Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Wing Structure Design For Yf-27 Shrike Homeland Defense Interceptor, Maurya Jandyala

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This project focuses on designing the wing structure of an interceptor aircraft to withstand sustained supersonic flight and provide sufficient fuel storage for extended operations. The aircraft and structure were designed according to the AIAA Homeland Defense Interceptor request for proposal (RFP). Sizing of structural components was performed utilizing hand calculations and an idealized shear box approach focused on maximum aircraft limit loads. Based on these preliminary calculations, different wing structural components such as spars, ribs, stringers, and attachment points were designed using computer aided design (CAD) software. Finite element analysis was used to verify results and structural integrity of …

Feasibility Study Of Flywheel Mitigation Controls Using Hamiltonian-Based Design For E3 High-Altitude Electromagnetic Pulse Events, Connor A. Lehman, Rush Robinett, David Wilson, Wayne Weaver

Michigan Tech Publications

This paper explores the feasibility of implementing a flywheel energy storage system designed to generate voltage for the purpose of mitigating current flow through the transformer neutral path to ground, which is induced by a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) event. The active flywheel system presents the advantage of employing custom optimal control laws, in contrast to the conventional approach of utilizing passive blocking capacitors. A Hamiltonian-based optimal control law for energy storage is derived and integrated into models of both the transformer and the flywheel energy storage system. This Hamiltonian-based feedback control law is subsequently compared against an energy-optimal feedforward …

A Computational Approach To Space Trajectory Optimization, Cliodhna Mcguigan, Daniella Luciani

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

With space becoming increasingly accessible, the need for sophisticated space trajectory design has surged, as we challenging existing computational capabilities. This project tackles the intricate and computationally demanding task of spacecraft trajectory optimization and real-time orbit determination by developing and benchmarking advanced numerical algorithms integrated into Cal Poly’s mission design platform, PolySpace. Leveraging cutting-edge Python routines and interfaces with NASA’s General Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT), the research addresses mission-critical scenarios, including multi-gravity-assist interplanetary missions and efficient solar-electric orbit transfers. Benchmarking the solution approach against past missions, the project ensures rigorous accuracy and reliability. This experience will help bring research into …

Propeller Characterization Lab, Stefanos Rosenbaum

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This research focuses on creating an experiment to measure performance of an aircraft propeller on a specially designed stand. Results from the wind tunnel experiments measuring thrust, rotation speed and torque will enable students to create a database of propeller characteristics for use in aircraft design projects. Students in aerospace engineering are regularly assigned design projects powered by turboprop or propeller driven engines. There is not an easy way to verify design performance other than simplistic calculations or extrapolation of open-source wind tunnel data, and not a lot of data is available. Being able to correlate actual test data from …

Developing Practical Cfd Skills For Undergraduate Researchers, Max Koerner, Sebastian Macias-Gonzalez

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

As the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) grows in the aerospace (and other engineering disciplines), the need for coursework, and in particular labs, that develop the appropriate CFD skills is growing. In the semester transition, the Aerospace Engineering Department will be offering an applied computational aerodynamics class that will have a heavy emphasis on practical CFD applications to realistic problems to be encountered by our students. This research activity will help develop labs that will be used to teach students how to use StarCCM+ (the department’s current commercial CFD tool) starting from simple geometries going up to complete airframes. …

Sal-E: Responsive Space Pathfinder Mission, Adrian Serniak, Kayla Wong

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The main objective of the SAL-E mission is to grow the Cal Poly CubeSat Lab’s (PolySat) capabilities in rapid spacecraft design and testing, as well as to provide the current generation of students with the opportunity to design, test, integrate, and communicate with a satellite. This summer we will mainly be focusing on aspects of spacecraft test and integration, as we prepare for our satellite handoff in the Fall. Specifically, we will be conducting satellite assembly, Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC) Testing, Vibrations Testing, and software validation and testing on the flight unit satellite. Students participating in this multidisciplinary SURP will …

Surp: Space Robotics Laboratory Lab Manuals And Experiment Development, Connell Crawford

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This SURP project is focused on the preparation of the lab, experiments, and operation procedures necessary for the proposed equipment in the Space Robotics Lab. As such, the primary goal is to create safety and test documentation that shall be used in the lab. Students selected for this project shall gain a hands-on learn-by-doing with equipment that is intended for teaching and research of a simulated planar space test environment for an air-bearing vehicle test bed to be able to test sensors, actuation and deployment of mechanisms, spacecraft collaboration through closed loop control, as well as experimental propulsion systems.

High-Fidelity Modeling Of Evtol Rotor Unsteady Aerodynamic And Aeroacoustic Response To Time-Harmonic Gust, Vadim Voropayev

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The rapid emergence of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) demands accurate prediction and mitigation of noise generated by electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft operating in complex urban environments. Among the various noise sources, the aerodynamic and acoustic response of rotors to unsteady inflow represents a major uncertainty in community-noise assessment and certification. This thesis investigates the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic behavior of a representative eVTOL rotor subjected to time-harmonic inflow disturbances, providing a detailed numerical framework to quantify how periodic gusts influence rotor performance, unsteady loading, and sound radiation.

The study employs a three-stage computational methodology using the open-source solver …

Radiative Heat Transfer Using Spectrometers, Metztli Singha

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Radiative heat transfer and the fundamental understanding of the electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from infrared to ultraviolet, are crucial topics for space environments and aerodynamic re-entry systems. The advancement of the aerospace curriculum in these areas will lay the cornerstone for undergraduate students focusing on experiential learning. A specific laboratory experiment involving black body radiation and modes of heat transfer, with a particular emphasis on radiation, will be scoped, designed, and fabricated during the SURP performance period. The outcomes of this work will standardize the introductory courses on heat transfer specific to aeronautics and astronautics concentrations, which is mainly lacking outside …

Experimental Study Of Flexible Wing Design For Low Subsonic Flow, Blake Shaffer, Timothy Barry

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The aim of this project is to study experimentally the structural stability of highly flexible wings under low subsonic flow conditions. The experiments will be carried out at the low-speed wind tunnel in the Aerospace Engineering department. As part of this project, the student will design and build a variety of different flexible wing structures and test their performance in the wind tunnel--the experiments will involve pressure, deflection, and strain measurements. Both additively manufactured and built-up structures will be explored as part of this project. The project will also require the student to perform finite element simulations for the wing …

15cm Gridded Ion Thruster, Arjan Reyes

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This research focuses on optimizing the configuration of a 13cm ion thruster for long term efficiency. Ion thrusters produce thrust for spacecraft when they are in orbit. The thruster needs to be efficient enough to last for the lifetime of the spacecraft as well as through its deorbit procedure. Thruster efficiency is achieved through optimizing the distribution of the high velocity beam of charged particles at the exit that impacts fatigue patterns on voltage grids. The shape of the beam is determined by the placement of magnets on the thruster walls. An experiment to test configurations for increasing efficiency through …

Spacecraft Reaction Wheel Simulation Testbed, Shiva Pulmamidi, Daniel Kim

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

There are three typical methods used to control the attitude (or orientation) of spacecraft in orbit. They are momentum exchange devices (reaction wheels and control moment gyroscopes), magnetic torquers, and thrusters (both cold and hot gas). The PolySim research group is currently developing a spacecraft attitude dynamics simulator utilizing reaction wheels. The simulator floats on a spherical air bearing and is balanced to accurately simulate the rotational motion of a spacecraft in orbit (not including the orbital motion). As a continuation of that project, we have completed the development of spacecraft attitude simulator using cold gas thrusters to control the …

Designing For Maintainability, Kyle Marshall

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This research focuses on creating an experiment to measure performance of an aircraft propeller on a specially designed stand. Results from the wind tunnel experiments measuring thrust, rotation speed and torque will enable students to create a database of propeller characteristics for use in aircraft design projects. Students in aerospace engineering are regularly assigned design projects powered by turboprop or propeller driven engines. There is not an easy way to verify design performance other than simplistic calculations or extrapolation of open-source wind tunnel data, and not a lot of data is available. Being able to correlate actual test data from …

Orbital Mechanics And Ai, Daniella Luciani, Cliodhna Mcguigan

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Traditional orbital mechanics courses typically start with simpler problems that can be solved on paper, gradually progressing to more complex problems that require computational tools. In the AERO department, we have traditionally used MATLAB for these computational tasks. However, the industry is increasingly shifting toward platforms like Python for coding these types of problems. Additionally, with the rapid rise of AI, tools like ChatGPT are now at the forefront of code generation. To stay ahead, students need to learn how to generate code using AI and assess whether the generated code is functioning as expected. This SURP will have students …

Tvac Testing With Stella, Emily Lieber, Roshan Jaiswal

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC) testing is a staple in testing for spacecraft components and parts. Prior to flying in space, each spacecraft must show that their system will be able to perform while experiencing a large temperature swing from -100 to 100 C. In the fall of 2023, the AERO department’s new Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC) was completed and ready to begin system checkout and testing. Over the past 1.5 years, the TVAC system has undergone short-duration tests to refine operational procedures and build general knowledge of the system. Starting this summer, the system will begin its first long-duration tests. …

Developing An Inclusive Computational Platform For Aerospace Education Using Nasa’S Emtg, Tia Bajaj

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This project will establish comprehensive guidelines and a strategic action plan for developing an inclusive and accessible computing platform that integrates NASA's Evolutionary Mission Trajectory Generator (EMTG) software with PolySpace, Cal Poly’s in-house space mission design toolkit. Employing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, the project will ensure equitable access and participation for diverse undergraduate aerospace engineering students, emphasizing inclusion for women and underrepresented groups in aerospace. Inclusivity will be promoted by creating detailed guidelines for remote software interfaces and visualization layers specifically designed for diverse learning styles and accessibility needs. A blueprint for an inclusive curriculum module will also …

Hybrid Machine Learning--Finite Element Solvers For Solid And Fluid Mechanics, Victor Alcantara-Arias, Spandan Suthar

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The goal of this project is to develop a new class of hybrid solvers for partial differential equations (PDEs) encountered in solid and fluid mechanics that blend traditional finite element methods (FEM) with modern machine learning algorithms. While FEM solvers are well developed, they can be computationally expensive for realistic problems. Machine learning algorithms have emerged as possible new solutions to cut down the computational cost associated with expensive FEM simulations, but these are typically not interpretable. Previous work on this topic resulted in a class of fully interpretable machine learning solvers for PDEs that had two primary drawbacks: (i) …

Exploration Of Physics-Informed Grid Generation Technique For Wall-Modeled Les Using Eagle3d, Dominic Schneider

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Wall-Modeled Large Eddy Simulation (WMLES) is an area of interest due to its ability to lower computational costs of LES. Even with the application of wall models, LES still proves to have practicality issues when it comes to use in industry, due to the expertise, time, and computational resources required. A novel technique for generating a lean, physics based WMLES grid is described.

The technique utilizes a RANS solution to extract turbulence information, user-specified values related to resolution of turbulent energy levels, acoustics waves, and shock waves, to generate a point cloud for producing a lean WMLES grid with in-house …

Active Measurement Of A Micron-Order Gap Under High-Speed And High-Temperature Conditions, Andrew Becker

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The hypersonic regime poses numerous challenges that researchers face in the development of hypersonic flight vehicles. Due to their excellent thermomechanical properties, ultra-high-temperature ceramics (UHTCs) have risen as a promising solution to act as a protective barrier between the harsh environment and surface materials of these flight bodies. The mechanical operation of a portable hypersonic simulation device was developed in-house and tested at Argonne National Laboratories (ANL) to gather in-situ material response of prospective UHTC samples when exposed to a hypersonic regime. An edge detection-based algorithm was developed and used in LabVIEW to monitor the health and operation of the …

System Characterization Of A Distributed Pressure Sensor Array, Bryan C. Hasselman

Master's Theses

This thesis contributes to ongoing research on bluff body aerodynamics at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, by introducing a novel technique for the dynamic characterization of a commercially available digital MEMS pressure sensor. The experimental approach combines a new characterization method with comparisons to traditional techniques, offering a comprehensive evaluation of the sensor’s dynamic performance. Both non-parametric and parametric system identification methods are employed to assess the sensor’s frequency response. This thesis supports further investigations into unsteady aerodynamic forces and provides a cost-effective, hands-on platform for students to gain practical experience with instrumentation, system identification, and frequency-domain analysis.