Jonnalagadda V R Prasad
Dr. J.V.R. Prasad is a professor in the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology working in the area of flight mechanics and control. He received his B.Tech degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India and his M.S and Ph.D. degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA. He is currently a co-principal investigator and the associate director for the US Army, Navy and NASA sponsored Vertical Lift Rotorcraft Center of Excellence (VLRCOE) program at Georgia Tech. He has extensive research and design experience in rotorcraft system modeling and control, propulsion system modeling and control, and autonomous air vehicle modeling and control. He published parts of four books, sixty refereed journal papers, more than 250 conference papers and 80 research project reports. He has 18 invention disclosures and five patents to his credit. He is a recipient of the 2009 Melville Medal award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the 2015 Aero Lion Technologies Outstanding Journal Paper award from the International Journal of Unmanned Systems. He served as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of the American Helicopter Society (AHS), chair of the Handling Qualities and UAV Tech Committees of the AHS, and as member and secretary of the Atmospheric. Flight Mechanics Technical Committee of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). He currently serves as a member of the editorial board for the International Journal on Mathematical Modeling and Simulation and the advisory board for the International Journal of Unmanned Systems. He is a Fellow of the AIAA, a Technical Fellow of the AHS and a member of the ASME.
Professor Prasad’s teaching interests include foundational and advanced courses in aerospace engineering, emphasizing flight dynamics and control principles. He engages students across undergraduate and graduate levels, fostering a deep understanding of rotarywing aircraft and gas turbine engines. His instructional approach integrates theoretical and applied aspects, promoting analytical skills development and practical problem-solving related to rotarywing and propulsion systems modeling, simulation and control.
Professor Prasad’s research focuses on reactive flow physics and combustion processes relevant to aerospace propulsion. His work involves experimental and computational studies aimed at understanding turbulence-chemistry interactions, ignition, and flame stabilization in advanced propulsion systems. The research seeks to enhance energy efficiency and reduce emissions by investigating fundamental combustion phenomena and propulsion performance under varied operating conditions.
Lab/Collaborations:
- Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence (VLRCOE)
- Rotorcraft Flight Simulator Laboratory
- Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines (IRIM)
- Decision and Control Laboratory (DCL)
Disciplines:
- Flight Mechanics & Controls
AE Multidisciplinary Research Areas:
- Vertical Lift and Urban Air Mobility
- Robotics, Autonomy, & Human Interactions
- B.S., Aeronautical Engineering, 1974, Indian Institute of Technology;
- M.S., Aeronautical Engineering, 1982, Indian Institute of Technology;
- M.S., Aerospace Engineering, 1983, Georgia Institute of Technology;
- Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, 1985, Georgia Institute of Technology;
Sigma-Xi 1992 Junior Faculty Award; 1992-93 Lilly Teaching Fellow Award; 1990-91 Faculty of the Year award by the Georgia Tech Graduate Student Government; Third Place in the First AHS, Boeing Vertol Co. Student Design Competition; Vertical Flight Foundation Scholarship Award; 2002 AHS Forum Best Paper in Flight Simulation Session Award; 2003 AHS Forum Best Paper in UAV Session Award; 2006 ASME Conference Best Paper Award; 2009 ASME Melville Medal; AIAA Fellow award in 2012; Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of the American Helicopter Society 2010 – 13, 2013 ASME Best Paper Award, AHS Technical Fellow award in 2014; The Aero Lion Technologies Outstanding Journal Paper Award from the International Journal of Unmanned Systems in 2015; William R.T. Oakes Faculty Fellow award from Georgia Tech in 2016.
- Esmek, C.C. and Prasad, J.V.R. “Tau-Theory-Based Guidance Methodology for Helicopter Obstacle Field Navigation,” Mathematics 2026, 14(2), 260; January 2026.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/math14020260, - Jing, Z., Neumeier, Y., Prasad, J.V.R. and James, D., “A Study of Loss Model Parameter Sensitivity in Compressor Unsteady Flow Simulations,” Journal of Turbomachinery, May 2025, Vol. 147(5): 051001, May 2025.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4066912 - Mballo, C., Walters, R. and Prasad, J.V.R., “Load Limiting Control for Component Life Extension,” AIAA Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamics, Vol. 48, No. 2, February 2025.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2514/1.G007700 - Zanella, P., Prasad, J.V.R., Johnson, C.C. and Mavris, D.N., “A Framework to Enhance the Mitigation of Loss of Tail Rotor Effectiveness,” Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 70 (1), January 2025.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4050/JAHS.70.022002 - Jing, Z., Neumeier, Y., Prasad, J.V.R., and James, D., “Active Energy Management for Enhanced Engine Transient Operations,” AIAA Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol 40 (5), July 2024.
DOI:10.2514/1.B39242