Propulsion and Power Commons^™

Nazi Weapons: Bad People, Good Technology, Fabian Grabski

Undergraduate Research Symposium

This project explores the integration and historical significance of three iconic World War II-era German weapons: the V-2 rocket, the STG-44, and the MG-42. Each of these weapons helped revolutionized military technology in its own right, reshaping the battlefield dynamics and influencing future weapon design. The V-2 rocket, as one of the first long-range guided missiles, marked the dawn of modern missile technology, while the STG-44 is recognized as a precursor to the modern assault rifle, blending the characteristics of both submachine guns and rifles. The MG-42, with its high rate of fire and advanced design, set the standard for …

Low Power Magnetically Shielded Krypton Hall Thruster Design, Grace Klang

Honors Theses

This project investigates the design and modeling of a low-power Hall-Effect Thruster optimized for krypton propellant, serving as a continuation of Western Michigan University’s Hall thruster development series. Krypton is selected as an alternative to xenon due to its significantly lower cost and increased availability, though its higher ionization energy and reduced atomic mass introduce performance, ionization, and efficiency challenges that must be addressed through careful design. The goal of this study is to design two 300-W class thrusters capable of achieving high efficiency and long operational life on krypton propellant while maintaining full compatibility with existing laboratory facilities and …

Design, Optimization, And Initial Results Of An Automatic Impedance Matching Network For Nitrogen Inductively Coupled Plasma, Logan Anthony Alvesteffer

Masters Theses

The electric propulsion industry is witnessing a strategic interest toward the utilization of molecular propellants as alternatives to noble gases due to increasing cost constraints and logistical requirements. This transition is hindered by a fundamental deficiency in the understanding of molecular plasma and radio frequency physics, including the excitation, dissociation, and ionization cross-sections, which mandates a reliance on computationally inefficient, empirically modified atomic thruster designs. Furthermore, current state-of-the-art electric propulsion devices, such as gridded ion thrusters and Hall effect thrusters, utilize an electrode (cathode) for ionization and are thus susceptible to chemical poisoning and material erosion, which is prevalent while …

2025 Summer-Fall Graduate Recognition Program, Propulsion Research Center, Robert Frederick

PRC Graduate Recognition

This program includes the graduate recognition program for summer and fall 2025. Includes photographs, upcoming events, recent publications, and student profiles.

Thermal Management With Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Under Extreme Applications, Devon Hardy

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

A unique challenge in thermal system design is minimizing the power required to operate cooling systems while maintaining effective heat removal. Traditional cooling systems utilize single-phase fluids where the heat transfer mechanisms are well understood. To meet a variety of cooling demands, a range of technologies are available, including microchannel forced convection, jet impingement, porous media, nanofluids, pin fin arrays, and film cooling, each offering distinct advantages and limitations. While the performance of single- or two-phase cooling systems are generally predictable, in extreme thermal environments, new cooling solutions are needed to improve overall system efficiency and reliability.

Supercritical fluids, particularly …

Numerical Study On Flow Separation And Performance Characteristics Of Slot Nozzle, Chase Charpentier

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The altitude compensating nozzle (ACN) is a type of rocket nozzle or engine that tries to minimize the negative effects of overexpansion at low altitudes. There are many forms of ACN's but most of them are heavier than traditional bell nozzles, alter the geometry of the nozzle, which requires extensive research into optimizing the new geometry, or require complex systems that can lead to structural, heating, or material problems. Out of the ACN's, the slot nozzle is a passive ACN that builds upon the bell nozzle and requires no additional weight or complex systems.

This slot nozzle is comprised of …

Aura Aero, A Perspective On Sustainability And Resilience, Mattia Padulo

Sustainability Conference

Since its foundation, AURA AERO has committed to tackle aviation related environmental impacts, through an incremental industrial approach that has allowed the company to become the first fully fledged aircraft manufacturer among the new players in the field of Advanced Air Mobility. AURA AERO product policy has been gradually shaped to scale-up towards bigger, smarter, greener products, and is now enriched by unmanned technologies, as an adaptation to newer societal demands induced by the current geopolitical context. The presentation will give an update on the latest company and product developments, and particularly those related to the INTEGRAL E - the …

Characterization Of Cooled Turbine Efficiency For Off-Design Performance Models, Alberto Garcia

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Gas turbine performance modeling is essential for predicting engine behavior across design and off-design conditions. Yet the treatment of cooling or service flows remains inconsistent, as these streams interact with the main flow in complex ways and their contribution to turbine work depends on how they are represented in performance models. The challenge is especially present in “black-box” approaches, where only inlet and outlet conditions are known and engineers must decide whether to introduce cooling flows upstream (if performing useful work) or downstream (if not). This thesis examines how different definitions of isentropic power and cooling-flow treatment affect the apparent …

Methodologies And Applications Of Precision Shot Peening To Hole Or Slot Geometry, James C. Hoffman

15th International Conference on Shot Peening

Shot peening, a commonly used method of fatigue and surface enhancement, is a critical process in many of the components in the aerospace industry. When it comes to small holes and/or slot geometries in these components, the process can become a challenge when these features are smaller than a conventional size Almen strip. In these cases, a decision must be made about how to process this type of geometry. Oftentimes, the method to apply the shot peen process is already defined in a process specification or part print so we must adhere to that method. If a method is not …

Improving Fatigue Strength And Life Of Single Crystal Cmsx-4, Jochen Peter Fuhr, Lloyd Hackel, Nicolau I. Morar, Noah Holtham, Keivan Davami, Montu Sharma, Rajkumar Roy

15th International Conference on Shot Peening

The deep penetration of laser peening (LP) and retention of residual stress at high temperature by LP is significant in improving fatigue life and strength of superalloys exposed to high temperature and corrosion. Single crystal CMSX-4, was evaluated for stress relaxation and both fatigue life and fatigue strength of material that was LP-treated compared to non-LP and shot-peened (SP) specimens. LP was done with multiple layers using a 20 J/pulse laser where the laser high energy enabled using a 5 mm spot size on the metal surface. Stress measurements by the slitting technique showed the plastic penetration depth exceeded SP …

A Test Rig For An Aircraft Propeller Powered By Battery Motor, C. M. Vigneswaran, J. Induja, K. S. Bharath, M. J. Spoorthi, R. Chethana

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

The propeller test rig is a crucial component in aeronautical engineering that plays a vital role in the development, testing, and optimization of propeller systems for aircraft. This research outlines the design, development, and performance evaluation of a state-of- the- art propeller test rig developed for research and testing purposes. The primary objective of this project is to enhance the understanding of propeller dynamics and efficiency, leading to the improvement of aircraft propulsion systems. The test rig provides a controlled environment to evaluate and compare multiple propeller designs, aiding engineers in making informed decisions during the design process. An advanced …

Life And Performance Improvement Trenches, Thomas J. Praisner, John R. Farris, Connor Wiese

AFIT Patents

A blade outer air seal assembly includes a plurality of seal segments circumferentially disposed about an array of blades rotatable about an axis, each of the plurality of seal segments having a radially inner surface facing a tip of each blade of the array of blades, the radially inner surface having an arrangement of trenches formed therein, and a radially outer surface opposite the radially inner surface. The arrangement of trenches is disposed between 30% and 80% of a chord of a blade of the array of blades as taken at the respective tip, and the arrangement of trenches is …

Thermally Perfect Augmentation Of A Supersonic Inlet Design Tool That Uses Method Of Characteristics, Mario V. Guardado

Master's Theses

This work is the first in a series to augment a supersonic air inlet design tool based in Python 3 to incorporate new models that increase the range of applicability of the tool. This effort focuses on improving the thermodynamics model by incorporating a thermally perfect gas model. This tool utilizes method of characteristics to solve the governing equations for an inviscid, irrotational, isentropic, steady, supersonic flow field. Multiple test cases are used to assess the accuracy of all new models. A comparison is made between the original code’s test case for a supersonic inlet at low temperatures to verify …

Analysis Of The Effects Of Extractor Orientation On The Performance Of An Electrospray System, Hannah Grace Sargent

Masters Theses

In this thesis, a single-emitter porous electrospray thruster was tested at nine different extractor electrode positions. The nine positions were: center, four slightly offset in each cardinal direction, and four significantly offset in each cardinal direction. Slightly offset was defined as ~25% of the distance from the center to the edge of the extractor orifice (~125 ± 2 μm) and significantly offset was defined as ~60% of the distance from the center to the edge of the extractor orifice (~302 ± 2 μm). Three diagnostic measurements were recorded to determine the effect of the extractor electrode position on thruster operation: …

A Feasibility Study On Series Hybrid-Electric Propulsion For Narrow-Body Transport Aircraft, Carver J. Glomb

Master's Theses

As global climate change accelerates, the reduction of carbon emissions has become a critical objective across multiple industries. The aviation sector, however, has lagged behind other transportation domains in implementing sustainable alternatives, despite growing demand for air travel. Recent research and emerging technologies have proposed several decarbonization pathways, including hydrogen fuel, sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), and hybrid or fully electric propulsion systems. Among these, series hybrid-electric propulsion has received comparatively limited attention, particularly for application in transport-class aircraft. This study investigates the feasibility and emissions-reduction potential of a series hybrid-electric propulsion architecture applied to a representative narrow-body platform. A Python-based …

Development And Testing Of A Lab-Scale Resonance Igniter For Rocket Propulsion Applications, Aidan Caplan

Master's Theses

The resonance igniter is a type of rocket engine ignition system that initiates spontaneous combustion without using an external ignition source. This is possible because the activation energy needed for the combustion reaction to take place is provided by the igniter as it receives propellant flow. This can simplify the igniter hardware and lends it high re-usability while enabling the use of high-efficiency propellant combinations. Its potential benefits could make it a desirable alternative to traditional approaches such as using spark igniters or hypergolic propellants. The present research strove to inaugurate the study of the resonance igniter at Cal Poly …

Model-Based Design Of Compressed Lithium-Metal Pouch Cell Battery Modules For Evtol Applications, Scott J. Stirling

Master's Theses

Batteries with higher specific energy and power are essential for extending the range and performance of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs). Anode-free lithium-metal pouch cells offer strong potential at the cell-level but require high compressive pressures to enhance cycle life and discharge performance. These pressures necessitate heavier structural components, reducing packaging efficiency at the module level.

To evaluate this tradeoff, a full-factorial enumeration model was developed to explore viable module designs within a constrained packaging volume. The model scales subsystem masses, enforces design rules and material limits, and accounts for large (~20%) cell thickness changes during cycling.

Results …

Solar Sailing Adaptive Control Around The Earth-Moon Lagrange Point L4 For Stellar Observations, Luis Mendoza Zambrano

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

To expand our knowledge about the influence of the Sun in the cislunar region, as well as our understanding of shocks due to Coronal Mass Ejections and large coronal magnetic reconnection, a solar sailing approach is proposed to separately capture lunar occultations and observe the solar corona from L₄ of the Earth-Moon system. Single and multiple shooting techniques are described along with a pseudo arc-length continuation method for preliminary orbit design. Periodic orbits in the vicinity of L₄ are obtained in the context of the Earth-Moon circular restricted three-body problem (CR3BP) and the Sun-Earth-Moon bi-circular restricted four-body problem …

Characteristics Of Patterned Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge Devices For Ionic Wind Propulsion, Ethan J. Graef

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Electroaerodynamic (EAD) or ionic wind propulsion is a growing area of research for small noiseless low speed aircraft. Previous flight demonstrations and experimentation have revealed that traditional methods of EAD propulsion utilizing corona discharge incur a large drag penalty due to their collector and emitter geometries. Recent publications detail flexible and geometrically conformable surface dielectric barrier discharge devices (SDBD) that could increase thrust and decrease drag as an ion source for an EAD propulsion system. This thesis explores the effects of different electrode sizes and geometries on total SDBD power consumption. SDBDs of a hexagonal, triangular, and square electrode geometry …

2025 Spring Graduate Recognition Program, Propulsion Research Center, Robert Frederick

PRC Graduate Recognition

This program includes the graduate recognition program for spring 2025. Includes photographs, upcoming events, recent publications, and student profiles.

Team Safe Skies: Project Talon Interceptor, Cole Carlson, Peter Dinh, Sebastian Gomez, Alex Widner

Senior Design Project For Engineers

This report aims to lay out our design process for the missile interceptor aircraft. Our Talon Interceptor is an inexpensive, scaled-down, autonomous F-16 for mass production. The aircraft can ascend quickly for mission requirements while avoiding detection with its internal weapons bay. Multiple decisions have been made to ensure the initial and maintenance costs are reasonable without compromising the missions. TOPSIS reviews have been used to measure significant components unbiasedly and objectively. Our aircraft meets all the AIAA requirements while coming in under budget.

A Pressure-Based Estimate Of Multi-Orifice Synthetic Jet Performance, Rhett Parry

Student Research Symposium

Synthetic Jets

• Zero-Net Mass Flux
• Wide voltage and frequency response
• Trends with physical and nondimensional parameters

L2 Certification Rocket Launch, Seungyou Cho

SACAD: Scholarly Activities

The LOC 835 high-power rocket with J275W-12 motor at Argonia, KS, for L2 certification, was auspiciously launched and returned. J means the motor can exert 640-1280 Ns of impulse, which makes a sizeable propelling sound. Even though four main hindrances occurred from the construction to the launch, the issues were revised correctly. The rail button and the tracker were severe issues, so I devised the method of drilling a hole for the rail button, but there was no way to replace a broken tracker. The wind speed on the launch day was so strong that the rocket flew 1-2 miles …

Emission Behavior At The Single Emitter Scale From A Porous Media Ionic Liquid Ion Source, Thomas Victor Kerber

Dissertations

Ionic liquid ion sources (ILIS) are being developed as one solution to fill a technology gap in low power, high efficiency, high specific impulse space propulsion systems. With a sufficiently intense electric field applied between an emitter electrode and an extractor electrode, charged particles are extracted from the fluid surface and accelerated out of the thruster. In this work, three experimental campaigns examine emission behavior of a single emitter ILIS made of porous material that allows passive propellant feed via capillary action of the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMI-BF₄).

Repeated measurements of the emitter and extractor current as …

Turbulence And Energetic Ion Production In The Partially Magnetized Hollow Cathode Plume, Margaret Mary Mooney

Dissertations

Hall effect thrusters (HETs) are the most widely used electric propulsion (EP) device for in-space satellite propulsion. EP devices provide high efficiencies for extended mission lifetimes and low thrust for precision maneuvers. The hollow cathode is a critical HET component and undergoes extensive lifetime testing in addition to the lifetime testing of the full HET. Significant density gradients, non-Maxwellian electron behavior, and magnetic fields sufficiently strong enough to magnetize electrons in hollow cathode plumes create favorable conditions for the formation of plasma instabilities, which have an impact on cathode lifetime. Cathode qualification testing is typically conducted independently and includes a …

Aeroacoustics Applications To Jets And Rotors, Michael Marques G.

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Aeroacoustics plays a critical role in the advancement of propulsion technologies for both conventional and emerging aerial systems. This dissertation investigates two key topics: noise suppression in supersonic rectangular jets and rotor noise characterization in hover and ground effect. Using high-fidelity numerical simulations and theoretical analyses, this research aims to develop effective noise mitigation strategies and improve predictive methodologies.

The first part of this study focuses on the reduction of noise in supersonic rectangular jets through active control techniques. A novel approach utilizing unsteady microjet actuation at the nozzle lip is explored to disrupt the formation of large-scale turbulent structures …

Experimental Investigation Of Heat Transfer To Tightly Packed Cylinder Arrays, Cameron M. Sexsmith

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

With the increased emphasis on the development of hybrid electric aircraft and other electric driven vehicles, the thermal demand on batteries is increasing. Unique to the aviation sector is the combined need of high battery thermal loads and a light-weight thermal management system. A proposed configuration is an array of batteries directly cooled with a dielectric coolant. The knowledge of heat transfer characteristics of battery cooling is becoming an ever pressing issue due to the need to optimize volume and mass in a safe manner. Tighter spacings between batteries provide higher pack densities, however, at the cost of increased cooling …

Seal For A Wave Rotor Disk Engine, Christopher Tait, Pejman Abkari, Brian Sell, Marc D. Polanka

AFIT Patents

A unique seal for a wave rotor disk engine is disclosed herein. The seal is operable for sealing a region between a rotor and a rotor casing. The seal is spring loaded and will engage with the tip of the rotor to reduce pressure loss within the wave rotor disk engine.

Computational Study Of Detonation Wave Propagation And Propellant Injection In Detonation Engines, Jayson C. Small

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

This research investigates the physics of detonation waves and their application to detonation engines, with two primary objectives: (1) to characterize detonation wave propagation, specifically detonation speed and wavefront thickness, in stoichiometric propane-oxygen mixtures near quenching conditions, and (2) to examine the physiochemical processes during propellant injection under detonation engine conditions, focusing on flush-wall-mounted, fluidic-valve injectors.

A multi-fidelity computational approach was employed. Reduced-order modeling based on the Chapman–Jouguet and Zeldovich–von Neumann–Doring models were used to evaluate detonation parameters and select an appropriate chemical mechanism. High-fidelity, multi-dimensional simulations solved the unsteady, compressible, reacting flows with finite-rate chemistry, using Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes equations …

Electronic Propulsion Engines: Revolutionizing Space Travel, Isaiah Echeverria

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Most spacecrafts rely on chemical propulsion to generate thrust and venture into the depths of outer space. They rely on principles from Newton’s three laws of motion, conservation of momentum-energy, and atomic physics. However, an electronic form of propulsion also exists providing spacecrafts an alternative opposed to the sole use of chemical energy. Electronic propulsion systems or engines last longer than current chemical spacecraft engines and are improving to produce greater amount of thrusts.

Comparing the two types of spacecraft engines shows the benefits and disadvantaged obtained by using either option as well as the main differences and similarities shared …