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Description
Active pixel sensors hold a lot of promise for space applications in star tracking because of their effectiveness against radiation, small size, and on-chip processing. The research focus is on documenting and validating ground test equipment for these types of sensors. Through demonstrating the utility of a commercial sensor, the

Active pixel sensors hold a lot of promise for space applications in star tracking because of their effectiveness against radiation, small size, and on-chip processing. The research focus is on documenting and validating ground test equipment for these types of sensors. Through demonstrating the utility of a commercial sensor, the research will be able to work on ensuring the accuracy of ground tests. This contribution allows for future research on improving active pixel sensor performance.
ContributorsDotson, Breydan Lane (Author) / White, Daniel (Thesis director) / Jansen, Rolf (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
The purpose of this project is to determine the feasibility of a water tunnel designed to meet certain constraints. The project goals are to tailor a design for a given location, and to produce a repeatable design sizing and shape process for specified constraints. The primary design goals include a

The purpose of this project is to determine the feasibility of a water tunnel designed to meet certain constraints. The project goals are to tailor a design for a given location, and to produce a repeatable design sizing and shape process for specified constraints. The primary design goals include a 1 m/s flow velocity in a 30cm x 30cm test section for 300 seconds. Secondary parameters, such as system height, tank height, area contraction ratio, and roof loading limits, may change depending on preference, location, or environment. The final chosen configuration is a gravity fed design with six major components: the reservoir tank, the initial duct, the contraction nozzle, the test section, the exit duct, and the variable control exit nozzle. Important sizing results include a minimum water weight of 60,000 pounds, a system height of 7.65 meters, a system length of 6 meters (not including the reservoir tank), a large shallow reservoir tank width of 12.2 meters, and height of 0.22 meters, and a control nozzle exit radius range of 5.25 cm to 5.3 cm. Computational fluid dynamic simulation further supports adherence to the design constraints but points out some potential areas for improvement in dealing with flow irregularities. These areas include the bends in the ducts, and the contraction nozzle. Despite those areas recommended for improvement, it is reasonable to conclude that the design and process fulfill the project goals.
ContributorsZykan, Brandt Davis Healy (Author) / Wells, Valana (Thesis director) / Middleton, James (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2014-05
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Description
This work describes the numerical process developed for use of rocket engine nozzle ejectors. Ejector nozzles, while applied to jet engines extensively, have not been applied to rockets, and have great potential to improve the performance of endoatmospheric rocket propulsion systems. Utilizing the low pressure, high velocity flow in the

This work describes the numerical process developed for use of rocket engine nozzle ejectors. Ejector nozzles, while applied to jet engines extensively, have not been applied to rockets, and have great potential to improve the performance of endoatmospheric rocket propulsion systems. Utilizing the low pressure, high velocity flow in the plume, this secondary structure entrains a secondary mass flow to increase the mass flow of the propulsion system. Rocket engine nozzle ejectors must be designed with the high supersonic conditions associated with rocket engines. These designs rely on the numerical process described in this paper.
ContributorsGibson, Gaines Sullivan (Author) / Wells, Valana (Thesis director) / Takahashi, Timothy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The aerospace industry has been conducting research on the additive manufacturing (AM) process since the 1980's, but companies have recently just begun to apply AM in hopes that this new technology will meet or exceed the requirements met by previous manufacturing methods, as well as producing more cost effective, geometrically-complex

The aerospace industry has been conducting research on the additive manufacturing (AM) process since the 1980's, but companies have recently just begun to apply AM in hopes that this new technology will meet or exceed the requirements met by previous manufacturing methods, as well as producing more cost effective, geometrically-complex products. This investigation evaluated the performance of 3D-printed aerospace test specimens made by Powder Bed Fusion Technologies, and compared them to forged specimens. A design of experiments varying build parameters was conducted in order to determine AM component porosity. Factors such as powder post-processing, directionality of the build, and fractology of the samples were evaluated through tensile strength testing and hardness testing of Inconel 718 wrought and EBM printed materials. Using electron microsopy, the responses to these factors were analyzed for stress fractures, grain boundaries, and other defects that occurred in the testing process. The comparison determined which metallurgical process provides the most effective material for aircraft usage.
ContributorsNez, Brittany Amber (Author) / Parsey, John (Thesis director) / Hsu, Keng (Committee member) / Godfrey, Donald (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
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Description
This paper studies the history and development of ion propulsion systems and survey past, present, and developing technology with their applications to space missions. This analysis addresses the physical design parameters and process that is a part of designing and optimizing a gridded ion thruster. It also identifies operational limits

This paper studies the history and development of ion propulsion systems and survey past, present, and developing technology with their applications to space missions. This analysis addresses the physical design parameters and process that is a part of designing and optimizing a gridded ion thruster. It also identifies operational limits that may be associated with solar-powered ion propulsion systems and posits plausible solutions or alternatives to remedy such limitations. These topics are presented with the intent of reviewing how ion propulsion technology evolved in its journey to develop to today's systems, and to facilitate thought and discussion on where further development of ion propulsion systems can be directed.
ContributorsTang, Justine (Author) / White, Daniel (Thesis director) / Dahm, Werner (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
Accurate pointing is essential for any space mission with an imaging payload. The Phoenix Cubesat mission is being designed to take thermal images of major US cities from Low Earth Orbit in order to study the Urban Heat Island effect. Accurate pointing is vital to ensure mission success, so the

Accurate pointing is essential for any space mission with an imaging payload. The Phoenix Cubesat mission is being designed to take thermal images of major US cities from Low Earth Orbit in order to study the Urban Heat Island effect. Accurate pointing is vital to ensure mission success, so the satellite's Attitude Determination and Control System, or ADCS, must be properly tested and calibrated on the ground to ensure that it performs to its requirements. A commercial ADCS unit, the MAI-400, has been selected for this mission. The expected environmental disturbances must be characterized and modeled in order to inform planning the operations of this system. Appropriate control gains must also be selected to ensure the optimal satellite response. These gains are derived through a system model in Simulink and its response optimization tool, and these gains are then tested in a supplier provided Dynamic Simulator.
ContributorsWofford, Justin Michael (Author) / Bowman, Judd (Thesis director) / Jacobs, Daniel (Committee member) / School of Earth and Space Exploration (Contributor) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
The traditional early design phase of an aircraft involves a design approach in which the model's characteristics are defined before the CAD model is built. This thesis discusses an alternative to the early design process employing the use of a parametric model. A parametric model is one in which its

The traditional early design phase of an aircraft involves a design approach in which the model's characteristics are defined before the CAD model is built. This thesis discusses an alternative to the early design process employing the use of a parametric model. A parametric model is one in which its characteristics are defined as functions of input parameters that a user will choose, as opposed to being pre-defined. This allows for faster iterations of the CAD design of an aircraft going through its first design phases. In order to demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency, a tool was developed in the form of a script written in Python that compiles into a plugin that a user can install into Rhino. With a full template of about 70 parameters that have significant effects on the performance characteristics of an aircraft, a user with the plugin can generate a full model. The overall design phase and development of the script into a publicly available installation file is discussed below. Results for the thesis took the form of insight gained into the field of parametric modeling. After development and implementation, emphasis points such as generation time, focus on parameters with large effect on aircraft performance, and interpolation of parameters dependent upon others were concluded.
ContributorsElliott, Steven Joseph (Author) / Takahashi, Tim (Thesis director) / Middleton, James (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
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Description
In real world applications, materials undergo a simultaneous combination of tension, compression, and torsion as a result of high velocity impact. The split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) is an effective tool for analyzing stress-strain response of materials at high strain rates but currently little can be done to produce a

In real world applications, materials undergo a simultaneous combination of tension, compression, and torsion as a result of high velocity impact. The split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) is an effective tool for analyzing stress-strain response of materials at high strain rates but currently little can be done to produce a synchronized combination of these varying impacts. This research focuses on fabricating a flange which will be mounted on the incident bar of a SHPB and struck perpendicularly by a pneumatically driven striker thus allowing for torsion without interfering with the simultaneous compression or tension. Analytical calculations are done to determine size specifications of the flange to protect against yielding or failure. Based on these results and other design considerations, the flange and a complementary incident bar are created. Timing can then be established such that the waves impact the specimen at the same time causing simultaneous loading of a specimen. This thesis allows research at Arizona State University to individually incorporate all uniaxial deformation modes (tension, compression, and torsion) at high strain rates as well as combining either of the first two modes with torsion. Introduction of torsion will expand the testing capabilities of the SHPB at ASU and allow for more in depth analysis of the mechanical behavior of materials under impact loading. Combining torsion with tension or compression will promote analysis of a material's adherence to the Von Mises failure criterion. This greater understanding of material behavior can be implemented into models and simulations thereby improving the accuracy with which engineers can design new structures.
ContributorsVotroubek, Edward Daniel (Author) / Solanki, Kiran (Thesis director) / Oswald, Jay (Committee member) / Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description

Over the years, American manufacturing has been offshored due to the competitive labor conditions in other countries. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of the international supply chain, highlighting the importance of reshoring manufacturing and industry. However, reshoring alone cannot solve the underlying issues that caused offshoring in

Over the years, American manufacturing has been offshored due to the competitive labor conditions in other countries. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of the international supply chain, highlighting the importance of reshoring manufacturing and industry. However, reshoring alone cannot solve the underlying issues that caused offshoring in the first place, such as shortages of skilled labor and extensive regulation. To address these issues, the implementation and scaling of automation and Industry 4.0 technologies are necessary. The aerospace industry is a prime example of the need for skilled labor. Abiding by rigorous specifications and achieving the tight tolerances required by aerospace specifications is a highly specialized skill that requires experience and training. The shortage of skilled labor puts those working in aerospace at a disadvantage, often leading to long strenuous work hours to meet demand. To address this, a collaboration with two ASU manufacturing student research teams aided the development of two co-bot solutions that can work alongside technicians and operators to reduce downtime, increase efficiency, and free up human operators to focus on more complex tasks. While many automated solutions are available on the market, co-bots are not often used to their full capability. The proposed solutions demonstrate the possibilities of implementing co-bots in the aerospace industry by using them in machine tending and blending processes for aerospace parts. In traditional manufacturing processes, human operators are still responsible for performing repetitive and often mundane tasks, such as loading and removing workpieces from a CNC workstation and starting a CNC machine for repetitive parts. The current blending process requires a technician to manually sand damaged areas for Depot, Repair, and Overhaul (DRO), which is time-consuming and strenuous. By using a co-bot for this process, the technician's workload is significantly reduced, decreasing lead times and increasing quality control. Inspiration for this thesis came from observing the demands of companies like SpaceX, which require mass manufacturing of rocket engines to meet testing and launch schedules. The SpaceX Raptor engine is a complex, precise system that is aimed at being produced in high volume, which is a prime target for co-bot integration to help meet production targets. Implementing more co-bots into manufacturing has been shown to increase efficiency, reduce cost, and relieve stress on human operators. The integration of co-bots into the manufacturing process for the Raptor engine has the potential to improve efficiency and productivity, making high-volume manufacturing a possibility. Overall, the implementation of co-bots in the aerospace industry can offer a competitive advantage by increasing productivity and efficiency while reducing costs and relieving stress on human operators. This thesis provides proof of the possibilities of implementing co-bots in a versatile industry like aerospace and demonstrates the potential benefits of integrating co-bots into the manufacturing process for rocket engines like the Raptor. By doing so, the aerospace industry can move towards a more automated and efficient future, helping to address the challenges faced by American manufacturing today.

ContributorsMorse, Connor (Author) / Gintz, Jerry (Thesis director) / Hillary, Scott (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks (Contributor)
Created2023-05
ContributorsMorse, Connor (Author) / Gintz, Jerry (Thesis director) / Hillary, Scott (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks (Contributor)
Created2023-05