AE Brown Bag Seminar
Friday, February 7
11:00 a.m.
Guggenheim 442
Pizza Served
Zachary Dumas
William Golder
Sameer Sheth
Zachary Dumas
Title:
Model-Based Systems Engineering for Enhanced Scramjet Analysis in Hypersonic Missile Design
Abstract:
The increasing demand for high-speed, long-range strike capabilities has driven advancements in hypersonic propulsion technology. This seminar presents a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approach using SysML to scramjet subsystem design, analysis, and modeling for an Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic missile concept. The system architecture integrates a solid rocket booster for initial acceleration and a scramjet for sustained Mach 5+ flight, enabling a 2000+ nautical mile range. Scramjet components are modeled using first order and empirical methods to model oblique shock inlet dynamics, isolator performance, 1D burner analysis, and nozzle expansion. This integrated flowpath model supports dual-mode ramjet and scramjet operation. Components are sized through built-in MATLAB multidisciplinary optimization techniques based on maximizing key performance parameters. A hypersonic cruise missile concept and key subsystems are modeled in SysML, including full integration with the developed MATLAB MDO scramjet sizing and flowpath model.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Selcuk Cimtalay
William Golder
Title:
Infrared Thermography: Applications and Challenges for its Introduction in Flight Testing
Abstract:
Infrared Thermography (IRT) is an imaging technique that uses IR cameras to detect changes in temperature at or near a surface. Since the development of infrared cameras in the 1950s and 60s, it has been used by the military and first responders to detect obscured sources of radiation, as well as in the medical and industrial fields. Recently, infrared thermography has been introduced into the aerospace world as a flow visualization tool. It involves using an infrared camera to correlate changes in surface flow temperature across a wing or body with changes in pressure. This technique has applications in detecting flow separation, shock formation, and boundary layer transition and possesses advantages over typical techniques. Namely, IRT allows for data to be taken with a relatively high resolution while remaining noninvasive. Unlike traditional pressure tapping, oil flow, and tufting, IRT does not involve introducing a foreign body into the flow, nor does it alter the mold line of the surface being investigated.
My seminar will explain the basics of IRT, the history of its use as a flow visualization tool, and its applications within the wing design and flight test domains. Additionally, it will cover some of the challenges with IRT’s implementation and considerations to be made as this technology is taken out of the laboratory and into the real world. My presentation draws upon work I completed in Summer 2024 during an internship with Gulfstream Flight Test as well as research completed by NASA, DLR, and other research groups.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Lakshmi N. Sankar
Sameer Sheth
Title:
High Resolution Raman Spectroscopy Analysis for Supersonic Combustion
Abstract:
Raman scattering is a powerful tool for spectroscopy, particularly in the study of supersonic combustion. It enables high-resolution analysis of mixing, combustion dynamics, and shock structures, surpassing the limitations of current techniques. We demonstrate an efficient Raman spectroscopy setup featuring a pulse stretcher to prevent particle damage and a phase conjugate mirror to enhance laser overlap and boost Raman signal generation. Two experiments were conducted using an underexpanded jet: one with an input mixture of N₂:H₂ and the other with pure N₂. The spectroscopy results are compared with CFD simulations to identify key differences and explore potential improvements to the system.
Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Adam Steinberg and Dr. Hao Tang