Engineering Commons^™

A Computational Approach To Graduated Centrifuge Profiles For Partial Gravity Planetary Environments, Cabell W. Jones

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Missions such as NASA’s Artemis and SpaceX’s Starship aspire towards creating permanent settlements beyond Earth. In order to achieve this goal, it must be considered that the gravity present on planetary surfaces such as the Moon (0.165 g) and Mars (0.378 g) may be insufficient to support human physiology for long term habitation. On near-Earth missions, issues such as muscular atrophy, neuro-ocular changes, cardiopulmonary variations, and bone mineral density loss have been observed proportional to the duration spent in microgravity. Further studies have suggested that the severity of these conditions scales linearly with decreasing gravity, meaning that astronaut health can …

Students For The Exploration And Development Of Space (Seds) Air Brake Subsystem: High-Altitude Autonomous Apogee Modulator System For High-Powered Rockets (Haamshr), Camden J. Maclean, Matthew Wharton, Nick Revis, Colin Guido

Honors Theses and Capstones

The objective of this project was to research, design, fabricate, and analyze an autonomous apogee modulation air brake system for the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Students for Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) high-powered rocket as competitors in the Friends of Amateur Rocketry – Oxidizers Uninhibited Tournament (FAR-OUT) competition.

This air brake system would be developed with considerations for full autonomy, structural reliability, and repeatable deployment. The design would also be easily integrated into the existing high-powered rocket airframe and mechanically simple to increase reliability and practical functionality. The final design would be evaluated using finite element analysis simulation …

Uncertainty Quantification, Propagation & Conjunction Assessment In Orbital Mechanics Using Generalized Polynomial Chaos Expansion & 2-Dimensional Conjunction Plane Analysis Techniques, Monalisa Karim

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses

Uncertainties, that are inherent to dynamic models, can be associated with state initial conditions, force modelling errors, navigation and actuation errors. In system modelling stochastic differential equations are used to represent dynamic phenomena with uncertainties, for which the solutions are probability density functions of quantities of interest characterizing the realization of the stochastic processes. In Polynomial Chaos Expansion (PCE) propagation, these solutions are represented as weighted sums of multivariate spectral polynomials that are functions of the input random variables. Generalized polynomial chaos expansion (gPC) is an extension to the original homogenous PCE which projects the random solution onto a basis …

Multiphysics Modeling Of Melt Pool Dynamics And Powder Bed Stability In Lpbf Of Inconel 718 For A Circular Cavity, Nayan Pundhir, Oluwapelumi O. Adejumo, Kumbla Chandrashekhara, Joseph W. Newkirk, Heath Misak, Cesar Ortiz Rios

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is a metal additive manufacturing process in which a concentrated laser beam selectively melts successive powder layers to fabricate components. Final part quality is highly sensitive to process parameters such as hatch spacing, powder bed density, laser power, and scanning speed. In this study, a computational fluid dynamics model employing discrete element method has been developed in FLOW-3D to simulate LPBF of Inconel 718. The modeled powder bed incorporates particle size distribution data obtained from scanning electron microscopy and is evaluated for single-layer, single-track deposition over a circular cavity. The model captured melt pool dynamics …

Distributed Vibration Sensing For Identification Of Loose Connectors In Coaxial Data Transmission Lines, Saidanvar Esanjonovich Valiev, Anthony C. Okafor, Jeremiah J. Rittenhouse, Jie Huang, Daniel S. Stutts

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study investigates the effect of vibration-induced loose connections on signal reflection (S11) for loose connection identification in aerospace coaxial cables using distributed sensing approach, which is effective in filtering the noise and identifying minor discontinuities. In this approach, a sliding gated window is applied to S11 signal, a fast Fourier transform is performed over the gated windows, cross-correlation is computed between the baseline and vibration-affected signals, and the standard deviation is mapped along the cable length. Sinewave signals from 9 kHz to 5 GHz were swept through cables with vibrating connectors under three conditions: fully tightened, loosened by 180°, …

Nonlinear Control Of A Ciws-Style 2-Dof Turret, Ryan Baur, Ethan Wang, Nilay Kant

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper develops and compares multiple control strategies for a two-degree-of-freedom CIWS (Close-In Weapon System)-style turret tracking rapidly maneuvering airborne targets. A simplified nonlinear manipulator model with realistic actuator torque limits is used as the plant. Five controllers are implemented: a baseline PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) controller, a feedforward PID, a Kalman-filter-assisted PID, and two feedback-linearized designs using PID and LQR (Linear-Quadratic-Regulator)-based surrogate dynamics. Controller performance is evaluated on increasingly aggressive three-dimensional target trajectories under varying sensor noise. Results show that PID-family controllers achieve competitive tracking accuracy while remaining torque-efficient and largely unsaturated. Feedback-linearized controllers improve tracking accuracy only when sufficient actuator …

Design, Construction, And Initial Testing Of A Oxy-Acetylene Testing Facility, Blake Bowman, Davide Viganò

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) are critical for atmospheric re-entry and hypersonic flight vehicles, yet ground-based evaluation of TPS materials remains challenging due to the cost, complexity, and limited availability of large arc-jet and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) facilities. Oxy-acetylene testing provides a low-cost and accessible alternative for preliminary material screening, sensor development, and fundamental studies of material response under high heat-flux conditions. This paper presents the design, construction, and initial validation of the High-Enthalpy Acetylene Testing (HEAT) facility at Missouri University of Science and Technology. The facility incorporates a modular experimental architecture, independently controlled oxygen and acetylene mass-flow systems, and …

Tomo-Piv Study Of A Parallel Two-Dimensional Jet In Supersonic Flow, Josiah Mcdermott, Connor Bell, Davide Vigano

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Stabilizing combustion in supersonic flows is a formidable challenge due to the small time scales afforded for air-fuel mixing. Numerous studies in this area have demonstrated the potential of strut-style platforms for fuel injection and mixing enhancement, which remains an active area of research. In the Aerodynamics Research Laboratory at Missouri S&T, a strut-style injector system has recently been installed. In this study, we characterize the flow structures behind this platform in a range of injection pressures and corresponding mass flux ratios. The wake generated by a strut and injection plume, even absent combustion or mixing enhancement geometry, has an …

Supersonic Wind Tunnel Free Stream Turbulence Characterization Using 2-Point Focused Laser Differential Interferometry, Joseph Villarreal, Joshua Gary, Davide Vigano

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Non-intrusive laser-based diagnostics, such as Two-Point Focused Laser Differential Interfer-ometry (2-FLDI), play a crucial role in modern aerodynamic research by enabling simultaneous measurements of density and velocity in compressible flows. A 2-FLDI system has been developed and implemented for the Missouri S&T Supersonic Wind Tunnel to characterize free stream turbulence fluctuations and free stream convective velocity. Design choices that enabled the 2-FLDI to overcome low turbulence to measure free stream velocity are detailed. The free stream velocity measurements are validated against previous particle image velocimetry data, showing good agreement. Analysis of normalized velocities and density-based turbulence intensities found that the …

2-Point Focused Laser Differential Interferometry Measurements Of A Parallel Jet In Supersonic Flow, Joshua Gary, Joseph Villarreal, Davide Vigano

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Turbulence in compressible flows plays a central role in applications such as air-fuel mixing in supersonic combustors and is significantly more complex than incompressible turbulence due to the presence of fluctuating thermodynamic quantities. As such, models like the Strong Reynolds Analogy (SRA) are used to relate these quantities. However, SRA validity has been examined primarily in boundary-layer flows. In this work, a newly developed Two-Point Focused Laser Differential Interferometry (2-FLDI) system is implemented in a two-dimensional parallel supersonic jet. The diagnostic is described in detail, including optical alignment procedures, calibration methods, and data analysis techniques. Measurements acquired at multiple streamwise …

Multiphysics Transport In Porous Thermal Protection Systems: Experimental Characterization Of Gas Permeability And Radiative Properties, Yejajul Hakim

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Porous thermal protection systems (TPS) used in hypersonic vehicles exhibit coupled gas and radiative transport across multiple regimes and length scales. Accurate performance prediction requires reliable characterization of permeability, slip-flow behavior, and radiative transport properties, particularly for low-permeability and charred materials where existing data are limited. This dissertation presents experimental methods for characterizing multiphysics transport in porous TPS materials. A modular flow system was developed to measure permeability and slip behavior in both virgin and charred materials under relevant environments. A transient pressure decay method enables accurate permeability estimation in low-permeability regimes and provides insight into effective pore structure. Results …

Constrained Dynamics Of Rapid Orbit Motion Emulator (Rome) Using Udwadia-Kalaba Approach, Keanu Brayman

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The Rapid Orbit Motion Emulator (ROME) is designed to be a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testbed for orbital control algorithms. It consists of a four-wheeled ground vehicle and a six-degree-of-freedom robotic manipulator. This work investigates the use of optimal control to execute orbital trajectories on ROME using the Udwadia-Kalaba (UK) formulation to model the system dynamics. The UK formulation is a novel method to derive equations of motion for constrained systems. Unlike traditional approaches, the UK approach can be applied directly to any constrained dynamical system. This project utilizes the UK approach to derive dynamics with trajectory following constraints for the ROME …

Exploring Drone Technology For The Survey And Documentation Of Aerospace Archaeology Sites, David G. Morgan, Thomas R. Allen

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This research examines the implementation of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) during a pilot mission in Nike Park to support its aerospace preservation. Located in Carrollton, Virginia, it was a Cold War missile installation that formed part of the area’s air-defense network. This project aims to use a drone to capture high-resolution video and imagery of Nike Park’s Administrative Office Supply and PX building and the Nike Ajax missile to create virtual 3D models for the Isle of Wight County Museum’s exhibit. For this mission, the DJI Mini 4 Pro drone manually flew a circular flight pattern around the missile and …

Development And Integration Of A Liquid Rocket Propulsion System For A High-Power Rocket, Matthew A. Dipofi, Christina Griggy, Jonathan Armbrust, Jackson Frame

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The goal of this project is to integrate the Stinger liquid rocket engine, a regeneratively cooled LOX/ethanol engine developed by the Akronauts Rocket Design Team, into the Copperhead launch vehicle. The objective is to design, build, and test a complete propulsion system including electronics, software, pressurization, tanks, and instrumentation capable of flight. A key innovation is the electronic pressure regulation system, which replaces mechanical regulators with servo-actuated valves running PID loops for precision and an extra degree of control.

The Stinger engine, under development since Fall 2023, has undergone nine hot-fire tests, with further testing planned to qualify the new …

Aeroelastic Simulation Of Shape Adaptive Wing, Allan Alfred Kozich Iii

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Morphing wings provide aerodynamic qualities that normal fixed wings cannot, such as the ability to improve endurance yet maintain maneuverability, overcome strong gusts, vibrations, and shocks, and handle both ideal flight for both high and low speeds. A critical application of the new generation of morphing wings is the ability to overcome and affect the onset flutter, a self-excited oscillatory instability that has led to the destruction of aircrafts. This work investigates aeroelastic behavior and measurement of a meta-material structured "smart" wing and its attempt to delay the effect of flutter. The variable wing tip model is analyzed through finite …

Using Nature-Inspired Sustainable Design Via Biomimicry Of The Peregrine Falcon To Improve The Development Of Japan’S F-X Fighter Jet, Tvisha Datta

Undergraduate Research Posters

Modern fighter jets face a persistent challenge when it comes to improving aerodynamic efficiency without having to sacrifice high-speed performance or long-term sustainability. These aircraft rely heavily on high thrust and agility, and in doing so, they consume substantial amounts of fuel due to aerodynamic drag and limited energy efficiency. As a result of these constraints, advanced military defense development projects, such as Japan’s Mitsubishi F-X fighter jet program, have been delayed. This highlights the need for more sustainable solutions. Biologically inspired design, or biomimicry, has emerged as a potential and promising alternative. The peregrine falcon, notably the fastest bird …

Autonomous Uav Mission Planning Under Threat Using Model Predictive Control With Proportional-Navigation Pursuers, Mehmet B. Ozcelik

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses

Autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating in contested environments must

complete mission objectives while avoiding restricted regions, radar exposure, and pos-

sible interception. This thesis develops a MATLAB-based simulation framework for

two-dimensional UAV mission planning under threat using model predictive control and

proportional-navigation chasers. The mission requires the UAV to travel from a start

location to a goal while visiting required checkpoints and avoiding no-fly zones and radar

regions. A chaser attempts to intercept the UAV using either a basic pure-pursuit-style

law or a proportional-navigation guidance law.

The framework integrates environment generation, augmented visibility-graph rout-

ing, waypoint management, UAV kinematic …

Llm-Driven Closed-Loop Uav Control With Obstacle-Aware Model Predictive Control, Halimcan Yasar

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses

This thesis presents a closed-loop control architecture for uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) in which a large language model (LLM) serves as a high-level decision module operating over a persistent, metric 3D world model.

Rather than generating low-level commands or open-loop plans, the LLM selects one parameterized maneuver per decision step from a small, verified library of flight primitives conditioned on a structured representation of the drone state, tracked object positions, and mission specification.

Translational motion is executed by a planar model predictive controller (MPC) with soft obstacle avoidance, using obstacle hypotheses provided by the LLM, so that safety-critical constraint handling …

Design And Analysis Of Energy Recovery Methods For Reduced Aircraft Emissions, Joshua C. Hauck

Honors Theses

Aircraft flights are an increasingly popular mode of transportation. However, their harmful impacts on the environment are a growing concern. Many engineers have worked to develop fully electric aircraft to address this issue. Although they are much more sustainable than conventional aircraft, electric aircraft encounter severe limitations imposed by current battery technology. One alternative route engineers have taken is developing energy recovery methods (ERMs). These are marketed as devices that reduce aircraft fuel consumption without significantly changing their structure and functionality, making them an excellent short-term solution. However, there is little to no consideration of the tradeoffs induced by the …

Buckling Analysis Of Auxetic Composite Laminates And Optimal Design Using Lamination Parameters And Machine Learning, Hans Bendon Maria Tamil Selvan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses

Composite materials are widely used as structural panels in aerospace, automotive, and civil engineering applications, where buckling is often a critical failure mode. This thesis focuses on the analysis and design of composite laminates that maximize buckling performance under prescribed stiffness and thickness constraints.

The first part of the study investigates the buckling behavior of auxetic laminates, which exhibit a negative Poisson's ratio. While previous studies suggest that auxetic laminates can achieve higher critical buckling loads than non-auxetic laminates under simply supported boundary conditions with lateral restraint, the influence of other boundary conditions and plate aspect ratios has not been …

Performance Comparison Of A Low Mass Vibratory Lunar Surface Compactor In Vacuum Versus Atmosphere, Robin D. Austerberry

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

As space agencies prepare to return to the moon, an emphasis is being placed on establishing a sustained human presence that requires permanent structures and supporting infrastructure, making site preparation a critical factor. Michigan Technological University’s Planetary Surface Technology Development Lab has developed a novel low-mass surface compaction tool for use on a site preparation vehicle in collaboration with Colorado School of Mines. Testing in vacuum is necessary to simulate a relevant environment, which is required to increase the technology readiness level of this tool to TRL 5. Testing concluded significant interactions between the presence of atmosphere and other factors. …

System-Level Assessment Of Non-Ideal Phase Change Material Behavior In Low Earth Orbit Spacecraft Thermal Control Models, Nathan S. Bruursema

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Phase change materials (PCMs) are of interest in spacecraft thermal control because their latent heat capacity can provide passive thermal buffering during transient or cyclic heat loads. PCM behavior is often treated using idealized assumptions such as repeatable phase transition temperatures, consistent thermal accessibility across cycles, and full latent recovery. However, practical PCM behavior may be affected by non-ideal phenomena such as supercooling, interfacial resistance, and degradation of internal transport accessibility. This thesis examines the system-level relevance of these effects for low Earth orbit (LEO) spacecraft thermal control and identifies the operating conditions under which non-ideal PCM behavior becomes design-relevant. …

On The Vibrational Dynamics Of Wind Turbine Blades: The Oscillatory Response To Gust Pulses, And The Physical Mechanisms Behind Them, North A. Yates

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

An easily noticed trend in the utility-scale wind turbine industry is that the size of the machines has continued to increase over time. While this may have benefits in terms of increasing the power generation for a single turbine, a major drawback is the rate with which the weight of the turbine blades grow. To ensure these larger machines can be utilized, efforts are being put forth to create lighter blades. This may fix the weight issue, but brings on a new one; these lighter blades can also be more flexible than previously studied ones. It is, therefore, vitally important …

Computational Study Of Rotating Detonation Combustors, Aditya Balasubramaniam

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses

Rotating detonation combustors (RDCs) are pressure-gain combustion devices that sustain one or more continuously rotating detonation waves, offering potential thermodynamic and performance advantages over conventional deflagration-based systems. Their behavior depends strongly on combustor geometry and operating conditions. Understanding these effects is therefore essential for the design and optimization of practical RDCs. Accordingly, this thesis numerically investigates annular RDCs with two primary objectives: (1) to evaluate the effects of propellant mass flux and (2) to assess the influence of annular width on detonation-wave dynamics and combustor performance.

A finite-volume framework is used to solve the compressible reactive Euler equations with hydrogen–air …

Dynamic Modeling Of The Earth's Trapped Proton Environment, Xiaojing Xu, Steve R. Blattnig, Francis F. Badavi, Martha S. Clowdsley, Edward J. Semones

Physics Faculty Publications

Context: Reliable prediction of space radiation exposure is critical for safeguarding spacecraft systems and ensuring astronaut health during missions. Accurate radiation risk assessment for space mission requires advanced models of the Earth’s trapped proton environment. These models must reflect temporal variations driven by geomagnetic field evolution and solar cycle modulation. Existing static models, such as AP8 and IRENE-AP9, are not designed to fully capture these evolving conditions. Aims: This paper presents a dynamic modeling method for the prediction of trapped proton fluxes, which incorporate time-dependent variations due to geomagnetic field evolution and solar cycle fluctuations. Methods: The …

Long Short-Term Memory (Lstm) -Based Neural Network Model For Optimizing Composite Manufacturing Process Using Autoclave, Sourav Bolar, Steven Corns, Nayan Pundhir, Kumbla Chandrashekhara

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Producing high-quality fiber-reinforced composites requires precise temperature control during autoclave curing, as even small variations can lead to defects that compromise strength and reliability. At the same time, manufacturers aim to reduce energy use and shorten curing cycles without sacrificing material performance. To address these challenges, this study develops a data-driven Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) neural network model capable of forecasting temperature evolution inside the autoclave throughout the curing cycle. The model is trained on time-series temperature data collected from multiple sensing locations, enabling it to learn the spatial and temporal trends that govern heat flow during curing. Data augmentation …

Simulated Lunar Gravity Testing Of A Magnetic And Electrostatic System For Beneficiating Lunar Regolith, Blake A. Coffman, Gabriel Porter, Lindsay Manteufel, Mitchell Cottrell, Jeffrey D. Smith, David J. Bayless, William Shonberg, Frank D. Han, Fateme Rezaei, Kirby Runyon

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We present the design and testing of a lunar regolith beneficiation device that utilizes magnetic and electrostatic separation methods to concentrate desired minerals by removing unwanted material, such as the mineral anorthite, from bulk lunar regolith. The beneficiated materials would have value for downstream in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) processes such as metal extraction, oxygen extraction, and metal oxide additive manufacturing processes. The apparatus uses a dual-strength magnet system with N52 and N42 neodymium magnets to separate particles by magnetic susceptibility. The electrostatic separation system, which acts like a sieve, sorts the regolith simulant by particle size using a single-phase 50% …

Upconversion Photoluminescence In Wsse Alloy Monolayer Under Uniaxial Tensile Strain, Shrawan Roy, Jie Gao, Xiaodong Yang

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The optical responses of monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (1L-TMDs) can be tuned effectively by using mechanical strain. In this work, the tuning of upconversion photoluminescence (UPL) emission in 1L-WSSe alloy by applying uniaxial tensile strain is investigated. When the uniaxial tensile strain is changed from 0 % to 1.02 %, the peak position of UPL emission has a redshift of around 25.6 nm, and the UPL intensity goes up with an exponential function of the applied strain as the upconversion energy difference is varied from −197 meV to −131 meV. The sublinear power dependence for UPL emission in 1L-WSSe alloy …

Made On Mars: Design And Manufacturing Of Structural Polymer-Regolith Composites, Pailey M. Vitale

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Human exploration of Mars is constrained by harsh environmental conditions and the prohibitive cost of transporting materials from Earth. Long-term sustainability requires the local production of mechanical and structural components using resources available on Mars, thereby minimizing payload mass. This project investigates polymer–regolith composites derived from atmospheric CO₂ and mineral-rich regolith as a pathway toward in-situ manufacturing. These composites, when compatible with additive manufacturing, could replace imported plastics, enable on-demand fabrication, and support closed-loop recycling systems. The objective is to design and evaluate polymer–regolith composites that maintain mechanical integrity and environmental resistance under Martian conditions, including extreme temperature swings, radiation …

Active Altitude Control For High Powered Rockets, Henry Allen, Jason Secora, Charles Williams, Donavon Sanchez, Caleb Nedoma

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC) is the premier collegiate high power rocketry competition in the world hosted by the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association (ESRA). The Akronauts Rocket Design team has been competing in IREC since 2015 and have won several awards. The main goal of IREC is to launch a rocket to a specified altitude of 10k, 30k, or 45k ft while carrying a payload and successfully recover with little to no damage.

The control of a typical high-powered rocket is purely passive; the center of pressure of the rocket must be behind the center of gravity with respect …