Research Projects

What Differentiates Superior Performing Aviation and Aerospace Leaders

PI Linda Pittenger

The requirements of leaders today are radically different than just a couple years ago. Leaders need to be able to manage change, think critically, act globally, think technologically, and successfully lead a diverse workforce. Specific behavioral competencies may distinguish superior performing leaders from average performing leaders

This qualitative study will examine the differences between average and superior aviation and aerospace leaders to uncover what differentiating behavioral competencies might predict superior performance in the leadership role.

Categories: Faculty-Staff

Matrix Analysis and Operator Theory

PI Edward Poon

Matrices and operators are ubiquitous throughout science, engineering, and mathematics; they are the transformations that arise whenever one studies a linear system (or approximates a nonlinear system by a linear one). Examples include rotations and reflections (rigid motions of space), spin operators (quantum mechanics and quantum computing), stress tensors (mechanics), regression and curve fitting (statistics and data analysis), derivatives and linear differential operators (dynamical systems), to name just a few. By studying various properties, relations, and transformations of matrices and operators one may obtain insight into a wide range of phenomena.

One particular class of problems of interest is the study of preservers. For example, if M_n denotes the space of n x n matrices, one might ask for a complete classification of the isometries preserving a fixed norm. More generally, given any (possibly multi-valued) function f of a matrix (such as its determinant, rank, eigenvalues, singular values, numerical range, etc) one can ask for a description of the maps T:M_n -> M_n satisfying f(T(A)) = f(A) for all A in M_n; in this case one says that T preserves f. Usually one imposes some additional structure on T, requiring that it be linear, or simply additive, or multiplicative, and so on. One might also wish to describe those maps T leaving certain special subsets of matrices invariant (such as projections, unitaries, rank one matrices, etc.). A broad range of tools and concepts are used in solving such preserver problems; for example, consideration of the dual norm, coupled with convexity arguments, can be handy in classifying isometries, while majorization may appear in problems involving eigenvalues, singular values, and unitarily invariant norms. Currently, investigation is being conducted on isometries of certain matrix subalgebras, as well as preservers of certain collections of projections.

Categories: Faculty-Staff

UAV-based tools in forest environments

PI Scott Post

Measuring turbulent wind forces in forests to understand the forces on UAVs in flight, with a goal of being able to keep a UAV in position to mm tolerance.

Categories: Faculty-Staff

Astronomy

PI Pragati Pradhan

CO-I Brian Rachford

CO-I Noel Richardson

Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences, as people have been observing and learning from the stars for thousands of years. Astronomy has expanded beyond visible light to include the full spectrum of electromagnetic waves, from radio to x-rays and gamma rays, as well as cosmic messengers beyond the electromagnetic spectrum.

Embry-Riddle Prescott's astronomy research covers a broad range of topics and observation techniques, with a particular focus on binary star systems. Our Campus Observatory includes 20-inch and 16-inch optical telescopes, several radio dishes and cameras for meteor observations. Student and faculty researchers work with data from both space-based satellites spanning the electromagnetic spectrum from the high-energy X-rays through the thermal infrared, as well as ground-based optical and infrared telescopes across the globe. Our astronomy faculty has a strong track record of publications with student authors and receives external funding from various sources, including NASA and the Space Telescope Science Institute.

Categories: Faculty-Staff

Investigation of Bio-Inspired Cylinders for Enhanced Heat Transfer

PI Anish Prasad

CO-I Yogesh Pai

CO-I Royce Fernandes

CO-I Mark Ricklick

This project investigates a novel cylinder design inspired from the Harbor Seal whisker, with the goal of reducing coolant pumping power requirements while maintaining heat transfer rates in pin-fin arrays.

Arrays of constant cross-section cylinders have been employed in many heat exchange applications. Increases in heat transfer rates characteristically result in an increase in the coolant pumping power requirements, which can be quite high for a circular cylinder array. Pin fin channels are often used at the trailing edge of the blades where they also serve an additional purpose of providing structural support. It has been found that the behavior of the flow around a wall-mounted cylinder significantly impacts the heat transfer. The boundary layer becomes broken up by the presence of the pin, creating a horseshoe vortex. This horseshoe vortex produces high wall shear stress beneath it, resulting in high heat transfer from the wall in this region. The resulting flow separation around the pin, however, results in large pressure losses. The pin fin channel has been heavily studied in the literature, in an effort to describe the heat transfer and flow behavior and improve prediction abilities. The circular cylindrical pins are relatively easy to manufacture and hence, this configuration is often found in commercial applications. However, the need to reduce pressure drop and maintain the heat transfer rates are a much needed requirement for a variety of industries to improve the cooling efficiency.

One such prominent line of research is conducted on optimizing the design of the circular cylindrical pins to increase their cooling performance. In this line of research, it was found that bio-mimicked harbor seal whisker geometry leads to the reduction in the cooling system pumping power requirements, while maintaining or improving heat transfer rates. The seal whisker geometry consists of stream-wise and span-wise undulations which reduce the size of the wake and coherent structures shed from the body as a result of an added component of stream-wise vorticity along the pin surface. Also, the vortex shedding frequency becomes less pronounced, leading to significantly reduced lateral loading on the modified cylinder. Preliminary computational studies have shown that the modified wake and vortex shedding structures resulting from the geometry tend to reduce the total pressure loss throughout the system without degrading the cooling levels.

Seal whisker and proposed bio-inspired cylinder:

Three different cross-section types, one elliptical, one of circular cross section and a 0.25X axially scaled type of the bio inspired pin were created for further investigation along with two baseline circular cylindrical and elliptical pins. Computational analysis for an array of the above three shapes and a standard elliptical cross-section pin array was undertaken. The results obtained were compared with the baseline circular cylindrical pin array. The main purpose of this research is to describe the heat transfer and flow characteristics of 3 novel bio inspired pin designs using steady and unsteady Reynolds-Averaged-Navier-Stokes (RANS) based simulations, in an effort to better understand their performance. These findings are important to the gas turbine community as reduced penalties associated with cooling flows directly translate to improved thermodynamic and propulsive efficiencies.

Pin-fin geometries analyzed:

Further computational research is being conducted in these geometries, and later will be compared with the experimental results, which will be carried out in Embry-Riddle's Gas Turbine Laboratory.

Categories: Graduate

Investigate Detect and Avoid Track Classification and Filtering

PI Richard Prazenica

CO-I Troy Henderson

CO-I Morad Nazari

CO-I Tyler Spence

This research will identify key sources of uncertainty in representative detect and avoid architectures and assess the downstream risks and effects of spurious information on downstream system performance

In this project, which is funded by the FAA ASSURE program, the research team consisting of The Ohio State University, Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University, Mississippi State University, University of North Dakota and Cal Analytics will work together to:

Identify the key sources of misleading surveillance information produced by airborne and ground-based detect and avoid (DAA) systems. Develop risk modeling and analysis tools to assess the system-wide effects of false or misleading information on alerting and separation, as well as impacts on pilots in command (PIC) and air traffic operators.
Provide guidance and recommendations for track classification and filter performance and safety requirements to standards bodies, including Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) DAA working groups, and inform Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rulemaking on DAA operations.

Current guidance provided by the Federal Aviation Administration has made beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) missions an executive priority. Key to the success of these missions is the development of DAA systems capable of providing accurate pilot in the loop, or autonomous deconfliction guidance. Current standards for DAA services provided by RTCA and ASTM do not address the requirements for system performance with respect to generation of false or misleading information to the PIC or autonomous response services of the unmanned aircraft system. This research will identify key sources of uncertainty in representative DAA architectures and assess the downstream risks and effects of spurious information on downstream system performance. Additionally, recommendations will be developed for track classification accuracy requirements that provide sufficient safety margins for enabling DAA services in support of BVLOS missions.

Categories: Faculty-Staff

Argumentative Knowledge Construction in Asynchronous Calculus Discussion Boards

PI Zackery Reed

CO-I Darryl Chamberlain

CO-I Karen Keene

Social learning tasks can provide additional cognitive benefits to students. These tasks are necessarily different in an asynchronous environment though. Our proposed study will investigate how instructors can encourage students to socially construct knowledge during asynchronous discussions.

Categories: Faculty-Staff

Researching How You Teach Holistic Modeling (RHYTHM)

PI Kelsey Rodgers

CO-I Matthew Verleger

CO-I Lisa Davids

"Models are a critical part of the analysis and design of engineered systems. The purpose of multiple types of models (physical, mathematical, computational, and financial) is to provide a simplified representation of reality that mimics the features of the engineered system, and that predicts the behavior of the system. This project, a collaboration between Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, San Jose State University, and the University of Louisville, aims to improve engineering students' modeling competence. The project plans to achieve this goal by transforming first-year engineering courses to teach modeling as an engineering tool. The project will change existing course materials, pedagogy, and assessment methods across the three institutions. Each institution will implement its own specific strategy to teach mathematical, physical, computational, and financial modeling, thus providing three different approaches. By comparing student's modeling abilities across the institutions and approaches, the project aims to identify the most impactful approaches for teaching multiple modeling in introductory undergraduate engineering courses.

The project is guided by a "holistic modeling perspective" theoretical framework, that builds on the successful "Models and Modeling Perspective" and "Computational Adaptive Expertise" frameworks. The objectives of the project are to: (1) implement, test, and refine holistic modeling environments for institutions that have flexibility in changing curriculum and for instructors that have different degrees of interest in changing their course(s); (2) implement, test, and refine methods to assess students' modeling abilities; and (3) evaluate and present the results of modeling abilities attained by students at three different universities. A unified language and discussion around modeling will be adopted in all revised courses. An assessment tool to measure students' modeling competence will be developed and implemented at each university. This work builds upon existing research in the development of more easily adaptable and adoptable modeling pedagogies and modeling languages. The following broad research question guides the research: How do students' definitional knowledge, ability to apply, and ability to create models change based on different degrees of modeling integration in the classroom?

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria."

Categories: Faculty-Staff

EXTENDING THE LAUNDERED FUNDS DESTINATION THEORY: APPLYING THE WALKER-UNGER GRAVITY MODEL TO RUSSIAN-BASED MONEY LAUNDERER COUNTRY PREFERENCE FROM 2000-2020

PI Juan Roman

CO-I Thomas Schaefer

CO-I Ana Machuca

Determine Russian-based money launderer destination preferrence.

The quantification of illicit finance practices along with the generated revenue from transnational criminal activity and their presence within the global financial system is still a new phenomenon. Careful examination of the effects of money laundering is needed in order to develop strategies to combat the problem. The literature suggests attempts to quantify the presence of laundered funds in the global economy are inaccurate. This research applied the modified Walker-Unger model to show the degree of attractiveness of a country for Russian-based money launderers to send their illicit funds for the 2000-2020 time period. The theoretical justification for this investigation is that once the scale of unlawful financial flows are known, the likely impact on society can be analyzed.

Categories: Faculty-Staff

A Knowledge-based Consultant for Diagnosing Toxic Exposures

PI Joel Schipper

Joel Schipper of Electrical and Computer Engineering works with the Florida Poison Information Center to develop a knowledge-based system to aid in the timely diagnosis of exposures to unknown toxins.

Categories: Faculty-Staff Undergraduate