Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Indentation Protection Of Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Woven Fiber Metal Laminates, Sida Xu

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Lithium-ion batteries are widely used as electric power sources for smartphones, tablets, laptops, e-scooters, unmanned aerial vehicles, aircraft, electric vehicles, airport equipment, and numerous other transportable electronic devices. When these types of batteries get excessively loaded, damage can occur. To study the effects of excessive damage, lithium-ion battery modules with prismatic cells were subjected to destructive quasi-static indentation using a V-shaped stainless steel wedge indenter at different loading orientations, directions, and rates. The modules were discharged to a very low state of charge prior to testing. Force and voltage were measured as a function of displacement to monitor the damaging …

Conceptual Design Methodology For The Fan-In-Wing Vtol Aircraft, Brock Steinfeldt

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The Fan-In-Wing (FIW) aircraft concept is one of the most compelling solutions for missions demanding jet-like cruise speeds and Vertical TakeOff and Landing (VTOL) capability. However, despite years of interest and documented improvements in lift-fan technology, there exists little in the way of an adequate theory for conceptual design of a fan-in-wing aircraft. To address this issue, a general conceptual design methodology has been developed as a source of guidance for the FIW designer. Through this work, the top-level requirements ranking the fan-in-wing concept above other VTOL aircraft have been defined, while a cross-comparison between the FIW concept and conventional …

Adaptive Control Of An Aeroelastic System For Active Flutter Suppression And Disturbance Rejection, Patrick Sterling Downs

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The future of aircraft design strives for lighter weight, more aerodynamically efficient structures. These improvements may come with the drawback of increased structural flexibility and elevated aeroelastic effects, often resulting in a lower flutter speed. This motivates the implementation of advanced control methods to control aeroelastic systems over a range of flight conditions, suppress and delay the onset of flutter, and compensate for disturbances, actuator dynamics, and unmodeled nonlinear dynamics.

This dissertation first develops a novel method for constructing time-domain simulation models of two and three-dimensional aeroelastic systems, resulting in models that are suitable for the implementation of state-space control …

Damage Control Measures In Composites: Focus On Damage Tolerance Of Aerospace Structures, Kais Jribi

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Barely Visible Impact Damage (BVID) in composite materials presents a stealthy yet significant risk to structural integrity, particularly challenging due to its elusive nature. The approach adopted here diverges from traditional methodologies, focusing on the novel application of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to map surface area changes during in-situ Compression After Impact (CAI) tests. This technique allows for an in-depth analysis of planar strains along the x and y axes, shedding light on the material's behavior under stress.

A pivotal advancement lies in developing a method for precisely identifying when BVID-induced delamination recommences. By meticulously analyzing strain pattern deviations along …

Ti Nano Powder Speckle Pattern Creation And Use In Dic Of Zno Modified Single Carbon Fibers, James Matthew Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

As the use of composites continues to grow across aerospace, naval, automotive, construction, 3D printing, and other countless industries, so does the desire to continuously improve their mechanical properties. Improving the adherence of the fiber-matrix interface is one important step for amplifying the capabilities of composites. Work has been performed in modifying carbon fibers by growing zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods in the fiber surface using a hydrothermal approach, increasing interfacial area and fiber-matrix friction. Macroscale evaluation has shown that the interfacial modification decreases the inter-ply movement and reduces the processing strains and residual stresses. To fully understand the mechanism taking …

Development Of On-The-Fly Quasi-Steady State Approximation For Chemical Kinetics In Cfd, Abhinav Balamurugan

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This study analyzes the feasibility of On-The-Fly Quasi-Steady-State Approximation (OTF-QSSA) application for solving chemical kinetics within Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, aiming to reduce the computational demand of detailed mechanisms. An algorithm that dynamically identifies and designates Quasi-Steady-State (QSS) species at specific grid locations and instances during the simulation was developed. With this information, our method pseudo-delays the advancement of concentrations for these QSS species—effectively setting their rate of concentration change to zero for a set number iteration before updating using the detailed mechanism and thereby omitting the computationally intensive processes typically required for their calculation during those skipped iteration. …

Numerical Study In Wind Energy Extraction From Controlled Limit-Cycle Oscillations In Modified Glauert Airfoil, Ethan L. Deweese

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Typically, wind energy harvesting technology employs wind turbines. Towards the goal of meeting increasing energy needs with renewable energy sources a novel wind energy harvesting scheme is considered, utilizing a modified Glauert (MG) airfoil experiencing aeroelastic limit cycle oscillation (LCO) from which energy may be extracted. Synthetic jet actuators (SJA)s are used along with the unique geometry of the MG airfoil to control flow separation and amplify the LCO and energy generation potential of the system. The discussed wind energy harvesting scheme could provide flexibility in allowing installations previously unsuitable to wind turbines due to geometric or low wind velocity …

Implementation Of Path Planning Methods To Detect And Avoid Gps Signal Degradation In Urban Environments, Ayush Raminedi

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

In the modern world, various missions are being carried out under the assistance of autonomous flight vehicles due to their ability to operate in a wide range of flight conditions. Regardless, these autonomous vehicles are prone to GPS signal loss in urban environments due to obstructions that cause scintillation, multi-path, and shadowing. These effects that decrease the GPS functionality can deteriorate the accuracy of GPS positioning causing losses in signal tracking leading to a decrease in navigation performance. These effects are modeled into the simulation environment and are used as part of the path planning algorithm to provide better navigation …

Mitigating Engine Unstart In Scramjets With Porous Bleeders, Ryan Lindley

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The effectiveness of porous bleeders in mitigating unstart phenomena and enhancing isolator effectiveness in a hypersonic scramjet was investigated. Through computational fluid dynamics simulations, the impact of porous bleeder design parameters such as pressure jump coefficient and bleeder size on isolator effectiveness and unstart prevention was evaluated. Results indicated that porous bleeders delayed flow separation and reduced adverse pressure gradients, thereby enhancing isolator performance. Additionally, porous bleeders demonstrated promising capabilities in preventing full unstart events and mitigating oscillatory unstart phenomena.

Prediction Of Handling Qualities Deficiencies For Advanced Air Mobility Aircraft, Louis Spier

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

To date, there are hundreds of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) vehicles under development. Most of these vehicles differ significantly from traditional airplanes and rotorcraft when it comes to configuration and handling qualities. Handling qualities for traditional airplanes and rotorcraft are often very predictable. All AAM concepts currently under development feature some sort of fly-by-wire flight control system. Regulatory agencies already have decades of experience with certifying fly-by-wire airplanes. Fly-by-wire rotorcraft have proven to be significantly more difficult to certify and several flight test accidents have occurred as a result of handling qualities deficiencies, or “cliffs”. To ensure the safe and …

Starfish: A Compact, Biomimetic, And Adaptive Shape Memory Alloy Orbital Debris Remover, Katelyn Branaman

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This thesis aims to turn the tides on the orbital debris issue through the fabrication and demonstration of a compact, biomimetic, and adaptive shape memory alloy actuated orbital debris remover. The design, referred to as Starfish, is discussed in detail along with its fabrication process and object capture ability. A hard skeleton crafted from PETG was combined with shape memory alloy wires and extension springs to create a biomimetic structure that operates similar to the human hand, capable of gripping a wide range of objects. Relevant simulations were performed and discussed, the iterative fabrication process used to create each component …

Adaptive Control For A Class Of Nonlinear, Time Varying Rotational Systems, John Zelina

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Aerospace systems often exhibit nonlinear, time varying dynamics. Expansive mission profiles, fuel burn or transfer and payload deployments or slung loads can supply additional complexity that can excite the plant dynamics and result in undesirable performance. Because of these often unknown dynamical effects in aerospace systems, an emphasis is placed on controller robustness as significant safety risks are present. Due to the difficulty of predicting uncertainties, robust control can be achieved in two distinct ways. The first approach is to design a control law to be tolerant to a large amount of uncertainty, and the second is to design a …

Benchmarking Of A Sco2 Heat Exchanger Flow Loop, David Velasco

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Heat transfer of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) was studied experimentally by commissioning a sCO2 flow loop featuring a horizontal tube-in-tube counterflow heat exchanger with a circular cross section. The main objective was to establish experimental heat transfer research capabilities for sCO2 at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s (ERAU) Thermal Science Lab. sCO2 experiences a drastic change in thermophysical properties near its critical point that results in unique heat transfer characteristics. The high pressures at which sCO2 exists make the large gradients in thermophysical and transport properties difficult to study, experimentally and numerically. However, understanding the heat transfer characteristics and thermophysical behavior of …

State Omniscience For Cooperative Local Catalog Maintenance Of Close Proximity Satellite Systems, Chris Hays

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Resiliency in multi-agent system navigation is reliant on the inherent ability of the system to withstand, overcome, or recover from adverse conditions and disturbances. In large part, resiliency is achieved through reducing the impact of critical failure points to the success and/or performance of the system. In this view, decentralized multi-agent architectures have become an attractive solution for multi-agent navigation, but decentralized architectures place the burden of information acquisition directly on the agents themselves. In fact, the design of distributed estimators has been a growing interest to enable complex multi-sensor/multi-agent tasks. In such scenarios, it is important that each local …

Initial Orbit Determination Of Uncooperative Satellites Using Particle Swarm Optimization From The Point Of View Of A Novel Observer Orbit, Taylor Yow

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Initial orbit determination is an incredibly valuable tool in the field of space situational awareness (SSA). As the number of launches increases every year, more objects are being put into space around the Earth and with political tensions mounting between certain space-accessing countries such as the United States of America (USA), Russia, and China, the number of satellites whose orbits are unknown to a political rival are increasing as well. In this research, orbit estimation of uncooperative target satellites from the point of view of novel orbits using particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is explored. Two cost functions for the …

Trustable Adaptive Controllers For Multi-Agent Systems With Actuator Dynamics, Atahan Kurttisi

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Multi-agent systems have become a powerful tool for a wide range of applications due to the effective and cheap solutions they offer. Especially during the last decade, they have impacted a wide array of civilian and military applications (e.g., surveillance, reconnaissance, and payload transportation). However, they suffer system anomalies due to the operational and material conditions, which yields degraded performance or even instability. Hence, this dissertation investigates the distributed adaptive control design process for uncertain multi-agent systems with scalar and high-order dynamics in the presence of unknown control effectiveness and actuator dynamics. First, it provides an approach for driving a …

A Comparison Of Beamforming Characteristics In Isotropic And Composite Plate Structures For Use In Structural Health Monitoring, Sarah Ketchersid

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Structural health monitoring in plate-like simple structures using phased array beamsteering of guided Lamb waves is useful in damage detection and evaluation efforts. Lamb waves can be effectively used for beamsteering using a linear array. The experimentation primarily focuses on beamsteering in the aluminum panel, which involves developing a simulation based on extracted data to visualize the dispersion of waves across the panel. By evaluating parameters such as slowness, velocity, and amplitude direction and variation for a specific metallic plate, the wavefront generated by a single wave source can be represented as a function of propagation angle and distance from …

Farmer Perceptions Of Land Cover Classification Of Uas Imagery Of Coffee Agroecosystems In Puerto Rico, Jose Cabrera, Blake Neal, Kevin Adkins, Ronny Schroeder, Gwendolyn Klenke, Shannon Brines, Nayethzi Hernandez, Kevin Li, Riley Glancy, Ivette Perfecto

Publications

Highly diverse agroecosystems are increasingly of interest as the realization of farms’ invaluable ecosystem services grows. Simultaneously there has been an increased use of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) in remote sensing as drones offer a finer spatial resolution and faster revisit rate than traditional satellites. With the combined utility of UAS and the attention on agroecosystems, there exists an opportunity to assess UAS practicality in highly biodiverse settings. In this study, we utilized UAS to collect fine-resolution 10-band multispectral imagery of coffee agroecosystems in Puerto Rico. We created land cover maps through a pixel-based supervised classification of each farm and …

Going Airborne: Kent State's Pioneering Leap Into Integrated Advanced Air Mobility, Jason T. Lorenzon

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

This proposal centers on the development of a Concept of Operations in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Kent State University's College of Aeronautics and Engineering is poised to pioneer the integration of drones and electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) systems, bridging the gap between its campus and airport by transporting students and faculty the 3NM distance from campus to the airport and back by a UAV. Beyond a standard research initiative, this proposal signifies a groundbreaking effort to reshape the landscape of educational aeronautics and Advanced Air Mobility and Urban Air Mobility. Our overarching goal is to transcend conventional boundaries …

Cubesat Reaction Wheel Attitude Control Platform System Architecture, Justin Hartland

Beyond: Undergraduate Research Journal

In the classroom, physics behind spacecraft attitude dynamics and controls is abstract and difficult to comprehend. It is common that students struggle to develop the connection between the math they learn and how it can be applied in the real world. The goal of this project is to design and manufacture a 1U, 3U, and 6U CubeSat testbed for autonomous control systems utilizing reaction wheels. The testbed will include three separate reaction wheels each mounted on its own respective axis to control the attitude in 3 degrees of freedom. The end goal of the CubeSat Control Platform is to be …

Immersive Framework For Designing Trajectories Using Augmented Reality, Joseph Anderson, Leo Materne, Karis Cooks, Michelle Aros, Jaia Huggins, Jesika Geliga-Torres, Kamden Kuykendall, David Canales, Barbara Chaparro

Publications

The intuitive interaction capabilities of augmented reality make it ideal for solving complex 3D problems that require complex spatial representations, which is key for astrodynamics and space mission planning. By implementing common and complex orbital mechanics algorithms in augmented reality, a hands-on method for designing orbit solutions and spacecraft missions is created. This effort explores the aforementioned implementation with the Microsoft Hololens 2 as well as its applications in industry and academia. Furthermore, a human-centered design process and study are utilized to ensure the tool is user-friendly while maintaining accuracy and applicability to higher-fidelity problems.

Experimental Environmental Profiles And Sloshing Dynamics Aboard Zero-G Aircraft, Pedro J. Llanos, Sathya Gangadharan, Kevin Crosby

Publications

This study presents the results of a parabolic flight experiment to study the sloshing dynamics of the magneto-active propellant management device experiment. This device utilizes a magnetoactive membrane and magnets located external to the tank to effectively damp the liquid free surface motion. This research work establishes a benchmark with sloshing analytical formulation and sensor calibration methods that can be used to characterize future research parabolic flights while providing important environmental profiles measured during flight, such as accelerations, pitch angle, velocity, temperature, total volatile content, carbon dioxide, relative humidity, magnetic field, and radiation. Correlation between these flight variables and the …

Experimental Analysis Of The Integrated High-Lift Propulsor, Robert W. Deters, Byron Ward, Shreyas Narsipur

Publications

Wind tunnel testing was conducted to evaluate the performance of the Integrated High Lift Propulsor (IHLP), a novel Distributed Electric Propulsion (DEP) system. The IHLP integrates traditional Krueger flap/slat elements with a Distributed Electric Propulsion design, enhancing high lift performance and cruise efficiency compared to conventional pylon-mounted DEP configurations. Starting from a baseline configuration determined from pretest Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses, a parametric study was performed to determine the influence on the aerodynamic characteristics (���� , ����, and ����). The study involved variations in flap settings, slat angles, overlap, propeller tilt, and propeller position. The impact of Reynolds number, …

On Progress In Exploring Controlled Viscous Limit-Cycle Oscillations In Modified Glauert Airfoil, Ethan Deweese, Lap Nguyen, Erik Vataker, William Mackunis, Vladimir Golubev, Ron Efrati, Oksana Stalnov

Publications

The paper reports on the progress in the development of a novel robust, nonlinear flow control technology that employs an array of synthetic-jet actuators (SJAs) embedded in 2-DOF, elastically mounted, optimized Modified Glauert (MG) airfoil design in order to control limit cycle oscillations (LCO) at low subsonic flow regimes. The focus here is on the conceptual design of the wind energy harvesting system that employs, e.g., a piezoelectric device to extract energy from plunging LCO, with the closed-loop controller being capable to sustain the required LCO amplitudes over a wide range of wind speeds. The current high-fidelity studies first include …

Adaptive Control Of Vscmgs For Satellite Attitude Tracking, Kyle Vernyi

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The democratization of space has brought about many new opportunities and challenges for industry, academia, and governments. Smaller and more affordable platforms are now regularly being launched. These platforms have higher uncertainty due to cost, engineering constraints, unmodeled dynamics, coupled effects, and the challenging space environment. In addition, both mission requirements and complexity are simultaneously being increased. In order to achieve these requirements, new satellite control algorithms are required. Adaptive control offers a strong solution to the uncertainty problem. This thesis develops several adaptive control algorithms for satellites equipped with momentum management devices. Momentum management devices such as reaction wheels …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Game-Based Virtual Reality In Satellite Ground Control Operations Education And Training, Lana Laskey, Joseph R. Keebler, Paul M. Cairns, Geovanny Lopez

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

There is increased global demand for satellite amenities such as navigation, communications, weather reporting, disaster management, agricultural operations, or humanitarian assistance. The growing demand for satellite technology amplifies the need for highly trained satellite operators. Traditional simulation training methods typically utilize two-dimensional computer displays. However, training approaches involving game-based instruction and immersive virtual reality have shown benefits when integrated with complex disciplines and may provide an advanced training alternative for satellite operators. Game-based instruction enhances user motivation and cognitive engagement, while immersive virtual reality promotes user presence and prolonged cognitive engagement. The combination of these two training methods, noted as …

Leveraging Artificial Intelligence To Improve Data Configuration & Accuracy In Modern Flight Management Systems, Sreeram Chittayil

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

AI (Artificial intelligence) can automate the process of generating optimized flight routes using real-time data, such as AIRAC (Aeronautical Information Regulation and Control), significantly reducing the time needed for flight management tasks. While AIRAC data typically takes up to 28 days to refresh, AI could condense this process to just minutes, enhancing operational efficiency and ensuring pilots have timely and accurate flight information. The research includes practical experiments, prototype code, and visual case studies to demonstrate AI's role in optimizing FMS functions while addressing issues related to data input errors and human intervention. Key findings from trials show the algorithm's …

Automatic Detection Of Birds In Images Acquired With Remotely Piloted Aircraft For Managing Wildlife Strikes To Civil Aircraft, Maurycio Rodrigues Oviedo, Flavio A. C. Mendonca Ph.D., Jose Cabrera, Cole A. Mcnall, Raymond Ayres, Ricardo Luís Barbosa, Rodrigo Gallis

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Wildlife strikes represent a significant threat to aviation safety and economics, as evidenced by notable incidents such as the emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in 2009. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledges this growing concern, as evidenced by its report on Wildlife Strikes to Civil Aircraft in the United States from 1990 to 2019.To address the need for improved risk management, airports conduct Wildlife Hazard Assessments (WHA), a laborious process typically relying on visual identification by Qualified Airport Wildlife Biologists (QAWB). However, technological advancements, such as Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and machine learning (ML), offer promising solutions to …

Fundamentals Of Sustainability, Eva Maleviti

Publications

Fundamentals of Sustainable Aviation is the frst textbook to survey the critical feld of sustainability within the aviation industry. Taking a systems thinking approach, it presents the foundational principles of sustainability and methodically applies them to diferent aviation sectors. Opening with the basics of sustainability, emphasising the Sustainable Development Goals, the book then considers the environmental, economic and social dimensions of aviation. The following chapters apply these insights to aviation design, supply chains, operations, maintenance and facilities. The fnal chapter examines the concept of resilience in sustainable aviation. Overall, the textbook shows how future sustainability can be achieved by making …

Dynamics Of A 3-D Inlet/Isolator Measured With Fast Pressure-Sensitive Paint, Andrew N. Bustard, Mark E. Noftz, Mitsugu Hasegawa, Hirotaka Sakaue, Joseph S. Jewell, Nicholas J. Bisek, Thomas J. Juliano

Publications

Fast pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) was applied to an inlet/isolator designed using the Osculating Internal Waverider Inlet with Parallel Streamlines (OIWPS) method. The dorsal isolator surface pressure was measured using anodized-aluminum PSP through transparent cast acrylic that makes up the ventral portion of the isolator. Temperature-sensitive paint was utilized to correct for the PSP’s temperature sensitivity. The model was tested under Mach 5.7 flow at Re = 8.5 ×106 /m and 10.2 ×106 /m in the AFOSR–Notre Dame Large Mach-6 Quiet Tunnel (ANDLM6QT) under conventional noise conditions. Flow phenomena, such as shocks originating in the inlet and flow separation at the …