AE Brown Bag Seminar

Friday, February 14

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Guggenheim 442

Pizza Served

 

 

Atharva Gujrath

Andrew Marcou

Karthik Shaji

 

Atharva Gujrath

Title:

Detonation and High-Speed Imaging of PETN Energetic Materials

Abstract:

Understanding the ignition and detonation process of energetic materials is pivotal in improving their safety and performance. Key to conducting detonation experiments is a method of both safely and reliably detonating the energetic material of interest. The primary focus of this work is the design of novel sample mounts that hold energetic materials for detonation experiments. Experiments are conducted using these sample mounts with varying amounts and forms of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). These detonations are recorded with a Shimadzu high-speed camera, which allows for observation of the ignition process, the propagation of the detonation wave, and qualitative energy release. Results show that the slot design for sample mounts detonate reliably and provided an acceptable working geometry for imaging detonations. With the slot sample geometry, it was seen that the detonation speed is dependent on the amount of PETN used and the packing density. Finally, digital image correlation (DIC) methods are explored for use in detonation environments, with specific investigation into methods of patterning and illuminating samples for DIC. 

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Ellen Mazumdar:

 

Andrew Marcou

Title:

Discrete Event Simulation of Lunar Colonies - In Situ Resource Utilization and Lunar Mines
 

Abstract:

The renewed global focus on cis-lunar development has prompted leading space agencies and private entities to develop large-scale mission plans for future lunar colonization and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). These missions require a systematic approach, optimizing controllable parameters to maximize mission feasibility. Discrete event simulation provides a powerful tool for quantifying the success of proposed mission architectures, enabling rapid testing and optimization through simulation iteration. This presentation demonstrates the development of a modular lunar base through both conceptual design and software modeling. Recent efforts include the integration of an ISRU processing plant designed to extract hydrogen and oxygen from lunar regolith. This integration begins with conceptual flowcharts, which are then translated into software-based simulations through the use of the SymPy Python library and object-oriented programming principles.

Faculty Advisor:

Research Engineer Jeffrey McNabb

 

Karthik Shaji

Title:

Using Optimal Control for Particle Filtering in MATLAB

Abstract:

It has been shown that one can rewrite stochastic smoothing as an optimal control problem through application of stochastic calculus. By doing so, we can solve an analogous problem using measurements in a finite-horizon control problem with iLQR. We apply this method and demonstrate its feasibility on an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Random Process in MATLAB.

Faculty Advisor:

Professor Yongxin Chen