Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Gradient-Based, Post-Optimality Sensitivity Analysis With Respect To Parameters Of State Equations, Gene Hou, Jonathan Degroff

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Design optimization is a computational tool that can enable a designer to investigate the effectiveness of a design concept in an organized format. However, this design process requires the design variables, constraints, and objective function to be properly defined and expressed in mathematical forms. Post-optimality analysis thus becomes a necessary step to investigate different variations in the problem formulation and parameters to ensure that optimization produces a stable and trustworthy outcome. One efficient way to achieve this aim is to compute the local derivative of the optimized objective function with respect to the optimization problem parameters, such as bounds on …

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 …

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 …

Large Telescope Mount For Long Exposure Photos, Payne M. Landis, Anna J. Gray

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

When viewing the stars through a telescope, it is common that the object you are viewing drifts out of view. Many amateur astronomers seek to capture long exposure images of the stars, planets, and galaxies with commercially available sky tracking telescope mounts. The complication is that these telescope mounts are both incredibly expensive and have low weight limits. These issues limit accessibility to these products based on the telescope. For each person, telescope parameters determine the amount of light and magnification that can be viewed, which then determines exposures time for adequate photo results. The options on the market for …

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 …

Gaze Transition Entropy And Automation Trust In Multitasking Workspace, Yusuke Yamani, Austin Jackson, Tetsuya Sato, Feyishola Ashimi, Michael S. Politowicz, Eric T. Chancey, Makoto Itoh

Psychology Faculty Publications

Safe flight operation requires visual scanning across multiple displays in a cockpit, which collectively represent the state of the aircraft and supporting automation. Trust is a crucial factor that drives human-automation interaction, and recent work has suggested a relationship between an operator's visual attention and automation trust. One index that captures predictability of eye movements between different areas of interest is gaze transition entropy. The current work reanalyzed data from Sato et al., which examined eye movement patterns and trust in automation associated with the system monitoring task of the Multi-Attribute Task Battery. Results showed credible positive correlations between the …

Digital Twin Technologies For Battery Systems: Advancements, Applications, And Future Directions, Seyed Saeed Madani, Yasmin Shabeer, Michael Fowler, Satyam Panchal, Carlos Ziebert, Hicham Chaoui, François Allard

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The relationships among deep learning, edge computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and the most recent advancements in digital twin (DT) technology for battery energy storage systems are discussed in this paper. The study highlights the need for improved cloud-edge coordination, AI model development, and stronger cybersecurity features by demonstrating real-world applications of digital twin technology in electric vehicles (EVs), aircraft, and grid storage. It also described DT-based structures for fault detection, real-time monitoring, and optimization through standardization and battery management system (BMS) fusion. Because DT-based solutions for distributed energy resources (DERs) offer improved energy management systems, various studies have been conducted …

High Intensity Ablation By Laser Filaments At Standoff Distances, Owen Thome

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The high-power densities delivered to a target material by a laser allow for melting and vaporization to occur, a process called laser ablation. At higher intensities, plasma formation occurs and more complex material removal mechanisms take place. As laser power increases, nonlinear effects occur during propagation. One such effect, Kerr self-focusing, leads to beam collapse and ionization, resulting in a channel of plasma and region of high intensity light referred to as a laser filament. Filaments carry intensities on the order of 10¹³ W/cm² to significant distances without the use of large-scale focusing optics. Laser filament ablation is …

Detonability Limits Of Liquid Fuel Cloud, Khaoula Chougag

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Detonation-based propulsion systems are of significant interest owing to their high thermodynamic efficiency, rapid energy release, and favorable entropy production relative to deflagration-based systems. Liquid fuels offer practical advantages in storage and volumetric energy density, making them attractive candidates for next-generation detonation engines. This dissertation investigates the detonability characteristics of liquid hydrocarbon fuel clouds through three interconnected studies conducted in a turbulent shock-tube environment using high-speed imaging and pressure diagnostics. The first study maps the detonability limits of monodisperse n-dodecane clouds by systematically varying droplet diameter (5-50 μm) and O₂/N₂ oxidizer composition at equivalence ratios spanning ϕ = 0.8-2.0. Results …

Computational Regolith Mechanics And Instrumentation Development For Lunar Exploration And Resource Utilization, Jared M. Long-Fox

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Sustained exploration of the Moon requires quantitative understanding of lunar regolith properties to support scientific investigation, in situ resource utilization, excavation, and infrastructure development. This dissertation examines the mechanical interaction between robotic excavation systems and lunar regolith, emphasizing how regolith behavior both enables and constrains exploration-focused and exploration-enabled science. Computational excavation models were compared to laboratory data to evaluate prediction of excavation forces and to develop metrics of excavation efficiency. Laboratory experiments using high-fidelity lunar regolith simulants were conducted to characterize pressure-sinkage behavior, shear strength, and angle of repose across a range of material states. Common analytical excavation and terramechanics …

Application Of Reinforcement Learning To Precision Aerial Delivery System Control In Adverse Wind Conditions, Radman Zarbock

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

Precision aerial delivery systems (PADS) are a subset of airdropped parachute-leveraging package delivery systems that use autonomous guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) to reach targets with high degrees of accuracy. This technology emerged in the 1990s, and strides have been made since to improve the reliability of traditional physics-based controllers that guide PADS. However, these algorithms still struggle to deliver acceptable performance results when PADS are subjected to austere operating environments, such as those with unpredictable wind. Building on a foundational study in 2022 that used artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to improve PADS GNC performance, this study aims …

Amp: Single-Shot Ultra-Wide Fisheye-To-Cubemap Pnp Pose Estimation, Ryan M. Raettig, Richard R. Nyquist, Scott L. Nykl, Clark N. Taylor, Christine M. Schubert Kabban

Faculty Publications

Estimating the position and orientation of a rigid object from an image is critical for situational awareness in robotics and autonomous systems. This study explores relative pose estimation using an ultra-wide fisheye camera for unmanned aircraft inspection vehicles. Ultra-wide fisheye lenses introduce radial distortion and capture features beyond the rectilinear image plane, rendering rectilinear Perspective-n-Point (PnP) algorithms inadequate. Designing a bespoke ultra-wide fisheye localization algorithm requires consideration of both the feature detection method and the pose estimator itself. This study proposes a novel method that combines (1) a fisheye-to-cubemap reprojection, (2) a You Only Look Once (YOLO) convolutional neural network …

Mathematical Developments In American Spacecraft Technology, Tylah Grace Lynn, Lauren Reece Terry

Student Scholar Symposium

No abstract provided.

Parameter Informed Reinforcement Learning For Vehicle System Identification, Nathan Schaff

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Accurate system identification is essential for modeling and controlling vehicle dynamics. This dissertation explores the application of Parameter Informed Reinforcement Learning (PIRL) as a novel approach to system identification (SYSID). PIRL integrates prior system knowledge, such as physical parameters, into reinforcement learning (RL) frameworks to improve estimation accuracy. The study begins with an overview of traditional SYSID methods and then introduces PIRL as a modification of standard RL. The research applies PIRL to short-period aircraft dynamics, demonstrating its effectiveness in both offline and online learning frameworks. The dissertation then further explores PIRL’s utility in an indirect model reference adaptive control …

Tradespace Exploration For Multiple Collaborative Vehicles, Mrunal Deshmukh

All Theses

Modern military operations demand systems that adapt to uncertain, rapidly changing missions across diverse terrains. Traditional single-platform vehicle design is insufficient for such complexity. This research introduces a hierarchical tradespace exploration framework for designing and evaluating families of heterogeneous ground vehicles under a System-of-Systems (SoS) architecture. The framework treats vehicle design as a co-optimization problem, where a “parent” vehicle (e.g., a Squad Multipurpose Equipment Transport) coordinates specialized “child” vehicles for reconnaissance, amphibious tasks, terrain traversal, and stealth missions. Unlike conventional approaches that optimize vehicles individually, this study emphasizes collaborative performance, resource sharing, and adaptability at the family level. Central to …

Simulation Of Rocket Response To Electromagnetic Environments Using Finite Element Modeling, Eden Powers

Fall Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

The purpose of this project is to develop a rocket model in FEMAP with NX-Nastran to simulate how a rocket might respond when exposed to external electromagnetic conditions. A simplified model of the SpaceX Starship will be constructed and analyzed to explore how various electromagnetic conditions interact with the rocket’s materials and geometry.

Exploratory Study Of Semiconductor Nanomembranes In Em Applications, Grant D. Heileman

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Antenna systems are a cornerstone of modern technologies, playing an increasingly vital role in their advancement. As demand for compact, high-performance, and adaptable communication platforms grows reconfigurable antenna technologies are becoming essential. This research explores a novel front-end reconfigurable antenna system (FERAS) architecture that leverages the mechanical flexibility and photoconductive behavior of semiconductor nanomembrane (SNM) devices. By exploiting the emergent properties of ultra-thin silicon (Si) or gallium arsenide (GaAs) nanomaterials and optically exciting these samples using vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) arrays, this study develops lightweight, low-cost, deployable antenna structures for satellite communications, remote sensing, GPS, and radar. Despite their significant …

Insights On Ai-Supported Uncrewed And Autonomous Systems Education, Brent A. Terwilliger Ph. D, John Faraca

Publications

Artificial Intelligence (AI) related technology is reshaping the educational experience in programs focused on uncrewed and autonomous systems, aviation, robotics, and aerospace, with growing implications for workforce readiness and cross-sector innovation. Early survey data, capturing student, educator, and employer perspectives, reveals that AI-supported tools are notably changing student engagement, communication, and skills development. Initial indications underscores the importance of AI proficiency and technological familiarity in hiring and workforce development, particularly in technical and operational roles. Key areas of focus include the use of AI to strengthen outreach and interactivity; enrich instruction through intelligent simulations; inform curricular improvements using data analytics; …

Unresolved Image Simulation For Space Situational Awareness Applications, Fox Coniglario

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The knowledge of what lies in orbit around Earth is at best a guess. Decades of spaceflight, debris buildup, and vehicle collisions have contributed to a large number of objects that are simply not able to be catalogued. Ongoing efforts to catalog debris in orbit have reached limits by conventional measures and as such, research is active in the field of in-orbit space situational awareness. This thesis intends to help fill a hole in the development of such orbital platforms by assisting the development of image processing software pipelines though the simulation of unresolved space imagery. The simulation uses accurate …

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

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

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

Overcoming Variable Illumination In Photovoltaic Snow Monitoring: A Real-Time Robust Drone-Based Deep Learning Approach, Amna Mazen, Ashraf Saleem, Kamyab Yazdipaz, Ana Dyreson

Michigan Tech Publications

Snow accumulation on photovoltaic (PV) panels can cause significant energy losses in cold climates. While drone-based monitoring offers a scalable solution, real-world challenges like varying illumination can hinder accurate snow detection. We previously developed a YOLO-based drone system for snow coverage detection using a Fixed Thresholding segmentation method to discriminate snow from the solar panel; however, it struggled in challenging lighting conditions. This work addresses those limitations by presenting a reliable drone-based system to accurately estimate the Snow Coverage Percentage (SCP) over PV panels. The system combines a lightweight YOLOv11n-seg deep learning model for panel detection with an adaptive image …

Electrical Characterization Of Germanium Tin Alloys And Devices For Space Reliability, Kevin K. Choe

Theses and Dissertations

GeSn (germanium tin) alloys are potentially well suited for near-mid infrared space optoelectronic applications. Alloys of GeSn have similar properties to group III-V and mercury-cadmium-telluride semiconductors and are compatible with cost-effective complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) manufacturing technology. Recent progress in non-equilibrium remote plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RPECVD) has enabled the crystalline growth of GeSn with Sn concentrations of up to 10% without Sn surface segregation. Several experimental studies in previous literature report CVD- or molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)-grown GeSn alloys achieving a direct bandgap with 6%-9% Sn content. This novel growth technique opens opportunities for a cost-effective, next-generation optical …

Multi-Fidelity Machine Learning Modeling For Aerodynamic Response Prediction Of Aerospace Vehicles, Ethan S. Jackman

Theses and Dissertations

Hypersonic vehicle design requires understanding complex aerodynamic phenomena across the full flight regime. This study presents a novel MF surrogate modeling methodology that enables the prediction the full field response across a vehicle’s surface. A Space-Filling Curve (SFC) is used to convert unstructured data into 1D vectors. The a Convolutional Autoencoder is used with transfer learning to reduce the dimensionality of the data. An Emulator-Embedded Neural Network (E2NN) combines multi-fidelity data for fast, accurate predictions. A benchmark analytical example and hypersonic application are used to evaluate the methodology. Using various numbers of samples and sampling strategies it is found that …

Reduced Order Models Of Hydrodynamically Interacting Flapping Wings, Jose Pabon

Dissertations

Fish schools exhibit a collective behavior and self-organization that is mediated by hydrodynamic interactions between individual fish. However, the long-time evolution of hydrodynamically interacting collectives is challenging to investigate due to the persistent influence of long-lived vortical structures, and the high-resolution requirements of direct numerical simulation at large Reynolds numbers. Reduced-order models have therefore played an important role in theoretical investigations of collectives of swimming bodies. The main results detailed herein are several new reduced-order models of swimmers that self-propel by flapping, i.e., by executing a prescribed periodic rigid body motion. The models are extensions of a discrete-time dynamical system …

Advancing Real-World Implementation Of The Well Optimized Linear Finder (Wolf) High-Speed Atmospheric Turbulence Compensation Method, Timothy Evan Coon

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation advances the real-world implementation of the Well Optimized Linear Finder (WOLF) method for high-speed Atmospheric Turbulence Compensation (ATC). Atmospheric turbulence introduces phase aberrations into optical wavefronts and degrades image quality in terrestrial imaging systems. Traditional phase diversity methods are computationally intensive and poorly suited to real-time operation. The WOLF method addresses these limitations through a novel, point-wise formulation of the optical transfer function (OTF) as a structured autocorrelation of the generalized pupil function (GPF). This formulation enables the estimation of phase aberrations at individual spatial coordinates with distributed computational complexity.

The research begins by developing a MATLAB-based simulation …

Mtu-Llm: Llm-Based Multi-Robot Task Allocation And Path Planning For Heterogeneous Robots In Search And Rescue Operations, Kaushik Kannan, Jungyun Bae

Michigan Tech Publications

Urban Search and Rescue operations after natural disasters involve locating and assisting victims in hazardous environments, which is challenging. Classical Multi-Robot Task Allocation (MRTA) and path planning approaches have been used to deploy heterogeneous robot teams in unsafe areas. However, existing methods often lack focus on workload balance and requirement fulfillment and struggle to generalize across different scenarios. To address these challenges, we propose Multi-robot Task allocation Utilizing LLMs (MTU-LLM), a framework designed to reduce the development time for task allocation and path planning approaches, enabling faster robot deployment. The framework uses an LLM-based “prompt engineering” approach that generates task …

Experimental Analysis Of Satellite Operator Training Using Game-Based Virtual Reality Simulation, Lana Laskey

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Satellite data plays a vital role in modern global infrastructure by enabling communications, navigation, and weather forecasting. As demand for satellite technology grows, so does the need for highly trained satellite ground operators. Traditional training regimens for satellite operators employ simulation using two-dimensional computer console displays paired with the varied ability of trainees to generate abstract mental imagery of the scenario. However, this development of mental imagery imposes a considerable learning curve and cognitive workload on the trainee, which may negatively impact the user experience and knowledge gained during the training scenario.

This experimental study investigated the effects of game-based …

The Spectral Response Of Time-Resolved Piv In A Turbulent Boundary Layer, Peter Manovski, Wagih Abu Rowin, Henry Ng, Paul Gulotta, Matteo Giacobello, Charitha De Silva, Nicholas Hutchins, Ivan Marusic

Student Publications

This study presents the application of time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) to measure the mean and fluctuating velocity components in a turbulent boundary layer (TBL) over an axisymmetric body of revolution. A narrow wall-normal strip of the flow was captured using a synchronised high-speed laser and camera at a recording frequency of up to 80 kHz. The resulting streamwise and wall-normal velocity TR-PIV data were validated against hot-wire anemometry measurements and direct numerical simulations (DNS) of a flat plate under matched flow conditions. The mean flow results showed good agreement between all methods, while the expected attenuation due to the …

Gnss Technology, Utah State University Space Dynamics Laboratory

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

SDL presentation on GNSS Technology

Comparison Of Gravity Waves Observed By Atmospheric Waves Experiment (Awe) And Simulated By High-Resolution Waccm-X, Jiarong Zhang, Han-Li Liu, Yucheng Zhao, Dominique Pautet, Ludger Scherliess, Michael Taylor

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

Outline

Data: AWE and High-Resolution Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere and ionosphere extension (HR-WACCMX) simulation

• Quantify gravity wave (GW) activity
• Compare GW activity observed by AWE and simulated by high-resolution WACCMX
• GW activity over Western Europe