Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Integrated Design And Trade Study Of A Sub-Ambient Ammonia Fuel Storage And Delivery System For Narrow-Body Commercial Aircraft, Ethan Taylor

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

This study develops an integrated design framework for a sub-ambient anhydrous-ammonia fuel storage and delivery system for narrow-body commercial aircraft, using the Boeing 737 MAX 8 as the baseline platform. Ammonia was selected because it contains no carbon in its molecular structure, benefits from an established global production and distribution infrastructure, and offers more practical storage conditions than several alternative carbon-free energy carriers. However, its relatively low energy density, toxicity, material-compatibility requirements, and combustion hazards require substantial modifications to power conventional commercial aircraft fuel storage and delivery systems.

The study proposes an integrated design and initial analysis of a sub-ambient …

Characterization And Experimental Study Of Ammonia-Hydrogen Flames Inside A Toroidal Jet-Stirred Reactor At Atmospheric Conditions, Oli Marquez Valenzuela

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Due to rising concerns about global surface temperatures and carbon emissions, there has been an increased interest in studying alternative fuels. Ammonia and hydrogen are fuels with the potential to replace general biofuels, hydrocarbons, and sustainable aviation fuels, as they do not contain any carbon, eliminating carbon emissions. However, they are both difficult to work with. Hydrogen has great combustion characteristics such as low ignition energy, high flame speed and lower heating value. However, it is volatile and difficult to store, requiring it to be compressed to high pressure or cooled to incredibly low temperatures. Ammonia can be used as …

Automation And Habitat Development For A Space Based Marine Life Environment, Logan Trimmer, Alexander Hang

Harrisburg University Other Works

This project was a cross-collaboration between the Environmental Sciences and Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics programs for the company Monolith Space.

The goal of this project was to design an autonomous system to be able to track qualities of water in an aquaculture system designed to be sent to space.

Structural Batteries For Aerospace Applications, Tariqullah Wardak

Honors Undergraduate Theses

There is increasing pressure on the aviation sector to lower carbon emissions and switch to entirely electric and hybrid propulsion systems. However, the feasibility of standard lithium-ion batteries for long-range aircraft is limited, as they add substantial weight and occupy significant volume. Structural batteries, which combine load-bearing capability with energy storage, offer a potential pathway to lighter and more efficient aerospace systems.

This work investigates a carbon-fiber-based structural battery that utilizes carbon fiber as both a current-collecting, load-bearing electrode and a component of the composite structure. In contrast to lithium-ion chemistries, a zinc-based aqueous electrolyte is chosen for better environmental …

Modeling Hepa Filter Media Performance And Evaluation Of Filtration Leak Test Success, Daniel M. Abraham, Steven J. Eckels, Shahin N. Amiri

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This research presents a cost-effective microscale modeling analysis of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter media. We analyzed leak-free and leaking media with known leak sizes. A three-dimensional fibrous model with non-homogeneous fiber diameters (0.2–2 µm) and a packing density of 7.5% was developed to replicate a HEPA filter sheet (H14) microstructure. The objective was to simulate and analyze the pressure drop and collection efficiency of nanofibrous media for aerosol particles with a diameter of d_p ≤ 0.5 µm. The results were compared to prior experimental and theoretical models, exhibiting a high level of agreement with pressure drop and efficiency …

Influence Of The Sst K-Ω Stress-Limiter Coefficient On Transonic Shock Buffet Prediction For The Oat15a Supercritical Airfoil, Melinawo Vowotor

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Transonic shock buffet predictions using the Shear Stress Transport (SST) k–ω turbulence model are known to be sensitive to the stress-limiter coefficient a₁, yet no systematic investigation of this sensitivity exists. This thesis presents a parametric study of a₁ for two-dimensional URANS simulation of shock buffet on the OAT15A supercritical airfoil at M = 0.73 and Re = 3 × 10⁶. Eleven a₁ values (0.25–0.37) are examined at α = 3.5°, and a matrix of five a₁ values across five angles of attack (3.0°–3.9°) maps the interaction with incidence. The results reveal that a₁ acts as a bifurcation parameter: a …

Anisotropic Second-Harmonic Ince-Gaussian Beam Generation Using Nbobr2 Holograms, Jayanta Deka, Xiaodong Yang, Jie Gao

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Ince-Gaussian (IG) modes are a complete and orthogonal set of solutions to the paraxial wave equation in elliptic coordinates representing a continuous transition between Hermite-Gaussian modes and Laguerre-Gaussian modes. Chip-scale platforms to generate IG beams have great significance for various applications, including optical trapping and micromanipulation of particles, optical communication, and quantum optics. On the other hand, materials with high optical anisotropy are crucial for building polarization-sensitive optical devices. In this context, niobium oxide dihalides are a new class of ferroelectric materials exhibiting strong, tailorable, and highly anisotropic second-harmonic generation responses. Here, we report the generation of highly anisotropic second-harmonic …

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 …

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 …

Cfd Analysis Of A Full Heat Exchanger Between Ammonia And Supercritical Co2 In Aviation Application, Mairah Ahmed

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The aviation industry’s transition toward lower-carbon propulsion systems has accelerated interest in alternative fuels, including ammonia–hydrogen fuel blends. In this work, a supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle is integrated with the exhaust stream of a turbofan engine to recover waste heat and utilize it for ammonia preheating and cracking. The recovered thermal energy raises the ammonia temperature to the level required for catalytic decomposition, enabling onboard hydrogen production. The proposed architecture combines ammonia cracking with a high-bypass, two-shaft turbofan engine representative of the propulsion system employed on the Boeing 737 MAX 8. This approach addresses the challenges associated with onboard hydrogen …

Machine Learning Modeling Of In-Situ Effective Thermal Conductivities And Ablation Behaviors Of Ceramic Matrix Composites Under Hydrogen Combustion Environments For Gas Turbine Engines, Jayanta Bhusan Deb

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Through the integration of experimental characterization, machine learning, deep learning, numerical modeling, and physics-informed artificial intelligence, this dissertation explores the thermal performance of polymer-derived ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) for hydrogen combustion environments. The polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP) process was used to create Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)-fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix composites, which were then experimentally assessed under hydrogen torch and hydrogen combustion conditions typical of next-generation gas turbine and aerospace propulsion systems. Front- and back-surface temperature measurements were used to continually monitor thermal reactions, and post-test microstructural characterization and numerical simulations were carried out to evaluate material integrity and heat-transfer behavior. To …

Flow Field Characterization Of The Hyperreact Vitiated Hypersonic Wind Tunnel, Erik R. Fernandez

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Reliable interpretation of hypersonic ground-test data requires knowledge of the thermochemical state delivered to the test section, especially in combustion-heated facilities where the gas is chemically altered before nozzle expansion. This thesis investigates the HyperReact vitiated hypersonic wind tunnel using the effective specific-heat ratio, γeff, as an experimentally inferred indicator of the coupled chemical and gas-dynamic behavior of hydrogen-air vitiated flow. HyperReact produces high stagnation temperatures through hydrogen-air combustion before expanding the mixture through interchangeable converging-diverging nozzles. During this expansion, temperature-dependent specific heats, molecular-weight changes, finite-rate chemistry, and internal energy relaxation can modify the relationship between Mach number, pressure ratio, …

Investigation On Selective Catalytic Reduction For Retrofit Of Commercial Aviation Aircraft Engines, Connor M. Wall

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

As the aviation industry continues to grow, the ever-increase of emissions from the sector becomes a growing concern. While the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) set a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, there are other emissions like contrails and NOx that must still be addressed. Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) has been used in the transportation and power generation industry for over two decades and has been an effective solution for NOx reduction. Even with the success SCR has had in other industries, its capabilities in the aviation industry have been trivially investigated. Aircraft engines pose an unique challenge …

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 …

A Combined Tomographic Particle Image Velocimetry And Numerical Simulation Approach For Supersonic Wind Tunnel Calibration, Joshua Gary, Josiah Mcdermott, Kyle Worden, Serhat Hosder, Davide Viganò

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Supersonic wind tunnels remain essential tools for high-speed aerodynamics research, yet the characterization of their free-stream conditions remains technically challenging and lacks standardized criteria for defining "good" flow quality. While traditional calibration methods rely on intrusive probes, recent advances in optical diagnostics offer new opportunities for non-intrusive characterization. In this work, we demonstrate a novel use of Tomographic Particle Image Velocimetry (Tomo-PIV), combined with numerical simulations, as a methodology for supersonic wind tunnel calibration. The approach is applied to the recently upgraded Missouri S&T Supersonic Wind Tunnel, where Tomo-PIV measurements reveal uniform flow with low angularity and low turbulent noise …

Physics-Constrained Generative Adversarial Networks For Dimensionality Reduction In Optimization, Samuel Sisk, Xiaosong Du

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft make a unique form of urban air mobility due to their low noise, zero emission, and precision control. To maximize efficiency, high-fidelity simulation-based multidisciplinary design optimization discovers the optimal balance among subsystems within an eVTOL. However, conventional multidisciplinary design optimization is computationally intensive due to excessive high-fidelity model evaluations. Moreover, complex nonlinear constraints deteriorate optimization efficiency and convergence. While surrogate models enable efficient design optimization, surrogate modeling suffers in large-scale applications and surrogate-based optimization still has to deal with nonlinear constraints. To address these challenges, the authors' previous work proposed physics-constrained generative adversarial …

Tomo-Piv Study Of Baseline Flow Structures Behind A Strut Injector, Josiah Mcdermott, Connor Bell, Davide Viganò

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Stabilizing combustion in scramjet engines 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 baseline flow structures behind this platform absent fuel injection. The wake generated by a strut itself has an appreciable impact on the resulting air-fuel mixing, which motivates its characterization. In future studies, this characterization will …

Optimal Takeoff Trajectory Prediction Of Electric Drones Based On A Fully Automated Optimal Experimental Design Method, Jiachen Wang, Dheeraj Paramkusham, Xiaosong Du

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is attracting great interest as a viable solution to promote urban aerial mobility with promising flexibility as well as emission reductions. However, the low specific energy of the current battery is still a strong constraint on the range and endurance of eVTOL flights, especially considering the significant power demands during the takeoff process. Engineering design optimization permits promising solutions for the minimum takeoff energy consumption but can be computationally intensive due to iteratively evaluating simulation models. Surrogate-based design optimization is efficient but still relies on optimization iterations which prohibit real-time decision-making. To fill …

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°, …

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 …

Performance Evaluation Of Thick Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Laminates Manufactured Using Six-Magnetron Microwave System, Nayan Pundhir, Sourav Bolar, Kumbla Chandrashekhara, Kristen Donnell, Jim Lua, Kalyan Shrestha, Rui Li

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Microwave curing is a fast, energy-efficient, and a viable alternative to conventional thermal curing processes. It has been widely adopted for processing carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites because the high electrical conductivity of carbon fibers enables strong microwave coupling. In this study, IM7/Cycom 5320-1 unidirectional prepreg has been used to fabricate 64-layer laminated composites. Symmetric cross-ply ([0°/90°]16S) and a quasi-isotropic ([45°/90°/−45°/0°]8S) layup have been investigated. A custom-built six-magnetron microwave applicator and an autoclave were employed to manufacture the composite panels. Degree of cure of the manufactured laminates was evaluated via differential scanning calorimetry. Interfacial bonding and porosity of the microwave-cured laminates …

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 …

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 …

Corrigendum To “3d Semi-Analytical Thermo-Elasto-Plastic Model For Additive Manufacturing”(Additive Manufacturing, (2026), 127, C, (105308), (S2214860426002344), 10.1016/J.Addma.2026.105308), Tao Liu, Ming C. Leu, Edward C. Kinzel, Chinedum Okwudire

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The author regret about the correction in the Equation B(1) in original article. The corrected version of the Equation B(1) is given below,(1.1)∂uxxx,ξ∂x=116πμ1−ν4ν−1x−ξxR3−3x−ξx3R5−8ν−5x−ξxR13+34ν−3x−ξx3R15−18x−ξxzξzR15+30x−ξx3zξzR17−12ν−12ν−1x−ξxR1R1+z+ξz2+4ν−12ν−1x−ξx3R13R1+z+ξz2+8ν−12ν−1x−ξx3R12R1+z+ξz3 The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused. DOI of original article: < 10.1016/j.addma.2026.105308>

Multiphysics Simulation And Experimental Validation Of Phase Transformation And Hardness In Jominy End-Quenched Low-Alloy Steels, J. S. Alabi, E. Heidari, M. F. Buchely, K. Chandrashekhara, S. N. Lekakh, R. J. O'Malley, V. A. Athavale, A. Kumar

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

High-volume industrial continuous hot-rolled steel heat treatment processes involve sophisticated multi-phase modeling. The performance of a given process can be optimized by coupling phase transformation kinetics with the cooling conditions of the process. This study develops a multiphysics model to simulate an intensive quenching process for steel, which is inherently transient and highly dependent on numerous parameters. The simulated object was a Jominy end-quenched specimen geometry using two commercial steels, AISI 4130 and AISI 4140, with the goal of transferring a verified methodology to the heat treatment process for industrial heavy-section products (bars, slabs). The simulation employs thermal, mechanical, and …

Autonomous Navigation Development And On-Ground Validation For Satellite Rendezvous And Proximity Operations, Logan Banker

Masters Theses

Spacecraft rendezvous and docking are critical mission phases for various applications of spaceflight, including active debris removal (ADR) and in-orbit servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM). While previous missions utilized humans to perform rendezvous and docking, this style of mission greatly increases safety risks and cannot be implemented on a large scale. Autonomous servicing satellites provide a path towards scalable rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) because these autonomous agents do not require human intervention. This work presents a lightweight convolutional neural network (CNN) for the navigation system of an agent which analyzes monocular images and predicts the target's position and orientation …

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% …

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 …