Other Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

A Polygon Approach For Satellite Coverage Computation Problems, Caleb I. Arbreton

Master's Theses

During celestial body observation mission planning, predicted sensor coverage is a key analysis tool used by designers to inform concept of operations. It enables trade studies by applying a metric to assess how well different sensor, satellite, and constellation configurations can observe a mission's region of interest. The effectiveness of the studied components is then paramount in determining whether they are justified in the system architecture. Coverage computation becomes more difficult as sensor types and regions of interest (RoIs) deviate from simple shapes, and as problem formulations seek higher-fidelity results. These simplifications include: conical camera sensors, RoIs represented as simple, …

Spaceotter: A Floating Spacecraft Simulator Air Bearing Vehicle For Hardware-In-The-Loop Experiments And Research, Alexander Debartolo

Master's Theses

Growing interest in nanosatellites has increased demand for accessible ground-testing methods, which have historically been expensive and restricted. Floating Spacecraft Simulators (FSS), built around Air Bearing Vehicles (ABVs), address this gap by approximating a zero-gravity, friction-minimized environment suitable for testing spacecraft control systems, robotics, and propulsion on the ground.

This thesis presents the design, realization, and initial performance characterization of the Space Optically Tracked Testbed for Experiments and Research (SpaceOTTER) ABV, developed for the Cal Poly Space Robotics Lab. SpaceOTTER is the first step toward emulating the 3 degree of freedom (3-DOF) planar dynamics of a simulated spacecraft and is …

A2s Uplink Latency Minimization For Wildfire Monitoring Systems Using Mbse And Stochastic Modeling, Luis Giovanni Wang

Master's Theses

Wildfire response depends on how quickly a detection reaches the people who act on it, and the slowest remaining step is often the link that carries an alert from a remote sensing platform to a satellite. This thesis models the latency of that link, the Air-to-Space uplink, for a wildfire-monitoring UAV that carries a Starlink terminal and sends an ALERT packet to a serving Low Earth Orbit satellite. The uplink is difficult to predict because both the UAV and the satellite move, and because the wildfire environment degrades the channel at the moment the data matters most.

The thesis uses …

Leveraging Information Theory And Ecological Network Analysis To Monitor Communication Networks In A Student Aerospace Team, Christine Sessions

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Effective communication is a critical component of successful collaboration in group projects and team settings. However, systematically tracking and analyzing team communications can be challenging, especially in complex, multi-member teams such as those found in the aerospace industry. This paper explores an information-theoretic approach that leverages encoding techniques and graph theory to analyze communication networks within a university’s multi-year, student-led cubesat design project (Project COMET). By utilizing Shannon Entropy as a measure of information flow, encoding communication patterns, and analyzing Ecological Network Analysis parameters, this research aims to understand how an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University student project team evolves over the …

Instrumentation And Control Of A Novel Device To Simulate A Hypersonic Environment, Andrew Marcello

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The hypersonic flow regime poses several challenges regarding the design of hypersonic vehicles. Among them is the massive energy and economic expense associated with ground- testing evaluation of material responses within this extreme environment. In order to provide a low-cost, rapid option for preliminary material analysis within hypersonic applications, a novel device is under production to replicate this environment on the surface of these materials. This device has been designed to work in conjunction with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) Advanced Photo Source (APS) synchrotron, to allow for in-situ characterization of ablation and oxidation on the sample surface.

To achieve this, …

Flexible Fault-Tolerant Multi-Die Fpga-Based Architectures For Varying Space Environments, Yosof Ali Seif El Din Ali Maklad

Theses and Dissertations

It is well-known fact that spacecraft’s electronic components operate in an extreme harsh and varying space environments, beside changing orbit or passing through Van Allan Belts during orbital course results of radiation levels change. This thesis focuses on SRAM-based FPGA systems on-board of such spacecrafts, that are commonly utilized in space applications’ critical applications due to their capabilities and flexibility to reconfigure, since these systems are vulnerable to frequent negative impacts of ionizing radiation, thus inducing soft and hard errors leading to disastrous failures that could jeopardize the entire spacecraft. The soft errors’ effects are frequent yet can be mitigated, …

Students For The Exploration And Development Of Space (Seds) Air Brake Subsystem: High-Altitude Autonomous Apogee Modulator System For High-Powered Rockets (Haamshr), Camden J. Maclean, Matthew Wharton, Nick Revis, Colin Guido

Honors Theses and Capstones

The objective of this project was to research, design, fabricate, and analyze an autonomous apogee modulation air brake system for the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Students for Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) high-powered rocket as competitors in the Friends of Amateur Rocketry – Oxidizers Uninhibited Tournament (FAR-OUT) competition.

This air brake system would be developed with considerations for full autonomy, structural reliability, and repeatable deployment. The design would also be easily integrated into the existing high-powered rocket airframe and mechanically simple to increase reliability and practical functionality. The final design would be evaluated using finite element analysis simulation …

Modeling And Testing Chain Trencher Excavator And Cone Penetrometer Robotic Prospecting Systems For Lunar In-Situ Resource Utilization, Marcello C. Guadagno

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The Artemis Missions aim to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon, requiring In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) of water-ice deposits in permanently shadowed regions. Two critical capabilities must be developed to enable ISRU at scale: prospecting instruments that can characterize the spatial distribution and geotechnical properties of icy regolith in situ, and excavation systems that can extract hardened icy regolith efficiently. This dissertation addresses both needs through the development and testing of a Percussive Heated Cone Penetrometer (PHCP) for geotechnical prospecting and a chain trencher excavator for icy regolith mining.

The PHCP was developed across eight design iterations and …

Performance Of Adaptive Wingtips On A Tailless Supersonic Business Jet, Khushi Piparava

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

The growing interest in supersonic business travel has renewed focus on efficient, low-drag configurations that can achieve high performance while maintaining stability and structural integrity. This research investigates the aerodynamic and structural implications of adaptive folding wingtips on a tailless supersonic business jet (SBJ) concept designed under the SkyBreaker senior design program. Using a conceptual aerodynamic model based on linearized supersonic theory, the Polhamus leading-edge suction analogy, and an empirical compression-lift correlation, the study evaluates how varying wingtip droop angles influence lift, drag, lift-to-drag ratio (L/D), and static stability. The analysis was performed parametrically in MATLAB, using geometry inputs derived …

A Feasibility Study Into The Usability And Application Of An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle For Aircraft Inspection And Quality Assurance Inspections, Reece P. Bhave

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The global aviation industry is often characterized as one of the safest modes of transportation in the modern world. With an abundance of quality assurance inspections and checks to determine operations safety, modern-day commercial aircraft that are utilized for passenger and cargo flights are held to a higher safety standard defined by regulatory bodies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration in the United States of America and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in the European Union. While these quality standards are maintained via a series of inspections, checks, and preventative maintenance procedures, they are limited to only visual or …

G.W.A.I.H.I.R. Guided Wing Aircraft For Intelligent Hybrid Insertion And Recovery, Abdirahman Ahmed Shirwa, Zach Richards, Derek Harwood, Alex Duncan

Senior Design Project For Engineers

The paper outlines the conceptual and preliminary design of a hybrid vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) heavy lift unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for autonomous cargo transport missions. The primary design objective was to create an aircraft capable of carrying a 15 kg payload over a range of 33 km, achieving a top cruise speed of 45 km/h and maintaining an endurance capacity of at least 90 minutes.

A comprehensive literature review informed key design decision, including airfoil selection, structural material, propulsion system configuration, and control. Key requirements were established early in the design process, such as payload capacity, energy efficiency, …

Choosing Robust Leadership: Encompassing The Best-Of-N Model And Swarm Intelligence Optimization For Heterogeneous Multiple Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems, Kudamuhandiramlage Harith Kolitha Warnakulasooriya

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Presentations

Presentation slides for a presentation given at the 1st annual Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum at the University of South Alabama.

Aircraft Turnaround Bottlenecks: Addressing Ground Handling Delays For Operational Excellence, Vigneswaran Cm, Syedeen Khan, Benedict M, Srinath R, Mukesh Pr, Jayaram R Pothnis, Inamul Hasan

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Ground handling delays at major airports pose significant challenges, impacting operational efficiency, airline schedules, and passenger satisfaction. This study explores the root causes of these delays, including resource constraints, operational inefficiencies, adverse weather, technical failures, and security issues. By examining case studies from major airports, the report identifies key solutions such as technology integration, infrastructure upgrades, staff training, standardized procedures, and enhanced communication systems. The findings underscore the importance of adopting proactive and collaborative approaches to optimize ground handling operations, ensuring smoother airport workflows and improved service delivery in the face of growing air traffic demands.

Redeveloping System Noise Temperature Test Capabilities For Dss-17 Using The Moon As A Noise Source, Emily R. Walter

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Engineering at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Science by Emily R. Walter on May 16, 2024.

A Comparison Of Western And Eastern Soft Systems Approaches, John L. Anaya, John L. Anaya, John L. Anaya

Master's Theses

Soft System Approaches have been developed worldwide to help problem-solvers and decision-makers develop solutions to complex problems, such as aerospace systems. Soft System Approaches were designed to help lower the disorder of developing a complex system by increasing understanding of a situation. Four Soft System Approaches were investigated, two from the West and two from the East. Within the context of the paper, the West refers to thought patterns associated with thinkers and scientists in Europe and North America, and the East refers to those from and around China. The two from the West are Peter Checkland’s Soft Systems Methodology …

Numerical Simulation And Optimization Of Fin Configurations For Enhanced Heat Sink Performance In Aluminum And Copper Materials, Rimpy Singh

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

The constant evolution of data centers and high-power electronic systems has raised critical challenges in heat dissipation and thermal management. Single-phase immersion cooling, where electronic components are submerged in a thermally conductive but non-electrically conductive liquid (dielectric liquid), offers improved heat dissipation capabilities and emerges as a promising alternative to traditional air-cooling methods, which often fail to meet the thermal demands of densely packed, high-power systems. This study investigates and compares the thermal performance of aluminum and copper heat sinks with fin thicknesses of 0.33 mm and 0.54 mm, respectively, using finite element analysis based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) …

Materials Testing For Large Format 3d Printing, William Jenkins

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

An ABS Carbon Fiber blend was printed into single walled hexagons at a variety of settings on a Cincinnati BAAM large format 3D printer. These hexagons were then cut down into sheets and had tensile and flexural test samples cut out of them, in order for materials testing to be performed. Tensile strength, tensile strain, young’s modulus, flexural strength, deflection and elastic modulus were all determined. A desktop CNC machine and a planer were purchased for the manufacturing of these samples, and an efficient cutting procedure was designed and optimized. After all data collection concluded, this data was thoroughly analyzed, …

Short Strand Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polylactic Acid Filament For Additive Manufacturing, Dale Chenoweth, Lukas Seggi, Luke Phillips

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

In this design project, the additive manufacturing filament of short strand carbon fiber (SSCF) reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composite was developed. The micro-size, precision cut SSCFs were mixed with the PLA pellets through a melting homogenization process. Through this process the composite material block is cut and divided into pieces for ease of pelletizing. The material block pieces are then pelletized to be fed through the single screw extruder to develop the SSCF-PLA composite filament. The SSCF-PLA filaments were manufactured with a varying amount of SSCF ranging from 0.5% to 10% of the material block's weight. Development of a 1% …

Development Of User Interface And Testing Harness, Jacob Amezquita, William Albertini

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

No abstract provided.

Utilizing The System Engineering Trade Study Analysis Method To Analyze Patient Aeromedical Evacuation, Sara Shaghaghi, Jeremy M. Slagley, Michael E. Miller, Gaiven Varshney

Faculty Publications

The US Air Force has gone through many aeromedical patient isolation transport system designs. The first designs were developed in response to the Ebola outbreak in 2014 and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. The trade study analysis part of the system engineering design method was used to analyze the historic and current aeromedical patient contamination control transport systems. A trade study is a process that evaluates alternatives based upon various “-ilities”, such as reconfigurability, flexibility, durability, cost, and more, and performs a systematic analysis to aid designers in producing a ‘good’ design alternative given the large set of possible solutions. …

Spray Characterization Of An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle For Agricultural Spraying, Eray Önler, Hasan Berk Özyurt, Mehmet Şener, Sezen Arat, Bülent Eker, İlker Hüseyin Çelen

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Sustainability and higher efficiency in crop production are possible with the use of new technologies. The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) brings many advantages, both in terms of monitoring agricultural areas and pesticide applications, and allows for early disease and damage detection as well as its application in areas without access to conventional sprayers. This study established parameters for spraying with clean water using a DJI Agras 14 MG-1P (RTK) UAV. Droplet distribution and droplet analyses were examined in the experiments carried out at different heights (1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 m) and flow rates (10, 15, 20, 25, and …

Liquid Engine External Pressurizer (Leep), Emily Armbrust

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this project is to take the current liquid rocket engine test stand design and implement an external pressurant instead of utilizing the 2-phase oxidizer vapor to pressurize itself and the fuel. The purpose behind the design is because the team is limited with the current design concerning burn time due to the amount of propellant they can put in the tanks and the pressure it can reach. The initial pressure is currently not held since there is no external input of mass into the tanks, as the propellant is leaving. Adding an external pressurant allow for the …

Fuel System To Envelope Interface, James Campbell

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

*NOTE THIS PROJECT IS CONFIDENTIAL*

In this project, I will investigate solutions to interfacing a fuel system with a fabric skin section

Tradespace Exploration Of A Uav Conceptual Design Using Model-Based Systems Engineering, Ayan Srivastava

All Theses

The objective of this research is to apply model-based systems engineering approaches to the conceptual design of unmanned aerial vehicles. This is accomplished by evaluating the models of aircraft performance, extracting input and output parameters from the models, creating chains of models, and implementing the models in the MATLAB programming language. By following this process, it is possible to identify the global parameters that remain constant across models, the shared input parameters, the dependencies between models, and the feedback loops with the systems models.

The models are currently implemented in two files using Microsoft MS Excel, one is focused on …

Effects And Solutions On The Human Body After Long-Duration Space Flights, Jose Jaime Esquivel Patricio

McNair Research Journal SJSU

During the Cold War, President John F. Kennedy made it a mission for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to accomplish a lunar landing and return to Earth. The final lunar landing and the last time humans left Low Earth Orbit (LEO) was in December, 1972. However, 47 years have passed and the fascination with traveling into deep space remains alive and flourishing. A major problem with future human missions to Mars is the effects of microgravity and Mars’ 0.38g environment. Unfortunately, space medicine is limited and little is known about the effects of microgravity on the human body …

Arizona Hyperloop: The Fifth Mode Of Transportation, Eleanor Pahl, Matthieu Rada

Discovery Day - Prescott

Arizona Hyperloop is a coalition between Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Arizona State University students competing in Elon Musk’s annual SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition. Hyperloop is the proposed “Fifth Mode of Transportation” - coined “a cross between a Concorde, a rail gun, and an air hockey table.” A hyperloop pod levitates and travels at nearly the speed of sound inside a vacuum tube, which eliminates air resistance. Musk hosts the annual competition to university students to encourage the evolution of urban transportation. The goal is to design, build, and race the fastest prototype pod at SpaceX’s mile-long test track in Hawthorne, …

A System Architecture For Phased Development Of Remote Suas Operation, Eric Ashley

Master's Theses

Current airspace regulations require the remote pilot-in-command of an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to maintain visual line of sight with the vehicle for situational awareness. The future of UAS will not have these constraints as technology improves and regulations are changed. An operational model for the future of UAS is proposed where a remote operator will monitor remote vehicles with the capability to intervene if needed. One challenge facing this future operational concept is the ability for a flight data system to effectively communicate flight status to the remote operator. A system architecture has been developed to facilitate the implementation …

Design Of Banner Tow Mechanism For Bush Plane, Kyle Ciarrone, Ivan Martin, Rishabh Gadi, Tyler Brandt

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The 2019-2020 AIAA DBF objective was to design, build, and test a banner-towing bush plane that carries wooden passengers and luggage. Senior members on the team undertook the creation of the banner tow mechanism subsystem as their senior design project on behalf of the design team due to the challenge of its mechanical design and the aerodynamic considerations regarding its placement and enclosure aboard the aircraft. The competition as well as access to campus resources were canceled due to COVID-19, so full testing and integration of the mechanism was not achieved. However, the engineering design process was experienced from the …

Satellite Constellation Deployment And Management, Joseph Ryan Kopacz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper will review results and discuss a new method to address the deployment and management of a satellite constellation. The first two chapters will explorer the use of small satellites, and some of the advances in technology that have enabled small spacecraft to maintain modern performance requirements in incredibly small packages.

The third chapter will address the multiple-objective optimization problem for a global persistent coverage constellation of communications spacecraft in Low Earth Orbit. A genetic algorithm was implemented in MATLAB to explore the design space – 288 trillion possibilities – utilizing the Satellite Tool Kit (STK) software developers kit. …

Identify Aerodynamic Derivatives Of The Airplane Attitude Channel Using A Spiking Neural Network, Nguyen Quang Vinh, Nguyen Duc Thanh, Hoang Minh Dac, Truong Dang Khoa

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

The paper proposes a method for identifying aerodynamic coefficient derivatives of aircraft attitude channel using spiking neural network (SNN) and Gauss-Newton algorithm based on data obtained from actual flights. Using SNN combination with Gauss-Newton iterative calculation algorithm allows the identification of aerodynamic coefficient derivatives in a nonlinear model for aerodynamic parameters with higher accuracy and faster calculation time. The paper proposes an algorithm to train the SNN multi-layer network by Normalized Spiking Error Back Propagation (NSEBP), in which, in the forward propagation period, the time of output spikes is calculating by solving quadratic equations instead of detection by traditional methods. …