AE Brown Bag Seminar
Friday, February 6
11:00 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.
Guggenheim 442
Nathan Balis
Alexander Friedman
Patrick Lister
Gurnek Singh
Patrick Lister
Title:
Solar Cargo Plane (LETO I)
Abstract:
This presentation summarizes the ongoing construction of the LETO I solar cargo aircraft, a subscale demonstrator developed to investigate solar-assisted range extension. The project targets a 20-lb MTOW balsa airframe built using collegiate competition construction methods to support high payload capacity as a percentage of MTOW. The talk provides a brief overview of the vehicle concept and mission objectives, followed by fuselage and tail manufacturing. The presentation concludes with current build status, and near-term steps toward electronics integration and flight testing, with context for future scaled variants of the LETO platform.
Faculty Advisor:
Prof. Brian German
Alexander Friedman
Title:
Modeling and Optimization of Vertical Lift Rotors Across Full Mission Profiles Using BEMT
Abstract:
Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEMT) is commonly used to model rotor performance in hover and axial flight; however, extending these methods to forward flight introduces significant physical and numerical challenges due to azimuthal flow variation and strong nonlinear coupling between blade element forces and momentum theory. This seminar presents the development of a modular BEMT-based rotor analysis framework designed to evaluate vertical lift rotors across hover, axial climb, and forward flight, with emphasis on the formulation and challenges associated with the forward flight regime. Current capabilities, limitations, and ongoing work toward rotor optimization are discussed.
Faculty Advisor:
Prof. Graeme James Kennedy
Gurnek Singh
Title:
Investigating Heat Losses in Ammonia Combustion
Abstract:
Ammonia is a promising carbon-free fuel, but its combustion behavior is highly sensitive to heat losses. This work investigates heat losses in an ammonia-fueled combustor using a combined experimental and modeling approach. Measured outer wall temperatures are used in a one-dimensional thermal analysis to estimate inner wall temperatures and axial heat loss rates, which are then incorporated into an enthalpy-based gas temperature model using Cantera. The results demonstrate the strong influence of pressure-dependent heat losses on reaction completion and gas temperature, with implications for flame stability and pollutant formation. These findings highlight the importance of thermal management in ammonia combustion systems.
Faculty Advisor:
Prof. Tim Lieuwen
Nathan Balis
Title:
RC Propulsion Characterization Research
Abstract
This research characterizes RC propeller performance across flight regimes to optimize propeller selection for the Design-Build-Fly team and the broader aircraft design community. Wind tunnel testing of APC propellers with a novel no-RPM-sensor shroud revealed significant diameter-dependent efficiency changes, with larger propellers showing significant gains while smaller propellers experienced losses. Additionally, a static-to-dynamic RPM interpolation method was developed for propellers lacking in-flight sensors, demonstrating feasibility but highlighting the need for full wind tunnel characterization to achieve reliable performance predictions.
Faculty Advisor:
Research Engineer Carl Johnson