Digital Commons Network^™

Resonance In Mechanical Systems And Structures, Andrew Murphy

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

This conceptual poster presents the theoretical foundations of resonance in mechanical systems and structures, demonstrating the definition of resonance as a mechanical property associated with the vibration of an object, governed by modal properties, damping, and coupling. We review common applications and extensions to parametric and nonlinear resonance, where applications span vibration isolation and control to structural dynamics in aerospace systems. Advantages include informing design decisions to ensure the accomplishment of engineering objectives. This is leveraged through measurement sensitivity and efficiency distinct to mechanical resonance modeling. Further benefits can be seen in the advancements related to compact design via mode …

C/N0 Analysis-Based Gps Spoofing Detection With Variable Antenna Orientations, Justin Villa, Vienna Li

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

GPS spoofing poses a growing threat to aviation by falsifying satellite signals and misleading aircraft navigation systems. This paper demonstrates a proof-of-concept spoofing detection strategy based on analyzing satellite Carrier-to-Noise Density Ratio (C/N$_0$) variation during controlled static antenna orientations. Using a u-blox EVK-M8U receiver and a GPSG-1000 satellite simulator, C/N$_0$ data is collected under three antenna orientations flat, banked right, and banked left) in both real-sky (non-spoofed) and spoofed environments. Our findings reveal that under non-spoofed signals, C/N$_0$ values fluctuate naturally with orientation, reflecting true geometric dependencies. However, spoofed signals demonstrate a distinct pattern: the flat orientation, which directly faces …

Vibration And Thermal-Vacuum Feasibility For Micro Carbon Fiber Filled Nylon Filament Lunar Applications, Andrew Murphy, Shannon O'Sullivan

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

This work seeks to improve the fundamental understanding of the properties concerning 3-D printing filaments that have potential to be used for lunar applications. The associated properties in focus for the study, vibration and thermal-vacuum-resistance, are fundamental aspects of spaceflight and are critical to mission success for objectives associated with the environmental factors in space. The successful outcome of this work will answer questions relating to the feasibility of micro carbon fiber filled nylon 3-D printing filaments such as Markforged’s Onyx® for application in Space Technologies Laboratory projects, including for the development of structures relating to the EagleCam 2.0 lunar …

5th Flying British Training School At Riddle Field, Chandler Mock

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

This project involves the ongoing research and authorship of individual biographies for Royal Air Force cadets who died while training in the United States during World War II, specifically those associated with No. 5 British Flying Training School (5BFTS) at Riddle Field, Clewiston, Florida. These cadets, many of whom were in their late teens or early twenties, lost their lives far from home—some in aircraft accidents, others from illness—before they had the chance to serve in active combat. The goal of this work is to honor their memory through accurate, respectful, and human-centered biographies, each grounded in verified historical sources …

Orthotropic Modeling Of Nonlinear Interlayer Adhesion (Omnia), Joseph M. Perry

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Fusion Deposition Modeling (FDM) is a versatile additive manufacturing technique that enables rapid prototyping of complex geometries and supports a wide range of materials. However, FDM parts are inherently anisotropic due to their layered construction. When evaluating part feasibility, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) must accurately account for this anisotropy by creating an orthotropic material model. The mechanical properties of FDM parts are strongly influenced by slicer parameters such as extrusion temperature, layer height, and line width. Because these parameters vary across applications, it is nearly impossible to define a universal orthotropic model for any material. This project quantifies the effects …

Privacy Preserving Drone Authentication Framework With Blockchain, Luke Mauro, Kanchon Gharami

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Autonomous drones have many applications including reconnaissance, surveillance, delivery, agriculture, and cinematography. However, security and privacy remain critical challenges due to vulnerabilities in wireless communication and the need to ensure airspace compliance as drones traverse multiple flight zones. While necessary for safety, these authentication techniques can compromise privacy or suffer from single points of failure. This paper proposes a decentralized, privacy-preserving authentication system using blockchain technology to authenticate drones across multiple flight zones while preserving the anonymity of the drone and its flight path. The system assigns drones unique PseudoIDs for each flight zone, which are stored and verified on …

Advancements In Spacecraft Trajectory Generation Through Matrix Decomposition Techniques, David Stoev

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

The Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem (CR3BP) is renowned for its intricate and chaotic dynamics, leaving it without a closed-form solution. In this poster, we introduce an innovative approach to determine spacecraft trajectories within the CR3BP framework using matrix factorization techniques. We formulate a matrix equation where the right-hand side vector is constructed from the spacecraft's position and velocity data, while the coefficient matrix is derived from the spacecraft's temporal data. Subsequently, we apply several matrix decomposition techniques, including modified Gram-Schmidt, the Householder technique, and Givens Rotation, to analyze the coefficient matrix and derive the spacecraft trajectories. Finally, we evaluate the …

Investigating The Effects Of Prandtl's Secondary Flows On Sco2 Heat Transfer Using Reynolds Stress Models, Christopher Bockenek

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Heat transfer of supercritical fluids is found in a wide range of applications, including novel power cycles, electronics cooling schemes, waste heat recovery, and green HVAC designs. Among these, supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) is especially promising due to its favorable but complex thermodynamic properties near the critical point. These properties strongly influence heat transfer but are highly sensitive and uncertain, requiring further experimental and numerical research to develop accurate predictive models for engineering use. Conventional turbulence models face challenges in predicting sCO2 heat transfer accurately. Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) provides detailed insight but is limited to low-to-moderate Reynolds numbers, requires …

Simulating Passenger Movement In Aircraft Cabins Using Cellular Automata Models, Kevin Quigley, Samantha Mauk

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Efficient boarding and deboarding are critical to reducing aircraft turnaround time and improving airport operations. This ongoing study uses a cellular automata (CA) framework to model passenger movement dynamics under different strategies and aircraft configurations. Each passenger is represented as an autonomous agent occupying discrete cells and following simple local rules that collectively give rise to emergent flow patterns. We present our initial implementation of this CA-based model and discuss its potential to systematically explore key parameters such as seat assignment strategies (e.g., back-to-front, outside-in, random), aisle width, luggage storage delays, and passenger cooperation levels in future work.

A Machine Learning Based Systematic Framework For Modelling Of Compression And Recompression Indices For Florida Soils, Leah Oberkehr

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

This study presents a systematic machine learning-based framework to predict the compression index (Cc) and recompression index (Cr) of Florida soils using a database of 497 consolidation tests conducted for the Florida Department of Transportation. Traditional methods for estimating compressibility rely on time intensive laboratory tests or simplified empirical correlations that fail to capture the nonlinear, multivariate nature of soil behavior. To overcome these limitations, this research evaluates multiple predictive models—including polynomial regression, ridge regression, support vector regression (SVR), and random forests (RF)—to identify the most accurate and robust approach. Among these, the RF model showed the best performance, when …

Mitigating Spaceflight Deconditioning With A Combined Lower-Body Countermeasure, Mckenzi Hallenback

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Long-duration microgravity induces pronounced musculoskeletal (especially lower-limb) and systemic cardiovascular deconditioning. We evaluate a combined countermeasure, artificial gravity (AG) via a short-arm, constant-radius centrifuge, lower-body negative pressure (LBNP), and resistive exercise (RE), to mitigate physiological and structural deconditioning in spaceflight analogs.

Leo-Hpop, Ashton Steed, Marcus Flesher, Jarrett Usui, Jacob Becker

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

High Precision Orbital Propagators (HPOP) are programs designed to predict the state of a body under the influence of orbital dynamics. For Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, a variety of perturbation sources are modeled to reflect real world dynamics, such as variations in the Earth’s gravitational field. To isolate the effect of the geopotential model, other perturbations - atmospheric drag and third-body gravitation - are omitted from this analysis. This study examines the speed-accuracy tradeoff for HPOP simulation, quantifying the computational cost required to stay within a given maximum daily position drift. Using ERAU’s VEGA HPC cluster, a reference LEO satellite …

Accelerated Lattice Boltzmann Solver For High-Reynolds Flows, Carter Groezinger

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

The goal of this research is to develop an accelerated Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) solver capable of efficiently simulating high-Reynolds-number fluid flows. Typical MATLAB-based LBM codes are computationally intense and poorly suited for large-scale problems. This project investigates a sequence of performance enhancements, including vectorization, parallel computing, and High-Performance Computing (HPC) implementation, to reduce computation time by several orders of magnitude. The overarching goal is to provide a scalable and efficient solver capable of handling complex flow dynamics without compromising stability or accuracy.

Effects Of Campus Light Pollution On Observations With The Erau 1-Meter Telescope, Lola G. Torres

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Light pollution affects astronomical research and the visibility of the night sky. Preserving dark skies is essential for scientific discovery and public education. At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), astronomical research and outreach efforts are hindered by campus light pollution, despite housing the country’s largest university-based telescope and 12 research-grade telescopes. Promoting sustainable infrastructure on campus helps address how artificial lighting both influences research capabilities and environmental impact. This project aims to investigate how much light pollution from the Student Union’s lighting directly impacts astronomical observations and to identify solutions to preserve both visibility and campus structures. For this experiment, the …

Apical-Out Lung Organoids: A Platform For Spaceflight And Cf Research, Valeria Jimenez, Ally Schwennesen

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

A genetic condition known as cystic fibrosis (CF) is brought on by mutations in the CFTR gene, which results in chronic lung inflammation and impaired chloride ion transport. CF bronchial epithelial cells enable direct comparison of disease pathology, while normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells offer an essential model for researching airway physiology. Realistic modeling of respiratory tissue and its reaction to environmental stressors like microgravity is made possible by the creation of 3D lung organoids from these cells. In this project, we developed apical-out organoids, which expose the apical surface of epithelial cells to the external environment. These organoids …

Eliminating Range Constraints For Optical Tracking Of Sub-10 Cm Orbital Debris, James Kirk

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Satellite deployment has become increasingly dangerous with the rise of debris and uncatalogued objects in outer space. Since 2010, "known" satellite deployment has increased by approximately 1415%, significantly expanding the population in an already crowded region. Notably, high-profile events such as the 2009 collision of the Iridium and Cosmos satellites generated about 1800 pieces of trackable debris (larger than 10 cm), instantly escalating risks for surrounding satellites. These threats are set to intensify as more satellites are planned for Low Earth Orbits (LEO) to support exploration and experiments. Consequently, satellite safety must be optimized by cataloging uncontrolled fragments. Currently, the …

Robust Real-Time Uav Target Tracking With Onboard Vision-Based Yaw Controller, Rylan Malarchick

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

The rise of small, agile Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) presents a significant challenge for autonomous detection and tracking systems, especially in cluttered, real-world environments. Standard machine learning approaches are prone to failure when faced with noisy, corrupted, and high-dimensional data streams, particularly those from onboard sensors on resource constrained hardware. This work presents AIRHOUND, a UAV platform designed to address these challenges through a robust, low latency perception and controls pipeline. Our primary methodology is centered on a “yaw-to-target” capability, wherein the UAV can autonomously adjust its heading to maintain a visual lock on a given target UAV. The system …

Turning Martian Regolith Into Soil: Testing Organic Waste For Sustainable Plant Growth, Ryan F. Rednick, Stefani Capasso Villanueva

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Martian regolith lacks the organic matter and microbial activity required to sustain plant growth, presenting a major challenge for bioregenerative agriculture in space. This study examined how organic waste amendments influenced the nutrient availability and microbial ecology of Martian regolith simulant (MGS-1). The researchers hypothesized that the addition of manure would enhance the simulant’s fertility and microbial diversity, improving its ability to support plant growth. Mizuna mustard (Brassica rapa var. japonica) was cultivated in unamended MGS-1, in mixtures of MGS-1 and manure at 90:10, 80:20, and 70:30 (v/v), and in potting soil as a positive control. A negative control using …

Computational Investigation Of Pressure Drop And Flow Characteristics In Triply Periodic Minimal Surface (Tpms) Structures For Transpiration Cooling, Jake Gravestock

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

This research explores how Triply-Periodic Minimal Surface (TPMS) structures can improve transpiration cooling by optimizing coolant flow and reducing pressure losses in aerospace applications. Transpiration cooling relies on porous materials to evenly distribute coolant and protect critical components from extreme heat, but the complex geometries of TPMS structures present challenges in understanding their flow resistance and permeability. Currently, there is limited data on how different TPMS designs influence pressure drop and fluid behavior, making it difficult to implement these structures effectively. To address this, the study will use Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations and experimental tests to analyze how different …

Bounded Transient Time Leader Emissions Tracking & Strike Prediction (Bottle), Skylar Wardlaw, Ainsley Helgerson, Maria Kaminska, Jackson Stewart, Logan Velvet, Aaron Jung, Georgii Dubrov, Amelia Koth

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

The goal of project BoTTLE is to propose a new methodology to predict lightning strike locations by combining atmospheric particle(muon) detection, initiating mathematical simulations, and low-altitude tropospheric observations. This project builds on the cascading theory of galactic cosmic rays, where muons are produced; consequently, this approach explores how such particles provide the final ionization necessary to initiate lightning discharges. The team is currently assembling a muon detector at the Space and Atmospheric Instrumentation Lab. The detector will sense a muon by a scintillator, which is a material that produces light when exposed to radiation rays. The photoelectric signal observed will …

Advancements In Gnss-R: Applications In Environmental Monitoring And Natural Hazards, Kaycie Williams

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is mostly known for providing positioning data to users across a broad spectrum of applications, including navigation, mobile device location services, and attitude control for spacecraft. By processing the signals differently, GNSS is also a useful tool for studying weather anomalies and tracking natural disasters. Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) is a remote sensing technology that utilizes GNSS signals reflected off the Earth's surface to study geophysical processes. GNSS-R can be deployed through spaceborne, airborne, UAV-based, and ground-based platforms, each for specific natural disaster applications. Spaceborne GNSS-R, such as CYGNSS, is commonly used …

Tardigrade Bio-Exploration Reproduction Research Payload, Natalie Brattain, Kylie Nager, Chloe Nissen, Matas Ubartas

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

The Tardigrade Bio-ExplorAtion Reproduction Research Payload (tBEARR) is an external ISS standardized lab payload module mission under development by the Embry-Riddle Orbital Research Association (ERORA), an undergraduate research club at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, FL. As club-driven research, we actively encourage both undergraduate and graduate students to get involved in hands-on space research, providing opportunities to contribute to all aspects of mission design, science, and operations. The mission aims to launch four separate cultures of tardigrades aboard a payload module to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) to study the effects of UV and cosmic radiation on their genetics and …

Modeling Of Supersonic Wave And Shock Propagation Using The Lattice Boltzmann Method, Timothy Schroeder

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) has emerged as a mesoscopic alternative to traditional Navier-Stokes solvers for modeling fluid dynamics offering advantages in computational efficiency, parallelization, and handling of complex boundaries. Despite these strengths, accurately reproducing compressible, shock-driven phenomena remains challenging. This study investigates the performance of LBM in simulating the Sod shock tube problem, a classical benchmark for compressible flow-using both single and double distribution function formulations across one- and two-dimensional lattice stencils. A MATLAB-based solver was developed to model the flow under isothermal conditions and compared to the analytical solution using the L2 norm error. The one-dimensional models achieved …

Evaluation Of Antimicrobial Resistance In Pathogens Relevant To Long-Duration Space Missions, Natalie Brattain, Mikayla M. Dutkiewicz, Yegor Bushnev

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global concern that necessitates the development of effective strategies for selecting appropriate antibiotics, especially in the context of future long-duration space missions, where infection control and treatment options are limited. This study employs the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion assay to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other clinically and spaceflight-relevant bacterial pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. These pathogens will be tested with commonly used antibiotics and potential natural compounds. The pathogens will be cultured and isolated onto Mueller–Hinton agar plates. Antibiotic disks, along with various flavonoids disks, such as …

Evolving Wind Based Sea Travel With Vertical Axis Wind Turbines, Julian Goins

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

In the realm of Nautical vehicles, there is a rather rigid selection of propulsion methods. Aside from the occasional outliers, like rarely used coal steamboats, experimental solar powered ships, or the military grade nuclear vessels, the vast majority of ships run off diesel-powered engines. The unsustainability of such methods will need to be addressed for the security of our planet’s future, much like it is already in many other fields. To that end, this project gains inspiration from the past and looks toward harnessing the wind. In recent times, most sail boats are equipped with some variation of motorized propellers …

Quantifying The Effect Of Metallicity On Stellar Properties And Evolutionary Timescales, Jacob Becker

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Stellar age estimations derived from asteroseismology depend on stellar models that are sensitive to metallicity (Z). Variations in this parameter could alter the agreement between gyrochronological and asteroseismic ages, as well as main sequence lifetimes and observational properties such as effective temperature and luminosity. We test how much typical metallicity differences (±0.2 dex) affect main-sequence models of solar-type stars. Using MESA, evolutionary tracks are created for 1 M☉ stars at three metallicities (Z = 0.009, 0.014, 0.022), and it is measured how these changes shift the positions of the zero-age main sequence and the corresponding main sequence lifetimes. This work …

Ai-Driven Predictive Analysis Of Airline Profitability Under Macroeconomic Trends And Sustainable Fuel Adoption (Saf), Shivika Singh

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

This study presents an AI-enhanced predictive model to assess airline profitability under the combined influence of macroeconomic trends and the adoption of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). By including economic indicators such as GDP growth, inflation rates, and fuel price volatility with airline operational data, including ticket prices and fuel costs, the model simulates profitability across multiple carriers. Scenario-based analyses, encompassing optimistic, moderate, and pessimistic projections, illustrate different financial sensitivities between low-cost and legacy airlines.

Handling Stress: Effects Of Glove Resistance On Dexterity And Physiological Stress, Meliah Martin, Kelsey Hunsicker, Keith Argobast

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Research on analog astronaut performance and stress levels is essential for both aerospace and other high stakes environments. Gloves, while protective, can restrict dexterity and impact an astronaut's ability to complete tasks. This study aims to explore the connection between glove stiffness, task outcomes, and stress response with the goal of informing design and training strategies for operational environments, both within Eaglenauts and industry. We aim to have 24-36 participants who will complete psychomotor tasks when under 3 glove conditions; high restriction, low restriction, and no restriction as a control. task success will be measured through participant’s completion time, errors, …

Feasibility Of Mylar Sheeting As A Primary Mirror Replacement In Reflecting Telescopes, Mario Gutierrez, Robert Thibodeau, Emma Show, Desiree Robinson, Jeremy Rice, Lingyuan Meng, Alexandra Beianu, Sean Martin

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

High-quality parabolic mirrors, which are vital components in reflecting telescopes, are typically bulky, costly, and highly fragile. This experiment explores the feasibility of using specular Class B Mylar as an unconventional, lightweight, and cost-effective alternative. This approach could enable new telescope designs by greatly reducing weight and manufacturing expenses, while also opening options for potential adaptability. This approach involves using Mylar, a flexible, reflective style of plastic. The mylar is formed into a concave mirror by stretching a sheet over a chamber and pressurizing one side to force the sheet into the necessary curved shape. Multiple designs are being created …

A Narrative History Of The Great Burn Proposed Wilderness, Cameron M. Kirwan

University of Montana Conference on Undergraduate Research (UMCUR)

I spent autumn of 2025 interning with the Great Burn Conservation Alliance as a Heart Lake Ambassador, keeping a field journal to document the land as I saw it. The Great Burn Proposed Wilderness lies straddled across the border of northwestern Montana and northern Idaho, a swath of roadless area at the center of the Great Fire of 1910. Today, the landscape is a thriving ecosystem spanning across the rocky slopes of the northern Bitterroots.

Over the course of the late summer and early fall, I fell in love with the area and I wanted to immerse myself in all …