April
3
2026
11:00 AM

Location

Guggenheim 442
Friday, April 03, 2026 11:00AM

AE Brown Bag Seminar

 

Friday, April 3

11:00 a.m. - 1:20 p.m.

Guggenheim 442

 

Deniz Alpdogan

Prem Pendkar

Christine  Schulz 

Chaehyun Lim

Ege Teksoz

Jack Deng

 

 

Deniz Alpdogan

Title:

Development of Automated Tools and Trajectory Analysis for Hypersonic Vehicle Design

Abstract:

This presentation explores the critical intersection of geometry, meshing, and flight dynamics in the hypersonic regime. While high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers are essential for characterizing complex flows, the primary bottleneck in aerospace design often lies in the pre-processing and mesh generation stages for varied aerodynamic shapes. This work focuses on the development of specialized internal tools designed to streamline these meshing pipelines and improve the derivation of aerodynamic coefficients. By comparing trajectory profiles across multiple vehicle geometries, we analyze how design iterations in the pre-processing stage directly impact flight performance and vehicle mission success.

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. John Dec

Prem Pendkar

Title:

Thermal Resistance Modeling for VTOL Applications

Abstract:

Several components within vertical lift (eVTOL) applications are subject to overheating, including batteries, electric motors, and electronics/avionics. Thus, it is crucial that the path of heat transfer among these components is characterized to mitigate thermal loading and ensure component functionality. This presentation covers the fundamentals of thermal resistance networks and their use in modeling heat transfer for vertical lift applications. This work focuses on the development of coding tools utilized to perform conductive heat transfer calculations and the derivation behind such calculations via 1D and 2D finite element analysis (FEA) methods. Future work contains the development of FEA methods in cylindrical/polar coordinates to more accurately represent circular geometries. 
 

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Graeme Kennedy

Christine Schulz

Title:

SETTER/BD-6 LTWT Testing

Abstract:

This research project focuses on the development of a Low Turbulence Wind Tunnel test rig to characterize eVTOL proprotor performance in forward flight. The study mainly focuses on measuring thrust, torque, and mechanical power as functions of wind speed, rotational speed, and blade pitch angle. The testing as a whole is split into two phases, one with a constant blade pitch angle and a future one with multiple ground adjustable pitch settings. In addition, the testing is conducted through various RPM and windspeed sweeps, using LabVIEW instrumentation, ESC data logging, and a power supply for data acquisition. The overall project aims to improve the understanding of proprotor behavior and support validation of a larger research project, SETTER/RAVEN, and its proposed proprotor design.

 

Faculty Advisor:

Research Engineer Lee Whitcher 

Chaehyun Lim

Title:

Development of a Robotic High-Fidelity Impact Testing System with Stereoscopic Vision for Automated 
Structural Characterization

Abstract:

This seminar introduces the development and validation of an automated robotic impact testing system designed to overcome the inherent limitations of manual testing, such as spatial inconsistency and high labor intensity. The proposed system integrates a Universal Robots UR30 robotic arm, a stereoscopic camera system, and an Arduino-controlled stepper motor hammer within a National Instruments (cDAQ9189) data acquisition environment.

The operational workflow begins with the stereoscopic vision system estimating the precise coordinates and distance of the target impact point. Based on this visual feedback, the MATLAB-based GUI orchestrates the UR30's movement to the target area. Once positioned, the system performs a calibration to ensure the hammer tip is in direct contact with the surface, minimizing air-gap errors. The integrated hammer then delivers precisely calibrated impact loads ranging from 250N to 3,000N. While robot integration is currently in the final stages, all other subsystems, including high-speed signal processing and automated load control, have been successfully validated.

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Keegan J. Moore

Ege Teksoz

Title:

An Evaluation of UAV Observation Tactics in Uncertain Wildfire Firefighting Environments

Abstract:

Accurate and current knowledge of fire location is critical in wildfire suppression operations. This research evaluates the effectiveness of UAV deployment strategies and observation tactics in scenarios with limited situational awareness of wildfire location using a system-of-systems simulation framework. The SoSID toolkit is used to create a simulation environment with limited fire location knowledge, in which UAV and suppression agents of varying numbers employing different tactics are deployed to combat the fire. Key performance metrics, including burned area and operational cost, are evaluated to identify effective observation strategies.

Faculty Advisor:

Research Engineer Michael Balchanos

Jack Deng

Title:

Modeling Nonlinear Dynamics of Low-Tension Bolted Lap Joint Loosening Under Impulse Loading

Abstract:

Bolted lap joints in the low-tension regime exhibit nonlinear dynamic behavior under impulse loading that is not well captured by linear models. In this study, the transient response of a two-oscillator system connected by a bolted joint is investigated, revealing a transition between dominant frequencies and the presence of amplitude-dependent high-frequency content. A piecewise-linear model was first developed to capture the observed frequency transition, but it failed to reproduce the high-frequency response. To address this, a contact-based model incorporating Hertzian interaction was introduced to represent intermittent pinning between the bolt and the hole. This approach successfully captures both the frequency transition and the high-frequency behavior. Experimental validation was enabled through synchronized high-speed imaging and data acquisition, providing qualitative evidence of relative motion and contact events. These results highlight the importance of contact-induced nonlinearities in the dynamic response of bolted joints under impulsive loading, with ongoing work focused on full hysteresis implementation and bolt tension evolution.

Faculty Advisor:

Prof. Keegan J. Moore