Akshay Shrikant Deshpande

The effect of plasma actuators on the physics of swept Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer interaction induced by a sharp fin is investigated by the means of Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes calculations, using the SU2 code developed at Stanford University. The sharp fin – flat plate geometry is ubiquitous in high-speed aircraft and poses a complex three-dimensional flow field which warrants an extensive study of its physics. The sharp fin is placed in a Mach 5 flow with a spatially developing turbulent boundary layer at an angle of attack 12 deg. At the streamwise location of the fin leading edge, the Reynolds number based on momentum thickness and boundary layer displacement thickness for the undisturbed boundary layer case is around 5000 and 3.62 mm respectively. The mean pressure distribution at the wall for the baseline case is validated with experimental data. The plasma actuator is then modelled semi-empirically as a heating and a body-force source term in the energy and momentum equations respectively by modifying the code. It is placed within the boundary layer at the upstream influence line to disturb the viscous flow. The resulting time-averaged flow-fields showed decreased intensity of the reflected shock wave and increased separation bubble length scale with plasma actuator control.

Shubham Singh

Traditionally, trajectory optimization for defense and space applications has been performed using either direct or indirect method. Indirect methods produce highly accurate solutions but suffer from a small convergence region and require initial guesses close to the optimal solution. Direct methods often result in numerical errors up to 1% in the minimum functional value. In the past two decades, analytical approximation methods have been developed for solving systems of differential equation and boundary value problems. This study develops an indirect optimal control solver based on the Homotopy Analysis Method (HAM), a type of an analytical approximation power series method. The approach is validated by comparing the results with MATLAB’s bvp4c, a collocation-based boundary value problem solver. A significant reduction in the effort required to generate initial guesses has been found using HAM. Highly accurate analytical solutions can be generated by using a higher order of solution at the cost of increased computational time. The method is demonstrated on a non-linear 2D satellite launch trajectory optimization problem. Rate and region of convergence are controlled using an auxiliary convergence control parameter. Potential applications include on-board guidance algorithms for hypersonic vehicles.

What is the Research Symposium Series?

The Research Symposium Series is a department-sponsored forum for graduate students and advanced-level undergraduates to present their research to a general audience.

The Research Symposium Series is designed to: 

• Facilitate the exchange of ideas and knowledge among faculty and graduate students.
• Provide opportunities for students to develop their technical presentation skills.
• Promote the research activities of the department to undergraduates and other interested individuals.

2017 Prizes

• $500, $300, $200 for best three presentations
• $150 for best undergraduate presentation
• $150 for best abstract

Questions about the Research Symposium Series may be directed to:
aaerss@ecn.purdue.edu
https://engineering.purdue.edu/AAE/Academics/StudentOrgs/aaerss
*Winners in the presentation category cannot compete in that category the following year. The same applies for winners in the abstract category.