Skip to main content

Search Results

A Mighty Wind: Using Wind Tunnels to Measure Sound by Deadening the Noise

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) sponsored a project at Virginia Tech University nearly 20 years ago that is now growing in influence across the world for measuring aerospace and aeronautical acoustics. Since noise reverberates against solid surfaces, such as the walls of a wind tunnel where acoustical testing takes place, collecting accurate sound data had been nearly impossible at the time. Researchers were also struggling to discern the sound of the wind tunnel’s air flow from the noise of the object traveling through it. After learning about some experiments on Kevlar as a wind screen, William Devenport, an engineering professor and director of Virginia Tech’s Stability Wind Tunnel, said he and a colleague wrote a proposal to then-ONR program officer Ron Joslin to try adding Kevlar to their wind tunnel walls. Devenport submitted the original grant proposal (N00014–04–1–04933) through the FY 2004 Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) for alterations to Virginia Tech’s existing Stability Wind Tunnel that would allow it to measure flow-induced noise of relevance to Navy applications.

August 14, 2023

Navy Recruits Diversity of Thought through Summer Internships

School may be out for summer, but an opportunity to gain valuable, professional experience in their field of study has just begun for students enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Minority Institutions’ (HBCU/MIs’). Anthony Smith, director, Department of Navy's (DoN) HBCU/MI Program, said there are eight different internships with the addition of a new one this year. “We are embarking on a new student internship program with the Navy Facilities Command (NAVFAC),” he said. “That’s a big deal because that’s focused on students in engineering but more along the lines of civil engineering and construction technology – and that’s a big one that we have not had before. So, that’s exciting for us.” Education and outreach from the DoN includes college internships, graduate fellowships, science fairs and competitions, and curriculum enrichment programs for students of all ages. The HBCU/MI program aims to increase participation from under-represented educational institutions for research, development, test and evaluation programs.
May 31, 2023

Department of Navy's HBCU/MI Faculty Start-up Program in Materials

The Department of Navy's HBCU/MI Faculty Start-up Program in Materials enhances infrastructure for HBCUs/MIs by providing start-up funding for new, untenured faculty members whose teaching and research impact DoD needs in materials science/engineering.
March 18, 2022

Exceptional Engineering: Naval Employees Earn Black Engineer of the Year Awards

Four Department of the Navy (DoN) employees at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) won 2021 Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) from the US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine.
February 18, 2021

Expanding Horizons: Naval STEM Initiative Focuses on High School, College Students

The Department of the Navy’s (DoN) Naval STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) program recently launched the newest version of its Naval Horizons student essay contest for high school and college students.
October 24, 2022

Prize-Winning Prose: Naval STEM Announces Winners of Naval Horizons Essay Contest

The results are in for the recent Naval Horizons student essay contest, organized by the Naval STEM Coordination Office, which is located at the Office of Naval Research.
October 20, 2021