Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Data-Driven Architecture To Increase Resilience In Multi-Agent Coordinated Missions, D. F.

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The rise in the use of Multi-Agent Systems (MASs) in unpredictable and changing environments has created the need for intelligent algorithms to increase their autonomy, safety and performance in the event of disturbances and threats. MASs are attractive for their flexibility, which also makes them prone to threats that may result from hardware failures (actuators, sensors, onboard computer, power source) and operational abnormal conditions (weather, GPS denied location, cyber-attacks). This dissertation presents research on a bio-inspired approach for resilience augmentation in MASs in the presence of disturbances and threats such as communication link and stealthy zero-dynamics attacks. An adaptive bio-inspired …

Plasma Aerodynamics: Experimental Quantification Of The Lift Force Generated On An Airfoil Using Plasma Actuation To Estimate Power Requirements In Small Uav Applications, Getachew Ashenafi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This research addressed the amount of electric power required to induce specific changes in lift force using a NACA 2127 airfoil with a chord length of ~28 mm, connected to a micro load cell, in a wind tunnel of 103 square centimeter cross-section. A DBD plasma actuator supplied by a ZVS driven high voltage pulsed DC circuit, operating at a frequency of 17.4 kHz, was utilized for voltages of up to 5000 V. Two configurations of electrode gapping were compared to determine the efficient use of power. The configuration with a gap of ~1 mm between the upstream and downstream …

On The Computational Efficiency Of Les And Hybrid Rans-Les Models In Building Aerodynamics, Faiaz Khaled, Aly Mousaad Aly

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Characterizing High Entropy Alloys For Hypersonic Applications, Katherine Pettus

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

In this paper, the properties of a new and broad class of materials, high entropy alloys (HEAs), were investigated and evaluated for hypersonic applications. The plan was to identify candidate hypersonic HEAs and model the high-temperature strength using new advanced material models that account for asymmetry and anisotropy characterized with available test data. After accessing a local database of HEAs and their material properties in collaboration with Dr. Gorsse et al., it was realized the knowledge of HEAs is currently very broad but lacks depth. While hundreds of HEAs have been created and tested, none so far have both sufficient …

Improving The Performance Of An Ead Aircraft By Use Of A Retractable Electrode System, Michael Alexander Fredricks

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Electroaerodynamic (EAD) propulsion is a growing area of research for small, low powered aircraft. Recent tests of EAD aircraft have demonstrated low performance in unpowered, gliding flight. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of a retractable electrode system on the flight performance of an EAD aircraft. An analysis of electrode drag contribution on the MIT ionic wind plane’s performance predicts a maximum lift to drag ratio of 22, with the addition of a retractable electrode system, for a similarly sized and modeled EAD aircraft. An experiment is developed using a prototype aircraft, launcher, and retraction system …

Analysis On Fuel Options For Scramjet Engines With The Study To Lower The Starting Mach Number, Sumantra Luitel, Gagan Dangi

Honors Theses

The main objectives of this report were to perform analysis of an ideal scramjet engine, to assess the influence of fuel on endurance factor, and the possibility of lowering the starting Mach Number of the scramjet. In the first part, an ideal cycle parametric analysis was conducted on three different fuels i.e. Liquid Hydrogen (LH2), Jet Propellant 7 (JP-7), and Rocket Propellant (RP-1), taking into account their availability, physical properties, current uses, and potential uses. The detailed analysis is done largely relying on a 9 step Parametric Cycle Analysis technique to study how fuel properties influence the variation of seven …

Development And Testing Of Nanostructured Materials For Extreme Environment Applications, Nanthakishore Makeswaran

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nanostructured materials have many potential applications in the fields of power generation and transportation technologies, particularly in the areas of gas sensing technology, industrial gas turbines and protective coatings. In the former case β-Ga2O3 represents a promising candidate due to its high degree of stability and functionality for oxygen sensing at higher temperatures (>700oC). In the latter case, the application of Y-Si-Fe compounds acting as environmental barrier coatings for gas turbine and aerospace engine applications to protect from corrosion effects has been demonstrated in recent years. In both cases, however, there is room for improvement whether it is in …

2021 Spring Graduate Recognition Program, Propulsion Research Center, Robert Frederick

PRC Graduate Recognition

This program includes the graduate recognition program for spring 2021. Includes photographs, upcoming events, recent publications, and student profiles.

Scaling Laws For Fixed-Wing Single-Engine Electric Propulsion Systems, Fnu Hem Lata

Theses and Dissertations

The rise of new aircraft propulsion methods (e.g., powered by batteries, fuel cells, or hybrid electric systems), the increased use of automated and integrated flight control systems, and the envisioned use of personal Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) vehicles in urban environments (urban aerial mobility) lead to novel technical and regulatory challenges for aircraft manufacturers, certification authorities and operators. Of primary concern are operational safety and closely connected pilot situation awareness and workload. The Trajectory Energy Management task involves manipulating flight and propulsion controls to achieve a planned flight profile. The key areas to focus on in Trajectory Energy Management …

Performance Profile Testing Of The Dassault Falcon 10/100, Thomas Henry Bolek Roman

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of the performance profile and flight testing comparison is to practice flight test theory on a turbofan-powered aircraft, compare results to Dassault published parameters, and give insight on how this may become a module for the flight test engineering program at Florida Tech. The performance experiments conducted were takeoff performance, level acceleration, level flight performance, stall speed, and roll performance. Takeoff distance was observed using the data from the Stratus ADSB receiver, which gave GPS coordinates; additionally, takeoff distance was measured via Google Earth from the start and the takeoff location observed by the co-pilot. The takeoff field …

Analytical Airflow Solution Of A Helicopter Engine Bay And Novel Bay Cooling Cowling Design, Daniel Evan Yastishock

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this thesis is to develop an analytical-numerical solution for the engine bay cooling airflow in a representative helicopter based on the Augusta-Westland 101, and evaluate the performance of a novel rotating scoop cowling on the airflow. The methodology was created in PythonTM. Results obtained via the analytical method were compared against a CFD model constructed with Ansys® at a hover, 50 fps forward flight, and 250 feet per second forward flight using a k−ε turbulence model. Performance of the rotating scoop was compared to that of a conventional inlet orifice and fixed scoop in a similar airspeed …

Hydrogen/Diesel Co-Combustion In Compression Ignition Engines Through Hydrogen Ingestion And Direct Hydrogen Injection, Helge Hening Von Helldorff-Garn

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops, implements, and validates the computational tools necessary for the computational simulation of hydrogen-enhanced Diesel combustion for premixed hydrogen charges ingested into the intake air and for direct injected hydrogen pilot charges into the cylinder. This includes a dual-fuel mechanism, a Lagrangian gaseous injection scheme, an improved spray particle breakup model, an advanced chemical kinetic reaction solver, as well as a complex n-heptane chemical kinetic reaction mechanism consisting of 35 species and 119 reversible reactions capable of describing both premixed and mixing controlled hydrogen/Diesel co-combustion at various fuel concentrations. The results showed that low levels of either hydrogen …

Extraction Of Pendulum Model Parameters From Steady-State Slosh Data With Adaptive Gradient Descending Optimization Method For Spacecraft Propellant Tanks, Tengjie Gao

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis proposes a new experimental approach to extract pendulum model parameters from spacecraft propellant tank slosh data. The novelty of the approach is in the utilization of steady-state triaxial force measurements at the support points of the tank under sinusoidal excitation, which enables repeatable and accurate determination of pendulum model parameters in contrast to the single-axis force sensing and multiple repetitions averaging techniques associated with the more common decay approach. This approach may be used for tanks with free slosh; however, this thesis considers a diagram tank with three different diaphragm configurations under translational oscillatory lateral excitation. With the …

Investigation Of Bio-Inspired Pin Geometries For Heat Transfer Applications, Anish Prasad

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Array of circular cylindrical pins or tubes are one of the most widely used type of convection cooling systems, profoundly used in the internal cooling of gas turbine blades. They promote heat transfer due to flow acceleration, secondary flows and wake shedding, at the expense of large pressure loss and unsteadiness in the flow. The need to reduce pressure loss and maintain the heat transfer rates are a much needed requirement for a variety of industries to improve the cooling efficiency. One such prominent line of research is conducted on optimizing the design of the circular cylindrical pins to increase …

Computational Fluid Dynamics Benchmark Validation Experiment Of Plenum-To-Plenum Flow Through Vertical Heated Parallel Channels, Austin W. Parker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The next generation of nuclear power plants will have higher efficiency and improved safety, among other benefits; one attractive option is the high temperature gas reactor. An ability to predict the physics that occur within the reactor under normal conditions and accident scenarios is necessary before it receives regulatory licensing for use. The flow through a high temperature gas reactor involves complex interactions of heat transfer, fluids, and solids.

One method for simulating complex fluid dynamics is called Computational Fluid Dynamics. These simulations have already been used to predict the complex fluid flows found in high temperature gas reactors. Predicting …

Sensitivity And Estimation Of Aerodynamic, Propulsion, And Inertial Parameters For Rudderless Aircraft Using Simulation, Jaden W. Thurgood

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A technique known as system identification is often used in aircraft design and testing to understand and validate the mathematical parameters that describe the aircrafts stability and handling characteristics. System identification can be thought of as the inverse of simulation. In the world of system identification, we have a physical system that we seek to understand in more detail by monitoring the system with an array of sensors. In short, we conduct tests of an aircraft while recording the inputs and response outputs. Then we take the input and output data and run it through an algorithm that seeks to …

Stability And Control Flight Testing Of The Dassault Falcon 10/100, Andres Mauricio Alarcon Vega

Theses and Dissertations

The Falcon 10/100 is a transport category aircraft developed by Dassault Aviation in 1971. Production of the aircraft ceased in 1989, but it remains available on the secondhand market. Certification for these types of aircraft follow FAR Part 25 of the code of federal regulations. Aircraft stability and control flying qualities are dependent on the mission profile and intended use case of the aircraft. External factors, such as turbulence, are relevant for transport category aircraft because poor stability could affect the flying characteristics and result in an unpleasant ride. On the other hand, in a trimmed condition, an aircraft with …

Design And Evaluation Of A Variable Camber Morphing Wing With Compliant Flex Core And Retractable Wing Skin, Ferruccio Rossi

Theses and Dissertations

Wing morphing was investigated as an alternative to conventional discrete flight control surfaces to provide aircraft attitude control, performance, and to enhance wing aerodynamic efficiency. A variable camber morphing wing design with 100 cm span and 34 cm chord was proposed for small UAVs operated at low velocity. The proposed morphing wing design generated trailing edge deflections via the combined action of an inner complaint flex core structure and a retractable wing skin. Wing morphing was produced by linear servos that extended and retracted the upper and lower wing skin and produced a controlled deformation of the inner complaint flex …

Testing And Performance Analysis Of A New Wireless Sensors Network (Wsn) System For Hurricane Monitoring, Jianing Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) have developed the wireless sensor network system for the field measurement of hurricane wind and pressure on residential structures. A new version of the system is developed using the latest state-of-the-art technologies which performance is tested during the passing of hurricane Isaias (2020) and the Wall of Wind (WOW) at Florida International University (FIU). The old version system sensors were applied during hurricane Dorian (2019). For the three events, 25 pressure sensors and one anemometer were placed on the roof of a single-story house. Hurricane Dorian data was collected for 72 hours …

Sonic Boom Loudness Reduction Through Localized Supersonic Aircraft Equivalent-Area Changes, Troy A. Abraham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The NASA University Leadership Initiative (ULI) titled “Adaptive Aerostructures for Revolutionary Civil Supersonic Transportation” looks to study the feasibility of distributed structural adaptivity on a supersonic aircraft for maintaining acceptable en-route sonic boom loudness during overland flight. The ULI includes a team of industry and university partners that are working together to develop and implement the systems necessary to accomplish this goal.

The Utah State University Aerolab is a member of this ULI team and has been tasked with developing and using low-fidelity supersonic aerodynamic and sonic boom predictions tools to rapidly study the effects of localized geometry changes on …