Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Simulation Of Reacting Supersonic Flow In A Cavity Flameholder, Mohamed Benjelloun Touimi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Scramjet engines, or Supersonic Combustion Ramjets, are pivotal for achieving and maintaining hypersonic flight speeds. These engines leverage the high-speed airflow to compress and mix air and fuel for combustion. A significant challenge in Scramjet engine design is ensuring stable and efficient combustion within this high-speed environment. Cavity flameholders are crucial components that stabilize the combustion process by creating a subsonic region where the fuel-air mixture can ignite and sustain combustion. This research simulates this supersonic flow within the combustion chamber to accurately model and analyze the combustion dynamics. Various turbulence models, including RANS, and DES, are evaluated for their …

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 …

Repurposing The United Nations Trusteeship Council To Govern The Establishment Of Outer Space Settlements, Andrew Wulf

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Current existing international law and treaties on outer space do not address or regulate private actors’ property claims or human settlements in outer space. American companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, as well as countries like the United States, Russia, and China, are seeking to create colonies on the Moon and Mars. However, there is no international legal authority to allow or regulate this. In order to legitimize and control this impending outgrowth of human settlements, this paper proposes that the U.N. Trusteeship Council be repurposed to govern non-state actors’ claims of outer space property.

First, this paper explains …

Different Spectrum Of Space Radiation Induced Cognitive Impairments In Radiation-Naïve And Adapted Rats, Richard A. Britten, Arriyam S. Fesshaye, Alyssa Tidmore, Ella N. Tamgue, Paola A. Alvarado-Arriaga

Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases (CINID) Faculty Publications

NASA's decision to resume manned deep space mission, first to the Moon and then Mars, necessitated a detailed assessment of the potential health effects that astronauts may experience on long-duration missions. Multiple studies suggest that there may be significant space radiation (SR)-induced impairment of neurocognitive processes, including advanced executive functions. However, given the multitude of SR-induced changes in the CNS, it is possible that completely different SR-induced sequelae will be induced in previously exposed individuals. Thus, current risk estimates are likely to be pertinent only for the early stages of a deep space mission, and even then only for astronauts …

Exposure To Low (10 Cgy) Doses Of ⁴He Ions Leads To An Apparent Increase In Risk Taking Propensity In Female Rats, Nina Li, Simran Phuyal, Elliot Smits, Faith E. Reid, Ella N. Tamgue, Paola Alvarado Arriaga, Richard A. Britten

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

The planned missions to the Moon and Mars will present more significant health challenges to astronauts compared to low earth orbit missions. During deep space missions, astronauts will be constantly exposed to Space radiation (SR). Multiple rodent studies suggest that < 25 cGy of SR impairs performance in executive functions, which play a key role in advanced cognitive processes, but also regulate response inhibition and impulse control. There is the possibility that SR exposure may exacerbate aberrant behaviors evoked by psychological stress related to exposure to isolated and confined (ICE) hostile environment or independently induce additional aberrant behaviors. This study has determined that female Wistar rats exposed to 10 cGy of 250 MeV/n He had an increased risk taking propensity (RTP)\compared to shams. The increased RTP of the He-exposed rats was associated with significantly increased reaction times during the trials, suggesting a SR-induced loss of processing speed. The response times of the He-exposed rats were even further reduced in trials that immediately followed a loss, raising the possibility that conflict and interference avoidance may be impaired after SR exposure. Whether these findings occur following other types of SR exposure, and/or in male rats remains to be determined.

Numerical Analysis Of A Multi-Stage Elastohydrodynamic Seal For Aircraft Engines, Md Wasif Hasan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

At present, both governmental and private aviation enterprises are trying to develop aircraft that are swifter, more lightweight, and more cost-effective in order to maintain competitiveness on both the domestic and global stage. Continuous innovation and sustainability efforts are necessary to achieve advancements in aviation systems, such as fans, compressors, combustors, and turbines, as well as sub-systems, like engine seals. Advanced engine seals exhibit considerable potential in enhancing the engine's pressure ratio and cycle temperatures, leading to reduced engine weight, increased thrust, and improved fuel economy. In this study, a novel multistage seal idea has been proposed for the supercritical …

Investigations Of Performance And Emissions Of A Fischer-Tropsch Gtl Sustainable Aerospace Fuel With Lubricity Improver In A Compression Ignition Engine With Butanol Port Fuel Injection, James B. Willis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As there is increasing concern over emissions of traditional fossil fuels, as well as the future of continued reliance on this dwindling resource, it is becoming increasingly evident that alternative fuels are a necessity. This research investigates the use of a Fischer-Tropsch fuel from natural gas feedstocks, S8, in an internal combustion research engine with a common rail fuel injection system. This synthetic kerosene fuel has a high DCN of 62, indicating high affinity to autoignition compared to conventional pump diesel (ULSD) at 48 DCN. However, due to the process by which it is produced, this fuel lacks the necessary …

External Runtime Execution Monitoring Of A Cyber Physical System Via Trace Interfaces, Peter Vaughan Truslow

Theses and Dissertations

In the past two decades, Unmanned Aerial Systems have progressed from expensive military hardware or one-off custom builds, to include off-the-shelf drones that can be purchased for a rather affordable price and flown by nearly anyone. As the technology and performance have improved, the door is opened to applications that require operation in environments where the consequences for failure are high, such as operating in the navigable airspace or in urban environments, or with human passengers. This requires a great deal of trust in the reliability and integrity of the control systems of the aircraft. A method of monitoring the …

A Concept Of Producing Aluminum In-Situ On The Moon Through Molten Salt Electrolysis, Jacob N. Ortega, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daniel Stutts, Daoru Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a concept of producing aluminum in-situ on the lunar surface, namely, the Lunar In-Situ Aluminum Production through Molten Salt Electrolysis (LISAP-MSE) method developed at Missouri University of Science and Technology. This paper aims to demonstrate the use of electro-deoxidation to reduce aluminum oxide (i.e., alumina) into aluminum and oxygen gas via electrolysis in a molten salt bath for the production of aluminum on the Moon. It is shown that with a steady supply of hydrogen chloride, this in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) method could supply several necessary materials consumed in the electro-deoxidation process except hydrogen chloride to produce …

Progress Of Lisap-Mse: A Concept Of Producing Aluminum In-Situ On The Moon Through Molten Salt Electrolysis, Jacob N. Ortega, David Bayless, Daniel Stutts, Daoru Han, Todd P. Sander, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, William Schonberg

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a concept of producing aluminum in-situ on the lunar surface, namely, the Lunar In-Situ Aluminum Production through Molten Salt Electrolysis (LISAP-MSE) method developed at Missouri University of Science and Technology. This paper aims to demonstrate the use of electro-deoxidation to reduce aluminum oxide (i.e., alumina) into aluminum and oxygen gas via electrolysis in a molten salt bath for the production of aluminum on the Moon. It is shown that with a steady supply of hydrogen chloride, this in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) method could supply several necessary materials consumed in the electro-deoxidation process except hydrogen chloride to produce …

Three-Dimensional Laser-Assisted Printing Of Structures From Nanoparticles, Heng Pan, Chinmoy Podder, Wan Shou, Xiaowei Yu

Patents

A method for manufacturing a component comprising bombarding nanoparticles in a dispersion with a laser to transform the ligand and cause the nanoparticles to drop out of the dispersion and deposit onto a substrate; and bombarding additional nanoparticles in the dispersion with the laser to transform the ligand and cause the nanoparticles to drop out of the dispersion and deposit onto the nanoparticles previously deposited out of the dispersion.

Magnetic Separation Of Lunar Regolith Simulants With Applications To In Situ Resource Utilization On The Moon, Peter Bachle, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The development of in situ resource utilization (ISRU) for metal extraction is imperative as a steppingstone for habitation construction in lunar and non-terrestrial environments. Separation of minerals by chemical composition is important to optimize metal and oxygen liberation from lunar ore. to this effect, devices capable of separating aluminum bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals from the lunar regolith simulants have been developed. Twenty-eight different simulants have been used in this study. a dual-belt separator was designed to reduce middlings. Para-magnetic minerals were reliably separated using a neodymium N52-magnet-separator system. Effective separation of aluminum-bearing minerals from iron-bearing minerals was greater than …

Beneficiation Of Lunar Regolith Simulants Through Electrostatic Sieving And Magnetic Separation, Peter Bachle, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In the light of future development of lunar structures, in-situ feldspar beneficiation is imperative for metal extraction. This research incorporates the tandem use of electrostatic sieving and magnetic separation for collecting a specific size range and mineral composition from lunar soil that optimizes subsequent chemical processing. While earlier works focused on silt-sized particles, this work expands that range up to medium-grained sand with a greater variety of potential lunar regolith compositions. This work shows that a 2.5 kV, 7 Hz to 30Hz frequency, single-phase square wave can lift silt and fine sand for collection. This lifting is successful directly from …

Kinetic Modeling Of Electrostatic Sieving For Lunar Regolith Beneficiation: Case Studies, Easton Ingram, Emmanuela Amen Eze, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A new kinetic particle modeling framework was developed to investigate electrostatic transport of lunar regolith particles with applications to the concept of electrostatic sieving. The new approach is based on kinetic particle dynamics and includes major modules of sampling the particle size distribution, solving electric fields, and tracking motion of charged dust grains. Case studies for a concept of electrostatic sieving were chosen to validate the new model. The simulation achieved similar yields reported in previous works, which served as validation of the model. The new model is computationally efficient and could serve as a design, analysis, and optimization tool.

Phenolic Polymer Infiltration And Pyrolysis Process For Additively Manufactured Carbon/Peek Composites To Produce Carbon–Carbon Composites, S. Weiler, H. A. Haffner, K. Chandrashekhara, J. Watts, G. E. Hilmas, J. Bayldon, L. M. Rueschhoff

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Carbon–carbon composites are carbon fibers reinforced with carbon matrix and are classified as advanced materials well suited for high-temperature structural applications. Carbon–carbon composites are characterized by maintaining excellent mechanical properties and structural stability at high temperatures and have been used in aerospace application as nozzles, heatshields, and leading edge. However, conventional methods to manufacture carbon–carbon composites are costly and time-consuming. the aim of this work is to develop a method for creating additively manufactured (AM) carbon–carbon composites using a high-pressure re-infiltration process. in doing so, less infiltration cycles are required compared to a low-pressure re-infiltration, reducing the total manufacture time. …

New Testing Capabilities Of The Missouri University Of Science And Technology Supersonic Wind Tunnel, Joshua Gary, Davide Viganò

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The development of non-intrusive, laser-based diagnostic techniques has significantly enhanced supersonic experimental aerodynamics, enabling the measurement of many parameters in complex flow fields. Among these techniques, Tomographic Particle Image Velocimetry, capable of measuring 3 components of velocity in 3-dimensional volumes, is now available at the Aerodynamics Research Laboratory of the Missouri University of Science and Technology. To integrate this new system into the university's supersonic wind tunnel, a redesigned nozzle, test section, and diffuser have been implemented. The upgraded modular test section features 4 large ports which can be configured with windows for optical diagnostics or lead plates for model …

Sensor Tasking For Low Earth Orbit Objects: Leveraging Space Sensor Data For Ground-Based Optical Observations, Smriti Nandan Paul, Hang Woon Lee

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Because of recent advancements in space technologies, easier and more economical access to space, and an increase in commercial interests, the near-Earth space environment has witnessed an exploding number of objects being put into orbit. In particular, the low Earth orbit (LEO) region is at an increased risk of orbital collisions from large satellite constellation projects. Thus, monitoring LEO objects for space situational awareness and space traffic management has become increasingly imperative. In this paper, we use the concept of limited-CDF (cumulative distribution function) surface and mutual information for designing sensor tasking algorithms focusing on regular observation of known catalog …

Damage Initiation Of 15v38 Steel Bar During Square-To-Round Hot Rolling Process, Siva Sai Krishna Dasari, Henry Adekola Haffner, K. Chandrashekhara, Mario F. Buchley, Simon N. Lekakh, Ronald J. O'Malley

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Hot rolling processes have been extensively used to produce round bars by reducing the cross-sectional area of continuously cast steel. The current trend toward increasing productivity often requires a more aggressive reduction per pass. Establishing safe and optimized hot rolling parameters must be determined to avoid damage while deforming the specific steel composition. Understanding the damage mechanism during the metal forming process is vital for product quality. Herein, a combined experimental and simulation approach is developed to track the evolution potential damage during hot bar rolling. Hot tension tests are conducted on as-cast vanadium micro alloyed 15V38 steel at different …

Oxidation Of Additively Manufactured Zrb2–Sic In Air And In Co2 At 700–1000 °C, Marharyta Lakusta, Nicholas M. Timme, Abid H. Rafi, Jeremy Lee Watts, M. (Ming) C. (Chuan) Leu, Gregory E. Hilmas, William G. Fahrenholtz, David W. Lipke

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Oxidation behavior of additively manufactured zrb2–sic in air and in co2 is reported in the temperature range of 700–1000 °c. Observed scale morphologies in air and in co2 were similar, featuring an outer borosilicate layer and an inner porous zirconia layer containing partially oxidized silicon carbide particles and remnant borosilicate products. Oxide scale thicknesses and parabolic scaling constants in air were approximately twice those observed in co2 across all studied temperatures. Activation energies for oxidation of 140 ± 20 kj/mol in air and 110 ± 20 kj/mol in co2 were determined, indicating similar diffusion processes that appear to be rate-limiting. …

Investigating Bistable Dynamics Of Coupled Oscillators With Similarities To Neural Activity In Epilepsy, Nilay Kant, Ranjan Mukherjee

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The dynamics of an oscillator, which exhibits a stable equilibrium and a stable limit cycle, is investigated. We refer to it as a bistable oscillator unit (BOU) and show that two coupled BOUs (CBOUs) exhibit dynamics analogous to neural activity patterns in epilepsy, including healthy, localized, and fully spread epileptic states. By treating each CBOU as an independent system influenced by the state of the other, we establish local input-to-state stability near the equilibrium and the limit cycle and estimate the ultimate bounds of the trajectories. Our analysis identifies the domain of the initial conditions and estimates the coupling parameter …

Modeling Human Strategy For Flattening Wrinkled Cloth Using Neural Networks, Nilay Kant, Ashrut Aryal, Rajiv Ranganathan, Ranjan Mukherjee, Charles Owen

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper explores a novel approach to model strategies for flattening wrinkled cloth learning from humans. A human participant study was conducted where the participants were presented with various wrinkle types and tasked with flattening the cloth using the fewest actions possible. A camera and Aruco marker were used to capture images of the cloth and finger movements, respectively. The human strategies for flattening the cloth were modeled using a supervised regression neural network, where the cloth images served as input and the human actions as output. Before training the neural network, a series of image processing techniques were applied, …

Optimal Tilt-Wing Evtol Takeoff Trajectory Prediction Using Regression Generative Adversarial Networks, Shuan Tai Yeh, Xiaosong Du

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have attracted tremendous attention nowadays due to their flexible maneuverability, precise control, cost efficiency, and low noise. The optimal takeoff trajectory design is a key component of cost-effective and passenger-friendly eVTOL systems. However, conventional design optimization is typically computationally prohibitive due to the adoption of high-fidelity simulation models in an iterative manner. Machine learning (ML) allows rapid decision making; however, new ML surrogate modeling architectures and strategies are still desired to address large-scale problems. Therefore, we showcase a novel regression generative adversarial network (regGAN) surrogate for fast interactive optimal takeoff trajectory predictions of …

Kinetic Simulations Of Dust Grain Charging Near Surfaces Under Various Plasma Conditions, David Lund, Daoru Han

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents fully kinetic numerical investigations of the charging of spherical and irregular shaped dust grains in multiple configurations utilizing the Parallel Immersed-Finite-Element Particle-in-Cell Dusty (PIFE-PIC-D) framework. The simulations account for both surface charging and in-depth charging of the dust grains immersed in various ambient plasma conditions near a floating or biased surface. PIFE-PIC-D explicitly resolves the geometrical and material properties (permittivity and photoelectron emissions) of each individual dust grain. PIFE-PIC-D will model self-consistently the unsteady and stochastic charging of grains directly from the deposition of electrons and ions onto them. PIFE-PIC-D will also simulate the charging of irregular-shaped …

Sensor Tasking Strategies For Space-Based Observers In The Cislunar Environment, Smriti Nandan Paul, Roshan Thomas Eapen, Puneet Singla

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The cislunar space environment has witnessed an increase in activities, and future projections indicate significant growth in object population. Consequently, it becomes crucial to monitor these objects for space domain awareness (SDA) purposes. As the number of objects surpasses the available observers, meticulous sensor tasking becomes essential. This paper focuses on designing and exploring strategies for observing and keeping custody of known objects in cislunar space. Optical space-based telescopes, combined with lunar ground-based telescope, are employed for sensor tasking of cislunar objects residing in valuable orbits. The proposed research aims to address the following key points: (1) examination of the …

Development And Characterization Of An Ion Source To Simulate Low Earth Orbit Plasma Environment In A Vacuum Chamber, Emmanuel Kofi Asuako Wie-Addo, Scott Lucas, Daoru Han

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A magnetic filter-type plasma source has been installed and characterized in a 10 ft long x 6ft diameter vacuum chamber. The plasma source was characterized with a fleet of diagnostic probes including an in-house cylindrical Langmuir probe. This resulted in the measurement of key plasma parameters such as electron number density, electron temperature, plasma potential, Debye length, ion current density, streaming ion energy, ion number density, and streaming ion velocity. By varying the flow rates, discharge current, and distance, single points measurements were taken at three locations downstream of the plasma source to establish an optimum operating condition to simulate …

L∞ Bounds For Transient Growth In Repetitive And Iterative Learning Control Systems, Douglas A. Bristow, John R. Singler

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper revisits the problem of large transient growth in Iterative Learning Control (ILC) and Repetitive Process Control (RPC) systems. In ILC and RPC problems a process is repeated iteratively, with new control calculations occurring in between each iteration. Large transient growth refers to the propensity of some control algorithms to grow error exponentially before eventually converging. While robust monotonic convergence algorithms (in which monotonic convergence is guaranteed usually in exchange for a small loss in performance) have largely eliminated the concern for large transient growth in ILC, similar results cannot always be obtained in RPC. The emergence of additive …

Impact Of Quenching Intensity Conditions On Using A Finite Element Model To Investigate The Microstructure And Hardenability Of Low-Alloy Steel, J. S. Alabi, E. Heidari, M. F. Buchely, K. Chandrashekhara, S. N. Lekakh, R. J. O'Malley, V. Athavale, A. Kumar

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Quenching is one of the primary processes to improve mechanical properties in steels, particularly hardness. Quenching is well established for different geometries of individually treated steel components; while in-steam quenching of large diameter continuously cast steel bar has several specific features which are difficult and costly to experimentally optimize. The end-quench Jominy test has been used extensively to study the hardenability of different steel grades. Different numerical, analytical, and empirical models have been developed to simulate the Jominy process and to understand quenching of steels. However, it is not straight forward to translate experimental data from Jominy test on instream …

Kinetic Modeling Of Electrostatic Sieving For Lunar Regolith Beneficiation: Case Studies, Easton Ingram, Emmanuela Amen Eze, Jeffrey Smith, Fateme Rezaei, David Bayless, William Schonberg, Daoru Han

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A new kinetic particle modeling framework was developed to investigate electrostatic transport of lunar regolith particles with applications to the concept of electrostatic sieving. the new approach is based on kinetic particle dynamics and includes major modules of sampling the particle size distribution, solving electric fields, and tracking motion of charged dust grains. Case studies for a concept of electrostatic sieving were chosen to validate the new model. the simulation achieved similar yields reported in previous works, which served as validation of the model. the new model is computationally efficient and could serve as a design, analysis, and optimization tool.

Impact Of Quenching Intensity Conditions On Using A Finite Element Model To Investigate The Microstructure And Hardenability Of Low-Alloy Steel, J. S. Alabi, E. Heidari, M. F. Buchely, K. Chandrashekhara, S. N. Lekakh, R. J. O'Malley, V. Athavale, A. Kumar

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Quenching is one of the primary processes to improve mechanical properties in steels, particularly hardness. Quenching is well established for different geometries of individually treated steel components; while in-steam quenching of large diameter continuously cast steel bar has several specific features which are difficult and costly to experimentally optimize. the end-quench Jominy test has been used extensively to study the hardenability of different steel grades. Different numerical, analytical, and empirical models have been developed to simulate the Jominy process and to understand quenching of steels. However, it is not straight forward to translate experimental data from Jominy test on instream …