Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Development Of A Computationally Inexpensive Method Of Simulating Primary Droplet Breakup, Brendon A. Cavainolo

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Liquid droplet impingement on aircraft can be problematic as it leads to ice accretion. There have been many incidents of aircraft disasters involving ice accretion, such as American Eagle Flight 4184. Understanding liquid droplet impingement is critical in designing aircraft that can mitigate the damages caused by icing. However, the FAA's regulations are only specified for "Appendix C" droplets; thus, aircraft designs may not be safe when accounting for droplets such as Supercooled Large Droplets. The assumptions of many models, such as the Taylor-Analogy Breakup (TAB) model, are no longer accurate for Supercooled Large Droplets, and the physics of those …

Planar Motion Control Of A Cube Satellite Using Cold Gas Thrusters, Christian Lozoya

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Thesis presents a mathematical model developed for the computational simulation ofCubeSat movement using four thrusters that permit uniaxial translation and rotation. Arbitrary functions are fit to boundary conditions to simulate the force, acceleration, velocity, and displacement of the CubeSat along a plane. The model is used to derive a motion control algorithm assuming constant pressure and mass. A single model describes both translation and rotation. This Thesis also explores the relationship between propellant consumption and the time required to complete a displacement implied by the model.

Cubesat Astronomy Mission Modeling Using The Horizon Simulation Framework, Alexander W. Johnson

Master's Theses

The CubeSat Astronomy Network is a proposed system of multiple CubeSat spacecraft capable of performing follow-up observations of astronomical targets of interest. The system is intended to serve as a space-borne platform that can complement existing systems utilized for astronomical research by undergraduate and high school students. Much research and development work has been performed to develop model-based system engineering methodologies and products for CubeSat missions, including the Horizon Simulation Framework. The Horizon Simulation Framework enables the development of system models using the Extended Markup Language (XML), and its simulation program can generate system simulations over model-specified timespans. System requirements …

Autonomous Watercraft Simulation And Programming, Nicholas J. Savino

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

Automation of various modes of transportation is thought to make travel more safe and efficient. Over the past several decades advances to semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles have led to advanced autopilot systems on planes and boats and an increasing popularity of self-driving cars. We simulated the motion of an autonomous vehicle using computational models. The simulation models the motion of a small-scale watercraft, which can then be built and programmed using an Arduino Microcontroller. We examined different control methods for a simulated rescue craft to reach a target. We also examined the effects of different factors, such as various biases …

Initial Stage Of Fluid-Structure Interaction Of A Celestial Icosahedron Shaped Vacuum Lighter Than Air Vehicle, Dustin P. Graves

Theses and Dissertations

The analysis of a celestial icosahedron geometry is considered as a potential design for a Vacuum Lighter than Air Vehicle (VLTAV). The goal of the analysis is ultimately to understand the initial fluid-structure interaction of the VLTAV and the surrounding airflow. Up to this point, previous research analyzed the celestial icosahedron VLTAV in relation to withstanding a symmetric sea-level pressure applied to the membrane of the structure. This scenario simulates an internal vacuum being applied in the worst-case atmospheric environmental condition. The next step in analysis is to determine the aerodynamic effects of the geometry. The experimental setup for obtaining …

Blended Wing Design Considerations For A Next Generation Commercial Aircraft, Jay Abhilash Vora

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The current aircraft design has not changed significantly in the last few decades. Growing environmental concerns and fuel prices are driving manufacturers to develop unconventional but efficient aircraft configurations. The blended wing body (BWB) configuration provides an alternate and more efficient means of subsonic travel. The BWB aircraft replaces the traditional wings and fuselage with hybrid wing shape where the fuselage and wings have integrated. Major aircraft manufacturers are researching the BWB concept incorporating electric propulsion for civil transport use. In this research a 300 passenger BWB aircraft aerodynamic shape is designed. This aircraft is used to assess the aerodynamic …

Cfd Modeling Of Smoke Movement In An Atrium, Robin Wu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to better understand the behavior of smoke movement in an atrium. Thus gives first responders and civilians in and out of building a better understanding

With the advancements of modern technology, computers and softwares make simulation models possible such as fire models to simulate fire and smoke movements. In this paper, a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS) is used to conduct a series of atrium tests to investigate the effectiveness of smoke exhaust systems. FDS solves the Navier-Stokes equations appropriate for low speed flows (Ma < 0.3) with an emphasis on smoke, heat transport and CO2 concentrations from fires. The default turbulence model used in FDS simulation is the Large Eddy Simulation (LES), which is the solution of Navier-Stokes equations at low speed.

The compartment tested was 9 …

Validation Of Cfd Simulations For Hypersonic Flow Over A Yawed Cone, Julian Cecil

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

This study aims to numerically simulate the wind tunnel results for hypersonic flow over a circular cone of semi-apex angle of 10 degrees yawed from 0° to 20° using the commercial computational fluid dynamics software ANSYS Fluent. The ANSYS workbench is used to create the 10° semi-apex circular cone with a shock aligned structured mesh of 3.05 million cells surrounding the cone. Simulation boundary conditions for pressure and temperature in the far field correspond to Tracy’s wind tunnel experiment at Cal Tech. The six simulations cases are conducted for yaw angles of 0, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 degrees. …

A Study Of Flight Simulation Training Time, Aircraft Training Time, And Pilot Competence As Measured By The Naval Standard Score, Aaron D. Judy

Doctor of Education (Ed.D)

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships between US Navy T-45C flight simulation training time, actual aircraft training time, and intermediate and advanced jet pilot competence as measured by the Naval Standard Score (NSS). Examining the relationships between US Navy T-45C flight simulation time and actual aircraft flight time may provide further information on flight simulation training versus actual aircraft training to aviation authorities, flight instructors, the military aviation community, the commercial aviation community, and academia. The study was non-experimental, correlational, causal-comparative with an emphasis upon the establishment of mathematic and predictive relationships using archival data from …

System Identification Of A Circulation Control Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Mohammed Agha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The advancement in automation and sensory systems in recent years has led to an increase the demand of UAV missions. Due to this increase in demand, the research community has gained interest in investigating UAV performance enhancing systems. Circulation Control (CC), which is an active control flow method used to enhance UAV lift, is a performance enhancing system currently studied. In prior research, experimental studies have shown that Circulation Control wings (CCW) implemented on class-I UAVs can reduce take-off distance by 54%. Wind tunnel tests reveal that CC improves aircraft payload capabilities through lift enhancement. Increasing aircraft payload capabilities causes …

Formation Flight For Fuel Saving In Coronet Missions Of Kc-135r And F-15c/E, Christopher Allen Kniffin

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

The fuel saving benefit of formation flight has been demonstrated through theoretical and computational analyses, simulation, wind tunnel and flight tests. When an aircraft flies in a specific region in the wake of another aircraft, it experiences upwash, which results in reduced drag and thus reduced thrust requirement. One specific USAF mission that can potentially benefit from formation flight is coronet missions. In a coronet mission, fighter aircraft are escorted and refueled, as needed, by tanker aircraft over a long range. During the flight, the receiver aircraft fly in formation with the tanker but outside of the wake of the …

Optimizing The Telescope Assembly Alignment Simulator For Sofia, Zoe E. Sharp, Alex Quyenvo, Jennifer Briggs, Brian Eney

STAR Program Research Presentations

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) conducts research on a modified Boeing 747sp aircraft. By using a variety of infrared science instruments mounted on a 2.7 meter telescope, researchers can make discoveries about the galactic center, star formation, and various topics associated with a deeper understanding of our universe. To efficiently collect data through the SOFIA instruments, the instruments must be tested and prepared prior to being placed on the aircraft. Therefore, with the use of the Telescope Assembly Alignment Simulator (TAAS), researchers can design and construct improvements needed for these instruments to efficiently perform while in flight. The …

Metamodels Of Residual Stress Buildup For Machining Process Modeling, Stuart B. Mccrorie, Michael Sangid

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

In the process of machining materials, stresses, called residual stresses, accumulate in the workpiece being machined that remain after the process is completed. These residual stresses can affect the properties of the material or cause part distortion, and it is important that they be calculated to prevent complications from arising due to the residual stresses. However, these calculations can be incredibly computationally intensive, and thus other methods are needed to predict the residual stresses in materials for quick decision-making during machining. By using metamodels - a method of representing data where few data points exist - we can achieve an …

Investigation Of Exothermic Reaction Dynamics Via Computational Fluid Dynamics Coupled With A Feedback Controller, Siusan Choi

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

The control of reaction temperature under continuous flow conditions is important in a variety of chemical manufacturing industries. For many reactions, operating at off-design temperatures can result in the production of undesired products, reduced feedstock conversion and, in some cases, reduced catalyst lifetime. In many exothermic reactions, maintaining a desired set point temperature at high reactant flow rates becomes challenging if the chemical kinetics exhibit highly non-linear behavior. In these situations, the interaction between commonly used linear controllers and the physical system can lead to unexpected dynamic response and undesired swings in reaction temperature. In this research, a computational model …

Sysml Based Cubesat Model Design And Integration With The Horizon Simulation Framework, Shaun Luther

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the feasibility of substituting the system input script of Cal Poly’s Horizon Simulation Framework (HSF) with a Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) model designed with the Systems Modeling Language (SysML). A concurrent student project, SysML Output Interface Creation for the Horizon Simulation Framework, focused on design of the HSF Translator Plugin which converts SysML models to an HSF specific XML format. A SysML model of the HSF test case, Aeolus, was designed. The original Aeolus HSF input script and the translated SysML input script retained the format and dependency structure required by HSF. Both input scripts …

Computational Analysis Of Impact Loading On Wafer Level Chip Scale Packages Mounted On Printed Circuit Boards Of Varying Thickness, Anik Mahmood

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

In the electronic industry one of the popular package is Chip Scale Package (CSP) due to its small form factor and low cost. To meet the need of new functionality and portability of the recent devices, CSPs’ have been most favorable choice for a long time. On the other hand, with the miniaturization process of these portable devices there is a growing risk of drop impact failure in day to day use. It’s not only the mechanical loading that is affecting the reliability of these devices but also thermal and thermo-mechanical loads are acting simultaneously. To analyze and ensure the …

Design & Analysis Of A Computer Experiment For An Aerospace Conformance Simulation Study, Ryan W. Gryder

Theses and Dissertations

Within NASA's Air Traffic Management Technology Demonstration # 1 (ATD-1), Interval Management (IM) is a flight deck tool that enables pilots to achieve or maintain a precise in-trail spacing behind a target aircraft. Previous research has shown that violations of aircraft spacing requirements can occur between an IM aircraft and its surrounding non-IM aircraft when it is following a target on a separate route. This research focused on the experimental design and analysis of a deterministic computer simulation which models our airspace configuration of interest. Using an original space-filling design and Gaussian process modeling, we found that aircraft delay assignments …

Team Training In Safety And Security Via Simulation : A Practical Dimension Of Maritime Education And Training, Michael Baldauf, Dimitrios Dalaklis, Aditi Kataria

Conference Papers

In the rather extended maritime domain, a term that should be the epicentre of any successful careerbuilding path is tailor-made training via cutting-edge simulators. To cut a long story short, the breadth of operations on the various types of ships has expanded to such a large extent that extensive practical training drills are becoming a compelling need to contribute to competent seafarers. This type of training can guarantee the positive outcome in their decision-making process and help the seafarers often being under continuous pressure, to suitably respond to the various safety and security threats on-board a vessel. The several conventions …

An Invastigation Of Band-Limited Fluid Damper Configuration Using Lumped Parameter Modeling, Ye Hong

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

Vehicle suspension system is one of the key factors related to the vehicle dynamic characteristic. The fine tuning of suspension system between vehicle handling and ride comfort is not only a trade-off between these two aspects, but also, has its impact on vehicle safety and durability. For an optimal damper performance, the damper needs to generate sufficient damping force at maneuvering frequency (< 2 Hz); and it also needs to generate less damping force, which allow spring to filter the high frequency noise (> 2 Hz) generated by vehicle travels along rough road condition at speed. In order to achieve such performance, a lumped parameter model of Band-Limited Damper is proposed. Frequency response of both Conventional Damper and Band-Limited Damper are …

Open Source Toolkit For Reentry Object Modeling, Christopher Lloyd Ostrom Ii

Master's Theses

Predicting the mass, position, and velocity of an object during its reentry are critical to satisfy NASA and ESA requirements. This thesis outlines a 3-D orbit and mass determination system for use on low earth orbit as applicable to general objects, of various material and size. The solution uses analytical models to calculate heat flux and aerodynamic drag, with some basic numerical models for simple orbit propagation and mass flow rate due to ablation. The system outlined in this thesis currently provides a framework for rough estimates of demise altitude and final mass, but also allows for many potential accuracy …

Assessment Of Critical Technologies For Gas Turbine Engines Using Numerical Tools, Vinicius Pessoa Mapelli, Guillermo Paniagua, Jorge Sousa

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

In 2014 gas turbine engine has reached a market value of 82.5 billion dollars, of which 59.5% are related to aircraft propulsion. The continuous market expansion attracts more and more the interest of researchers and industries towards the development of accurate numerical techniques to model thermodynamically the entire engine. This practice allows a performance and optimization analysis before the actual experimental testing, reducing the time and required investment in the design of a new engine. In this paper, a recently developed open source numerical tool named “Toolbox for the Modeling and Analysis of Thermodynamic Systems” (T-MATS) is used to assess …

Simulation Of Bio-Inspired Porous Battery Electrodes, Raju Gupta, R. Edwin Garcia, Rui Tu

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Advancement of technology has led to the increase in use of electronic devices. However, longer life of the rechargeable battery used in electronic devices is one of the biggest issue and demand in the world of electronic devices at present. Battery's performance is affected by the orientation, arrangement, shape and size, and porosity of the materials out of which battery electrodes are made. The goal of this project is to develop a set of numerical libraries that allow developing material micro structures that will allow increasing the performance of rechargeable batteries. We focused on the development of an algorithm that …

The Stability And Control Of The Single Track Vehicles, Shyngys Karimov, Martin Corless

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Bicycles, motorcycles and scooters are all examples of the single track vehicles. The dynamics of the single track vehicle involve many degrees of freedom and various modes which govern its performance, making a complicated and interesting research topic. Motorcycle in motion can roll, yaw, and steer about the steering axis. It has three main modes which determine the motion and stability of it, they are weave, capsize, and wobble. The motorcycle performance is limited by the behavior of its modes, and if even one of the modes becomes unstable, the vehicle will roll over, and crash. The goal of this …

Direct Simulation Monte Carlo Simulation Toolkit For Equilibrium (0d) And Planar Couette Flow (1d), Austin I. Saragih, Alina A. Alexeenko

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Visualized simulation tool of Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) is essential in aeronautical engineering and gas dynamics, by presenting information that can educate engineers and scientists to preliminarily understand the molecular gas dynamics and direct simulation of gas flows. Two educational tools and models are described for rarified gas flows and simulated particle collisions. A 0-Dimensional DSMC in approach to translational equilibrium was developed to simulate the speed distribution over time and the comparison between the final distribution and the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. A 1-Dimensional DSMC for Planar Couette flow was also developed to calculate the number of strikes of the …

Uav Formation Flight Utilizing A Low Cost, Open Source Configuration, Christian W. Lopez

Master's Theses

The control of multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a swarm or cooperative team scenario has been a topic of great interest for well over a decade, growing steadily with the advancements in UAV technologies. In the academic community, a majority of the studies conducted rely on simulation to test developed control strategies, with only a few institutions known to have nurtured the infrastructure required to propel multiple UAV control studies beyond simulation and into experimental testing. With the Cal Poly UAV FLOC Project, such an infrastructure was created, paving the way for future experimentation with multiple UAV control systems. …

Development Of Cfd Models For The Purposes Of Exploring Free Surface Wave Phenomena, Leonard P. Stoehr

Masters Theses

With the push for finding alternative, green energy sources, the harnessing of energy from ocean and lake waves is becoming a more researched field. To fully understand the behavior of wave interactions and optimize designs to extract this energy, it is necessary to develop computer models that can accurately replicate this behavior. A case is presented in which previous work done using the wave tank found in the Western Michigan University fluids lab is examined. The case involves harnessing the energy generated by ocean waves through the usage of plates of different shapes resting horizontally on the water’s surface. The …

Development Of A Master Of Software Assurance Reference Curriculum, Andrew J. Kornecki, James Mcdonald, Julia H. Allen, Mark Ardis, Nancy Mead, Richard Linger, Thomas B. Hilburn

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Daytona Beach

The Next Generation Air Traffic Management system (NextGen) is a blueprint of the future National Airspace System. Supporting NextGen is a nation-wide Aviation Simulation Network (ASN), which allows integration of a variety of real-time simulations to facilitate development and validation of the NextGen software by simulating a wide range of operational scenarios. The ASN system is an environment, including both simulated and human-in-the-loop real-life components (pilots and air traffic controllers).Real Time Distributed Simulation (RTDS) developed at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a suite of applications providing low and medium fidelity en-route simulation capabilities, is one of the simulations contributing to the ASN. …

Fault Tree Analysis For Safety/Security Verification In Aviation Software, Andrew J. Kornecki, Mingye Liu

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science - Daytona Beach

The Next Generation Air Traffic Management system (NextGen) is a blueprint of the future National Airspace System. Supporting NextGen is a nation-wide Aviation Simulation Network (ASN), which allows integration of a variety of real-time simulations to facilitate development and validation of the NextGen software by simulating a wide range of operational scenarios. The ASN system is an environment, including both simulated and human-in-the-loop real-life components (pilots and air traffic controllers).Real Time Distributed Simulation (RTDS) developed at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, a suite of applications providing low and medium fidelity en-route simulation capabilities, is one of the simulations contributing to the ASN. …

Determination Of Human Powered Helicopter Stability Characteristics Using Multi-Body System Simulation Techniques, Sean M. Brown

Master's Theses

Multi-Body System Simulation combined with System Identification was developed as a method for determining the stability characteristics of a human powered helicopter(HPH) configurations. HPH stability remains a key component for meeting competition requirements, but has not been properly treated. Traditional helicopter dynamic analysis is not suited to the HPH due to its low rotation speeds and light weight. Multi-Body System Simulation is able to generate dynamic response data for any HPH configuration. System identification and linear stability theory are used to determine the stability characteristics from the dynamic response. This thesis focuses on the method development and doesn't present any …

Development Of A Pyrotechnic Shock Simulation Apparatus For Spacecraft Applications, Joseph Binder, Matthew Mccarty, Chris Rasmussen

Aerospace Engineering

This report details the research, design, construction, and testing of a pyrotechnic shock simulation apparatus for spacecraft applications. The apparatus was developed to be used in the Space Environments Lab at California Polytechnic State University. It will be used for testing spacecraft components with dimensions up to 24”x12”x12” as well as CubeSats. Additionally, it may be used as an instructional or demonstrational tool in the Aerospace Department’s space environments course. The apparatus functions by way of mechanical impact of an approximately 20 lb stainless steel swinging hammer. Tests were performed to verify the simulator’s functionality. Suggestions for improvement and further …