Marcus Lee
California Institute of Technology
Seminar Information
In Person: Engineering Building Unit 2 - Room 584
Properties of 2D airfoils give us a helpful starting point for understanding the aerodynamics of an idealized infinite span wing. However, they do not capture the full three-dimensional effects for real-world wings that have a finite span. So how do the aerodynamic properties of 3D (finite span) wings differ from those of 2D (infinite span) wings? In this lecture, we will look at how downwash in flow over finite-span wings changes the effective angle of attack and leads to an induced drag. We will also cover Prandtl's lifting-line theory, which gives us a simple but powerful model for estimating total lift over finite wings where lift can vary along the span.
Marcus Lee received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology in 2021 and BSE in Mechanical Engineering from Princeton University in 2015. For his PhD research, Marcus simulated flow over a spinning disk at angle of attack and investigated the effects of spin rate on the resulting instabilities and wake structure. Marcus has also led several diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at Caltech, for which he received Caltech's 2021 MCE Outstanding Service Award and 2021 EAS New Horizons Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Award.