AE Brown Bag Seminar
Friday, February 20
11:00 a.m. - 1:20 p.m.
Guggenheim 442
Caterina Fratta
Benjamin Martin
Alexis Sandoval
Jared Weitkamp
Dawson Thelin
Caterina Fratta
Title:
ANSYS Fluent Model of a Magnetic Separation Device in Microgravity
Abstract:
In microgravity, the lack of buoyancy fundamentally alters multiphase flow behavior, making conventional phase separation strategies ineffective for many space systems. Magnetic polarization provides a promising passive alternative by exploiting differences in magnetic susceptibility to induce controlled phase migration without reliance on gravity. However, demonstrating the feasibility of this concept requires careful modeling of multiphase flow and magnetic body forces. This research investigates a magnetic separation device concept through computational simulation using ANSYS Fluent. A multiphase framework was developed to examine how magnetic field gradients influence air bubble behavior and phase separation.
Faculty Advisor:
Prof. Álvaro Romero-Calvo
Benjamin Martin
Title:
Experimental Investigation of Liquid Sloshing Under Microgravity Conditions
Abstract:
Understanding fluid sloshing behavior in microgravity is critical to the success of spacecraft and liquid-propellant rocket systems. The effects of this form of surface-tension-dominated sloshing cannot be properly studied in normal gravity laboratory environments. To study this phenomenon, a payload was designed to analyze spherical tank sloshing during a microgravity flight using three-dimensional force sensors coupled with an optical measurement system. The collected data will be used to examine the force response and modal characteristics of the confined fluid in microgravity. This presentation will describe the decision-making process throughout the payload development as well as the anticipated results.
Faculty Advisor:
Prof. Álvaro Romero-Calvo
Alexis Sandoval
Title:
Training a CNN to Identify Shock Cone Formations in Combustion Analysis
Abstract:
A convolutional neural network (CNN) was developed and trained to identify shock cone formations in combustion analysis images. Using approximately 2,000 labeled images categorized as either “shock cone” or “no shock cone,” a CNN was built and trained in MATLAB using separate training and validation datasets. Model performance was evaluated through validation accuracy, confusion matrix analysis, and manual testing. Results demonstrated a high overall accuracy, with a tendency toward false positives rather than false negatives, indicating the model’s suitability for down-selecting shock cone images for further analysis.
Faculty Advisor:
Prof. Adam Steinberg
Jared Weitkamp
Title:
S.T.R.I.K.E - Sizing Tool for Rotorcraft Interceptors with Kinetic Effectors
Abstract:
This Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory sponsored project assesses whether swarms of low-cost UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) can augment U.S. air defense, specifically for low-cost rocket and mortar attacks. This project builds on the previous team’s single-engagement AFSIM model which estimated the speed and payload requirements to successfully perform a given mission, and is working to develop an external tool to deliver optimized vehicle design parameters for specified threat sets. Using established quadcopter sizing equations in combination with independently developed regression models, a range of feasible configurations for the specified mission is generated. These relations enable consistent scaling of propulsion, structural, and energy storage components across candidate designs. Once individual components are sized, the total unit cost of each UAV is estimated using component-level cost regressions. The resulting UAV configurations are then compared against a developed library of comparable, commercially available platforms to evaluate the financial–performance tradeoff between custom UAV development and adaptation of an off-the-shelf alternative. Future work will focus on closing the full parametric loop between vehicle configuration and operational modeling by integrating the sizing tool with the previous team’s operational model to assess the effectiveness of alternative UAV designs in one complete tool.
Faculty Advisor:
Research Engineer Jeffrey McNabb
Dawson Thelin
Title:
Foundations for Detonation Combustion Research: Optical Diagnostic Integration and DDT Tube Design
Abstract:
Detonation combustion offers 15-30% cycle efficiency improvements over conventional deflagration through pressure-gain operation, but practical engines remain elusive due to violent unsteady loads, unpredictable deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT), and lack of validated design rules. Closing this gap requires experimental validation of detonation physics at relevant timescales: nanosecond temporal resolution to capture shock-reaction coupling, millimeter spatial resolution for ZND structure, and species-resolved measurements to validate chemical kinetics models. My undergraduate research at the Ben T. Zinn Combustion Laboratory addresses this experimental capability gap through two parallel efforts. First, I integrated optical diagnostic systems for spontaneous Raman spectroscopy in a supersonic combustor, gaining hands-on experience with the ultrafast measurement techniques required for future detonation characterization. Second, I conducted a literature review of DDT physics and designed a preliminary shock tube with obstacle array and optical access ports for controlled detonation generation. This presentation connects classical detonation theory, including Rankine-Hugoniot relations and Zel'dovich-von Neumann-Döring (ZND) analysis, to the experimental infrastructure needed to validate models and advance pressure-gain combustion systems toward practical implementation.
Faculty Advisor:
Prof. Adam Steinberg