Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Institution
-
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (89)
- Air Force Institute of Technology (45)
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (23)
- Missouri University of Science and Technology (19)
- Utah State University (18)
-
- Selected Works (17)
- West Virginia University (15)
- University of Alabama in Huntsville (14)
- Old Dominion University (11)
- University of Central Florida (8)
- Western Michigan University (8)
- Florida Institute of Technology (7)
- University of Texas at El Paso (7)
- Minnesota State University, Mankato (6)
- Purdue University (6)
- The University of Akron (6)
- University of Kentucky (6)
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas (5)
- Washington University in St. Louis (5)
- Western University (5)
- Kennesaw State University (4)
- Morehead State University (4)
- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (4)
- University of South Carolina (4)
- Florida International University (3)
- Northern Illinois University (3)
- Tennessee State University (3)
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville (3)
- San Jose State University (2)
- Southern Methodist University (2)
- Keyword
-
- UAV (13)
- Aircraft (10)
- UAS (10)
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (8)
- Aerodynamics (7)
-
- Drone (6)
- Propulsion (6)
- Aerospace (5)
- Combustion (5)
- SUAS (5)
- Turbulence (5)
- Additive Manufacturing (4)
- Aviation (4)
- CFD (4)
- CubeSat (4)
- Electric Propulsion (4)
- Human factors (4)
- Optimization (4)
- Satellite (4)
- Simulation (4)
- Space exploration (4)
- Spacecraft (4)
- Surveillance (4)
- #antcenter (3)
- Boundary Layer (3)
- Computational fluid dynamics (3)
- Drones (3)
- Environment (3)
- Fluid Dynamics (3)
- Lunar dust (3)
- Publication
-
- Theses and Dissertations (49)
- Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses (34)
- International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace (30)
- Master's Theses (18)
- Space Traffic Management Conference (13)
-
- Masters Theses (11)
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works (9)
- Ryan L. Kobrick (9)
- Electronic Theses and Dissertations (8)
- Faculty & Staff Scholarship (8)
- Publications (8)
- All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023 (7)
- Faculty Publications (7)
- Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (7)
- Open Access Theses & Dissertations (7)
- Aviation Department Publications (6)
- Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations (6)
- Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects (6)
- Honors Theses (5)
- McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations (5)
- Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications (5)
- Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs) (5)
- Von Braun Symposium Student Posters (5)
- Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository (4)
- Morehead State Theses and Dissertations (4)
- Research Horizons Day Posters (4)
- Senior Design Project For Engineers (4)
- Student Works (4)
- UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones (4)
- Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects (3)
Articles 1 - 30 of 386
Full-Text Articles in Engineering
Bubble Pinch-Off In Turbulence, Daniel J. Ruth, Wouter Mostert, Stephane Perrard, Luc Deike
Bubble Pinch-Off In Turbulence, Daniel J. Ruth, Wouter Mostert, Stephane Perrard, Luc Deike
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works
Although bubble pinch-off is an archetype of a dynamical system evolving toward a singularity, it has always been described in idealized theoretical and experimental conditions. Here, we consider bubble pinch-off in a turbulent flow representative of natural conditions in the presence of strong and random perturbations, combining laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and theoretical modeling. We show that the turbulence sets the initial conditions for pinch-off, namely the initial bubble shape and flow field, but after the pinch-off starts, the turbulent time at the neck scale becomes much slower than the pinching dynamics: The turbulence freezes. We show that the average …
Performance Modeling Of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Zigzag-Channel Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers, Katrine Birgitte Bennett
Performance Modeling Of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Zigzag-Channel Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers, Katrine Birgitte Bennett
UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones
Supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) is currently being studied as the working fluid in power producing Brayton cycles due to its excellent physical and thermodynamic properties, especially near the critical point. Printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) are being considered for use as condensers and recuperators for this purpose due to their high strength and compact designs. Many experimental and numerical studies are being conducted to characterize and optimize sCO2 PCHE operation and develop correlations to describe their thermal-hydraulic performance. Additionally, a few experimental and numerical structural assessments of these PCHEs have been conducted, but all have been somewhat limited due to …
Characterization Of Simulated Low Earth Orbit Space Environment Effects On Acid-Spun Carbon Nanotube Yarns, Ryan A. Kemnitz, Gregory R. Cobb, Abhendra K. Singh, Carl R. Hartsfield
Characterization Of Simulated Low Earth Orbit Space Environment Effects On Acid-Spun Carbon Nanotube Yarns, Ryan A. Kemnitz, Gregory R. Cobb, Abhendra K. Singh, Carl R. Hartsfield
Faculty Publications
The purpose of this study is to quantify the detrimental effects of atomic oxygen and ultraviolet (UV) C radiation on the mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and piezoresistive effect of acid-spun carbon nanotube (CNT) yarns. Monotonic tensile tests with in-situ electrical resistance measurements were performed on pristine and exposed yarns to determine the effects of the atomic oxygen and UVC exposures on the yarn’s material properties. Both type of exposures were performed under vacuum to simulate space environment conditions. The CNT yarns’ mechanical properties did not change significantly after being exposed to UV radiation, but were significantly degraded by the atomic …
The Investigation Of Noise, Vibrations And Emissions Of Aero-Gas Turbine Combustion With Synthetic Kerosene Fuels, Margaret Kilpatrick
The Investigation Of Noise, Vibrations And Emissions Of Aero-Gas Turbine Combustion With Synthetic Kerosene Fuels, Margaret Kilpatrick
Honors College Theses
Climatic changes from aviation emissions are complex and include effects of greenhouse gases such as: CO2, NOx, and aerosols. For that reason, the objectives of this study were to investigate the noise, vibrations and emissions characteristics of synthetic kerosene combustion in an aerospace gas turbine to reduce the engine’s environmental impact. Sustainably produced synthetic kerosene is known for having low soot emissions due to little to no aromatics (compounds that create particle pollutants), and for being a sustainable alternative fuel source to imported oil. The noise and sound levels were collected using Bruel & Kjaer microphones to measure various mid …
Methodology Of Topology Optimization, Naziha Khandoker
Methodology Of Topology Optimization, Naziha Khandoker
Honors Theses
The need for lighter products is becoming increasingly essential as it cuts material cost and significant amount of weight, which is a key factor in the automotive and aerospace industries. Topology optimization allows us to achieve that by applying the concept to different structures with the goal of optimal distribution of material within finite volume design domain. Its algorithms selectively remove and relocate elements to achieve the optimum performance. This project performs a study on the effect of each design parameter over mechanical performance using Finite Element Analysis and applies it to set of wing attachment brackets. The optimized brackets …
Multiscale Modeling Of Fracture In Quasi-Brittle Materials Using Bifurcation Analysis And Element Elimination Method, Keyvan Zare Rami
Multiscale Modeling Of Fracture In Quasi-Brittle Materials Using Bifurcation Analysis And Element Elimination Method, Keyvan Zare Rami
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Analyzing the fracture of heterogeneous materials is a complex problem, due to the fact that the mechanical behavior of a heterogeneous material is strongly dependent on a variety of factors, such as its microstructure, the properties of each constituent, and interactions between them. Therefore, these factors must be effectively taken into account for accurate analysis, for which the multiscale method has been widely used. In this scheme, the computational homogenization method is used to obtain the effective macroscopic properties of a heterogeneous material based on the response of a Representative Volume Element (RVE). The growth of damage in an RVE …
Tumble Bot, Alena Beyer, Blake Gonzales, Jensen Severance, Liam Chaffey
Tumble Bot, Alena Beyer, Blake Gonzales, Jensen Severance, Liam Chaffey
Mechanical Engineering
Passive locomotion is the ability for an object to move from one place to another by the means of the environment. In nature species such as tumbleweed, fox tails, plankton, and man o’ war jellyfish rely on passive modes of transportation for survival and are able to cross vast distances with little to no expenditure of their own energy. This document seeks to explore the feasibility of building a machine relies on the energy of Mars’ environment to explore the Martian surface.
The “Tensegrity Tumbleweed Locomotion” (nicknamed Tumble Bot) senior project was sponsored by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The …
Wall-Jet Turbulence And Mixing Control By Way Of A Pulsed Inlet Velocity, Cristale D. Garnica Vallejo
Wall-Jet Turbulence And Mixing Control By Way Of A Pulsed Inlet Velocity, Cristale D. Garnica Vallejo
Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses
Understanding wall-jet-induced turbulence and mixing is an important challenge in modern engineering, as drag reduction and mixing enhancement are attainable by modifying the flow development. Simulations are performed to investigate the effect on skin friction and flow mixing due to introducing controlled perturbations, at the initial shear layer of a planar wall-jet using jet inlet cyclic pulsing. The billow production by the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, the instability that drives turbulence in a wall-jet, is modified by the excitation of the inlet velocity profile by a sine wave perturbation. Two types of wall-jet simulations are carried out, a two-dimensional compressible case at …
Magnetic Field Induced Ferrofluid Droplet Breakup In A Simple Shear Flow At A Low Reynolds Number, Md Rifat Hassan, Cheng Wang
Magnetic Field Induced Ferrofluid Droplet Breakup In A Simple Shear Flow At A Low Reynolds Number, Md Rifat Hassan, Cheng Wang
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works
The breakup phenomenon of a ferrofluid droplet in a simple shear flow under a uniform magnetic field is numerically investigated in this paper. The numerical simulation, based on the finite element method, uses a level set method to capture the dynamic evolution of the droplet interface between the two phases. Focusing on small Reynolds numbers (i.e., Re ≤ 0.03), systematic numerical simulations are carried out to analyze the effects of magnetic field strength, direction, and viscosity ratio on the breakup phenomenon of the ferrofluid droplet. The results suggest that applying a magnetic field along α = 45° and 90° relative …
Droplets As Carriers For Flexible Electronic Devices, Mingxing Zhou, Ziyue Wu, Yicong Zhao, Qing Yang, Wei Ling, Ya Li, Hang Xu, Cheng Wang, Xian Huang
Droplets As Carriers For Flexible Electronic Devices, Mingxing Zhou, Ziyue Wu, Yicong Zhao, Qing Yang, Wei Ling, Ya Li, Hang Xu, Cheng Wang, Xian Huang
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works
Coupling soft bodies and dynamic motions with multifunctional flexible electronics is challenging, but is essential in satisfying the urgent and soaring demands of fully soft and comprehensive robotic systems that can perform tasks in spite of rigorous spatial constraints. Here, the mobility and adaptability of liquid droplets with the functionality of flexible electronics, and techniques to use droplets as carriers for flexible devices are combined. The resulting active droplets (ADs) with volumes ranging from 150 to 600 µL can conduct programmable functions, such as sensing, actuation, and energy harvesting defined by the carried flexible devices and move under the excitation …
Fatigue Issues And Mitigation Strategies In Collegiate Aviation, Flavio A. C. Mendonca Ph.D., Julius Keller, Erik Levin, Aaron Teo
Fatigue Issues And Mitigation Strategies In Collegiate Aviation, Flavio A. C. Mendonca Ph.D., Julius Keller, Erik Levin, Aaron Teo
Publications
The reduction of fatigue-related accidents has been in the NTSB most wanted list since 2016 (NSTB, 2019).
Most research studies have focused on fatigue identification and management within the commercial and/or military aviation environments (Caldwell et al., 2009; Gawron, 2016; Sieberichs & Kluge, 2016).
However, collegiate aviation may be the most challenging in terms of fatigue mitigation. Flight instructors and students often have schedules which may increase the risks for fatigue.
A Reinforcement Learning Approach To Spacecraft Trajectory Optimization, Daniel S. Kolosa
A Reinforcement Learning Approach To Spacecraft Trajectory Optimization, Daniel S. Kolosa
Dissertations
This dissertation explores a novel method of solving low-thrust spacecraft targeting problems using reinforcement learning. A reinforcement learning algorithm based on Deep Deterministic Policy Gradients was developed to solve low-thrust trajectory optimization problems. The algorithm consists of two neural networks, an actor network and a critic network. The actor approximates a thrust magnitude given the current spacecraft state expressed as a set of orbital elements. The critic network evaluates the action taken by the actor based on the state and action taken. Three different types of trajectory problems were solved, a generalized orbit change maneuver, a semimajor axis change maneuver, …
Damage Resistance And Tolerance Of 3d Woven Composites, Justin T. Mcdermott
Damage Resistance And Tolerance Of 3d Woven Composites, Justin T. Mcdermott
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Composite materials have been adopted into primary aircraft structures by virtue of their great strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight ratios, fatigue insensitivity, and corrosion resistance. These characteristics are leveraged by aircraft designers to deliver improved fuel effciency and reduced scheduled maintenance burdens for their customers. These benefits have been impressively realized in the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 XWB, with airframes utilizing about 50% composites by weight. Tempering these successes, however, are the inherent vulnerabilities of carbon-fiber reinforced composites. When compared to conventional metallic structure, composite laminates are more sensitive to stress concentrations at mechanical fastenings and damage due to low-velocity impact. …
Development Of A Research Spacecraft Test-Bed With Implementation Of Control Laws To Compensate Undesired Dynamics, Yomary Angélica Betancur Vesga
Development Of A Research Spacecraft Test-Bed With Implementation Of Control Laws To Compensate Undesired Dynamics, Yomary Angélica Betancur Vesga
Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses
The development of research spacecraft systems has a significant impact on the preparation and simulation of future space missions. Hardware, software and operation procedures can be adequately tested, validated and verified before they are deployed for the actual mission. In this thesis, a spacecraft vehicle test-bed named Extreme Access System (EASY) was developed. EASY aims at supporting validation and verification of guidance, navigation and control algorithms. Description of EASY spacecraft systems, sub-systems and integration is presented in this thesis along with an analysis of results from numerical simulation and actual implementation of control laws. An attitude control architecture based on …
The Effectiveness Of Augmented Reality For Astronauts On Lunar Missions: An Analog Study, Godfrey Valencio D’Souza
The Effectiveness Of Augmented Reality For Astronauts On Lunar Missions: An Analog Study, Godfrey Valencio D’Souza
Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses
The uses of augmented reality and head-up displays are becoming more prominent in industries such as aviation, automotive, and medicine. An augmented reality device such as the Microsoft HoloLens can project holograms onto the user’s natural field of view to assist with completion of a variety of tasks. Unfortunately, only a little research and development has begun in the space sector for astronauts using these head-up displays. Future lunar missions could incorporate augmented reality for astronauts to ease task load and improve accuracy. This study evaluated the usability, subjective workload, and task performance of 22 participants using the Microsoft HoloLens …
Numerical Treatment Of Schrödinger’S Equation For One-Particle And Two-Particle Systems Using Matrix Method, Spatika Dasharati Iyengar
Numerical Treatment Of Schrödinger’S Equation For One-Particle And Two-Particle Systems Using Matrix Method, Spatika Dasharati Iyengar
Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses
With an increased interest in accurately predicting aerothermal environments for planetary entry, recent researches have concentrated on developing high fidelity computational models using quantum-mechanical first principles. These calculations are dependent on solving the Schrödinger equation using molecular orbital theory techniques. They are either approximate solutions to actual equations or exact solutions to approximate equations. Exact solutions have not found favor due to the computational expense of the problem. Hence, a novel numerical approach is developed and tested here using linear algebraic matrix methods to enable precise solutions.
The finite-difference technique is used to cast the Time-Independent Schrödinger equation (TISE) in …
In-Situ Measurement Of Resin Shrinkage For Aerospace Components, Samarth Motagi
In-Situ Measurement Of Resin Shrinkage For Aerospace Components, Samarth Motagi
Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses
Resin shrinkage due to chemical changes and thermal gradients plays an important role in the residual stress evolution during composite manufacturing. In this thesis, we develop a new in-situ experimental approach for measuring resin shrinkage during curing with the help of digital image correlation (DIC) instrumented on a specially designed autoclave with borosilicate viewports. The images of the resin sample are captured at regular intervals with the help of DIC to measure the displacement and strains during the curing process. We utilize this method for a comparative analysis of resin shrinkage in two common aerospace epoxies, Epoxy 105 and EPON …
Adaptive Learning Terrain Estimation For Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Applications, Pedro L. Vergara Garcia
Adaptive Learning Terrain Estimation For Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Applications, Pedro L. Vergara Garcia
Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses
For the past decade, terrain mapping research has focused on ground robots using occupancy grids and tree-like data structures, like Octomap and Quadtrees. Since flight vehicles have different constraints, ground-based terrain mapping research may not be directly applicable to the aerospace industry. To address this issue, Adaptive Learning Terrain Estimation algorithms have been developed with an aim towards aerospace applications. This thesis develops and tests Adaptive Learning Terrain Estimation algorithms using a custom test benchmark on representative aerospace cases: autonomous UAV landing and UAV flight through 3D urban environments. The fundamental objective of this thesis is to investigate the use …
Numerical Investigation Of Scaling Effects Of A Ramjet-Powered Projectile, Arjun Jaishankar Vedam
Numerical Investigation Of Scaling Effects Of A Ramjet-Powered Projectile, Arjun Jaishankar Vedam
Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses
Ramjet flowpath miniaturization is a potentially useful technology for integration into munitions to increase range, accuracy, and lethality. The emphasis of this effort is to numerically characterize the performance of a miniature hydrogen-fueled and ethylene-fueled ramjet flowpath during Mach 3 and Mach 3.5 sea-level flight. The effect of geometric scale on ramjet performance is evaluated using high-fidelity RANS CFD models. Sensitivity to nonequilibrium laminar and turbulence-limited chemistry, and transitional turbulence treatments are evaluated. The physical sources of small scale performance limitations are identified for both fuel types. Finally, flowpath integration for small-scale applications is briefly addressed.
Fuel Efficient Control Design And Constrained Motion Analysis For Spacecraft Coulomb Formation In Elliptic Chief Orbits, Muhammad Wasif Memon
Fuel Efficient Control Design And Constrained Motion Analysis For Spacecraft Coulomb Formation In Elliptic Chief Orbits, Muhammad Wasif Memon
Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses
The use of Coulomb force has been analyzed in recent years to provide propulsion in space for various applications. Coulomb formation can also be utilized to make close formation spacecraft missions fuel efficient. In this study, the Coulomb formation of two craft is studied in elliptic chief orbits for two formation geometries. The first formation requires both spacecraft to be aligned along the nadir (radial) direction and the second formation requires both spacecraft to maintain a constant separation distance relative to each other while each spacecraft rotates freely on the surface of a sphere with the ratio of the radii …
Autonomous Autorotation Of A Tilt-Rotor Aircraft Using Model Predictive Control, Elias Wilson
Autonomous Autorotation Of A Tilt-Rotor Aircraft Using Model Predictive Control, Elias Wilson
Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses
Tilt rotor vehicles are governed by FAA laws also used for conventional helicopters, which require autorotational maneuvering and landing given a total power failure. With low inertia rotors and high disk loading of tilt rotor vehicles, this already difficult task becomes significantly more challenging. In this work, a model predictive controller is developed to autonomously maneuver and land a tilt rotor given complete power loss. A high fidelity model of a tilt rotor vehicle is created and used to simulate the vehicle dynamics and response to control inputs. A reduced order dynamic model is used within a model predictive control …
Remote Sensing, Modeling, And Spectroscopic Studies Of Gigantic Jets And Lightning Leaders, Levi Boggs
Remote Sensing, Modeling, And Spectroscopic Studies Of Gigantic Jets And Lightning Leaders, Levi Boggs
Theses and Dissertations
This dissertation focuses on four interrelated investigations with the ultimate goal of better understanding electrical phenomena in the lower and upper atmosphere. The four investigations utilized observations and data analysis for electrical discharges occurring in the troposphere, such as cloud-to-ground and intracloud discharges, and discharges occurring in the stratosphere/lower ionosphere, known as gigantic jets. The observations are from ground-based high-speed cameras and lightning locating systems, space-borne lightning imagers, and remote and in-situ meteorological instrumentation. Numerical modeling was also performed to study the lightning associated with gigantic jets by using a stochastic lighting propagation model. Finally, this dissertation focuses on the …
Investigating The Effects Of Altitude And Flap Setting On The Specific Excess Power Of A Pa-28-161 Piper Warrior, Tjimon Meric Louisy
Investigating The Effects Of Altitude And Flap Setting On The Specific Excess Power Of A Pa-28-161 Piper Warrior, Tjimon Meric Louisy
Theses and Dissertations
The high number of General Aviation (GA) accidents attributed to Loss of Control suggests that GA pilots are lacking low speed awareness and are unable to appropriately recognize when the aircraft is in a low energy state. There is, therefore, an urgent need for the development of an energy management system which is applicable to GA aircraft that can alert the pilot in situations of low energy conditions and recommends to the pilot the appropriate corrective action to restore conditions to a safe energy state. This will require the development of an algorithm that governs this energy management system that …
Earth – Mars Cycler Vehicle Conceptual Design, Bhumika Patel
Earth – Mars Cycler Vehicle Conceptual Design, Bhumika Patel
Theses and Dissertations
This thesis summarizes a conceptual design for an Earth – Mars Cycler vehicle designed to transfer astronauts between Earth and Mars. The primary objective of the design study is to accommodate the crews’ needs and to estimate the overall mass and power required during Earth – Mars transfer. The study defines a concept of operations and system functional requirements and discusses the systems breakdown and subsystems design analysis. Systems developed for the cycler vehicle is designed primarily for the S1L1 cycler trajectory. The initial sizing of cycler subsystems is based on reference data from historical human spaceflight. The study performed …
Analysis Of A Celestial Icosahedron Shaped Vacuum Lighter Than Air Vehicle, Dustin P. Graves, Kyle D. Moore, Anthony N. Palazotto
Analysis Of A Celestial Icosahedron Shaped Vacuum Lighter Than Air Vehicle, Dustin P. Graves, Kyle D. Moore, Anthony N. Palazotto
Faculty Publications
Excerpt: The celestial icosahedron geometry is considered as a potential design for a vacuum lighter than air vehicle. The goal of this research is ultimately to determine the feasibility of the design and to understand the initial fluid-structure interaction of the vacuum lighter than air vehicle and the surrounding airflow.
Dynamics Considerations Dedicated To Study Bodies In High-Altitude Free Fall, Michelle Carolina Rodriguez
Dynamics Considerations Dedicated To Study Bodies In High-Altitude Free Fall, Michelle Carolina Rodriguez
Theses and Dissertations
The objective of this thesis is to develop a simulation model to study the dynamics of a rigid body in free fall. A set of 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) equations is developed to reflect the dynamic and trajectory characteristics over time. The simulation models a body dropped at different altitudes ranging from 30,480 – 39,624 m (100,000 – 130,000 ft). The trajectory of the body is analyzed using a mathematical nonlinear dynamics model. The mathematical model was developed in MATLAB and Simulink which can be modified for different geometries and conditions. The model was validated by testing that the …
Navigational Feasibility Of Flyby / Impact Missions To Interstellar Objects, Declan Moore Mages
Navigational Feasibility Of Flyby / Impact Missions To Interstellar Objects, Declan Moore Mages
Master's Theses
In October 2017, the first interstellar object, designated 1I/2017 U1 and more commonly referred to as Oumuamua, was detected passing through our solar system by the Pan-STARRS telescope, followed recently by the detection of 2I/Borisov in August 2019. These detections came much sooner than thought possible, and have redefined our understanding of the population of interstellar objects. With the construction of the next generation of powerful observatories, future detections are estimated to occur as frequently as two per year, and while there is significant scientific understanding to be gained from observing these objects remotely, a spacecraft sent to intercept one …
Revolution In Autonomous Orbital Navigation (Raon), Rachit Bhatia
Revolution In Autonomous Orbital Navigation (Raon), Rachit Bhatia
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Spacecraft navigation is a critical component of any space mission. Space navigation uses on-board sensors and other techniques to determine the spacecraft’s current position and velocity, with permissible accuracy. It also provides requisite information to navigate to a desired position, while following the desired trajectory. Developments in technology have resulted in new techniques of space navigation. However, inertial navigation systems have consistently been the bedrock for space navigation.
Recently, the successful space mission GOCE used on-board gravity gradiometer for mapping Earth’s gravitational field. This has motivated the development of new techniques like cold atom accelerometers, to create ultra-sensitive gravity gradiometers, …
Performance Enhancement And Characterization Of An Electromagnetic Railgun, Paul M. Gilles
Performance Enhancement And Characterization Of An Electromagnetic Railgun, Paul M. Gilles
Master's Theses
Collision with orbital debris poses a serious threat to spacecraft and astronauts. Hypervelocity impacts resulting from collisions mean that objects with a mass less than 1g can cause mission-ending damage to spacecraft. A means of shielding spacecraft against collisions is necessary. A means of testing candidate shielding methods for their efficacy in mitigating hypervelocity impacts is therefore also necessary. Cal Poly’s Electromagnetic Railgun was designed with the goal of creating a laboratory system capable of simulating hypervelocity (≥ 3 km/s) impacts. Due to several factors, the system was not previously capable of high-velocity (≥ 1 km/s) tests. A deficient projectile …
Dynamic Pressure Sensing For The Flight Test Data System, Marc Y. Goupil
Dynamic Pressure Sensing For The Flight Test Data System, Marc Y. Goupil
Master's Theses
This thesis describes the design, assembly, and test of the FTDS-K, a new device in the Boundary Layer Data System (BLDS) family of flight data acquisition systems. The FTDS-K provides high-frequency, high-gain data acquisition capability for up to two pressure sensors and an additional three low-frequency pressure sensors. Development of the FTDS-K was separated into a core module, specialized analog subsystem, and practical testing of the FTDS-K in a flow measurement mission. The core module combines an nRF52840-based microcontroller module, switching regulator, microSD card, real-time clock, temperature sensor, and trio of pressure sensors to provide the same capabilities as previous-generation …