Aerospace Frontiers of Engineering Community Tech Talks (AFECTTs)

When:  Nov 12, 2020 from 18:00 to 19:00 (CT)
Associated with  Greater Huntsville Section
Dear Members,

The AIAA Greater Huntsville Section is presenting a new recurring event - Aerospace Frontiers of Engineering Community Tech Talks (AFECTTs). This event features AIAA members from our section who will give mini-presentations to our members based on their recent participation in a National Forum. Members are chosen based on general applicability of their presentation and their affiliation (academia, industry and government). Please let us know (email to distribution@hsv-aiaa.org) if you know any members that we can invite to speak at a future AFECTTs webinar.

The first ever AFECTTs webinar is scheduled for Thursday, November 12th from 6-7 pm CST. Four speakers will present their work in a 15 minutes (each) long presentation (Q&A included). Come join us and learn about the exciting work that our section members are doing.

Click on the RSVP button (see on the right) to receive a Zoom Webinar Link

The speakers and their topics for this webinar are:

FlightStream: Fast Aerodynamics with Fidelity
by Dr. Roy Hartfield, Walt and Virginia Woltosz Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University. 

This presentation will explore some cutting edge approaches to subsonic aircraft aerodynamics and solid rocket motor internal ballistics.  FlightStream is a physics-based solver developed by Vivek Ahuja and Roy Hartfield to provide an intuitive, high speed, and high fidelity alternative for load calculations.  FlightStream offers a range of alternatives for geometry input and provides compelling fidelity with wind tunnel data.  This presentation will briefly explore some of the solver physics, and some example solutions. 

Development of an Optically Accessible Racetrack-Type Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine
by Evan Unruh, Graduate Student, MAE Dept, The University of Alabama in Huntsville

A Rotating Detonation Engine has been developed at The University of Alabama in Huntsville with a “racetrack” shaped combustion channel. The shape of the combustor allows for the continuous cyclical propagation of a rotating detonation wave while providing optical access within the linear portion of the combustor via the use of flat windows that minimize unwanted lensing effects. The engine injector plate is constructed of 50 individual shear coaxial elements that inject liquid propane and gaseous oxygen as the nominal propellant combination. The combustor channel is instrumented with dynamic pressure transducers to allow the observation of detonation wave modes and velocities. Additionally, optical access within the combustor channel will facilitate the direct observation of detonation wave – injector spray plume interactions including the study of detonation wave induced atomization effects. The design approach for the engine is discussed including combustor channel sizing, injector selection, ignition method, and instrumentation.

Human Landing System Architecture Trade Study
by Dr. Tim Kokan, Principal Engineer, Aerojet Rocketdyne

On March 26, 2019, Vice President Mike Pence directed NASA to return humans to the surface of the moon by 2024. In response, NASA is working with industry to develop a Human Landing System (HLS) to transfer two crew from an orbiting platform in high Lunar Orbit down to the lunar surface and back. This paper presents architecture trade study results from the Aerojet Rocketdyne (AR) NextSTEP-2 Appendix E: Human Landing System Studies, Risk Reduction, Development, and Demonstration contract with NASA. This architecture trade study includes an examination of a range of HLS configurations, launch vehicle options, concept-of-operations (CONOPS) options, main propulsion options, and other subsystem design options. Cost, schedule, reliability, extensibility, and performance attributes were assessed for each HLS architecture option analyzed. Each HLS architecture option was scored based on these attribute results utilizing the utility analysis methodology. High scoring options were further studied with alternate attribute weightings and Monte Carlo uncertainty analyses.

Mars Ascent Vehicle Hybrid Propulsion Effort
by George Story, Solid Propulsion Systems Engineer, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

A technology development program was undertaken to determine if the benefits of hybrid rocket propulsion could be realized for a Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) application. Specifically, the goal of this program was to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of a hybrid propulsion system such that it could be considered for a potential Mars Sample Return Campaign. Over the course of approximately five years, a new, wax-based fuel was developed, characterized and tested with Mixed Oxides of Nitrogen (from MON-3 to MON-25). Various ignition mechanisms were tested and solid hypergolic additives were evaluated for their potential to ignite the hybrid motor. Several hot-fire test campaigns were completed at both sub- and full-scale. Near the end of the technology development program, a Preliminary Architecture Assessment (PAA) was completed to evaluate a single-stage hybrid propulsion system and a two-stage solid propulsion system for a potential MAV. The solid propulsion system was selected for further study in 2019, primarily because of its flight heritage. While the hybrid technology development program made many strides, there was still a list of challenges to overcome. This paper will discuss the substantial progress and remaining challenges from the technology development effort from 2015 through 2019. This includes fuel development and reformulation, sub- and full-scale testing at Space Propulsion Group, full scale testing at Parabilis, full scale testing at Whittinghill Aerospace, hypergolic additive testing at Purdue and Penn State and the evaluation of adding hypergolic additives to a full-scale grain. It also includes a discussion of the design that resulted from the Preliminary Architecture Assessment.