DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING RESEARCH AEROSPACE IMPACT

2019 Message from the Chair VISH SUBRAMANIAM

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at The Ohio State University builds on its diversity of people and ideas to cultivate a range of advancements in mechanical, aerospace and nuclear engineering From gears to cancer research, our mechanical engineers are experts in an array of specialty areas. Our strengths in both aeronautical and astronautical engineering boost the impact of our aerospace engineers. And, with an on- site nuclear reactor—and high-achieving graduates throughout industry and government—our nuclear engineers value collaboration. To best showcase the unique achievements of each of our programs, we have created separate research publications. In this Research Impact: Aerospace, you will see samples of our advancements in aerospace engineering over the past year. We have established an Air Force Research Laboratory collaborative center (page 4), are investigating Martian missions (page 6) and are expanding our gas turbine research (page 8). All of this was accomplished with our talented students, who continue to be our primary focus. They are involved in every facet of our research and we foster a spirit of collegiality among faculty, staff researchers and students. I invite you to read to discover our recent cutting-edge innovations. Vish Subramaniam Chair, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Cover: The Air Force Research Lab is establishing a $3M Collaborative Center for Aeronautical Sciences at Ohio State. See page 4. 2 DEPARTMENT AT A GLANCE

DEGREES CONFERRED Academic Year 2018 – 2019

BS 199 72 MECHANICAL AEROSPACE

MS 80 11 6 MECHANICAL AEROSPACE NUCLEAR

PHD 23 6 4 MECHANICAL AEROSPACE NUCLEAR

STUDENT ENROLLMENT Autumn Semester 2019

BS 621 647 164 309 ME MAJOR ME PRE-MAJOR AE MAJOR AE PRE-MAJOR

MS 107 20 3 MECHANICAL AEROSPACE NUCLEAR

PHD 146 38 22 MECHANICAL AEROSPACE NUCLEAR

3 AEROSPACE

Air Force Research Lab to Establish $3M Collaborative Center for Aeronautical Sciences at Ohio State

he Air Force Research Laboratory’s Aerospace States Air Force. A special emphasis will be placed on TSystems Directorate (AFRL/RQ) has selected a evolutionary and disruptive research in high-speed team of researchers led by The Ohio State University aerophysics, fine-scale turbulence and control, non- to establish a Collaborative Center for Aeronautical linear fluid-structural interactions and high-fidelity Sciences (CCAS). The goal of the CCAS is to establish computational technologies. a flourishing, comprehensive, versatile and synergistic Principal investigator of the virtual center is Professor partnership with AFRL/RQ. Project partners include the Datta Gaitonde, who directs the High Fidelity University of Minnesota and Virginia Tech. Computational Multiphysics Lab in Ohio State’s The cooperative agreement Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. will proactively build The CCAS will begin with an initial five-year effort strategic, high-fidelity funded at $3M, with two subsequent two-year optional computational extensions for a total funding amount of $5.4M. Through close collaboration with AFRL/RQ, advanced mathematical techniques will be developed and incorporated into massively-parallelized software and subsequently transitioned for use by AFRL and its broad user base. The CCAS will deploy these tools for physics-based analyses aerodynamics to address emerging challenges capabilities in the highly unconventional for the United aerospace vehicle design

The team will complete analyses as part of the project.

4 The Collaborative Center for Aeronautical Sciences will examine the physics of a variety of defense-related multidisciplinary problems.

environment, where multiple non-traditional factors must accomplishments and possessing the advanced be considered. multidisciplinary skills required for the future aerospace CCAS activity will help reduce the prohibitive expense, workforce. Students funded by CCAS will be provided and acquisition costs, associated with ground and internship opportunities at AFRL to foster deep and flight-testing. A particularly crucial objective of the lasting direct relationships with engineers performing CCAS is to nurture and develop the next generation of basic and applied research. aerospace research professionals with proven scholarly

5 AEROSPACE

Faculty member lands funding from NASA to investigate Martian mission descent

human mission to Mars requires precision—not just Faculty for Space Technology Research Grant from the Ato get there, but to make a designated pinpoint National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to landing at near-zero speed at the end of a supersonic investigate precision planetary landing. flight. All while minimizing fuel consumption. The nearly $600,000 grant will be used to develop an Stepping up to the challenge is Assistant Professor optimized spacecraft landing approach with powered Ran Dai, who has received a three-year Early Career descent. Entitled “Optimized Entry and Powered Descent

Precision Planetary Landing

6 Doctoral students, left to right, Changhuang Wan, Myungjin Jung and Sixiong You are integral to the Martian mission descent project, along with robotic and drone projects in Assistant Professor Ran Dai’s lab.

Guidance for Precision Planetary Landing”, the project The NetJets Assistant Professor will complete the project will build on Dai’s expertise in developing theoretical and by planning a proposed end-to-end mission strategy, computational techniques to advance the understanding applicable to multiphase space tasks. This additional and applications of control and optimization investigation will provide beneficial insight to onboard methodologies of space vehicles. planning of challenging space missions. “The supersonic retro-propulsion system to decelerate According to NASA, Dai’s project is one of 11 university- the vehicle at supersonic speed consumes significant led proposals selected for the study of innovative, amount of propellant,” said Dai. “It becomes a early-stage technologies that address high-priority needs challenging task to achieve a high-precision landing of America's space program. The program enables while conserving fuel during the descent phase.” early career faculty to focus their specific expertise In pursuit of the research goal, Dai will create on selected NASA challenges to accelerate potential computational models, optimized algorithms and disruptive solutions for the agency. virtual simulations of the mission, as well as conduct experimental verification.

7 AEROSPACE

New Pratt & Whitney Center of Excellence expands gas turbine research

n 2018 the Ohio State University expanded its investigation of jet engines and gas turbines, thanks to a collaboration Iwith aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. A multi-year agreement will setup the Pratt & Whitney Center of Excellence in the Gas Turbine Laboratory, located at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering’s Aerospace Research Center.

D’Souza, center left, and Mathison, center right, along with lab personnel display a shroud component similar to the ones that will be used in the turbine blade rub research

8 Air motor and assembly parts for turbine rig at the Gas Turbine Laboratory

The center’s activities will focus on the development characterization at design-speed and engine-relevant of an innovative high-temperature rig in which turbine temperatures.” engine blade tip rub experiments can be conducted. Professor Emeritus Michael Dunn, also a co-principal Turbine blades operate within a structured casing in the investigator with the center, brings over 50 years of gas engine—required minimal clearance between the two turbine expertise to the research initiatives. poses a risk for the blade’s tip rubbing on the casing, resulting in potential performance degradation or even Faculty and staff at the laboratory will operate the system failure. center, which has an initial term of October 2018 – December 2023. “Ohio State’s Gas Turbine Lab has a great deal of expertise in blade tip rub research,” said Kiran D’Souza, The new center joins the department’s Pratt & Whitney assistant professor and principal investigator of the Center of Excellence in Gearbox Technology, housed in center. “We’re proud to partner with Pratt & Whitney to the Gear and Power Transmission Research Laboratory. investigate solutions to this industry-wide issue.” Associate Professor Randall Mathison, co-principal investigator, further described the center’s research initiatives. “The goal of the center is to develop a better understanding of blade tip rub dynamics and material

9 AEROSPACE

Commercializing research: Ohio State- developed software aims to support industry

ssociate Professor “The software is designed AMrinal Kumar to optimize maintenance and his team are one schedules for equipment, which step closer to possibly is intended to reduce costs commercializing research by preventing unexpected they developed at The shutdowns and premature Ohio State University. repair,” said Kumar. Team “Point Prognostics” The solution is built upon a is designing software to robust, scalable computational optimize maintenance platform capable of delivering schedules for industrial trustworthy forecasts of key equipment. performance indicators as The team successfully established by the client. completed the 2019 “As researchers, we are I-Corps@Ohio program, Kumar, Downing and Aggarwal often too focused on solving an eight-week program problems at the ‘fundamental aimed at helping selected faculty and student teams level’ and do not necessarily look at the other side— determine if their intellectual property could be the basis whether this might actually be something that people or of a startup company. In all, 13 teams from Ohio research companies can use,” Kumar said. universities and organizations participated in this year’s competitive program. The team’s software platform offers controllable accuracy, according to Kumar. This translates to The I-Corps@Ohio process helps researchers get out of confident decision making, as well as optimization of their “academic bubble,” said Kumar. system performance, maintenance schedules and failure He and doctoral student Rachit Aggarwal are creating avoidance. The intended results? Savings in time a closed-loop forecasting framework for system and cost. prognostics and decision support. They are advised by As part of the I-Corps@Ohio program, the team industry mentor Mike Downing. conducted a customer discovery process. They

10 A comparison of solutions for a space forecasting problem (left) and why it works

identified thirteen potential segments to which their Most of the teams that finished I-Corps@Ohio will product offers a value proposition. continue the process they began in the program before “One of the top segments to emerge lies within the deciding whether to create a startup company or pharmaceutical sector,” commented Kumar. “There, the otherwise license their products. Five Ohio State teams controllable accuracy offered by our simulation platform participated in the 2019 cohort. can speed up the process of new drug discovery. I-Corps@Ohio, an initiative of the Ohio Department of “Another segment of high impact concerns the prediction Higher Education, is a statewide program that helps Ohio of the failure of critical, access-restricted components faculty and graduate students determine the market in the oil and gas sector. Promise has also been shown potential of their technologies and assists with the launch for application in the aerospace industry, where our of startup companies. tools can bring about a paradigm shift in the way aircraft – with contributions from Ohio State News engine failure prediction is performed.”

11 FACULTY RECOGNITION AWARDS

Brain cancer research vascular biology. He is also a research, the grant provides early- supported by grant from member of the Molecular Biology career faculty funding in support of The Mark Foundation and Cancer Genetics Program their research objectives. at the The Ohio State University Her current research project on Assistant Comprehensive Cancer Center – the development of magnetic- Professor The James. responsive soft materials will benefit Jonathan Song Based in New York City, The Mark from the grant. Project applications has received a Foundation for Cancer Research is include soft robotics, flexible $187,000 grant dedicated to accelerating cures for electronics and biomedical devices. from the Mark cancer by integrating discoveries in A total of $20,000 will be used by Foundation biology with innovative technology. Zhao for the purchase of specialized for Cancer laboratory equipment in support Research. The grant will support his of the project, which proposes development of a preclinical disease Haythornthwaite Foundation to combine an experimental model to precisely interrogate how approach with theoretical and brain metastases obtain vasculature Research Initiation Grant numerical methods to investigate through the co-option of pre-existing advances Zhao’s research the macroscopic response of blood vessels. Assistant magnetically active soft material Professor Ruike “Brain metastasis is not only very under external stimulation. significant clinically, it is also quite Zhao is one of The studies will enable the challenging to study experimentally,” four recipients fundamental understanding of commented Song. of the American Society of coupled mechano-magnetic Song directs the Microsystems for Mechanical interaction of magnetic-responsive Mechanobiology and Medicine Engineers soft materials and facilitate the laboratory, which applies (ASME) Applied Mechanics Division rational material, structure and microtechnology, principles from 2018 Haythornthwaite Foundation stimulation design for reliable tissue engineering and quantitative Research Initiation Grant. Bestowed functional smart devices. engineering analysis for studying in recognition of excellence in physical dynamics of tumor and theoretical and applied mechanics

12 First-of-its-kind book biomimicry, the study of the imitation It was Ohio State’s first keynote highlights nature-inspired and development of nature- presentation at the symposium. product development inspired systems and structures. The symposium attracted national Most recently he reported on the and international experts, industry The shark skin efficiency of bee and wasp stingers, leaders and regulators from the effect, gecko citing the potential ability to automotive segment. Additionally, adhesion and develop microneedles based officials from the government of self-healing on their function. India with two of its ministries directly materials. These participated in theme sessions. advanced biomimicry Rizzoni delivers keynote at While at the conference Rizzoni topics are Symposium of International connected with the local leadership among examples highlighted Automobile of Cummins Inc. and Eaton in Bharat Bhushan’s newest Corporation to discuss ongoing Technology book, Biomimetics: Bioinspired projects. He also had the opportunity Hierarchical-Structured Surfaces 2019 to spend time with academic for Green Science and Technology, Mechanical partners at the Indian Institute of Third Edition, published by Springer. engineering Technology – Bombay and the Cummins College of The book is the first of its kind on Professor Engineering biologically-inspired structured Giorgio Rizzoni for Women. surfaces. It may serve as a textbook shared his for courses in biomimetics and expertise in mobility as a keynote applied nanotechnology, and, speaker at the 16th edition of according to Bhushan, is intended the Symposium of International for use by novices as well as experts Automobile Technology (SIAT 2019). in the field, practitioners, solution The conference was held in Pune, seekers and the curious. India January 16-18, with an agenda focused on recent advances in Since the book’s previous editions, automotive safety. there have been considerable advances in the emerging field of Rizzoni, who directs The biomimetics, and related products Ohio State University are now commercially available. Center for Automotive Research, delivered his Bhushan, an Ohio Eminent Scholar keynote presentation and The Howard D. Winbigler during the session Professor, is renowned for his on autonomous and work in advancing the field of connected vehicles.

13 Horack to step into senior He is the author or co-author of over forge new relationships with a variety associate dean role 100 scientific papers, conference of organizations. Conversations proceedings, and publications with senior leadership at academic In January 2019, across subjects including space institutes focused on collaborative Professor John policy, atmospheric physics, and engagements in India and the M. Horack high-energy astrophysics. effectiveness of a consortium model. began serving as Senior Associate Dean Singh builds collaborations Mazumder recognized for in The Ohio with institutes in India service as a journal reviewer State University’s College of Engineering. The senior Mechanical The review associate dean’s primary role is to engineering process is work in tandem with Dean David Professor instrumental B. Williams to manage growth and Emeritus to the success optimize operations. Rajendra Singh of publishing a represented journal article. Horack arrived at Ohio State in 2016, The Ohio State Professor Sandip when he was named the inaugural University during Mazumder has Neil Armstrong Chair in Aerospace a visit to India during November 2018. been honored with three awards for Policy. He is a tenured professor in Singh is well-respected service as a reviewer. the Department of Mechanical and internationally for his research, Over the course of two years, Aerospace Engineering and holds a teaching and consulting work in Mazumder received three joint appointment in the John Glenn machinery vibration, acoustics, recognitions from Elsevier. In 2017 he College of Public Affairs. nonlinear dynamics and digital signal was awarded for his involvement in the Before coming to Ohio State, processing, with applications to Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy Horack served as the vice president vehicles and geared systems. and Radiative Transfer and the for Space Systems at Teledyne While in India Singh covered a International Journal of Heat and Mass Brown Engineering, vice president broad agenda, organized by Ohio Transfer. Then in 2018, he received an for research at the University of State's India Gateway. Topics of award from the International Journal of Alabama in Huntsville and vice focus included visits to highly Thermal Sciences. president of the International regarded institutions, faculty Reviewers work to evaluate journal Astronautical Federation. He spent development, women in STEM article submissions to ensure the nearly two decades as a NASA civil and industry collaborations. servant. Horack was a co-founder, quality of the research, identify any president, and chief product architect He partnered with Nikhil Tambe, invalid results and prevent ethical of Mobular Technologies, Inc. PhD, director of India Gateway, to breaches by identifying plagiarism

14 and research fraud. Elsevier, The award is presented to an a global information analytics individual or organization that business, provides a service in which has demonstrated outstanding researchers can volunteer to review improvement or advancement in papers in their areas of expertise. UAS technology or systems. It is a lengthy and time-consuming Professor James Gregory, director process, one that requires the of the Aerospace Research Center, utmost care, but is rarely recognized. and Research Scientist Matthew McCrink, both leaders in the interdisciplinary Unmanned Aircraft Inaugural Charles F. Kettering Systems group, represented the “BUG” Award presented to center at the awards ceremony. UAS researchers The two led the university’s effort In honor of the to set a world speed record in 2017 100th anniversary for an unmanned aerial vehicle of the dawn of (UAV) of any size. Ohio State’s UAV unmanned aerial flew autonomously with sustained systems (UAS), average speeds of 147 mph over an the Engineers out-and-back course approximately Club of Dayton 28 miles long, which also set a in collaboration record for the longest UAV flight with the Sinclair College National over an out-and-back course. UAS Training and Certification Center recognized The Ohio State University’s Aerospace Research Center as pioneers in the field of UAS technology. The inaugural presentation of the Charles F. Kettering “BUG” Award coincided with the exact date—October 2—of the first flight of the U.S. Army Signal Corps’ first aerial torpedo, dubbed “BUG” in 1918.

15 STUDENT RECOGNITION

Aerospace students shine at AIAA According to its website, the conference encourages student conference students in aerospace-related fields to discuss research, exchange knowledge and generate interest in the field Department aerospace students went three-for-three of aerospace engineering. This year’s event was held taking home top honors at the 2019 American Institute at Cleveland State University and was represented by of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Region III schools across the Midwest. Student Conference.

Tseelmaa Byambaakhuu awarded Best Paper and Best Presentation at ANS Student Conference Nuclear engineering PhD student Tseelmaa Byambaakhuu received two awards at the 2019 American Nuclear Society (ANS) Student Conference. She received best paper and best presentation awards for her article “Comparison of lpCMFD with Other CMFD Based Acceleration Schemes.” Byambaakhuu’s research centers on stabilizing Winning first place in the undergraduate category was neutron transport utilizing coarse mesh finite difference Collin O’Neill (advisor: Mo Samimy) with his presentation acceleration. Her paper "Active Flow Control in a Compact High-Speed Inlet/ and accompanying Diffuser Model." Graduate studentBraxton Harter presentation compared (advisor: James Gregory) won first place in the master’s popular application methods category with his presentation "Lagrangian Coherent of this approach with a new Structures in Optimal Vortex Ring Formation." Second approach developed at place in the master’s category went to Nicole Whiting Ohio State. (advisor: Mo Samimy) for her presentation "Design of an “This was an incredible Experimental Facility for Characterization of Dynamic Stall." opportunity to present Ohio As first place winners, Harter and O’Neill have also State research to industry earned a trip to the AIAA SciTech Forum in January 2020 to and research institutions, compete at the national level with other regional winners. at the same time learning about the variety of

16 research taking place across the discipline of nuclear to creating an efficient numerical framework for the engineering,” she commented. automated generation of high-fidelity simulation models The conference was held during April 2019 at Virginia of novel materials. Tien, who is advised by Assistant Commonwealth University. Representatives from Professor Kiran D’Souza, focuses his research in the area American and international institutions were of nonlinear dynamics. He creates novel computational in attendance. methods for the analysis of piecewise-linear nonlinear dynamical systems. They join the ranks of a number of department students Distinguished Presidential Fellowships who have received the Presidential Fellowship, including awarded to Anand Nagarajan and 16 over the past five years. Meng-Hsuan Tien Anand Nagarajan has a passion Department students win Best Paper for numerical modeling and Meng- at IEEE conference Hsuan Tien advances nonlinear dynamics. The mechanical Mechanical engineering engineering doctoral students will graduate students Jun Yu now be able to do even more, thanks and Keivan Asadi took to their selection as a distinguished home the award for Best Ohio State Presidential Fellows. Student Paper at INERTIAL 2019, the Institute of The most prestigious award given Electrical and Electronic by the Graduate School, Presidential Engineers (IEEE) Sixth Fellowship awardees are described International Symposium as embodying the highest standards on Inertial Sensors of scholarship in the full range of and Systems. Ohio State's graduate programs. The esteemed designation will provide The two graduate the scholars with full-time financial researchers, advised by Hanna Cho, submitted their support for one year to allow for completion of their work titled “Frequency and Stabilization in a MEMS dissertations unimpeded by other duties. Oscillator with 1:2 Internal Resonance.” MEMS—short for mechanical resonances in microelectronmechanical Under the direction of Assistant Professor Soheil systems—can be used in a variety of applications, from Soghrati, Nagarajan has devoted his dissertation work transportation technologies to biomedical functions.

17 The symposium was held in Naples, Florida during The recognition earned the master’s student the April 2019. Attending representatives included industry opportunity to present his paper in a conference platform leaders and research institutions from across the globe. section. Additionally, he received free conference The MEMS work was also recognized at the IEEE registration and accommodation, a one-year RESNA International Frequency Control Symposium & European student membership and the publication of his paper on Frequency and Time Forum. There, Yu was honored as a the RESNA website. finalist for best paper. American Society of Mechanical RESNA selects Einstein as winner of Engineers scholarship will support PhD student scientific paper competition candidate’s gas turbine research Graduate student Noah Einstein aims to innovate Mechanical engineering graduate with a purpose toward accessibility. The mechanical student Arif Hossain’s recognition engineering graduate student’s scientific paper on continues for his research on wheelchair propulsion data was selected as one innovative cooling architectures for of four winning student submissions for the RESNA next-generation gas turbine engines. (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology In addition to a Young Investigator Society of North America) 2019 Annual Conference. Award bestowed in June 2018, Entitled “SmartHub: Manual Wheelchair Data Extraction Hossain has received the 2018- and Processing Device”, Einstein’s research focuses on 2019 Student Scholarship from American Society extracting propulsion data from manual wheelchair users. of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) in support of his Utilizing such data results in opportunities to reduce education. The $2000 funding was awarded by ASME’s upper body injuries and allows users and clinicians to Gas Turbine Segment and its Gas Turbine Institute’s have a broader understanding of wheelchair utilization Honors & Awards Program. outside of the clinic. He is advised by Sandra Metzler. The innovative research project, part of Hossain’s dissertation work, utilizes additive manufacturing techniques in the design and testing of gas turbine cooling methods. Hossain is advised by Professor Jeffrey Bons, director of the Turbine Aerothermodynamics Lab at the College of Engineering’s Aerospace Research Center.

18 NEW FACULTY APPOINTMENTS

Qadeer Ahmed Sheng Dong Lian Duan Golnazalsadat Research Associate Research Assistant Honda Endowed Associate Mirfenderesgi Professor Professor Professor in Aeroacoustics Assistant Professor of Practice

Brian Ritchie Satya Seetharaman Jeremy Seidt Stephanie Stockar Assistant Professor Assistant Professor of Research Associate Assistant Professor of Practice Practice Professor

David Talbot Punit Tulpule Zhenyu Wang Assistant Professor Research Assistant Research Assistant Professor Professor 19 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID COLUMBUS, OHIO PERMIT NO. 711 Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Peter L. and Clara M. Scott Laboratory 201 W. 19th Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43210 mae.osu.edu

NUCLEAR MECHANICAL AEROSPACE

AUTUMN 2019 Research Impact is a free publication of The Ohio State University Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Department Chair: Vish Subramaniam [email protected] Editor: Holly Henley [email protected] Letters to the editor are welcome. Permission to quote from or reproduce articles in this publication is granted with the appropriate acknowledgment. Please send a copy of the publication in which information from Research Impact is used to the editor at the address above. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this publication does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

Aerospace graduate student Changhuang Wan investigates techniques that advance © 2019. All rights reserved. understanding and applications of control and optimization methodologies in the Automation and Optimization Laboratory. Learn more about the lab’s newest project on page 6.