• Work 4+ Years ago

    Early Engineering Work

  • 3DR

    Open Source Autopilots

    Life After Gravity

    As the commercial offshoot of an online Open Source project started in the early 2000s, 3D Robotics helped incubate the earliest hobby UAVs through the website DIY Drones.

     

    A slow progression from a hobby to consumer grade products has led 3DR to develop the SOLO: Smart Drone that carries a full linux computer as well as an updated Pixhawk 2.

     

    Interested primarily in the open source nature of these projects, I joined the team to experience the later stages of a product development cycle with the SOLO smart drone.

  • SpaceX

    Reusable Rockets

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    Hypersonic Gridfin System

    In order to fulfill intentions of a fully reusable rocket, SpaceX has been implementing gradual improvements to the Falcon 9 launch vehicle to provide it with Return to Launch Site capabilities. Additional fuel, landing legs, deep throttling engines, and most recently, a hypersonic gridfin system.

     

    Used to help control the lift generated by the first stage of the Falcon 9 during its hypersonic re-entry trajectory, the 4 grid fins are stowed during ascent and are deployed when the stage reaches the apex of its flight in space.

     

    As Responsible Engineer for three Outer Mold Line (OML) components of the gridfin assembly I performed Static Stress, Fatigue, and Nonlinear Analysis in Femap Nastran while Solid modeling in Siemens NX. Production drawings were then drafted per AMSE-Y-14.5-2009 and GD&T.

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    Recovery Technique

    Shortly after main engine cutoff and second stage separation the Falcon 9's first stage is travelling at Mach 5 at an altitude of >100 km. To recover the 140 foot long ~30 Ton stage it is first flipped 180 degrees with cold gas thrusters and then performs a boostback burn. While in the sparse upper atmosphere it deploys the gridfins for reentry guidance. A brief entry burn slows the vehicle further but it continues to coast to the targeted landing location bleeding speed through aerodynamic friction. A few hundred feet from the ground the center engine is reignited for a suicide burn that slows the vehicle to zero velocity for a safe touchdown.

    ORBCOMM 2

    Following numerous partially successful barge landing attempts, on December 21st, 2015 SpaceX performed the fully successful first stage recovery with a newly updated Falcon v1.2 Full Thrust.

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    Recovered First Stage

    After enduring both ascent and reentry aerodynamic heating the thermal protection system on the fins and surrounding first stage was severely ablated.

  • Terrasoar: Senior Capstone

    Electric Air-Ground Vehicle

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    Concept to Reality

    Selected as the lead engineer for Arturo Vidich's TerraSoar project, I was responsible for taking his intentions for an electric aircraft/ground vehicle and turning them into a reality. Working together with a fellow ME, Ewan Kay, TerraSoar became our Senior Capstone Project. Many design iterations later the vehicle had become increasingly more defined. These designs were tested in the fom of two scale models as well as numerous software models of the aircraft.

     

    Developing an aircraft concept requires detailed analysis, which in the case of the TerraSoar began with sizing studies and performance estimation. Stability analysis performed in XFLR5 was then used to more accuratley size the flying surfaces. Finally, CFD and FEA were used to verify the design of TerraSoar, with focus on the forward wing, or canard. The canard design was detailed and finalized by mid March and partially constructed by the end of the semester. I was forced to leave the project after moving to the west coast.

     

    Additional Graphics can be found here

     

    Final Report

    Final Presentation

  • Cooper Union

    Educational Engineering Projects

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    Hail Mary

    Folding hexacopter with spring loaded arms. Short term goal is low altitude and low velocity deployment and stabilization. Hopes of deploying at higher altitudes with a supersonic launch thereafter.

     

    Currently performing initial sizing and frame/gimbal design for 3D printing.

     

    Independent

    September 2014 - Ongoing

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    Designed in Solidworks.

    Launch profile prediction in Matlab.

     

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    MicroQuad

    Small format Quadrotor designed for first person view flying (FPV). 10in. Rotor to Rotor when deployed, arms fold for transport. Inspiration for frame structure came from nature as well as visualization of shear stresses.

     

    Cooper Union

    Spring 2014

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     All components custom machine from Delrin using a manual Mill and Laser Cutter.

    Designed in AutoCAD and Solidworks.

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    3 Stage Axial Compressor

    Loosely based on GE J85-5 compressor stages

    CFD predicted 9:1 compression ratio

    16,000 RPM @ 1200 HP

    Simulated with sliding mesh interfaces

     

    Cooper Union

    Spring 2013

     

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    Designed for Introduction to CFD final project

    CAD model in Solidworks, meshing in Hypermesh, CFD in Ansys Fluent

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    Fliegel

    First Person View Flying Wing UAV
    Mounts GoPro2 Camera and Video Tx

     

    Independent

    Summer 2012

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    Breaks down into 3 pieces to easily fit into a Pelican case
    Designed in SolidWorks

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    Folding Quadrotor Frame

    Asymmetric frame design for aerial photography

    IR obstacle avoidance capable

    Maiden flight video here

     

    Cooper Union

    Spring 2012

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    Prototyped out of lasercut Delrin Plastic
    Designed in AutoCAD and SolidWorks

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    Aeolus UDMA

    Vertical takeoff and landing UAV

    Awaiting further design iterations

     

    Cooper Union

    Summer 2011 - Ongoing

    CNC Prototyping started

    Designed in SolidWorks

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    Research Quadrotor Frame

    Modular frame design for misson adaptation
    1 kW combined power at full throttle
    15-20 minute flight times

    Maiden flight here

     

    Cooper Union

    Spring 2011

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    Designed in AutoCAD and SolidWorks

  • Early Work

    Educational Engineering Projects

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    Guardian 2.0

    Design optimized from orginal Guardian

    Rocket launched vertical takeoff UAV
    Accelerated deployment lowers response time

     

    Lake Brantley HS
    2009

     

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    Prototyped out of hotwire cut EPP Foam, 3-D printed Parts, and Carbon Fiber

    Designed in AutoCAD

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    Guardian 

    Rocket launched vertical takeoff UAV
    Accelerated deployment lowers response time

     

    Lake Brantley HS
    2008

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    Prototyped out of hotwire cut EPP Foam, 3-D printed Parts, and Carbon Fiber
    Designed in AutoCAD

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    Phantom 2.0

    Design optimized from orginal Phantom

    Ducted fan VTOL UAV with detachable wings
    Designed for long and close range operations

     

    Lake Brantley HS
    2007

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    Prototyped from hotwire cut EPP foam

    Designed in AutoCAD

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    Phantom 

    Ducted fan VTOL UAV with detachable wings
    Designed for long and close range operations


    Teague MS

    2006

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    Prototyped from hotwire cut EPP foam
    Designed in AutoCAD

  • Drop a line

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