Ethan De La Rosa
UTRGV Mechanical Engineering student Ethan De La Rosa had the opportunity to complete his UTCRS REU experience at Texas A&M University. Mr. De La Rosa was interested in the fluid dynamics field and its applications in the transportation industry. For this reason, his summer research work focused on the evaluation of the forces associated with drag for different rail cars and train lengths. Drag reducing elements are increasingly being utilized on combination vehicles to reduce fuel consumption. Utilizing similar technology in the railroad industry may reduce fuel consumption and in turn reduce pollution from burnt fuel. Mr. De La Rosa’s experimental methods involved the placement of scale models of rail cars in a wind tunnel to determine the effectiveness of different drag reducing methods. The information he obtained, shows a considerable difference in drag and in the interactions amongst the rail cars.