Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Proof
#8 Aerospace Engineering Bachelor’s Program U.S. News & World Report
AERONEWS
Department of Aerospace Engineering | Daytona Beach, Florida Campus
STUDENTS PREPARE FOR 2020 I SSU E
06 Nanoscale 3D Printer to MOON Revolutionize Research 08 MISSION Building Stronger Composite Parts 13 Distributed Electric Propulsion is Highlight of Air Vehicle 15 Topology Data Improves Spacecraft Lunar Landing 17 Alumna Named to Forbes List EagleCam R E S EAR CH NEWS CubeSat Camera System
Project Objectives ■ Capture the first-ever third Message from the Chair person view of a spacecraft extraterrestrial Data Link ■ landing.Uncover new scientific findings There is no doubt that a $2.5 million dollar project in 2020, the EFRC designed, through dust plume imagery, dust accumulation analysis, and 2020 was a turbulent built and tested a 100+ KW hybrid-electric power lunar surface imagery. year for us, but we generation prototype. To continue to push the envelope, Nova-C Lunar Lander also saw many another hybrid-electric power generation system using WiFi Link successes come to higher power to weight subsystems has been designed fruition. In response to and the component parts are being assembled with plans Eagle came COVID-19, we moved to complete and run in Fall 2021. CubeSat courses online and The EFRC is also continuing to explore eVTOL vehicles offered a combination as a part of the industry wide focus on UAM. The vehicle of face-to-face and research interests include control law development, online classes. Overall, redundant flight controls, and vehicle certification of due to our faculty efforts, unconventional concepts. Eagles to Land First Student Project on Moon, students responded positively in their teaching evaluations. Research expenditures also continue to increase. Sample Aiming to Photograph Spacecraft Landing The Department of Aerospace Engineering (AE) continues grants that were active in 2020 include: “A Self-sustaining to grow and be the largest in the country with 1,626 Wind Energy Extraction Technique (SWEET) Using Dr. Troy Henderson bachelor’s, 125 master’s, and 35 doctoral students as Multi-level Control Design Methods,” (NSF, PIs: MacKunis, of Fall 2020, which proved to be another record year for Golubev, Mankbadi); “Improving Image Processing for A team of Embry-Riddle students and faculty are evolved with the team enrollment. It should be noted that about 12.7% of our Orbit Estimation,” (Air Force, PI: Henderson); “Multiscale building a CubeSat camera system that will travel taking on challenges in undergraduates are honors students, while the rest of the Optimization of Additively Manufacturable Spatially to the lunar surface and capture, for the first time, communications, dust Daytona Beach Campus has 5.5% honors students. In Varying Cellular Microstructures,” (NSF CAREER, PI: a third-person view of a spacecraft landing. plume effects, and the addition, our new master’s degree in Air Worthiness is Tamijani); “Investigation of Load Path Based Topology radiation environment. the first program of its kind and enrolled 25 in its Optimization,” (AFOSR Young Investigator Program, PI: Intuitive Machines, the company developing the Nova-C The mission lists multiple inaugural semester last year. Tamijani); “Nanoscale Design of Interfacial Kinematics in Lunar Lander, offered engineering students the opportunity to design and build a camera system that will deploy from historic firsts, which I am also proud to report the undergraduate AE program Composite Manufacturing,” (NSF, PIs: Namilae, Al-Haik); includes the first use of continues to rank very highly at No. 8 in the nation, “Cyberinfrastructure for Pedestrian Dynamics-Based the Nova-C to capture the landing and, in the process, become the first university student project ever to land on WiFi on the lunar surface according to U.S. News and World Report rankings Analysis of Infection Propagation Through Air Travel” the moon. to transmit images. (September 2020). This is a significant accomplishment (NSF, PIs: Srinivasan, UWF, Namilae, and Scotch, ASUI). The mission also will Named in honor of the university’s mascot, the EagleCam and demonstrates the program quality. Our program offers Many of these research endeavors are detailed in the provide data sets that will be analyzed by future students project is expected to launch on the Nova-C in the fourth unique experiential learning through various competitions forthcoming pages. Please enjoy this newly and scientists for future missions in support of the Artemis quarter of 2021. It is fast becoming a valuable experience throughout the year and yields excellent results, including redesigned edition of the AE Department newsletter. Program, NASA’s return of humans to the Moon. a second place win in the AIAA Gas Turbine Design for the students, who range from sophomore through Ph.D. The team has already presented two technical reviews to Competition in August 2020. levels. The team, led by Dr. Troy Henderson, Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering, consists of three government and industry volunteers who are interested in The graduate program continues to thrive, ranking No. 33 faculty and 25 students. the project’s technology and success. EagleCam’s design (tied) in March 2020 and second in Florida. Thanks to the Best Regards, is a 1.5U CubeSat (10 x 10 x 15 centimeters), which “Students are at the center of this historic mission, getting Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) deploys from the Nova-C lander at about 30 meters in invaluable hands-on experience and taking on lead roles in grant from the Department of Education, we are able to altitude. The multiple, wide field-of-view cameras will provide a groundbreaking project,” said an aerospace engineering support 8 to10 Ph.D. students (U.S. citizens) per year. a 360-degree image set from deployment to a few minutes student Jana Alaslani. after landing. Along with the imagery, corresponding inertial Researchers and students at the Eagle Flight Research The project began measurement unit data will be used (after the mission) to Center (EFRC) are continuing to work on electric and Dr. Tasos Lyrintzis as a challenge reconstruct the trajectory of EagleCam and generate hybrid-electric propulsion systems for aviation. Under Distinguished Professor, Department Chair from aeronautical high-resolution 3D maps of the local terrain. engineering alumnus The team will test an electrodynamic dust removal system, and Intuitive Machines a technology developed by NASA Kennedy Space Center, President and CEO on one of the cameras. This technology will verify what Steve Altemus NASA researchers have seen in the lab, but have yet to see Department of Aerospace Engineering | College of Engineering | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (BSAE ’87) to take the on the Moon — that the fine lunar regolith can be removed 1 Aerospace Boulevard | Daytona Beach FL, 32114 | db.erau.edu/aerospace ultimate selfie. It soon from surfaces.
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Topology and Fiber Path Optimization of 3D Printed In order to ensure that the system survives the free-fall capable of 1,000 frames per second, for analysis of the Continuous Fiber Composites landing, the EagleCam team has performed a series of drop impact. So far, the structure has survived landing speeds tests. A testbed was built, with partial funding from the Air expected on the Moon. More tests, inclusive of WiFi data Dr. Ali Tamijani (Funded by the Office of Naval Research) Force Research Lab, which replicates the lunar surface. streaming, are planned for Spring 2021. The 4- x 3-foot test area is enclosed on the sides and Questions (or offers to volunteer your experience) may be instrumented with multiple cameras, including a camera Additively manufactured (AM) fiber-reinforced and experimentally validate an directed to Dr. Troy Henderson at [email protected]. polymer composites have shown great potential for innovative framework for design functional end-use applications. optimization of continuous fiber paths and geometric shape This technology can distinguish itself from conventional and layout in order to achieve composite manufacturing methods by enabling a variety of unprecedented mechanical complex geometries, eliminating the need for molds/tooling, performance in multi-layer 3D Multi-layer continuous fiber composites with out-of-autoclave processing, and a reduction of material optimized topology and fiber paths developed printed composite structures. by Dr. Ali Tamijani’s research group in waste. Accompanying these improvements is the collaboration with UT Austin. The optimized designs will be Embry-Riddle to Demonstrate Dust Shield ability to tailor the placement and orientation of manufactured on an in-house built continuous fiber fused on Lunar Surface fiber reinforcement within each composite lamina to filament fabrication printer, and the mechanical properties improve part performance for a given state of loading. and failure mechanics of 3D printed continuous fiber Dr. Troy Henderson (Funded by NASA Kennedy Space Center) AM is inherently well-suited for integration with composites will be studied through computational analysis optimization schemes as the geometrically complex models and experimental testing. produced through optimization can be sent directly to a 3D As part of the EagleCam project, Embry-Riddle printer. The proposed framework will allow a paradigm shift from has teamed with the NASA Kennedy Space Center conventional unidirectional fiber designs to manufacturable to demonstrate an electrodynamic dust shield In the research supported by ONR, Embry-Riddle is continuous fiber 3D printed composites. (EDS). Dr. Troy Henderson, Associate Professor of collaborating with the University of Texas at Austin to create Aerospace Engineering, is leading the funded research. Since the Apollo missions, the fine lunar regolith has demonstrated an ability to electrostatically stick to space suits, camera lenses, and other hardware. The NASA- developed EDS system will be integrated into two of the Thermo-mechanical Optimization camera lenses of EagleCam by Embry-Riddle faculty and A student applies a dust simulant to the Electrodynamic Dust Shield in preparation for a test. students. Upon landing on the surface, lunar regolith will for Optical Instruments
degrade the image from the camera by coating the lens. the Embry-Riddle Space Technologies Laboratory on Jan. Dr. Ali Tamijani (Funded by the NASA Center Innovation Fund) Optimized space optical mount 29. During his visit, Buhler an engineering physics alumnus, developed by Dr. Tamijani’s The EDS uses an electric field to remove the dust. The research group in collaboration trained the EagleCam team on how to use the lab unit to with NASA JPL. experiment, which will be the first ever demonstration of the test dust removal in air, and under vacuum, and discussed EDS technology on the lunar surface, will include images the unit’s ability to remove dust on images. Continued The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) recently experimentally validate graded structures for a space optical from before and after the EDS operation to determine the experiments will help finalize the EDS that will operate as developed a gradient-additive manufacturing mount. Such graded structures will be lightweight, strong, efficiency of dust removal. part of EagleCam. technique that melds multiple metals into a and stiff, while performing under high temperatures and in single part. harsh environments. “It’s exciting to be working with Embry-Riddle students to Doctoral student Christopher Hays (BSAE ’19, MSAE ’20) demonstrate the EDS on the lunar surface. was among the EagleCam team members taking receipt Multi-material additive manufacturing is particularly useful in The design methodology developed under this project will The data from a successful test could impact future of the EDS. Hays, a lead engineer, is researching image aerospace applications where structures are subjected to provide a precise control over graded composition and space missions, including the return of humans to the processing methods for space systems to address lens large mechanical and thermal loads. will lead to designs that can eliminate unwanted thermal degradation due to dust or radiation effects. Moon,” said alumnus Dr. Charles Buhler (’95), Senior In general, a single material will not simultaneously expansion, cancel out the expansion of neighboring Research Scientist at “This is a great experience for ERAU students to interact have optimal strength, stiffness, and thermal expansion materials, and eliminate thermal expansion mismatch. NASA Kennedy Space with NASA engineers who are experts in dust mitigation,” characteristics for a given application. By using multiple The computational analysis and design will be accompanied Center’s Electrostatics said Hays, who earned a bachelor’s and master’s in materials, where each individual material has some by experimental tests in order to derive the material models, and Surface Physics Aerospace Engineering. unique advantage, parts can be tailored to have specific analyze the homogeneity of the 3D printed samples, and Laboratory. mechanical and thermal characteristics that would otherwise compare the modeled and printed material compositions. Buhler and a team be impossible using just one of those materials. of NASA engineers In the research supported by the NASA Center delivered a laboratory unit to a group of excited Innovation Fund, Embry-Riddle is collaborating with JPL to integrate fabrication and characterization techniques NASA Senior Research Scientist Charles Buhler (left) students and faculty in talks with EagleCam lead engineer and Ph.D. student with novel computational methods to design, analyze, and Christopher Hays about the project.
4 5 R E S EAR CH N EWS R E S EAR CH N EWS Grant Enables Breakthroughs in Nondestructive Evaluation of Engineering Materials
Dr. Marwan Al-Haik, Dr. Eduardo Divo, Dr. Sirish Namilae, Dr. Eduardo Rojas & Dr. Foram Madiyar (Funded by the National Science Foundation, Major Research Instrumentation Grant)
Thanks to a recent National Science Foundation This specialized award, a team of Embry-Riddle researchers will equipment will also soon acquire a state-of-the-art TriboIndenter create a new (TI-980, Bruker™) nanoscale characterization system pipeline of skilled to empower research in aerospace materials, thin nano-characterization films, and biomaterials. researchers from a large and ethnically diverse Funded through the Major Research Instrumentation pool of graduate and program grant, the TI-980 system provides unique mapping undergraduate students. of the mechanical, electrical and microstructural facets of The acquisition of the materials in a number of fields such as nanocomposites, TI-980 system is crucial smart materials, inkjet-printed conductive films, coatings to ensure that both Ph.D. for nuclear fuel cladding, phase-changing materials and Machine Capable of 3D Printing Nanoscale Objects to and master’s students biomaterials. The system enables mechanical testing under at Embry-Riddle have Revolutionize Embry-Riddle Research static and dynamic loads, mapping electrical resistivity
access to state-of-the-art Dr. Daewon Kim, Dr. Marwan Al-Haik, Dr. Ali Tamijani, Dr. Foram Madiyar & Dr. Eduardo Rojas with deformation, tribology and adhesion characterization facilities to improve the of surfaces and interfaces and elucidating the mechanical (Funded by the National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation Grant) quality of their research. behavior of materials at elevated temperatures as high as 800 ºC. The system also furnishes imaging capabilities It’s reach will also extend into the community. Fabricating objects from their smallest components “Here is a 3D printer with features as small as 160 using optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Nanotechnology will be introduced to K-12 students up is the work of nanoscale 3D printers, traditionally nanometers,” Kim said. “Questions we only imagined before, scanning probe microscopy and florescence microscopy. through STEM programs including Girls in Engineering Math and Science summer camp programming at Embry- rare devices for scientists to acquire given their cost such as what if we can make micro-channels to advance The instrumentation will help enable researchers to: and sophistication. These machines can potentially our understanding of breast or colon cancers, or what if we Riddle. Public understanding of nanotechnology will be Map the properties of heterogeneous biomaterials, 3D be the key to breakthroughs in healthcare and can fabricate artificial muscles that behave similarly to real heightened through an exhibit at the Daytona Beach printed smart materials, and nanocomposite materials manufacturing, however, offering researchers muscles, could be answered through various investigations Museum of Arts and Sciences. to their microstructure. the ability to build and study objects at the we can do using this instrument.” This exhibit will introduce some aspects of nano- Facilitate unprecedented simultaneous characterization nanoscale level. The new equipment will enable Embry-Riddle biotechnology to the museum visitors by displaying and imaging of phase-changing materials at the onset That is exactly the hope of researchers at Embry-Riddle, researchers to fabricate nano to microsize materials and enlarged scanning probe microscopy, scanning electron of their transition temperatures. who won a $524,000 grant from the National Science structures with smart actuation and sensing, optimize microscope images and results of nanoindentation and Foundation to bring a nanoscale 3D printer to the metamaterial structures and polymer curing, and fabricate Integrate (in collaboration with national labs and nanoscratch tests performed on human teeth and on local Daytona Beach Campus. micromechanical and microfluidic devices to study researchers at other universities) the high temperature Florida species (e.g., alligators and sharks) and fossils biochemical processes and cancer. measurements with simulation to advance fundamental provided. The exhibit will also draw interest in STEM-related For context, a single strand of human hair is anywhere knowledge of thin films’ structural stability. topics especially from local youth participating in museum from 50,000 to 100,000 nanometers wide. A red blood As Embry-Riddle enhances its research in aerospace summer camps. cell has a width of 7,000 nanometers. With the ability to structures and materials, sensing, aerospace biology and Lay the foundation for needed microstructure properties’ create objects this small, Eagle researchers like Daewon physiology, the sophisticated 3D fabricator will help to additive manufacturing processing correlations to Kim, Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering and connect the university with other institutions, Kim said. By establish the durability of 3D printed thick-film dielectrics Principal Investigator of the grant project, are hoping to enabling “a regional hub for nano-fabrication research,” and electric conductors for antennas and electronics not only unlock secrets the instrument should also attract partnerships with under harsh environments. about the material corporations at Kennedy Space Center and companies Help establish the elastic and viscoelastic properties of world, but also greatly located in Embry-Riddle’s John Mica Engineering and novel synthetic arterial grafts and shunts to ensure expand collaboration Aerospace Innovation Complex (MicaPlex). structural compatibility, achieve optimal compliance, opportunities for “As a major regional resource, this state-of-the-art 3D nano/ and prevent cardiovascular malfunction. graduate, undergraduate micro fabrication system will propel a broad range of new Provide crucial tribological insights of 3D printed and even K-12 students aerospace research,” Kim said. dielectric metal-elastomers composites and establish throughout their deformation-electric current constitutive behavior. the region. Test print of a helical actuator. Enrich research collaborations both within the university and other schools and with R&D small businesses. 6 | BY MICHAELA JARVIS 7 R E S EAR CH N EWS R E S EAR CH N EWS
Pedestrian Movement, Disease-Spread Modeling Helps Fight COVID-19
Dr. Sirish Namilae (Funded by the National Science Foundation)
How people move through a given space may offer clues to how infectious diseases, like COVID-19, spread. Dr. Sirish Namilae, an Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle, is refining research he conducted on pedestrian movement — amplifying it with new data and disease-spread modeling — to help develop social distancing strategies as the world confronts the The result of their research will be a cyberinfrastructure, COVID-19 pandemic. or software system, useful to such decision-makers as civil Building Stronger Composite Parts “We want to get an aggregate idea of how people are engineers, aviation workers and public health professionals Dr. Sirish Namilae & Dr. Marwan Al-Haik (Funded by National Science Foundation) moving,” Namilae said. “For this COVID problem, the as they work to design the most efficient social distancing research is even more relevant.” guidelines. The modeling could then be used to inform Namilae started researching pedestrian movement during policies designed to mitigate local outbreaks of infectious Embry-Riddle is leading an initiative to improve the 2014 Ebola epidemic in Africa. Last year he was diseases. the performance and manufacturing capability awarded a $600,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) “[The software] will help determine the best tactics, for of materials used to produce aircraft and other grant to develop a cyberinfrastructure for this problem. example, in an airport,” Namilae said. “How should the aerospace equipment, and including students He was recently awarded another $200,000 NSF RAPID security queue be designed? How should a building be as young as high school-level in the hands-on grant, to incorporate new streams of data — from video designed?” operation, thanks to a National Science Foundation footage from worldwide public-domain webcams, as well Theme parks are another example of a venue where crowds grant of $392,000. as from cellphone location systems — into pedestrian mix intensely. Additions to traditional serpentine lines that dynamics modeling. The mathematical models of pedestrian The Eagle researchers who received the three-year grant — reduce mixing, such as temporary walls between the lanes movement are based on the movement of particles, such Aerospace Engineering Associate Professor Sirish Namilae of customers, can reduce infection rates to 25% of what as molecules, and were originally developed in materials and Professor Marwan Al-Haik — are developing new they would otherwise be, Namilae said. Single-file lines science. methods to investigate and improve the manufacturing of represent an even more drastic reduction. composite materials, which make up more than 50% of the Images from the electron microscope depict the carbon fibers before and after growing the zinc oxide “All of this comes together so we can look at pedestrian (ZnO) nanowires. The ZnO nanowires strengthen the interface between the carbon fiber laminates — By simulating many variations of different kinds of situations construction of newer aircraft, such as the Boeing 787. which is the weakest zone in structural composites — through a mechanism identical to Velcro. data more comprehensively,” Namilae said, adding that he with pedestrian modeling and combining them with infection techniques for manufacturing composite materials, they will will be working with colleagues from the University of West According to Namilae, the research is pioneering because it modeling, Namilae said it is possible to identify and quantify experiment with using nanoscale components such as Florida, Purdue University and Arizona State University, as explores how composite materials react while they are being vulnerabilities, and determine crowd management strategies zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowires between the composite layers. well as with students from Embry-Riddle. cured, which is when they are susceptible to defects. that may lead to lower infection rates. The ZnO nanowires strengthen the interface between the “The key innovation is we’re doing this during processing,” BY MICHAELA JARVIS carbon fiber laminates — which is the weakest zone in said Namilae, adding that the project involves a custom-built structural composites — through a mechanism identical autoclave similar to ones used by manufacturers, but with to Velcro. Basically, the ZnO nanowires will mechanically viewports, or windows. The viewports allow the researchers interlock with the adjacent carbon fibers, providing more to use an observation technique known as digital image resistance against mechanical loads. Modeling for COVID-19 correlation to watch deformations develop that can lead to defects in the final product. In addition, ZnO can convert mechanical deformations into electrical energy, which allows the developed composites Composite defects can require redesigns, not only of To reduce the spread of illness, some airlines have been These findings are still in the process of being peer to have added functionalities such as sensors that monitor aircraft but also of the civil infrastructure in which they are keeping middle seats open, which is effective in reducing reviewed, but if confirmed they suggest that airlines should their structural health. used. Wrinkles in composite materials, for example, Namilae infection risk. Preliminary research based on computer either revert to their earlier boarding process or adopt the said, can reduce a material’s strength by up to 30%. The research will involve Embry-Riddle graduate students, simulations, however, suggests that random boarding of better random process. This study is part of a body of work undergraduates and even interns from local high schools, aircraft, rather than back-to-front boarding – a procedural co-authored by Dr. Sirish Namiliae, Associate Professor The research will help produce “optimum curing cycles,” response to the COVID-19 pandemic – may have an even of Aerospace Engineering, and collaborators from the who will be paired with the graduate students. Studies have Namilae said, or recipes for making better, stronger greater impact, reducing exposure rates by about University of West Florida, Florida State University, and shown that exposing younger students to hands-on lab composites. 50 percent. Arizona State University. work can draw them into STEM fields, Namilae said. Once the researchers have perfected in situ diagnostic
8 | BY MICHAELA JARVIS BY M I K E CAVALI E R E | 9 FACULTY & STU D E NT NEWS FACU LTY & STU D E NT N EWS
NEW ASSISTANT PROFESSOR: DR. K. MERVE DOGAN
The Aerospace Engineering Department welcomed Assistant Professor Dr. K. Merve Dogan to Embry-Riddle in August 2020. She received her Ph.D. from the University of South Florida (USF) in 2020. She is a recipient of the 2020 Outstanding Thesis and Dissertation Award (USF), 2019 Graduate Program News Student Best Paper Award (Adaptive and Learning Control Systems, IFAC, Winchester, UK), and PH.D. PROGRAM UPDATE 2019 Best Session Presentation (in AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, San Diego, California). Her co-authored paper titled “Learning control of robot manipulators in task The Aerospace Engineering Department is proud to highlight the following space” is listed in the 2019 Top 20 Most Read Papers (Asian Journal of Control). Dogan’s research Ph.D. students. specializations include adaptive systems and learning, autonomy, flight dynamics and control. She In 2013, the department added the has co-authored more than 45 peer-reviewed papers in top internationally recognized journals and ELIAS WILSON (BSAE ’18, MSAE ’19) conferences in these research areas. was awarded the Department of Defense Ph.D. to its degree program offerings, Science, Mathematics, and Research for bringing comprehensive aerospace Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for- engineering to central Florida. The Service Program. Wilson is advised by Dr. program started with two Ph.D. DR. VLADIMIR GOLUBEV RECEIVES Richard Prazenica and conducting research students and its progression has been FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP on model predictive control algorithms steady and strategic. As of Spring 2021, with online learning for complex nonlinear 41 Ph.D. students are enrolled and 18 dynamical systems. Wilson has applied these Thanks to a Fulbright U.S. Scholarship award, Aerospace Engineering Professor students have graduated. Dr. Vladimir Golubev is advancing alternative wind energy initiatives with faculty engaged in similar methods to develop autonomous control research at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan. Several projects will be investigated with the host algorithms for rotorcraft autorotation under institution in order to share complementary expertise in theoretical, experimental and numerical power loss conditions and is now extending this research to explore research in unsteady aerodynamics, aeroacoustics, aeroelasticity, and flow and flight control. the decision-making capabilities of these algorithms within stochastic aerospace systems, such as missile defense systems and aerial cargo The department is proud of its 2020 delivery vehicles. doctoral graduates: Sam Salehian (advisor Dr. Reda Mankbadi; currently Assistant Professor at Tuskegee NICHOLAS PETERS (BSAE ’18, MSAE ’20) joined the NASA Ames Aeromechanics University), Dhuree Seth (advisor Dr. Branch Pathways Program over the summer Gordon Leishman; currently post doc DR. ALI TAMIJANI RECEIVES ERAU OUTSTANDING of 2020. He assisted with NASA’s at Ohio State), Naveen Uddanti (advisor RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology program Dr. Yechiel Crispin, currently with a role in assisting with the development at Mathworks). Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering Dr. Ali Tamijani has been once again recognized of an acoustic model for rotor blades, which for his excellence in research. He is the recipient of the 2020 Professor Abas Sivjee can be used to provide high-fidelity results in Outstanding Researcher of the Year Award. The Embry-Riddle award, bestowed by the faculty the early conceptual design phase of vehicle senate, recognizes and honors the full scope of research and associated scholarly contributions development. For his Ph.D. research Peters is In 2018, the Aerospace Engineering produced by Tamijani. working with Dr. John Ekaterinaris on reduced order models for store separation. Ph.D. program received a grant from In 2019, Tamijani won the coveted National Science Foundation Career Award for research that the U.S. Department of Education, could lead to more lightweight, efficient aircraft wings, orthopedic implants and other consumer as part of the Graduate Assistance technologies. He is also recipient of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research’s Young Investigator FREDERICK T. SCHILL (BSAE ’20, in Areas on National Need (GAANN) Award, Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowships, and a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Faculty BSCM ’20) received the Drs. Charles and program. This government program Fellowship. His research focuses on the heterogeneous design for additive manufacturing and Elizabeth Duva Endowed Fellowship in provides fellowships, through academic multi-scale and multi-disciplinary optimization with applications in aeroelastic tailoring, biomedical Aerospace Engineering. Schill is working devices, and space optical instruments. Tamijani is the Associate Editor of the Journal of Aerospace with Dr. Hever Moncayo and investigating departments and programs, to assist Science and Technology. machine-learning techniques to increase graduate students with excellent aviation safety. He is specifically studying records who demonstrate financial how deep reinforcement learning combined need and plan to pursue the highest with other bio-inspired techniques can be degree available in their course study used to estimate the interactions between at the institution in a field designated Aerospace Engineering Faculty Make Top 2% pilot-human and machine-vehicle, and to as an area of national need. In 2020, determine potential solution mechanisms to predict undesired dynamics Scholarly Impact List that can lead to accidents. The solution he is proposing can be extended three students received the GAANN to other domains such as cybersecurity, fault tolerance, or even fellowships program: Kaela Barrett, increasing autonomy of cyber-physical systems with self-learning, Christopher Hays, and John Zelina. A Stanford University study has created an international There are 979 names in the Aerospace Engineering self-accommodation, adaptation and self-healing characteristics. This brings the total number of the list of the world’s top 2% of scientists recognized for their discipline. The following Embry-RIddle Distinguished GAANN fellowship recipients to 11. scholarly impact (excluding self-citations): https://journals. Professors are recognized in this list: plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal. Dr. Gordon Leishman #35, Dr. Mark Balas #39 (visiting), pbio.3000384 Dr. John Ekaterinaris #210, Dr. Tasos Lyrintzis #523, and Dr. Reda Mankbadi #667.
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Aerospace Engineering undergraduate student Joseph Thiemer is part of the team converting a Diamond HK-36 for electric propulsion. Dr. Kyle Collins compares the PAV-ER rendering to the urban air mobility (UAM) vehicle taking shape.
It’s Electric! Diamond HK-36 Project Distributed Electric Propulsion is Highlight Reaches Milestone of New Air Vehicle
Dr. Pat Anderson, Dr. Kyle Collins, & Dr. Jianhua Liu Dr. Pat Anderson & Dr. Kyle Collins
After nearly four years of perseverance, the Eagle designing electric aircraft battery packs. To achieve this, Embry-Riddle’s new personal air vehicle, known as to create thrust, or control, or a combination of thrust and Flight Research Center (EFRC) team celebrated the batteries operate near maximum performance and, as a PAV-ER, combines a decade of electrified propulsion control through its ability to control each hingeless prop- a milestone in its electric propulsion research: its result, generate heat. Care must be taken to design battery progress, innovative control laws and autonomy rotor independently or in unison, in addition to its ability to Diamond HK-36 completed a successful taxi test packs that can be cooled,” said Dr. Kyle Collins, Research research into a proof of concept that could propel change motor RPM. the future of urban transportation. exclusively on electrical power at the Daytona Beach Assistant Professor at the EFRC. “Being able to switch across these three control As more than 250 companies around the world race strategies makes the PAV-ER testbed an invaluable tool International Airport. The packs used for the taxi test are a first generation design. to become UAM vehicle manufacturers, Embry-Riddle in understanding how these types of aerospace vehicles The fully electric propulsion system for the eSpirit of St. New equipment and research performed over the past year is demonstrating its leadership in the field by building a should be certified depending on the thrust, lift, and control Louis brings aviation a step closer to cleaner and quieter enabled the EFRC to bond the battery cells together, which manned experimental aircraft with distributed electrical strategy used,” Anderson said. flight — objectives that could revolutionize commercial has led to a more advanced, liquid-cooled pack design. propulsion and helicopter rotor blades. Control is possible through the ability to generate aviation. The new second-generation battery pack technology For researchers, the PAV-ER project is the next logical longitudinal and lateral moments creating significant Dr. Richard “Pat” Anderson, Professor of Aerospace will power the eSpirit’s flight — relying solely on electric step to merge 10 years of technology development with an control authority in nominal and even degraded situations. Engineering and director of the EFRC, piloted the propulsion — in mid 2021. 8-rotor eVTOL aircraft that employs cyclic propeller pitch for Following propulsion simulations in MATLAB and Simulink, experimental aircraft with student Joseph Thiemer as transition between vertical to horizontal flight modes. researchers developed the fly-by-wire flight control laws co-pilot. During the taxi session, Thiemer programmed and “We developed all the underpinnings of UAM technology for a full vehicle simulation in preparation for the actual monitored parameters in the motor inverter/speed controller here and all that was remaining was to merge them into flight tests. and monitored the battery management system. EAGLE FLIGHT a technology demonstrator vehicle,” said Richard “Pat” The student-centered project also gave the future In total, the eSpirit taxied about a quarter mile during its Anderson, director of the University’s Eagle Flight Research engineers an opportunity to experiment first-hand with initial test on Nov. 16, 2020. RESEARCH CENTER Center (EFRC), one of the nation’s leading researchers in initial autonomous flight testing. Most of the research has Faculty provide oversight as three aerospace engineering alternative propulsion. focused on increasing reliability and the vehicle’s ability students (Thiemer, Sanay Satam and Roberto Muntaner Valuable lessons learned and experiences gained through to accommodate in-flight failure, such as the loss of a rotor head. Whitley) work on overall implementation, project The center studies four key areas previous projects at the EFRC culminated in late 2019 planning and management, test procedures and execution. of aviation technology: propulsion, with the development of PAV-ER, a 500-pound technology “We have been able to demonstrate that PAV-ER’s unmanned autonomous vehicles, demonstrator. distributed propulsion architecture and the high control While the technology employed for the eSpirit’s electric manned flight control and authority of each pod allows the vehicle to continue flight motor and inverter is currently used in the automotive Working alongside faculty researchers, aerospace and with at least one failed rotor,” Anderson said. “This begins to industry, the EFRC designed its own battery packs for certification. This includes projects mechanical engineering students are regularly testing the align with airline-type safety requirements, which makes the the aircraft. Unlike other electric aircraft that have dedicated related to electric and hybrid capabilities of PAV-ER’s eight distributed electric propulsion vehicle safer than standard helicopters.” spaces for battery packs, the EFRC design allows the electric flights, novel UAVs and units, which can change thrust by employing three different packs to conform to irregular and small spaces. unleaded aviation fuels. strategies. Inspired by their in-house UAV’s propulsion Researchers plan to continue to test and refine flight system of pods, they successfully demonstrated the control algorithms and systems to be used in eVTOL “Battery weight is the critical factor when it comes to scalability of the models on the PAV-ER. The vehicle is able vehicles of the future.
12 | BY KELLY PRATT BY KELLY PRATT | 13 STU D ENT ACCOM PLI S H M ENTS STU D E NT ACCOM PLI S H M E NTS
Design Build Fly Team Steps Up to AIAA Challenges Topology Data Improves Spacecraft Lunar Landing, According to Student’s Award-Winning Research In light of the pandemic, the Design Build Fly student team had a successful 2020 season and has continued to see success in the current 2021 season. Aerospace engineering student Brennan McCann In the 2020 season, students working under Distinguished (BSAE ’19, MSAE ’20) took first place in AIAA’s Professor Gordon Leishman were challenged by AIAA to master’s category of the 2020 Regional Student design a banner-towing and passenger service capable Conference. His paper, “Utilizing Topology Data to aircraft. More than 100 student teams from around the world Facilitate Geometric Control of a Spacecraft During participate in the fly-off competition where Embry-Riddle Lunar Landing,” identifies a method to ensure often places within the top 10. Aerospace Engineering students pose for a photo during the January 2020 AIAA SciTech spacecraft can orient properly upon landing by meeting in Orlando, FL. The 2020 season was judged solely on report scores, with modeling the landing at the Apollo 11 site, Embry-Riddle placing No. 23 out of 100-plus teams and has seen the Design Build Fly team expand its precision known as Mare Tranquilitatis. against the surface and in the correct orientation. scoring four points higher than their 2019 report score. manufacturing capabilities tenfold along with a promising According to his research under Assistant Professor McCann, who envisions a career in mission planning or prototype aircraft already undergoing regular flight testing. The current 2021 AIAA design challenge is to create an Morad Nazari, geometric mechanics considers that both guidance navigation and control for robotic spacecraft, aerial sensor-towing aircraft that is additionally capable of translational and rotational motion occur simultaneously. focuses his research on constrained motion analysis transporting sensors to deployment locations. This season Most landing spacecraft have a main engine or set of and trajectory optimization, both within the framework of engines in a fixed orientation, requiring the entire vehicle geometric mechanics. He found the student competition to Rocket Club Changes Gears, Enjoys Busy Year to rotate to point the main engines to control translational be a good way to prepare for his career and look ahead at motion, thus making it susceptible to landing problems. the state of the field. By using topology data to help with motion planning, “Seeing other people’s research gives a good context Embry-Riddle’s rigorous COVID-19 risk mitigation Engineering Senior Brian Danaher. The team’s certified McCann found that the final position and orientation of the for what work has and hasn’t been done,” said McCann, protocols have challenged, but not slowed work high-power flyers this year are Justin Nauman and Kaitlyn spacecraft could be planned so that not only could the now a Ph.D. student. “It helps you understand where by the Aerospace Engineering Department’s rocket Bridge. They are advised by Professor Eric Perrell. spacecraft land in the target location, it would land flush developments can be made and spurs more research.” engineering student clubs. Experimental Rocket Propulsion Laboratory Embry-Riddle Future Space Explorers and Developers The past year’s challenges have dictated that most of the Society (ERFSEDS) club’s efforts focus on computational modelling for Projects Students Take 2nd place in AIAA Engine ERFSEDS team members have completed their Preliminary Spectre, and Harpy, their liquid and hybrid engine RDT&E Design Review for Project Artemis, their entry in the 2021 projects, respectively. Design Competition Spaceport America Cup, scheduled for June 2021 in Las They were, however, able to complete design and Cruces, NM. The Spaceport America Cup engages more construction of a new larger rocket engine test stand than 100 university student teams around the world in a and perform a series of experiments on single element, Aerospace Engineering students recently designed to network with industry rocket engineering competition. ERFSEDS is a two-time impinging, and bi-swirl liquid propellant injectors. a jet engine for a supersonic business jet with the and academic leaders as past winner. capability of producing a maximum flight speed of well as learn from other Engineering procedures and safety protocols have been Artemis is a 91-pound, 18-foot, two-stage rocket with a Mach 3 and cruise speed of Mach 0.95. university competitors written for further uses of the stand and injectors in the around the world.” target altitude of 25,000 feet. For the first time, Artemis will Similar to the engine in the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird — engine programs. Aerospace Engineering graduate student A cut-away view of the jet engine design displays feature a solid propellant motor designed, built, and tested known as the world’s fastest non-rocket powered aircraft Students were required the integration of the components designed by the Ben Malczewski is the Experimental Rocket Propulsion Aerospace Engineering student team. The design by the student team. The student team leader is Aerospace — students were inspired by the engine’s architecture and to respond to AIAA’s earned the students second placed from the AIAA Laboratory’s lead engineer. Gas Turbine (Engine) Design Competition. performance for their design. Working under advisor and Request for Proposal. Associate Professor Mark Ricklick, their engine design They determined a achieved fuel efficiency targets at both subsonic and hypothetical solution, tested the hypothesis, evaluated CubeSat to Help Study Solar Behavior supersonic speeds. its effectiveness and prepared a report for review by experts in the field. The novel design earned the five undergraduate students In 2020, the AIAA student chapter’s astronautics Catastrophic events to Humans (SCORCH) CubeSat is a second place from the AIAA Gas Turbine (Engine) Design Much like the rest of the world’s office workers, students team developed a 12U CubeSat payload proposed response to NASA Strategic Knowledge Gap II-A, which is Competition. The students, who are enrolled in the found themselves contending with a temporary pivot to for use in a constellation of spacecraft in the need to “Define active regions that are potential Solar Aerospace Engineering propulsion track, include Bruno online classes in March 2020. Teammates were suddenly heliocentric orbits that will provide multiple data Energetic Particles/Coronal Mass Ejection sites over the Aranda, Jorge Clares, Jesus Ferrand, Michael Scott, and split up and living in the U.S., Mexico, and Pakistan. points for solar behavior. 1/2 of a solar rotation.” Fahad Vavdiwala “There is no doubt that COVID-19 played a big part on As American and international space agencies are planning This project earned the team first place honors from Aranda, the team lead, said the competition offered the how we completed this design,” Aranda said. “Trust and to establish a long-term human presence in deep space, it the Embry-Riddle Student Research Symposium in group a unique experience that pushed them beyond time management was the key to our success.” is crucial to understand risk associated with solar activity. December 2020. conventional classroom lessons. “It gave us opportunities The Solar and Coronal Observation of Radiation and
14 BY KELLY PRATT | 15 STU D E NT ACCOM PLI S H M E NTS ALUMNI AWARDS
Student Earns AIAA Diversity Award Alumna Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 List
An active student leader, Natalie Hahn helps “As an aerospace engineering An Embry-Riddle alumna with aspirations of cultivate an atmosphere to equip underrepresented student, I fall into many diverse becoming an astronaut has been recognized as one students for success. Her dedication to diversity groups myself. From being a of the nation’s best and boldest young leaders by and inclusion earned her an award from the AIAA first generation college student, the Forbes 30 Under 30 science list for 2021. Diversity Scholars Program. a member of the LGBTQIA+ The honor places Aerospace Engineering bachelor’s community, and a woman in graduate Naia Butler-Craig (BSAE ’19) among a global The program provides opportunities for underrepresented STEM, I have organizations and community of innovative young leaders who are changing students who are pursuing a degree in aerospace to attend networks that allow me to speak the course and face of business and society. an AIAA forum or event. Thanks to the initiative, Hahn freely without fear of being my “I am so honored to share this list with so many incredible attended the AIAA Ascend conference in November 2020, true self,” she said. scientists from this class and the many classes before this an online event designed to accelerate space commerce, She engages in public speaking events, volunteers with one,” said the 23-year-old. exploration and new discovery. As the founder and president STEAM organizations, and virtually mentors students. Natalie Hahn is an active member of the of Valkyrie, Hahn established Society of Women Engineers and is pictured Butler-Craig, a native of Orlando, is now working toward Butler-Craig has also built a large following online through “This award means so much to me,” Hahn said. “It at an event in 2019. the campus organization to give her Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering and is a NASA Space her social media profiles and website. These outlets bring showcases that the aerospace community celebrates Technology Graduate Research fellow at the Georgia women and other marginalized genders the tools they need her advocacy work to life by offering a window into the life diversity and is willing to demonstrate that there is a place Institute of Technology. to excel professionally, academically and socially. She has of a doctoral student in a laboratory, testimony and Q&A for diverse members in the community itself.” also served as past president for the Society of Women Her research involves characterizing the electron energy videos from her living room, and quick demonstration videos on a variety of aerospace engineering topics. Hahn’s own personal experience motivated her to help Engineering and as COO of Reinvented Magazine — distribution function at the inner front pole cover of a magnetically shielded Hall-Effect Thruster with a centrally others. Inspired by her brother, who was born with a the nation’s first print magazine for women in STEM, and Naia Butler-Craig is also the recipient of the 2020 mounted cathode using Laser Thomson Scattering. disability, she has been an activist for extending STEM participated in Out 4 Undergrad Engineering Scholars, Modern-Day Technology Leader Award for her programs to youth of varying abilities. an LGBTQIA+ organization. In between her pressing academic schedule, Butler-Craig outstanding performance in STEM. To learn more about also works to advocate for diversity in STEAM disciplines her work, visit linktr.ee/astronaia BY KELLY PRATT (Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics). BY KELLY PRATT
Autonomous Robot Harvests Microplastics Systems Engineer Earns NASA Award for Work From Sand on Rocket Mission
In January 2019, first-year student Grace Robertson and works with three other Boeing Company systems engineer Nathalie the Boeing Launch Operations was involved in a beach cleanup, when she noticed undergraduates, Emma Bucey, Quintero (BSAE ’15) recently earned NASA’s Space team focal for Integrated Test tiny pieces of plastic in the sand that were too Jackson Schuler and Matt Flight Awareness Trailblazer Award for her work on Checkouts. Additionally, she small to pick up and that tended to break into Liepke. NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), the world’s recently completed her Green most powerful rocket that will land the first woman Run Electrical Power System smaller pieces. She started doing research and Using a custom designed and next man on the moon. console certification as part found out that these bits of plastic pollution, called 3D-printed setup paired of the Green Run Avionics microplastics, are in the air we breathe, the food we with parts commonly used in Quintero, who came to the United States from Caracas, Test Team. eat and the water we drink. drones, the plastic extraction Venezuela, as a dual citizen, earned a Bachelor of Science Student Grace Robertson is working to “I knew there was an engineered solution that, if we worked method has proven to have develop a “beach Roomba” that will clean in Aerospace Engineering degree, with a double minor in Quintero started at Boeing as microplastics from the sand at beaches. hard enough, we could find,” Robertson says. a 93% average efficacy rate Aerospace Life Sciences and Computer Aided Design/ an intern and had two stints at when separating particles at the density found to be present Computer Aided Manufacturing, from Embry-Riddle, and Commercial Airplanes before She embarked on a project to design a method to extract on beaches in the Daytona Beach area. This extraction then a master’s in Systems Engineering from Cornell SLS. Despite a challenging schedule, she is active with the microplastics from beach sand. Now a junior studying method is meant to be used autonomously and on board a University while working full-time. early-career and other Boeing diversity groups, engineering aerospace engineering, Robertson says her goal is to robot, as designed by the team. societies and community outreach. decrease the number of particles that “end up in the ocean, Specifically, Quintero was recognized for her development consumed by wildlife, in freshwater systems, or in the “Engineering a solution like this is not necessarily in our and implementation of new procedures for work “Boeing has provided me with opportunities to be atmosphere.” immediate field of work, but it makes us better engineers,” authorization document reviews, as she integrated the involved and engaged since I was an intern, and in return Robertson said. “Interdisciplinary research can teach you Boeing Design Center with Kennedy Space Center I try to bring new perspectives, the incorporation of new Supported by a grant from the Embry-Riddle Office of things well beyond the classroom experience.” operations personnel. She also directs the technical technologies, and adaptability,” said Quintero. Undergraduate Research, Robertson is the team lead review of SLS ground operations procedures, coordinating Learn about her advocacy work via Boeing’s feedback with NASA personnel, and she serves as @STEMforAerospace on Instagram.
16 | BY MICHAELA JARVIS THIS ARTICLE IS BASED ON A STORY ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY THE BOEING COMPANY | 17 ALU M N I U PDATE S ALU M N I U PDATE S
Powering Investment in Clean Energy Projects
David Rogers’ (BSAE ’89) degree in aeronautical engineering didn’t lead him to a career in aviation; instead, the chief technology officer at Ziyen Energy used his structural software expertise to develop From left, Brian Rieger (’11), Cyrus Jou (’11) and Manu Sharma (’11) are using machine learning and artificial intelligence a start-up project designed to help a new era of to solve clients’ problems at the startup Sharma and Rieger founded in 2018. (Photo by Bryon Malik) renewable energy take flight. “Originally I was going to become a pilot, but I discovered that I was more intrigued with the engineering program,” What’s in a Label? THREE ALUMNI LOOK ‘INSIDE THE BOX’ TO Rogers explained. “It was an era of great change — as students we started out on drafting tables, but by the time DEVELOP THE LATEST MACHINE LEARNING INNOVATIONS we graduated we were using CAD.” Adapting to change became a theme in Rogers’ career: What started as a climb toward a management position Manu Sharma (BSAE ’11), Brian Rieger (BSAE ’11) The idea that ultimately gave birth to Labelbox started morphed into a series of career choices that placed him at and Cyrus Jou (BSAE ’11) met during their senior forming in Manu Sharma’s mind when he worked for Planet the leading edge of developing digital tokens for renewable year capstone course at Embry-Riddle in Professor Labs, a provider of global satellite imagery data. energy projects. Snorri Gudmundsson’s aircraft design class. “We were able to scan the earth every single day,” Sharma Around 2016, the company where Rogers served as “We were on three different teams, and we were all recalled. “And my job was to build an analytics platform to director of software quality assurance moved into a different competing with each other on designing the best airplane,” extract insights from this imagery that we were collecting.” business sector, leaving Rogers, then 50, to hustle contract Sharma explained. “We were all very, very competitive and Sharma said Planet Labs was using AI to process its image gigs, mostly in the med/tech industry. “One day, I met this very excited to explore the boundaries of what was possible data to answer questions, such as: What does deforestation gregarious Scotsman on a driving range who was looking with the limited knowledge that we had.” for someone to manage the software side of his startup David Rogers (’89) helped develop a digital currency that makes it possible for users to invest in look like on planet earth? And, how much deforestation is renewable energy projects alongside oil and gas projects. (Photo by Frank Rogozienski) That exploration continued well beyond their days at happening? business,” he recalled. for monetary transactions because blockchain requires no Embry-Riddle as they joined forces for several innovative At that point, Ziyen’s focus was industry-specific “[But] if you want the AI to detect cars from satellite transaction or currency conversion charges from banks or ventures. Their latest innovation, ironically enough, has them government and private contracts for bid. or drone imagery, or to detect where deforestation is credit card companies. thinking “inside the box.” Together they have developed happening, you need humans to tag lots of examples of Ziyen founder and CEO Alastair Caithness had noticed that Unlike the unregulated Bitcoin, however, Ziyen created a a tool that uses machine learning to help data scientists cars and give it to this model, and the model will be trained many contracts crossing his desk involved abandoned oil new digital currency, called ZiyenCoin, which is backed find meaningful patterns in very large amounts of visual to detect these cars eventually.” People have to look at and wells. Originally, Caithness suggested acquiring the wells in by energy assets and reports to the U.S. Securities and information. tag millions of images — label them — before feeding these terms of interest — taking advantage of existing wells — and Exchange Commission. The tool, and the company they formed, is called Labelbox. tagged images through an algorithm, which then learns to using wind turbines to power the oil production. Information about each new project, including geological A web-based platform, Labelbox allows users to identify and identify what is shown in these images on its own, Sharma “Because of this boutique idea, Ziyen began to be invited to and financial statements and tax distributions, will be made label items portrayed in an image, so that these items can explained. join conferences with some big energy players [e.g.: Shell, available on the Ziyen’s “Energy Tokens” platform, giving the be parsed, via a proprietary machine learning algorithm, to BP and Exxon],” Rogers said. “As part of those interactions Recognizing the common need for labeled data and for an public the opportunity to invest in its equity through “tokens,” extract meaningful insights. The platform also allows users we heard that many companies had begun looking toward analytics platform to manage it was an epiphany for Sharma. or digital shares. Blockchain tokens representing the asset to coordinate the activities of individual labelers, whether it’s blockchain for their secure contracts.” By 2018 Rieger and Sharma had founded their own will be tradable on secondary markets, just like traditional a handful or thousands. company and appointed Cyrus Jou as the director That’s when Caithness’ original concept began to evolve. securities. The applications are endless, Brian Rieger said. “When you of customer success. Instead of a small scale, well-by-well approach, Ziyen could “Everyone says we need to move from traditional to look at all of the different sectors of the economy today, use blockchain as the catalyst to help transform the global The three aerospace engineering alumni agree that their renewable energy,” Rogers said. “Any way we can help energy sector from fossil-based to zero-carbon. there’s a lot of visual decision-making going on. Machine college experience created a lasting bond and a drive to leverage our technology to do this is hugely exciting.” learning, and AI [artificial intelligence] more generally, is innovate. “It has been the most transformational With blockchain — a shared, decentralized information good at doing visual analysis; it’s good at finding patterns experience of all our lives, meeting there [at Embry-Riddle],” record that can pass information from one entity to another in visual information.” Companies across industries — from Sharma said. in an automated, secure manner — one party initiates a dentistry to agriculture, fashion to finance — are using transaction by creating a block, which must be verified by machine learning to build the next generation of products a chain of network computers before the next step begins. and help make informed decisions, he said. The best-known users of blockchain, such as Bitcoin, use it
18 | BY LAUREN JOHNSTON THIS STORY WAS ORIGINALLY PRINTED IN LIFT, EMBRY-RIDDLE’S ALUMNI MAGAZINE. THIS STORY WAS ORIGINALLY PRINTED IN LIFT, EMBRY-RIDDLE’S ALUMNI MAGAZINE. BY SAM MITTELSTEADT | 19 ALU M N I U PDATE S ALU M N I U PDATE S
Bell Nexus air taxi rendering.
Alumnus Joins Transportation Revolution at Bell First Aerospace Engineering Ph.D. Graduate Finds Success in Urban Air Mobility At Bell, Donovan Curry (BSAE ’10, MSME ’13) is near the final approach part of a team pushing the limits of technology at the Lynden Pindling to reimagine the future of transportation and International Airport. For Alfonso Noriega (BSAE ’11, MSAE ’13, solutions within specifications.” autonomous flight. PHDAE ’16), the agile and hands-on environment at “I recall watching these For his first job out of college — under the wing of two startups give him the ability to break new ground in “Everything we are working on now — from the avionics, airplanes pass by day alumni who own Flight Level Engineering in Daytona Beach dynamics and controls engineering. the flight controls, the control law, autonomous navigation, after day,” he said. “I was Fla. — Noriega wrote flight control software for a rare to the battery and electric motor technology — will be used fascinated by them and “It’s extremely satisfying knowing that you’re solving Ryan Navion, a variable response aircraft that exposes to set the foundation for a transportation revolution,” he said. their command of the problems that haven’t been solved before. Watching an pilots and engineers to different flying characteristics aircraft take off autonomously, fly around, and come back and control systems. As an engineer specializing in control law development, skies.” with code that we programmed is very rewarding,” he Curry is part of an innovation group conducting R&D for Early interactions with “The Navion was already instrumented. We connected it said, recalling his time at Acubed, an Airbus venture that military and commercial projects, such as the Bell Nexus air pilots and crew as an intern for SkyBahamas Airlines for that acquisition system, programmed the computer produced Vahana, a self-piloted electric urban air mobility taxi and the Autonomous Pod Transport. He is proud to be introduced him to aerodynamics and controls. and conducted many flight tests on it,” said Noriega, a (UAM) technology demonstrator vehicle in Sunnyvale, Calif. a part of a new and growing field. native of Guatemala, whose father inspired him to become “This reinforced my childhood passions I developed at my Noriega — the university’s first Aerospace Engineering a private pilot. “Almost every major aircraft and car OEM is placing a grandparents’ house,” he said. Ph.D. graduate — gained his initial experience in this type of horse in this race, not to mention the various startups that Now working as a guidance, navigation, and controls At Embry-Riddle, Curry went on to earn his bachelor’s bold testing environment at the Embry-Riddle Eagle Flight have entered the field as well,” he said. “OEMS are in an engineer at Archer, a UAM startup, he is part of a team degree in Aerospace Engineering and master’s in Research Center, where he was involved in dynamics and advantageous position because they already harness the developing an eVTOL. The Palo Alto-based company aims Mechanical Engineering. The theories he learned in class controls research. By the time he completed his doctorate knowledge and capability to certify and mass produce to provide a sustainable and safe alternative to traditional were applied at the Eagle Flight Research Center, where degree, he had instrumented a Cessna 182 with sensors aircraft, so it excites me that Bell has taken on this surface transportation. among memorable projects, a team designed a control law and a computer that allowed him to tap into the aircraft’s challenge and plans to develop and build a demonstrator algorithm for a RC SkyWalker. autopilot and feed it guidance commands to essentially Since joining in January 2020, Noriega has participated in in the near future.” developing Archer’s flight control system and is involved in In autonomous flight, using classical controls, the Skywalker “fly itself.” While most of his experience prior to joining Bell in 2019 testing and feedback discussions related to its design. could navigate to three-dimensional desired waypoints. “We also had it integrated into an iPad display with sliders. involved larger business aircraft for Cessna and Gulfstream Embarking into a new technology sector means there isn’t It was his first introduction to drone work and developing an When we rolled the sliders, the airplane could turn right or Aerospace — Curry found his work in static loads, flight always a blueprint for a way forward, Noriega said. But that’s autopilot system using a microprocessor. left,” he said. dynamics, and control laws easily complements Bell’s where a problem-solver mindset and the engineering basics The research the center experience helped prepare him for specialty. “There were hardware limitations and we burned out a few he learned at Embry-Riddle continue to serve him well. boards with bad wiring,” he recalled. “But sometimes the a career with several startups. “The key to making UAM (urban air mobility) energy efficient “If you know how the theory works, you can apply it to simpler ideas worked best. The airplane did eventually fly “It’s not just the work itself. It’s the environment. We may is to design a VTOL that flies an aircraft in forward flight,” he make something fly in a different way. I think that’s the key and navigate to waypoints, but there were hard lessons to not always know exactly how to accomplish the task at said. “I think my background in airplane control law design when you’re trying to build something that doesn’t exist yet,” learn, lots of compromises and lots of iterations.” hand, but we work together to figure it out because it has and Bell’s history of helicopter design match well in bringing he said. the two philosophies together.” Now on the cusp of helping UAM become a reality, those to be done,” he said. “I feel like that coincides a lot with the startup mentality of learning to do things that you don’t A native of the Bahamas, Curry’s passion for aviation began early design lessons still ring true today in real-world necessarily know how to do and trying to come up with new with plane spotting from his grandparents’ home located applications, he said.
20 | BY KELLY PRATT BY KELLY PRATT | 21 FOR EVER AN EAGLE FACULTY ROSTER
We Make A Difference Marwan Al-Haik Daewon Kim David Sypeck Professor, Associate Chair, Ph.D. & Associate Professor Professor For the past seven years, our department has reached 100% M.S. Coordinator Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute & Ph.D., University of Virginia Ph.D., Florida State University State University participation in our annual university Faculty & Staff Giving Campaign. Ali Yeilaghi Tamijani Join our dedicated faculty and staff to help make a difference! Richard Anderson Mandar Kulkarni Associate Professor Professor & Director of Eagle Flight Assistant Professor Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020 Research Center Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Ph.D., University of Central Florida State University As we continue to enhance the quality of our programs, we’ll need your Yi Zhao Magdy Attia J. Gordon Leishman Professor and Associate Dean support to improve the facilities and sponsor worthy students to maintain Professor & Associate Chair and M.S. Distinguished Professor Ph.D., Louisiana State University our reputation as the leader of Aerospace Engineering education and Program Coordinator Ph.D., Glasgow University research. Ph.D., Texas A&M University Anastasios Lyrintzis Mark Balas Distinguished Professor & Chair To help make a difference, please donate at: givingto.erau edu Visiting Distinguished Professor Ph.D., Cornell University Ph.D., University of Denver Click on ‘Make a Gift’ Reda Mankbadi Select Aerospace Engineering Shibani Bhatt Distinguished Professor Visiting Assistant Professor Ph.D., Brown University Ph.D., Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Alberto Mello University Associate Professor Kyle Collins Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin Research Assistant Professor Hever Moncayo Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology Associate Professor Aerospace Engineering Alumni Share How Their Yechiel Crispin Ph.D., West Virginia University Professor Sirish Namilae Careers Have Taken Flight Ph.D., Israel Institute of Technology Associate Professor K. Merve Dogan, Ph.D., Florida State University Assistant Professor Lakshman Narayanaswami Several alumni employed at the Sikorsky Aircraft Jan Jansen (BSAE ’81) was promoted to F-22 chief Ph.D., University of South Florida Professor Company are working on the U.S. Air Force’s structures engineer at The Boeing Company in Missouri. John Ekaterinaris Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology Combat Rescue Helicopter program. They include Distinguished Professor Claude Joyner (BSAE ’80) is a Fellow for Advanced Morad Nazari Mike Bornemann (BSAE ’04) Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology , lead flight test engineer, Propulsion Development at Aerojet Rocketdyne in Assistant Professor Rachel Garza (BSAE ’04), lead propulsion flight test West Palm Beach, Florida. Bill Engblom Ph.D. New Mexico State University engineer, and Scott Wilkinson (BSAE ’05), special Professor Timothy Marge (BSAE ’09), who leads the F-35 HMS Eric Perrell projects flight test engineer. Ph.D., University of Texas Queen Elizabeth Class test team, was recognized with Professor Habib Eslami Ph.D., North Carolina State University U.S. Air Force Major Gen. DeAnna M. Burt (BSAE ’91) his team for their outstanding accomplishments at the Professor Richard Prazenica became the multinational Combined Force Space 2019 Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Ph.D., Old Dominion University Component Command’s first female commanding Commander’s Award Ceremony. Other Embry-Riddle Associate Professor Ebenezer Gnanamanickam Ph.D., University of Florida officer during a Nov. 16 change of command ceremony alumni on the test team include Seth Dion (BSAE ’03, Associate Professor Frank Radosta at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Burt’s most MSAE ’06) and Seth Shaw (BSAE ’07). Ph.D., Purdue University recent assignment was at Peterson Air Force Base, Professor Alec Subero (BSAE ’03), who is head of engineering Vladimir Golubev Ph.D., University of Florida where she served as the director of operations and Professor and design at Virgin Galactic and The Spaceship Mark Ricklick communications for the Space Force. Ph.D., University of Notre Dame Company, spoke about his experiences Oct. 15 Associate Professor Nathan Crane (BSAE ’18), who is currently an at World Space Week in the Dominican Republic. Glenn Greiner Ph.D., University of Central Florida Associate Professor & BSAE Program aerospace technologist at NASA Langley Research Bertrand Rollin Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Center, has won the Zarem Graduate Student Awards Assistant Professor for Distinguished Achievement from AIAA. Crane, Snorri Gudmundsson Ph.D., University of Vermont Associate Professor who graduated in 2020 with his M.S. in Aerospace Virginie Rollin Ph.D., Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Associate Professor University won the aeronautics award for “Preliminary Active Ph.D., University of Vermont Troy Henderson Subspace Investigation of a Commercial Dongeun Seo Associate Professor & Honors Program Supersonic Design Space.” Associate Professor Coordinator Ph.D., University of Texas Ph.D., Texas A&M University
22 | BY KELLY PRATT 23 Advancing aerospace engineering through collaborative research.
Department of Aerospace Engineering College of Engineering | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 1 Aerospace Boulevard | Daytona Beach FL, 32114 | db.erau.edu/aerospace