Alexander Gonzalez Email & Phone Number

Melbourne, Fl, Us

Melbourne, Fl, Us

Earth, Oo

Earth, Oo

Washington Navy Yard, Dc, Us

Boca Raton, Fl, Us

Graduate Research Assistant: Research is being conducted on modeling far-field acoustic noise and surface pressure fluctuations through various modified turbulent boundary layers biological models. Simplified models of these structures are evaluated through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) via ANSYS Fluent in homogeneous turbulent flow conditions. Through a joint NSF research grant with Virginia Tech, combinations of computational, theoretical and experimental results will validate models developed for acoustic modeling and attenuation predictions. Research guidance is also given to undergraduate researchers working on NSF projects.Teaching Assistant:- Engineering Dynamics Course - Dynamics practical problems are taught to students during class in an open discussion session. - Term projects are developed and graded.

Tokyo, Tokyo, Jp

This research internship involved two main projects for support of the structural strength department on the development of an ocean current turbine and advances in fatigue modeling tools. Full research reports, developed modeling tool user manuals, and milestone presentations were conducted throughout the 3 month internship. SolidWorks, ANSYS, ABAQUS, FEMAP, FORTRAN, and MATLAB were used in this research. Finite Element Fatigue Analysis with Damage Accumulation of Ocean Current Turbine Composite Blades:- A fatigue analysis was conducted on a full scale FEM of an ocean current turbine composite blade under stochastic ocean current fatigue loading with fluid structure interaction taken into account. - Development of novel fatigue program which incorporates a damage accumulation metric based on stiffness degradation theory of the composite face sheet for a full structure blade model. - Analysis's of life estimation and performance trends, service deployment site and operating requirements developed, and failure analysis during damage propagation was also conducted. Stiffness Degradation Modeling for Composite Sandwiches:- A novel stiffness degradation life estimation model was developed for composite sandwich panels.- Life predictions were conducted and compared with experimental fatigue tests under random ocean current loading, and traditional empirical models. Proposed model showed significantly increased accuracy in structure life predictions.

Manufacturing and testing was performed to find material properties of composite materials for the support of various NSF, government, and industry research projects. Manufacturing techniques included but not limited to autoclave, VARTM, nanomaterials, foams. Material testing and analysis’s included static & fatigue loading, SCB, SEM analysis. ANSYS models were developed for composite structures for validate with experimental results, and application of found material properties for full model analysis.

Preformed independent NSF funded research on characterizing de-bond fracture toughness of composite sandwich rotor blades for SNMREC’s ocean current turbine rotor blades. Carbon/Epoxy face sheets with syntactic and polyurethane foam core sandwich panels were manufactured using a vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process and tested under a single cantilever beam (SCB) configuration. De-bond toughness improvement was sought out by using chopped strand mats placed at the interface during manufacturing. Awarded “Most Outstanding Research” at the end of the program.

Taught electronics, robotics, coding, 3D printing, and fabrication classes to children, ages 5-14.

Master Of Science - Ms, Ocean Engineering

Bachelor’S Of Science, Ocean Engineering