Purdue projects included in AIAA Year in Review
| Author: | Alan Cesar |
|---|
Aerospace America’s annual Year in Review showcases a spectrum of technological breakthroughs and research advances across the aerospace industry. At the end of 2022, the publication featured several areas of research from Purdue’s College of Engineering and the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Composite Structural Analysis for Non-experts
A Purdue research group that includes AAE professor Wenbin Yu developed an integrated design framework that empowers engineers without expert knowledge in finite element analysis and composite materials to quickly perform parametric studies, design optimization, sensitivity analyses and uncertainty quantifications. The framework is called iVABS because it is based on Variational Asymptotic Beam Sectional Analysis, a powerful cross-sectional analysis code for composite slender structures such as helicopter rotor blades. After two years in development, the code was released to the public in July 2022.
Propellant from Mars
Students for the first time demonstrated a rocket propellant made from the same perchlorates found in Martian soil.
Rotating Detonation Engines
Researchers at Zucrow Laboratories showcased rotating detonations using liquid oxygen and RP-1 as propellants. Operation of RDRE using cryogenic liquid propellants represents a milestone in RDRE development toward flightlike hardware.
Plasma-assisted Propulsion and Energy
Purdue researchers demonstrated Thomson coherent microwave scattering to detect electron densities in small-size plasmas in rarified gases.
Explore the rest of AIAA’s 2022 Year in Review in Aerospace America.