Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Nanobubble-Induced Aggregation Of Ultrafine Particles: A Molecular Dynamics Study, Eric Bird, Zhi Liang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nanobubble-induced aggregation (NBIA) of fine and ultrafine particles in liquid is a promising method for enhancing floatation rates in mineral processing, cleaning contaminants from water, and reviving marine ecosystems. Although the current experimental techniques can measure the nanobubble capillary force between two surfaces with controlled approach speed, they are not capable of imaging NBIA dynamics of fine/ultrafine particles by real-time observation with nanoscale spatial resolution. In this work, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study dynamics of NBIA of Ag particles in a Lennard-Jones fluid system. The molecular-level modeling allows us to study microscopic details of NBIA dynamics that …

Microstructure, Mechanical Properties And Oxidation Behavior Of Refractory Multi-Principal Element Alloys By Laser Remelting And Conventional Manufacturing, Visharad Jalan, Seth Crawford, Sung Heng Wu, Frank W. Liou, Haiming Wen

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Refractory Multi-Principal Element Alloys (RMPEAs), HfNbTaTiZr, (HfNbTaTiZr)₉Cr, and (HfNbTaTiZr)₉Al, Were Manufactured using Vacuum Arc Melting Followed by Laser Remelting to Mimic Additive Manufacturing. the Microhardness of the As-Cast HfNbTaTiZr, (HfNbTaTiZr)₉Cr, and (HfNbTaTiZr)₉Al Samples after Arc Melting Was Measured as 6.20, 7.63, and 6.89 Gpa, respectively. after Laser Remelting and Re-Solidification, the Hardness Increased by ~ 30% for Each Composition; the Hardest Was (HfNbTaTiZr)₉Cr Measured at 9.60 GPa, While the Softest Was HfNbTaTiZr with a Hardness of 8.42 GPa, Which Was Still Harder Compared to All the Other Samples. the Addition …

Development Of A Regeneratively Cooled Liquid Rocket Engine, Dillon Petty, Nicole Zimmerli

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

An additively manufactured (AM) liquid rocket engine, consisting of an injector, combustion chamber, and nozzle, was designed and printed using state-of-the-art methods and materials. The parts were manufactured using laser powder bed fusion. Additive manufacturing allowed for complex geometries and features, such as printing manifolds onto the components with a reduced number of parts. Additive, regenerative cooling channels were designed into the chamber and nozzle to allow for long-duration steady-state operation.

The feed system for the engine was designed and built to allow for pressure-regulated and steady-state testing. Tanks for the fuel and oxidizer were designed and built for a …

Quadcopter Airfoil Analyses, Isabella Allen, Nicholas Tolson, Trevor Mccaffrey

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This project focuses on the aerodynamic analysis of airfoils for quadcopter applications, aiming to optimize the performance of quadcopters through the selection and analysis of various 3D printed airfoil profiles. Quadcopters are unmanned aerial vehicles with four rotors arranged in a symmetric configuration. Each diagonal pair rotates in the same direction, allowing the offset to ensure the quadcopter remains level. The airfoil selection is crucial as it impacts aerodynamic performance, stability, and efficiency. The parameter of interest in these airfoils is maximum thrust and settling thrust produced, along with material wear of the propellers themselves. The testing of thrust production …

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 …

Surface Preparation Study, Ryan Ferguson

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This work explores a custom air atmospheric pressure plasma treatment (APPT) machine’s effectiveness in cleaning and chemically activating a CFRP surface. It is explore by implementing water contact angle (WCA) measurements, water-break free (WBF) testing, and adhesive tubular lap-joint (TLJ) tensile testing. An 8x3 test matrix of different machine parameters is defined with the bounding conditions being the machine’s capabilities and industry standard recommendations. Each configuration of the test matrix is explored after treatment at multiple time intervals up to 2 weeks afterwards to gain insight into the outlife of the treatments with the intention of adhesively bonding to the …

Evaluating System Usability, Workload Suitability, And User Experience Of Game-Based Virtual Reality In Spaceflight Education And Training, Lana Laskey, Joseph R. Keebler

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Game-based instruction and immersive virtual reality are enhanced pedagogical methods beneficial in training environments involving complex disciplines, ranging from medical applications to construction engineering technology. This study investigated the use of game-based virtual reality (GBVR) when applied to the complex field of spaceflight education and training. As modern society places increasing demand on space-based amenities, the need for proficient satellite operators will also increase, requiring more accessible and advanced training options. Satellite ground control training scenarios, immersed in the GBVR environment, were developed and deployed to university student participants. Multiple validated scales were employed to measure the GBVR system regarding …

Landing Gear Sealing Solution, Andrew Milligan

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

XYZ Landing Gear Solutions has been tasked with redesigning two internal components of the landing gears for the ABC-123 aircraft program. The customer, ABC Aeronautics, informed XYZ Landing Gear Solutions that a particular system of the landing gear does not meet the necessary performance requirements of the program. As a result, the entire system will have to be removed, facilitating the need for a redesign of the two components that the system interfaced with. The focus of this project will be completing the redesign process for both of these components. “Redesign” and “design” will be used interchangeably in this report. …

Media Streaming In A High-Rate Delay Tolerant Network, Kyle Vernyi

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Audio and video streaming across delay tolerant networks are relatively new phenomena. During the Apollo 11 mission, video and audio were streamed directly back to Earth using fully analog radios. This streaming capability atrophied over time. The gradual conversion to digital electronics contributed greatly to this. Additionally, 21st century space systems face the new requirement of interconnectedness. Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) attempts to solve this requirement by uniting traditional point to point links into a robust and dynamic network. However, DTN implementations present bottlenecks due to low performance. High-Rate Delay Tolerant Networking (HDTN) is a performance-optimized DTN implementation. This work …

Induced Drag Laboratory Curriculum With Variable Aspect Ratio Wing, Alexander Milligan, Elizabeth Plyler

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

A laboratory curriculum for undergraduate students at The University of Akron enrolled in 4600:413 Introduction to Aerodynamics was created to allow students a hands-on opportunity to study the basic fundamentals of aerodynamically induced drag. To accomplish this, a 3D printed wing was created with variable aspect ratio. This wing is to be utilized in the laboratory experiment in The University of Akron subsonic wind tunnel to generate data on lift on drag at different airspeeds, angles of attack, and aspect ratios. The laboratory curriculum provides basic theory applicable to the wind tunnel experiments as well as question prompts and data …

Space Force Design Project, Emily Greene, Ashton Orosa, Julia Patek, Nathan Doty

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The objective of our research project is to develop a lab testbed composed of a curved surface to represent a spacecraft hull, a mobile robot equipped with repair tools, and a robotic arm equipped with a laser 3D scanner. This project is part of a larger grant to the University of Akron from Space Force and Air Research Labs. The lab testbed developed in this project will be used to assist in creating and testing a software and algorithm to inspect and repair spacecraft while in orbit. The project will involve researching spacecraft hulls to create an accurate simulation bed, …

Strategies Aircraft Manufacturing Organizational Leaders Use For Proper Material Pricing, Chin Kuei Jen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of proper material pricing strategies can challenge manufacturers’ profitability and growth. Aircraft manufacturing leaders are concerned because understanding and developing material pricing strategies are essential to increasing profitability. Grounded in price theory, the purpose of this qualitative single case study was to explore strategies aircraft manufacturing organizational leaders use for proper material pricing estimates. The participants were four aircraft manufacturing organizational leaders from a successful aircraft manufacturing business located in the state of Georgia. Data were gathered from semistructured interviews and document reviews and analyzed using Yin’s five step approach. The four themes that emerged were the impact …

Application Of Multi-Scale Computational Techniques To Complex Materials Systems, Mujan N. Seif

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

The applications of computational materials science are ever-increasing, connecting fields far beyond traditional subfields in materials science. This dissertation demonstrates the broad scope of multi-scale computational techniques by investigating multiple unrelated complex material systems, namely scandate thermionic cathodes and the metallic foam component of micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) shielding. Sc-containing "scandate" cathodes have been widely reported to exhibit superior properties compared to previous thermionic cathodes; however, knowledge of their precise operating mechanism remains elusive. Here, quantum mechanical calculations were utilized to map the phase space of stable, highly-faceted and chemically-complex W nanoparticles, accounting for both finite temperature and chemical …

Optimal Spacecraft Guidance, Matthew W. Harris, M. Benjamin Rose

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

This book is designed for a one-semester course at Utah State University titled MAE 6570 Optimal Spacecraft Guidance. The class meets for 75 minutes, twice per week, for 14 weeks. There are no prerequisites other than graduate standing in engineering. Proficiency in calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, and computer programming is required. Students find that previous experience in space dynamics, linear multivariable control, or optimal control is helpful.

The goal of the book and course is for students to develop fundamental skills needed to do professional work in the area of spacecraft guidance. After working through the book, students should …

Analysis Of Localization Algorithms For Wireless Sensor Networks Using Binary Data, Alexander Joseph Hart

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The detection, localization, and tracking of environmental and physical conditions can be accomplished using wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Recent advancements in sensors, processors, and wireless communications have improved the quality and acquisition speed of data in WSNs. However, the data gathered by a WSN is inherently random due to component and environmental variations. Thus, statistical signal processing algorithms are needed to analyze the random data in a robust way. Though many algorithms for the analysis of random data are established and available, they are problem-specific and must be adapted to the application. This thesis provides an analysis of established localization …

Optimization Of Ported Cfd Kernels On Intel Data Center Gpu Max 1550 Using Oneapi Esimd, Mohammad Zubair, Aaron Walden, Gabriel Nastac, Eric Nielsen, Christoph Bauinger, Xiao Zhu

Computer Science Faculty Publications

We describe our experience porting FUN3D’s CUDA-optimized kernels to Intel oneAPI SYCL.We faced several challenges, including foremost the suboptimal performance of the oneAPI code on Intel’s new data center GPU. Suboptimal performance of the oneAPI code was due primarily to high register spills, memory latency, and poor vectorization. We addressed these issues by implementing the kernels using Intel oneAPI’s Explicit SIMD SYCL extension (ESIMD) API. The ESIMD API enables the writing of explicitly vectorized kernel code, gives more precise control over register usage and prefetching, and better handles thread divergence compared to SYCL. The ESIMD code outperforms the optimized SYCL …

Design Of An Internal Osculating Waverider Intake, Mark E. Noftz, Andrew J. Shuck, Joseph S. Jewell, Jonathan Poggie, Andrew N. Bustard, Thomas J. Juliano, Nicholas J. Bisek

Publications

The design of an inward-turning, high-speed, three-dimensional streamline traced intake is presented from osculating axisymmetric theory. To satisfy the osculating intake design criteria, a stitched Busemann diffuser and Internal Conical Flow-A solution is used as the basic isentropic compressive streamline. This new contour provides efficient compression, high flow uniformity, and straight leading edge shocks of equal strength. Additionally, a novel method for constructing the inlet cowl is presented. The combined process leads to a new method of high-speed intake design. A generic shape-transitioned intake is constructed and named the Indiana Inlet for the Indiana universities that contributed to the project. …

Simplified Mass And Inertial Estimates For Aircraft With Components Of Constant Density, Benjamin C. Moulton, Douglas F. Hunsaker

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

Aircraft mass and inertial properties are required for predicting the dynamics and handling qualities of aircraft. However, such properties can be difficult to estimate since these depend on the external shape and internal structure, systems, and mass distributions within the airframe. Mass and inertial properties of aircraft are often predicted using computer-aided design software, or measured using various experimental techniques. The present paper presents a method for quickly predicting the mass and inertial properties of complete aircraft consisting of components of constant density. Although the assumption of constant density may appear limiting, the method presented in this paper can be …

Assessing The Performance Of A Particle Swarm Optimization Mobility Algorithm In A Hybrid Wi-Fi/Lora Flying Ad Hoc Network, William David Paredes

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on Flying Ad-Hoc Networks (FANETs) has increased due to the availability of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and the electronic components that control and connect them. Many applications, such as 3D mapping, construction inspection, or emergency response operations could benefit from an application and adaptation of swarm intelligence-based deployments of multiple UAVs. Such groups of cooperating UAVs, through the use of local rules, could be seen as network nodes establishing an ad-hoc network for communication purposes.

One FANET application is to provide communication coverage over an area where communication infrastructure is unavailable. A crucial part of a FANET implementation is …

Initial Procedure For Small-Scale Extraction Of Subsurface Martian Ice, Evan Steers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For decades, NASA has been surveying the surface of Mars with plans for human exploration. Due to recent advancements, there is strong evidence to believe that frozen aquifers beneath the Martian surface hold great amounts of usable H2O. Since the discovery of water on Mars, NASA has expressed key interest in harvesting this valuable resource. The presence of usable H2O on Mars could reduce the launching mass of future missions by giving astronauts the capability to harvest water once they have landed on Mars. This research focuses on the optimization of a current design to extract Martian water and the …