Abstract: Hypersonic technology development is a significant area of research within the Department of Defense. In fact, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense has identified hypersonics as one of 14 critical technology areas flagged for rapid technology development. AFRL recognizes the need to harness the hypersonics expertise available both domestically and globally to contend with the numerous engineering challenges associated with designing vehicles capable of sustained hypersonic flight. Stability and control, management of the thermal energy produced by hypersonic flight, and developing efficient propulsion system technologies are just a sample of the challenges that require robust engineering solutions. The presentation will highlight AFRL’s efforts to address these challenges for hypersonic systems that can be fielded today as well as the platforms desired for the future.
Biography: Dr. Robert Baurle, a member of the scientific and professional cadre of senior executives, is the Senior Scientist for Hypersonics, Aerospace Systems Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He serves as the principal scientific authority and independent researcher for hypersonic systems, working to advance the maturity of technologies required by Air Force hypersonic weapons and space access platforms to enable the transition to acquisition development programs. In that role, Dr. Baurle leads the Air Force hypersonics science and technology strategy, facilitates Air Force hypersonics interests with those of other government agencies developing hypersonic technologies, and advises Air Force senior leadership on hypersonic systems development. Dr. Baurle has over 30 years of experience in the research and analysis of hypersonic systems. He started his professional career with Taitech, Inc. at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base where he led a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis group tasked with the numerical analysis of hypersonic propulsion systems. He spent the next 21 years as a research scientist at the Hypersonic Airbreathing Propulsion Branch of the NASA Langley Research Center. In this position, Dr. Baurle was responsible for coordinating the development of the branch’s CFD tools for the design and evaluation of hypersonic air-breathing propulsion systems, providing subject matter expertise to national (NASA and DoD) air-breathing hypersonic propulsion system development programs, and providing technical oversight to in-house research activities and external research awards related to scramjet propulsion systems. Dr. Baurle has authored 100+ technical papers on subjects related to hypersonic technology development.