Engineering Commons^™

Biological Agent Dispersal And Containment, Austin Williams, Ryker Hacking, Weston Craig

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Purpose

• Model the flow of airborne anthrax surrogate particles through a training facility

• Design a training facility that will safely contain all the released particles

• Determine final location of the particles within the testing facility

• Determine most influential factors for particle containment

Importance

• Training for a bio-terrorist threat

• Researching airborne flow of particles is necessary to prepare for a potential threat

• Response plans depend on timely determination of the containment zone

Diffraction Efficiency Measurement Instrument: Demi, Usu Department Of Mechanical And Aerospace Engineering

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

• We designed an automated system to do help QC technicians who currently check the efficiency of VPHGs by hand.

• Why should your reader be interested?

VPHGs are used in lab equipment and medical instruments and more. The largest VPHGs (like the ones the DEMI tests) are used in giant telescopes and other astronomical applications.

Autonomous Fixed Wing Drone, Glen Wright, Case Haws, Duke Madson, Chandler Oaks, Cory Christensen, Ryan Mears, Mike Wells

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Design an autonomous system for a fixed wing drone in order to fly a repeatable pattern for testing of RF communication equipment.

• Requirements:

– Fly a repeatable pattern

– 2 km range

– Transmit Telemetry points

– Switch between manual and autonomous

• Goals:

– Create a platform compatible with the second phase of the project

– Allow for autonomous takeoff and landing procedures

– Create a platform compatible with a host of airframes

Heated Chamber Capable Of Purging/Scrubbing Twelve Or More Gas Analyzers Of Co2 And H20 For Calibration, Cole Watson, Oliver Hulme, Trevan Cottle

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

• Build ergonomically friendly chamber capable of purging 12 or more Gas Analyzers to keep up with current demand.

• Designed shelfing to fit all three Campbell Scientific, Inc. (CSI) gas analyzers: EC150, EC155, and Irgason.

• Chamber has uniform air temperature that will be regulated to not go above 50 ℃.

• CSI Datalogger is used to collect analyzer data and control electronics from outside the chamber.

• Chamber is durable and easily moved.

Autoliv Flexible Windshield Reaction Surface, Perry Simpson, Jacob Bowman, Joshua Christensen, Ethan Moore

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Summary: Currently Autoliv is testing airbags against a flat steel plate. Testing against a steel plate doesn’t provide accurate airbag rebound data. Autoliv also does most of the development in series with automotive companies. They do initial designs but cannot get accurate tests until test vehicles are built.

Problem: Create a fixture that will bend a surface to replicate the curvature of any windshield desired resulting in more accurate airbag rebound data.

Why: Solving this problem will result in higher accuracy and precision in airbag performance systems. The new test fixture will provide a better representation of how the airbag …

Ganging Multiple Mechanical Sun Trackers, Katie Clark, Ben Hansen, Ben Hill, Cody Kelley, Chris Twede

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The scope of this project was to design a mechanical solar tracker that implemented the algorithm/patent developed by Dr. Nicholas Flann. The solar tracker needed to be able to gang with other units using a single motor. The designed tracking unit is intended to:

• Rotate 350 degrees

• Use 3 seasonal tracks to follow the sun

• Be adjustable for wind and snow loads

• Be constructed from readily available materials

Mini Rad-Dx Product Update, Tyler Child, Bradly Payne, Colton Smart, Morgan Ward

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Improve Current model by:

• Redesigning case to accommodate 3 – AA batteries

• Improve ingress protection to IP67

• Make device look more Rugged

• Eliminate one of the two LCD screens

• Design for injection molding production

• Develop a mobile app

Direct Pedal Actuation, Tyler Fallentine, Mitch Peterson, Bryce Fisher, Sam Hartvigsen, Alexander Bird

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Problem Description:

• The Team shall deliver a working prototype for direct pedal actuation of the brake and throttle for use in remote control of a vehicle.

• The delivered design shall:

• Measure 15 in. by 9 in. by 13 in.

• Fit in 90% of tested vehicles.

• Meet force, speed, back drive force, etc.

• Install in under 10 minutes.

Small Satellite Reaction Wheel, Corey Creager, Kalan Juhasz, Jeremy Wiser, Jake Laub, Christopher Wartena

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

• A reaction wheel uses torque to control the attitude of a satellite.

• The requirements specify a torque, a momentum, and a confined volume.

Solar Array Deployment Test Gravity Offloader System, Braden Call, Matthew Calvin, Chris Debenham, Christian Marriot, Mason Onkes

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

• Space Dynamics Lab (SDL) has started to develop larger satellites and larger solar arrays are required to power the spacecrafts. These larger arrays are harder to test

• Larger solar panels need their weight from gravity offloaded to prevent damage to their joints. The joints are not designed to hold their own weight

• Space Dynamics Lab requested our design be able to function in a vacuum to simulate the microgravity environment as closely as possible.

• While gravity offloading systems have been designed in the past, a vacuum-compatible and passive design brings a new and unique challenge

Usu Mars Rover Team, Usu Department Of Mechanical And Aerospace Engineering

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The University Rover Challenge capstone project presents university students the opportunity to design, fabricate and test a rover to compete in the annual international Mars Society URC Competition held in Hanksville, Utah. The URC Competition consists of four separate missions including Extreme Retrieval & Delivery, Equipment Servicing, Science, and Autonomous Traversal. Each mission requires advanced subsystems onboard the rover to accomplish mission tasks in a timely manner.

The 2020 USU URC team is divided up into four subteams to accomplish each mission including Power/Drive, Navigation/Communications/Autonomy, Operations, and Science. Admission to the URC Competition is highly competitive since the competition is …

Westech Process Control, William Clarke, Ammon Mccarthy

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The WesTech Engineering company is looking into utilizing MatLab Simulink to increase productivity.

Zagg Innovation Program: Led Focusing Case, Kyle Douglas, Travis Halverson, Derek Wilkins, Jessica Williams

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Background: The ZAGG Innovation Program has the goal of creating innovative concepts and products for the telecommunication and consumer electronic retail channels.

Chosen Product: After deliberating over 30 generated product ideas with ZAGG representatives, the team chose to develop a phone case that would focus a cellphone camera flash into a practical flashlight beam.

Product Goals:

• Decrease beam angle and light increase projection distance

• Durability to withstand regular use and drops

• Keep the product as simple as possible, with minimal added bulk and parts

• Case will not obstruct the field of view of …

Dynamic Delegated Corridors And 4d Required Navigation Performance For Urban Air Mobility (Uam) Airspace Integration, Trong Van Nguyen

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

Increased traffic congestion on urban road networks has impacted the travel time for commuters in highly populated urban centers. Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is recognized as a system that transports the passenger and air cargo from any location to any destination within a metropolitan area. UAM may offer a solution to the problematic issue of automobile urban surface transportation congestion. However, the predicted significant growth in the demand for integration of UAM operations into the existing airspace system in the next 20 years and beyond may exceed the capacity of current air traffic control (ATC) system resources, particularly the ATC …

Uas For Public Safety Operations: A Comparison Of Uas Point Clouds To Terrestrial Lidar Point Cloud Data Using A Faro Scanner, Joseph S. Cerreta, Scott S. Burgess, Jeremy Coleman

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) can be useful tools for public safety agencies during crime or vehicle accident scene investigations if it can provide value to the resource-constrained agency. The speed of data collection, while minimizing first responder risk, while sustaining an acceptable level of accuracy and precision compared to other tools is where the agency may find value. During a recent homicide investigation in Florida, a UAS provided saved 81% in law enforcement labor hours with an acceptable level of accuracy compared to traditional methods. The purpose of this research was to compare UAS to determine if there were differences …

Identify Aerodynamic Derivatives Of The Airplane Attitude Channel Using A Spiking Neural Network, Nguyen Quang Vinh, Nguyen Duc Thanh, Hoang Minh Dac, Truong Dang Khoa

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The paper proposes a method for identifying aerodynamic coefficient derivatives of aircraft attitude channel using spiking neural network (SNN) and Gauss-Newton algorithm based on data obtained from actual flights. Using SNN combination with Gauss-Newton iterative calculation algorithm allows the identification of aerodynamic coefficient derivatives in a nonlinear model for aerodynamic parameters with higher accuracy and faster calculation time. The paper proposes an algorithm to train the SNN multi-layer network by Normalized Spiking Error Back Propagation (NSEBP), in which, in the forward propagation period, the time of output spikes is calculating by solving quadratic equations instead of detection by traditional methods. …

Low Thrust And Low Power Propulsion Systems Options For Small Satellites, Redha Amri

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The present work focuses on the study of low thrust propulsion systems. Cold gas, thermal and monopropellant systems with a blow down depressurisation mode have been taken in consideration in this study. Most of propellants that can be used for small satellite propulsion systems were selected here in order to give the propulsion engineer many propellant options with a good idea about the performance of each propellant, and this is important to make a good trade-off during the system design. For cold gas and thermal propulsion, the propellants taken into account in this study are: Oxygen (O2), Nitrogen (N2), Hydrogen …

Performance Characteristics Design Of Pulsed Plasma Thrusters For Drag Counter-Reacting, Dr. Sam Dakka

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Determining the performance characteristics of off the shelf pulsed plasma thrusters to enhance the life time of low earth orbiting platforms was investigated theoretically. Pulsed plasma thruster analysis was accomplished through development of correlations from historical data that distinguished between breech fed propellant to side fed propellant designs. Based on semi-empirical equations the power required by the thruster to counter react the drag was estimated and mapped for 1U to 27U CubeSat configurations for altitude ranging between 200km to 600km. It appears that the power required is dependent on the feeding delivery system design. For side fed designs the power …

Solar One: A Proposal For The First Crewed Interstellar Spacecraft, Alberto Caballero

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

In this paper it is presented the concept and design of a new type of spacecraft that could be used to make the first manned interstellar travel. Solar one would integrate three near-term technologies, namely: compact nuclear fusion reactors, extremely large light sails, and high-energy laser arrays. A system of lenses or mirrors to propel the sail with sunlight is suggested as an alternative to laser propulsion. With a mile-long light sail, Solar One could reach an average of 22% the speed of light, arriving to the closest potentially habitable exoplanet in less than 19 years with the help of …

Experimental Evaluation Of Strength Degradation Temperature For Carbon Epoxy Filament Wound Composite, Jai Krishna Mishra, Surya Prakash Rao Ch Dr, Subhash Chandra Bose P Dr, Kishore Nath N Dr, Rama Rao Golla Mr

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Polymeric composites have been widely used in various structural and thermal aerospace applications. Polymeric composites having high strength and high modulus reinforcement are ideally suited for lot of critical aerospace applications as structure is designed with high specific strength and high specific modulus. In case of launch vehicles/ missile one such application is design and manufacturing of solid rocket motor casing with polymeric composites as it give high performance and reduces inert weight of propulsion system. The high specific strength and high specific modulus of composite materials makes it ideal choice for designing the composite rocket motor case (CRMC). These …

The Detrimental Effect Of Rainfall On Performance And Stability Characteristics Of Aircrafts-A Comprehensive Review, Praneeth Hr Mr, Amit Kumar Thakur Dr

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The rapidly growing global market demands faster transit of human beings and goods even in unfavorable weather conditions of rainfall. The paper gives an overview of rain research methodologies, mathematical models to track raindrops in the flow field. The paper depicts the havoc rainfall causes on performance characteristics for various phases of flight in terms of evaluation of C_L and C_D and dynamic performance parameters such as short period mode. The knowledge obtained by this review paper could help designers to modify the design of aircraft such that it has better performance, stability, and control characteristics for all …

Real-Time Urban Weather Observations For Urban Air Mobility, Kevin A. Adkins, Mustafa Akbas, Marc Compere

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Cities of the future will have to overcome congestion, air pollution and increasing infrastructure cost while moving more people and goods smoothly, efficiently and in an eco-friendly manner. Urban air mobility (UAM) is expected to be an integral component of achieving this new type of city. This is a new environment for sustained aviation operations. The heterogeneity of the urban fabric and the roughness elements within it create a unique environment where flight conditions can change frequently across very short distances. UAM vehicles with their lower mass, more limited thrust and slower speeds are especially sensitive to these conditions. Since …

Experimental And Computational Evaluation Of Five Hole Five Probe Flow Analyzer For Subsonic Wind Calibration, Akhila Rupesh Ms, J V Muruga Lal Jeyan Dr

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

It is very essential to predict the flow and its related parameters to understand real life fluid flow. The real-life fluid problems are studied with wind tunnels which gives very efficient results in practice. But in the case of wind tunnel studies flow angularities plays crucial role. Flow angularity determination includes measurement of static pressure, dynamic pressure and inflow angles. Flow prediction even hold a very strong hand in design process. Designing and testing being the foundation of any process industry, flow measurements and its related parameters have to be well evaluated. In such cases, wind tunnels play important role …

Assessment Of Egnos Performance For Civil Aviation Flight Phase In The Edge Coverage Area, Bilal Beldjilali, Salem Kahlouche, Lahouaria Tabti

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The performances of the navigation systems used for different flight phases especially in the landing of an aircraft must be very high. The International Civil Aviation Organization defines the standards which must meet by any navigation systems to be certified, so it can be used by civil aircraft. To achieve the level of security defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization, new augmentation systems based satellites are developed. In Europe, the EGNOS system was developed to improve both GPS and Galileo performance. In this paper the performance of the EGNOS system for civil aviation flight phase was investigated. Four parameters …

Open-Ended Capstone Project: Designing And Manufacturing Of A Low-Cost Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composite Suborbital Rocket Payload Housing Using A 3d Printed Core, Garam Kim, Sergey Dubikovsky, Peng Hao Wang, Ronald Sterkenburg

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Composite materials are utilized in many industries today due to its high performance and lightweight. However, the part manufacturing process of traditional composites is complicated and often involves high cost. The molds used for composite manufacturing are usually one of the contributors to the high part manufacturing cost. The authors demonstrated in this paper a manufacturing process for a carbon fiber reinforced composite rocket payload housing using an additively manufactured polylactic acid (PLA) payload housing core. The paper also demonstrates the designing and manufacturing of a functional product, which was used in a real-life application, achieved by college undergraduate students. …

A Prototype Virginia Ground Station Network, Zach Leffke, Jonathon Black, Kevin Shinpaugh, Ian Harnett, Bryce Clegg, Nick Angle, Chris Goyne, Connor Segal, William 'Trace' Lacour, Mike Mcpherson, Dimitrie Popescu, Samuel Jensen, Jason Harris, Mary Sandy, Mike Miller

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper provides a detailed technical description of a prototype ground station network, the Virginia Ground Station Network (VGSN), developed for the Virginia Cubesat Constellation (VCC) mission. Virginia Tech (VT), University of Virginia (UVA), and Old Dominion University (ODU) have each constructed ground stations to communicate with their respective VCC spacecraft. Initially, each university was responsible for commanding its own spacecraft via its own ground station. As the mission progressed, it was decided to network the ground stations and operations centers together to provide backup communications capability for the overall mission. The NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) UHF smallsat ground …

Portable Leak Test System, Tyler Pulli, Joseph Arnell, Luke Osterhout, Dustyn Roberts

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Idaho National Laboratories requires an airtight seal on transportation casks to ship radioactive material. To ensure that the cask is air-tight, a system needs to be designed to measure whether air is leaking out of the seal and determines if the cask passes or fails.

Test Dummy Positioning For Autoliv Ogden, Ut, Dianne Althouse, John Garrett, Ty Johnston, Ridge Jones

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

• The Team shall deliver a proof of concept prototype to Autoliv for its use in positioning test dummies for Out-of-Position (OOP) airbag testing

• This is to improve set-up timing and accuracy without operator to operator variation.

• The device should work for the placing of three-year-old, six- year-old, and 5th percentile female test dummies.

• There are two OOP: head on IP (instrumentation panel) and chest on IP.

Peridynamic Approaches For Damage Prediction In Carbon Fiber And Carbon Nanotube Yarn Reinforced Polymer Composites, Forrest E. Baber

Theses and Dissertations

Aerospace structures are increasingly utilizing advanced composites because of their high specific modulus and specific strength. While the introduction of these material systems can dramatically decrease weight, they pose unique certification challenges, often requiring extensive experimental testing in each stage of the design cycle. The expensive and time-consuming nature of experimental testing necessitates the advancement of simulation methodologies to both aid in the certification process and assist in the exploration of the microstructure design space.

Peridynamic (PD) theory, originating from Sandia National Lab’s in the early 2000’s, is a nonlocal continuum-based method that reformulates the equation of motion into an …

Thermal Performance Of Sierpinski Carpet Fractal Fins At Various Angles Of Inclination In A Natural Convection Environment, Haidar Jamil Khalil

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As technology advances, higher performance cooling systems are desired to meet numerous thermal management challenges. Extended surfaces, also known as heat sinks or fins, are commonly used to passively dissipate unwanted heat from mechanical and electrical systems. Fractal fins in accordance with the first four iterations (including a base iteration) of the Sierpinski carpet, manufactured from AL-5052, were studied along seven different inclinations from 0° (orientated perpendicular to the direction of gravity) to 90° (orientated parallel to the direction of gravity), in iterations of 15°. The purpose of study was to investigate the thermal performance of the first four fractal …