and contrasts characteristics of different families of functions, such as trigonometric functions, and translates among verbal, tabular, graphical, and symbolic representations of functions. PC Constructs the graphs of the trigonometric functions, and describes their behavior, including periodicity, amplitude, zeros, and symmetries. YES PC.4.1 – Analyzing periodic functions PC.5.1 – Graphing the sine and cosine functions PC.5.2 – Writing sinusoidal functions from graphs and written descriptions PC.5.3 – Application problems involving sinusoidal functions

 Amplitude  Period  Midline  Periodic Function  Periodic Phenomena  Sinusoidal Function  Sinusoidal Regression  Geotechnical Engineering  Wind Turbine  Monopile  Blades  Low-g Accelerometer  Energy Diversification

What is engineering to you? Based on your prior experiences, what do you think an engineer does? ENGAGE.

 Aerospace  Agricultural  Biological  Biomedical  Chemical  Civil  Computer Science  Electrical  Engineering Technology  Industrial Distribution  Industrial & Systems  Mechanical  Nuclear  Petroleum What are the different kinds of engineering? ENGAGE.

EXPLORE.

 Coastal  Ocean  Construction  Environmental  Geotechnical  Materials  Structural  Transportation  Water Resources EXPLORE.

EXPLAIN.

 The Task ◦ In teams of four, design an offshore wind turbine with budget and specification guidelines that will perform under sea-like conditions. EXPLAIN.

 The Model ◦ Create a subsurface structure that will attach to a wind tower no larger than 18 vertical inches with attached blades. EXPLAIN.

 The Budget ◦ All models must be completed using the provided materials, and each group must remain at or under their project budget–60 Eddy bucks. EXPLAIN.

 The Materials ◦ Sheets of plastic ◦ Wooden dowels ◦ Popsicle sticks ◦ Toothpicks ◦ Pipe Cleaners ◦ Glue Stick ◦ Straws ◦ Sheets of cardstock ◦ Rubber bands ◦ Pushpins ◦ Large paper clips ◦ Small paper clips ◦ Brads ◦ Sheets of foam ◦ Paint sticks ◦ Duct tape ◦ Scissors $6/sheet $2 each $3 each $1 each $2 each $0.50 each $0.10 each $4 each $2 each $2/sq. in. $5 each $3 each $1 each $0.50/6 inch piece $1 each $2/sheet $2 each EXPLAIN.

ELABORAT E. Mr. Tim Chinn, Texas A&M University

 The Tracker ELABORAT E.

 The Tests ◦ Each team’s model will be tested in two ways:  How much does the structure vibrate when put under wind conditions?  How much weight can be applied before each structure fails? ELABORAT E. Vernier.com

 The majority of Day 2 will be spent in the design phase of the engineering design process.  Each team will be provided with a bucket full of the soil mixture (75% water content ) to test their creations.  As they work on their models, teams will be allowed to simulate testing conditions & improve their designs. ELABORAT E.

EVALUATE. Test 1: How much does the structure vibrate when put under wind-like conditions ? Test 2: How much weight can be applied before each structure fails?

EVALUATE.

7. Over the course of one day, a team of scientists has recorded the ground temperature, measured in o F, as a function of the time t, measured in hours since midnight. The scientists have agreed that this data is periodic and can be properly modeled using a sinusoidal function. Based on this model, which of the following statements is true? I. The maximum temperature in the desert occurs before 2:00 p.m. II. Between midnight and 6:00 a.m., the temperature remains below 76 o F III. The temperature in the desert is decreasing between 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. A.I only D.II and III only. B.II only E.I, II and III C.I and III only t oFoF

 Dr. Giovanna Biscontin  Dr. Charles Aubeny  Ryan Beemer  Madahuri Murali  Francisco Grajales  Michelle Bernhardt  Silvia Vital  E 3 Team