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Aerospace Engineering Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Aerospace Engineering

Modeling Thin Layers In Material Response Solvers, Christen Setters Jan 2021

Modeling Thin Layers In Material Response Solvers, Christen Setters

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering

Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) are a necessary component for atmospheric entry. Most TPS contain thin layers of various materials such as ceramic coatings, pore sealers and bonding agents. When modeling TPS, these thin layers are often neglected due to the difference in scale between the TPS (centimeters) and the thin layers (micrometers). In this study, a volume-averaging flux-conservation method is implemented in the governing equations of a finite volume material response code. The model proposes the addition of a volume and area fraction coefficient which utilizes a weighted-averaging between the amount of thin layer and heat shield material in a …


Turbulence Suppression In An Axially Rotating Pipe, Alyn J. Smith Jan 2021

Turbulence Suppression In An Axially Rotating Pipe, Alyn J. Smith

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering

The phenomenon of turbulence suppression in a rotating pipe flow system has been well documented by past research and experimentation. Despite this, the methods that drive this phenomenon have not yet been effectively characterized, especially at higher Reynolds numbers. While many experiments have been performed to better understand swirling turbulent pipe flow, a difficulty that arises is how to test for high levels of rotation without reducing the Reynolds number. This thesis documents the design and construction of a new pressurized pipe flow system at the University of Kentucky aimed at achieving high Reynolds numbers without causing a reduction in …


Measurements Of Wind Turbine Wake Evolution And Trajectory During Morning Boundary Layer Transition And Under Wake Steering Conditions Via Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Stewart Nelson Jan 2021

Measurements Of Wind Turbine Wake Evolution And Trajectory During Morning Boundary Layer Transition And Under Wake Steering Conditions Via Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Stewart Nelson

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering

In July of 2019, a flight campaign was conducted using semi-autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) at the Port Alma Kruger Energy wind farm in Ontario, Canada, to study various aspects of wind turbine wake evolution. Horizontal transects across the wakes were measured using modified fixed-wing aircraft fitted with a five-hole probe to measure the wind velocity vector. Reference boundary layer conditions were measured by an octocopter with an assortment of mounted sensors flying vertical profiles upstream of the turbines. Three experiments were conducted during the campaign, which consisted of a study on wake behavior during the morning boundary layer transition, …


A Computational Fluid-Structure Interaction Method For Simulating Supersonic Parachute Inflation, Jonathan Boustani Jan 2021

A Computational Fluid-Structure Interaction Method For Simulating Supersonic Parachute Inflation, Jonathan Boustani

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical Engineering

Following the successful landing of the Curiosity rover on the Martian surface in 2012, NASA/JPL conducted the low-density supersonic decelerator (LDSD) missions to develop large diameter parachutes to land the increasingly heavier payloads being sent to the Martian surface. Unexpectedly, both of the tested parachutes failed far below their design loads. It became clear that there was an inability to model and predict loads that occur during supersonic parachute inflation. In this dissertation, a new computational method that was developed to provide NASA with the capability to simulate supersonic parachute inflation is presented and validated. The method considers the loose …