Date of Last Revision
2023-05-03 05:04:52
Major
Chemical Engineering
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Spring 2018
Abstract
Modern flight vehicles, such as rockets, missiles, and airplanes, experience a force caused by forebody wave drag during the flight. This drag force is induced when the frontal point of each vehicle breaks the pressure wave during flight. Efforts to reduce this wave drag force to improve flight efficiency include modifying the nosecone profile of the flight vehicles to lower the drag force.
This project revolved around creating a design to make the transformation of nosecone shapes from a ¾ Parabolic profile to a ½ Power Series profile possible, mid-flight. Using a novel nosecone assembly, shape memory alloys (SMAs) and an electronics system, this transition will be dictated by real-time flight velocity.
This technology could benefit society through its use in aerospace applications to improve flight efficiency. On a more personal level, it could improve the possibility of opening up supersonic flight to the public once again. For example, Boom Supersonic is currently designing planes which they hope the public will one day use as a mode of transportation. However, there are many design challenges as one might imagine- including cutting down the drag resistance experienced by the plane in-flight, which translates to having to carry more fuel
Research Sponsor
Dr. Jiahua Zhu
First Reader
Dr. Chelsea Monty
Second Reader
Dr. Robert Veillette
Recommended Citation
Tombazzi, Anna, "Design of Shape-Conforming Nosecone for Optimal Fluid Flow from Transonic to Supersonic Range" (2018). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 672.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/672
Included in
Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics Commons, Aviation and Space Education Commons, Metallurgy Commons, Navigation, Guidance, Control and Dynamics Commons, Other Electrical and Computer Engineering Commons, Other Materials Science and Engineering Commons, Other Mechanical Engineering Commons, Power and Energy Commons, Space Vehicles Commons, Structures and Materials Commons
Comments
Certain material is withheld from this report for the future patent-ability of this design. Interested readers should contact the author.