Engineering Commons^™

Aerodynamic Implications Of A Bio‐Inspired Rotating Empennage Design For Control Of A Fighter Aircraft, Christian R. Bolander

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This dissertation presents an analysis of the aerodynamics for an aircraft using a novel, bio-inspired control system. The control system is a rotating tail, that is inspired by the way in which birds use their tail to control their flight. An aerodynamic model for a baseline aircraft and a bio-inspired variant are created by referencing well-known relationships for the aerodynamics of flight, which are then used to analyze the available flight envelope at which each aircraft can reach two different equilibrium states. An analysis of the total aerodynamic control authority of each aircraft is also included along with a preliminary …

Sealion Cubesat Mission Architecture Using Model Based Systems Engineering With A Docs As Code Approach, Kevin Yi-Tzu Chiu

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

CubeSats are a growing population within the space industry. Every year, universities launch numerous amounts of CubeSats due to their inexpensive cost of development, launch, and deployment. However, this comes with numerous challenges. As the number of university-CubeSats grow, so too do the numbers that fail. With development teams consisting mainly of students with little to no training, proper and yet easy to use tools or methods should be implemented to help ensure mission success. Especially in the critical stages of planning before and during development, a technical approach to quickly track life cycle development of a CubeSat is needed. …

Determining Performance Characteristics From The Mississippi Cowling - Piper Warrior Vs. Piper Archer, Soufiane Ait Yahia

Theses and Dissertations

Today, Piper is one of the most used aircraft in the general aviation sector. The history of Piper Aircraft has been the subject of numerous books and research projects with over 80 years of aviation industry leadership. For aviation fanatics, the Cherokee is synonymous with Piper Aircraft Corporation. The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of two-seat or four-seat light aircraft built for air taxi, flight training, and personal use. The original Piper Cherokees PA-28- 150 and PA-28-160 received their type certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration back in 1960 and the series remains in production to this day. Multiple …

Accident Investigation On In-Flight Loss Of Control Due To Configuration Change On Piper Arrow, Basilio Caruso

Theses and Dissertations

Between 2012 and 2021, NTSB has identified over 2200 accidents due to loss of control. The majority of which happened while flying in the pattern. The most challenging phase of a flight is the take-off and landing. During these phases, the pilot initiates a change of configuration of the airplane by lowering or retracting the flaps. Lowering the flaps slows down the plane and increases the lift of the wing but also changes the longitudinal free response of the aircraft. The pitch changes of the plane require the pilot to promptly compensate to keep straight and level flight and avoid …

A Study To Determine Performance Characteristics Of The Mississippi Cowling - Piper Archer Vs. Piper Warrior, Zilvinas Visockas

Theses and Dissertations

Today, aviation is one of the most technologically advanced and innovative sectors in the world. With fast-depleting natural resources, increasing environmental pollution, and continuous growth in fuel cost, efficiency has become industry’s top priority. Engineers are making gradual improvements that offer overall increase in aircraft’s performance. Drag is critical factor in aviation as it directly impacts aircraft’s fuel efficiency, range, and speed. During the design phase, engineers invest significant effort and expense in attempting to minimize the drag profile by implementing aerodynamic shapes and constantly reducing component weights. One of the real-life examples of such engineering attempts is Piper Archer, …

Modeling Of Turbulent Flow In Pipe Systems With Compound Bends, Stella Smithe

Theses and Dissertations

A practical CFD k-epsilon realizable model is applied to four pipe systems with various 90° bend configurations to examine velocity profile evolution and total pressure losses within the pipe systems. The pipe systems compared are a configuration with a single 90° L-bend, as well as three additional pipe configurations composed of dual 90° bends, all with total length x/D=16.7. The dual bend configurations studied are: a 180° turning U-bend, a 0° total turning S-bend, and a dual 90° out-of-plane, compound C-bend. The CFD model was benchmarked against experimental data from a straight pipe and a pipe configuration with a single …

The Effect Of Biodiesel Blend Composition On Jet Aircraft Airframe Fuel System Components & Materials, Elise Aurora Medhus

Theses and Dissertations

In the aviation industry, biodiesel is a clean-burning alternative to petroleum-based jet fuel and has been shown to reduce particle emissions from aircraft engines. This thesis studies the impact of biodiesel on aircraft airframe fuel system components & materials with corrosion-resistant surface treatments. The goal is to identify areas for optimization to increase the use of higher blends in jet aircraft engines to further reduce emissions. The work performed involved testing the corrosion resistance of several aluminum samples, steel samples, and non-metallic materials in numerous biodiesel blends ranging from B05 to B100. The testing method used was the Assessment of …

Rendezvous And Proximity Operations In Cis-Lunar Space, Khalid Jebari

Theses and Dissertations

As interest in Moon exploration grows and efforts to establish an orbiting outpost intensify, accurate modeling of spacecraft dynamics in cis-lunar space is becoming increasingly important. Contrary to satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) where it takes around 5 ms to communicate back and forth with a ground station, in the Moon’s orbit it can take up to 2.4 seconds to do so. This delay in communication can make the difference between a successful docking and a catastrophic collision for a remotely controlled satellite. Moreover, due to the unstable nature of trajectories in cis-lunar space, it is necessary to design …

Smartphone Video Guidance Sensor In High-Altitude Uav Precision Landing, Joao Leonardo Silva Cotta

Theses and Dissertations

The Smartphone Video Guidance Sensor (SVGS) is an emerging technology developed by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center that uses a vision-based approach to accurately estimate the six-state position and orientation vectors of an illuminated target of known dimensions with respect to a coordinate frame fixed to the camera. SVGS is a software-based sensor that can be deployed using a host platform’s resources (CPU and camera) for proximity operations and formation flight of drones or spacecraft. The SVGS output is calculated based on photogrammetric analysis of the light blobs in each image; its accuracy in linear and angular motion at different …

Flight Test Evaluation Of The B-1b Lancer For The Heavy Bomber Mission, Robert William Gates

Theses and Dissertations

Copyright held by author

Climb Performance Testing Of The Pa-28-180 Utilizing Saw-Tooth Method And Level Acceleration Method, Paige Elizabeth Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis details the test methods, data reduction methods, and flight data analysis conducted in the climb performance evaluation of the PA-28-180 “Piper Arrow.” The main objective of this thesis was to quantitatively compare the climb performance requirements detailed in the former regulation, CAR 3.85a to the current regulation, 14 CFR 23.2120, utilizing Saw-Tooth steady climb method conducted at various airspeeds. The report also evaluates the Level Acceleration method at reciprocating headings, and qualitatively assesses the usefulness of testing multiple headings on a general aviation aircraft at multiple altitudes. The Saw-Tooth Climb and Level Acceleration flights were conducted on January …

Trajectory Energy Management For Ectol: Examination Of Battery Discharge Under Two Flight Profiles, Denner Campos Cunha

Theses and Dissertations

The expanding industry of electric airplanes presents a significant regulatory challenge for aviation authorities worldwide. The first step towards achieving a precise Trajectory Energy Management (TEM) is to understand how the powertrain behaves during the operation. Therefore, this work examined the battery performance of an eCTOL, the Pipistrel Velis Electro, under two different prescribed flight profiles and take-off weights. Flight 1, a destination trip profile, was conducted with a gross weight of 1146 lbs and a constant power setting of 22 kW during the cruise segment, while Flight 2, a local training flight profile, was conducted with a gross weight …

Solar Sailing Adaptive Control Using Integral Concurrent Learning For Solar Flux Estimation, Luis Mendoza Zambrano

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

In the interest of exploiting natural forces for propellant-less spacecraft missions, this thesis proposes an adaptive control strategy to account for unknown parameters in the dynamic modeling of a reflectivity-controlled solar sail spacecraft. A Lyapunov-based control law along with integral concurrent learning is suggested to accomplish and prove global exponential tracking of the estimated parameters and states of interest, without satisfying the common persistence of excitation condition, which in most nonlinear systems cannot be guaranteed a priori. This involves estimating the solar flux or irradiance from the Sun to account for uncertainty and variation over time in this value. To …

Superfly Amphibian, Devonte Andrews, Ahmed Hamza, Kwesi Onumah, Eva Sanchez

Senior Design Project For Engineers

Following a Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) mission profile, this seaplane is designed to carry 19 passengers and 1 flight crew with a range of 200 nautical miles. The seaplane is equipped with two turbo-prop engines and is economically comparable to current seaplanes in terms of servicing and operating expenses. The aircraft is capable of operating in remote locations with limited infrastructure due to its STOL abilities, allowing for increased access to difficult-to-reach areas. The seaplane's design incorporates modern materials and technologies to enhance efficiency, safety, and comfort for passengers and crew. The aircraft's versatility and cost-effectiveness make it an …

Servo Mounting Device And Collective Control System Design For The Forward Flight Aero Test Stand, Aaron Jones

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

The majority of the ten-week internship was spent designing a servo mounting device, and a collective control system for the Forward Flight Aero Test (FFAT) stand. The servo mounting device uses four threaded standoffs along with a top plate, held together with screws, that raises the servos above the protruding threaded rods and screws. The collective control system is a rectangular block that attaches the swashplate to the servo arms connected to the servo motor. This control rod is used to translate the rotation from the servo arm into collective control for the blade angle. The control rod has two …

An Introductory Investigation Of Dust Devils On Mars: Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling, Alexios Nicolas Philippou, Kakkattukuzhy M. Issac

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

This report investigates the flow characteristics of tornado like vortices which can be used to describe an array of axisymmetric rotating vertical columns of fluid such as dust devils, steam devils and tornadoes. These vortices have been recreated within vortex chambers in research facilities, but in focus of this report the investigation is conducted through numerical simulations using the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software package provided by ANSYS. By varying the main governing nondimensional parameter of swirl ratio through the computational domain’s boundary conditions, different flow characteristics appear which confirm theories presented in previous papers. This enables the research conducted …

Modeling And Simulation Of An Electrostatic Lunar Particle Sieve, Aaron Berkhoff

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

The following research was conducted to develop a kinetic particle model, which simulates an electromagnetic sieve used for in-situ material utilization on the lunar surface. A code package was developed to simulate an electromagnetic sieve that uses electrodes to transport fine particles within a cylindrical device. Specifically, this research generates an initial working model for the sieve and tests different electrode configurations. The simulation models different electric fields generated by electrodes, kinetic particle dynamics, and lunar particle distribution. During the case study, which investigates different electrode configurations, it was determined that electrodes oriented such that electrodes located above and below …

Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project: April 2023 Status Report, Jill Schmidt

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

This report details the progress of the Missouri S&T Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project as of April 2023 and the future work the team will complete throughout the remainder of 2023 and 2024. This project began in January 2023, and students have been completing preliminary training activities, so they are prepared to begin assembling and testing the eclipse payloads during summer 2023. Throughout the summer, all team members will be actively engaged in this research project and participating in outreach events related to high altitude ballooning.

High Pressure Injection Process For Ceramic Composites, Samuel Weiler

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

Ceramic materials are valued for good heat resistance and corrosion resistance. Due to these benefits, they are widely used in the aviation, automotive, medical, construction, and other industries. Ceramic materials are also both hard and brittle, qualities that are not ideal in many applications. To reduce brittleness, and other undesirable characteristics of ceramics, engineers have turned to composites to increase the mechanical properties of these materials. By adding composite particles or fibers, these characteristics can be improved. Constructing ceramic composites is not without its challenges, however. Current processes are prone to high porosity, high shrinkage, and poor accuracy of parts. …

Performance Evaluation Of Additively Manufactured Carbon/Peek Composites, Matik S. Heskin

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

Carbon/PEEK composites have a broad range of applications due to their combinations of superior creep properties and excellent strength to weight ratios. Like all fiber-based composites they are limited geometrically by their required manufacturing processes. Additively manufactured (AM) materials overcome this issue and can be formed into incredibly complex shapes. By combining these two fields, a material limited in application by geometry can have its shortcomings supported with AM processes.

AM carbon/PEEK composites have already been created but this relatively new material still needs property characterization. Therefore, the objective of this work will be to evaluate the structural performance of …

From Land Grant To Space Grant, Mohammad Dehghani

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Injection Molded Abs Using Conventional Steel And Novel Composite-Based Additively Manufactured Mold Plates, John Mitchell

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

Polymer injection molding processes have been used for over 100 years to create high-volume parts quickly and efficiently. Injection molding uses mold plates that are traditionally made of very hard tool steels, such as P20 steel, which is extremely heavy and has very long lead times to build new molds. In this study, composite-based additive manufacturing (CBAM) was used to create mold plates using long-fiber carbon fiber and polyether ether ketone (PEEK). These mold plates were installed in an injection molding machine, and rectangular flat plates were produced using Lustran 348 acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Tensile testing was performed on …

Multi-Disciplinary Analysis Surrogate Based On Twin-Generator Generative Adversarial Networks For Electric Drone, Samuel Sisk

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

Multi-Disciplinary Analysis and Optimization (MDAO) plays an important role in the future of aviation, especially relating to Urban Air Mobility (UAM). MDAO for UAM effectively quantifies and maximizes system performance and safety while minimizing cost or consumption. Electric drone takeoff trajectory design aims to minimize energy consumption while fulfilling acceleration and other constraints to keep passengers comfortable. Conventional simulation-based MDAO is computationally expensive due to repeatedly evaluating physics-based models while naïvely constructing machine learning predictive models, also known as surrogate models, do not scale well with large-scale problems due to the “curse of dimensionality”. A twin-generator generative adversarial networks (Twin-GAN) …

Progress In Optimization Of Electrostatic Sieve Concept For Transport Of Lunar Regolith Using A Genetic Algorithm, Easton Ingram

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

A method for optimizing electrostatic dust transport systems using a genetic algorithm is in development. Applications to electrostatic sieving are discussed for use on the lunar surface. This simulation will allow for rapid development, testing, and optimization of electrostatic particle transport designs with large search spaces. Current progress and ongoing work for the simulation is reviewed.

Lunar In-Situ Aluminum Production Through Molten Salt Electrolysis (Lisap-Mse), Jacob Ortega, Jeffrey D. Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William P. Schonberg, Daniel S. Stutts, Daoru Frank Han

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

The goal of Artemis is to establish a sustained presence on the Moon. To achieve so, numerous resources are necessary. The Moon contains several essential elements needed to sustain human presence. Most of those elements are trapped in the form of minerals. To refine those minerals into useful materials, reduction methods are needed. Most reduction methods on Earth require large amounts of mass and power which is unrealistic for early stages of building a lunar base. To solve this problem, we are developing a concept of Lunar In-Situ Aluminum Production through Molten Salt Electrolysis (LISAP-MSE).

The LISAP-MSE project, if successful, …

Supersonic Wind Tunnel Improvement For Advanced Laser-Based Non-Intrusive Diagnostics, Joshua Gary

NASA-Missouri Space Grant Consortium

This work presents an approach to the design, and theoretical application, of a new test section for the Missouri S&T Supersonic Wind Tunnel to be used with advanced laserbased non-intrusive diagnostics. Supersonic wind tunnel test sections present multiple challenges. They need to ensure proper flow by avoiding jet-flow interactions and ensuring started conditions; they need to withstand large pressure loads in the case of tunnel unstart; they need to provide easy optical access for advanced diagnostics; they need to be modular and adaptable for different experiments. This work presents detailed analytical and numerical analyses of the mechanical loads. Based on …

Effects Of Tempering Temperature On Gas Turbine Fan Cases, Seth Utter

Honors Scholar Theses

The project aimed to investigate the effects of tempering temperature on metals used for gas turbine engine fan cases as a major relevant concern is containing blades in during blade-out events. There are three ways to accomplish this: using a thicker metal, incorporating different materials into the case, or heat treating the metal. This project focused on the third solution: reviewing the impact toughness and hardness of fractured samples and their equivalent ductile-to-brittle transition shear faces. Given its availability, 1045 steel, as opposed to aerospace grade metals, was used for in-house testing. The data obtained from these experiments were then …

Mask-On Breathing Awareness Trainer (Mobat), Robert Larson, Yuzhong Shen

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

Currently there is no low-cost solution to teach large quantities of Naval Aviators on how to correctly breath on an oxygen mask. This report will discuss the design and implementation of a mask-on breathing apparatus for use with United States Naval Aircrew for initial and annual familiarization. With the current uptick in physiological episodes within the naval aviation enterprise, there has been a need to find solutions to this problem. Currently when a naval aircrew is trained in aviation physiological threats, they do so with normobaric hypoxia tools in the form of the 9A19 Normobaric Hypoxia Trainer for aircrew who …

Statistical Approach To Quantifying Interceptability Of Interaction Scenarios For Testing Autonomous Surface Vessels, Benjamin E. Hargis, Yiannis E. Papelis

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

This paper presents a probabilistic approach to quantifying interceptability of an interaction scenario designed to test collision avoidance of autonomous navigation algorithms. Interceptability is one of many measures to determine the complexity or difficulty of an interaction scenario. This approach uses a combined probability model of capability and intent to create a predicted position probability map for the system under test. Then, intercept-ability is quantified by determining the overlap between the system under test probability map and the intruder’s capability model. The approach is general; however, a demonstration is provided using kinematic capability models and an odometry-based intent model.

The Lagrange Logistics Method, Jeffrey Rogers

Space Studies Student Publications

Human development into different environments has always required logistics support to sustain life, focusing this research on one method in supporting interplanetary missions beyond Earth. It explores utilizing stations in Lagrange orbital points within the solar system, analogous to transcontinental hubs for logistics operations in an emerging domain. The evaluation considers available Lagrange points, environmental considerations including available resources, flight distances and time in comparison to current interplanetary flight, potential risks, and possibilities beyond the immediate future to determine the practicability of this method. To determine this, a qualitative descriptive analysis method is employed. Data was collected through historical accounts, …