Engineering Commons^™

Studies Of Damage Tolerance In Automated Fiber Placement Based Heterogeneous Meso-Architectured Carbon/ Epoxy Composite Laminates., Karan Kodagali

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional unidirectional (UD) carbon fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites manufactured via automated fiber placement (AFP) are widely used in aerospace structures. While heterogeneous at the micro-scale, these materials are homogeneous at the meso-scale (ply-scale). The major limitation is its limited toughness, poor damage tolerance/impact resistance capability and the inability to sufficiently redistribute stresses, resulting in strength-toughness tradeoffs, making them susceptible to impact damage. From previous studies, there is an understanding that fiber architecture has a first order effect on the damage tolerance. Introducing new discontinuous/heterogeneous meso-scale architectures, through an optimal merger of material and structure, can result in unprecedented property improvements …

Online Aircraft System Identification Using A Novel Parameter Informed Reinforcement Learning Method, Nathan Schaff

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis presents the development and analysis of a novel method for training reinforcement learning neural networks for online aircraft system identification of multiple similar linear systems, such as all fixed wing aircraft. This approach, termed Parameter Informed Reinforcement Learning (PIRL), dictates that reinforcement learning neural networks should be trained using input and output trajectory/history data as is convention; however, the PIRL method also includes any known and relevant aircraft parameters, such as airspeed, altitude, center of gravity location and/or others. Through this, the PIRL Agent is better suited to identify novel/test-set aircraft.

First, the PIRL method is applied to …

A Multi-Aerial Vehicle Platform For Testing Collaborative Mobility Formation Controllers, Matthew Snellgrove

LSU Master's Theses

Multi-agent systems have potential applications in a multitude of fields due to their ability to perform complex tasks with a high degree of robustness. Decentralized systems are multi-agent systems where sensing, control, and communication responsibilities are distributed amongst the agents giving this scheme a particularly high potential for robustness, adaptability, and complexity; however, this comes with its own list of challenges. Formation control is a topic in multi-agent systems that aims to have the agents moving as a virtual rigid body through space. In the literature, there have been successful implementation of formation control algorithms on robot agents in both …

Aerodynamic Flow Control Using Micro Rotating Cylinders, Alejandro Daniel Carrizales

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the aerodynamic and flow field characteristics of a NACA 0010 airfoil equipped with rotating cylinders near the leading edge, subjected to a flow with a freestream turbulence intensity of 4.3%. The airfoil was modified to integrate five micro-DC motors positioned at 14.5% of the chord length from the leading edge. The cylinders, with dimensions of 0.75 inches in diameter and 0.5 inches in width, exposed 3mm of their length to the incoming flow. A modified leading edge with eight sinusoidal protrusions (tubercles) was employed to compare the performance of the micro-rotating cylinder airfoil with an unmodified baseline …

Computational Analysis Of Steady Hypersonic Flow Fields Of Nasa Benchmark Geometries Utilizing Ansys Fluent, Aidan Murphy

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE) program explores and advances hypersonic aerospace systems by developing a multitude of test flight geometries and conducting experimental test flights to obtain data for use in validation of computational models and results. This study focuses on computational validation of heat flux, and calculation of static pressure profiles, skin friction coefficient profiles, and flow contours. The flow fields studied are for Mach number 7.18 and angles of attack (α) of 0° & 2°. These flow fields include many compressible flow features such as an expansion wave at the intersection of the cone and flat …

Development Of Femtosecond Laser Electronic Excitation Tagging (Fleet) And Femtosecond Two-Photon Absorption Laser Induced Fluorescence (Fs-Talif) Diagnostics For Species Number Density And Velocity Measurements In Arc-Jet Flows, Daniel William Palmquist

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations

ABSTRACT: Arc-jet flows are the only ground-test facilities that can recreate hypersonic high-enthalpy flight conditions for long durations. Characterizing these complex flow regimes, generally under thermo-chemical non-equilibrium, is crucial to establishing a relationship between the ground-test environment and flight conditions. This work presents the development of two innovative and world’s first successful application of advanced non-intrusive laser-based diagnostic techniques for characterizing the 1.6 MW ONR-UTA Arc-Heated Wind Tunnel, Leste’s plasma flow. The arc-jet flow represents a unique challenge for the application of laser-based diagnostics due to the highly emitting background across a wide spectral range. Femtosecond Laser Electronic Excitation Tagging …

Advancement Of An Inhouse Aerospace Vehicle Design Synthesis System Through The Introduction Of A Novel Database-Knowledgebase System And By Improving The Geometry And Aerothermodynamic Disciplinary Processes, Samuel Atchison

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses

Throughout the years of aerospace vehicle design, the process in which a vehicle is designed has drastically improved from being primarily developed through trial and error, to using sophisticated synthesis systems. While the trial-and-error process had its uses with providing the fundamental knowledge of how aircraft behave and can be designed, the increase in knowledge and technology allowed the possibility of more vehicle configurations to be explored without the need to build each one. This increase should have led to a revolution of vehicle designs, and while there have been some novel ones, it seems that the general design of …

Implementing Systems Engineering Practices To The Zips Aero Design Team, Kaitlyn Bebb, Ariel Bryan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Zips Aero Design Team is a college sponsored design team that competes each year through the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Design Build Fly (DBF) competition. The rules generally consist of 3 differing flight missions and a ground mission, with overarching requirements such as size, takeoff distance, and battery limitations. A complex set of rules such as these is meant to be difficult for even the best of teams to master, especially without proper organization and project management. This senior design report outlines the benefits of implementing systems engineering to the Zips Aero Design Team, through multiple …

Computational And Experimental Investigation Of Mass Reduced Aircraft Wing Ribs, Charles R. Fricks Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to develop and evaluate a novel design of mass reduced aircraft wing ribs through the topology optimization method. For comparison, the same examination is performed on ribs with normal internal geometry. The wing rib design is based on that of the Gulfstream G650 transonic jet. The rib was divided into three segments for analysis based around the positions of the two spars. Only the center section of the rib (that being between the forward and aft spars) is mass optimized, while the leading and trailing edges of the ribs (outside the spars) will be kept solid for …

Business Process Architecture For The Integration Of Artificial Intelligence At Aerospace Organizations, Andrew Walker

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Artificial intelligence's capability is rapidly increasing, and the aerospace industry must capitalize on this computing revolution. The current study conducts an integrative literature review to identify current and potential AI applications beneficial to the aerospace industry. It utilizes the findings to develop a new high-level business process architecture integrating AI in the workplace. Business process elements are extracted from the literature using logical reasoning to modify a baseline architecture model. The new model is developed to allow the integration of artificial intelligence from a holistic perspective, at the more general level of employee interaction and at the more narrow level …

Tailoring A System Engineering And Management Plan For A University Satellite Team, Jacob D. Anderson

Masters Theses

"A Systems Engineering and Management Plan (SEMP) helps enable a successful engineering project or team. All university teams working on satellite development encounter similar obstacles that are not commonly seen in industry. As a result, university teams must determine new approaches to solve these unique and difficult problems. A SEMP can mitigate risks, solve problems, and provide streamlined solutions. A modified SEMP is proposed along with guidance for implementing it into a new team and an existing team.

The adopted SEMP provides a road map for the technical execution and program management of a university team. The SEMP should be …