Advanced Projects - Conceptual Analysis - Integrated CO2 heat recovery systems for Navy/marine environments - High efficiency cycles for nuclear and concentrated solar power - High power waste heat recovery cycles - Novel component design and optimizationMultivariable Nonlinear Optimization - Created, utilized and distributed a multivariable nonlinear system level optimizer - Utilized for power cycle architecture layout optimization - Generated 4 patent disclosures for novel new cyclesTransient Modeling - Heat exchanger transient structural, fluid and thermal response

Regeneratively Cooled Thrust Chamber (Engine) Conceptual Design and Analysis - Lead Analytical Design on: - Merlin 1D Thrust Chamber (highest thrust to weight engine built) - Merlin 1D Vac Thrust Chamber - Hypergolic Escape Engine (Demo Engine) - Hypergolic Escape Engine Full Design - high chamber pressure engine - LOX/Hydrogen Injector Test Bed - Thermal/Fluid Analysis - Created matlab regen channel optimizer code - anchored to test data and CFD - CFD on associated components - Created dual pass flow region in nozzle from single inlet manifold - Structural Analysis - Entire chamber assembly model - Full non-linear plasticity modeling - created math models to verify resultsDragon Spacecraft Zero-Gravity Propellant Tank Fluid Analysis - Propellant wicking in zero gravity - Specified allowable g-level during flight/reentry - CFD modeling - Slosh modeling and frequency calculationsTransient Thermal Management - Component level heat dissipation analysis and design - Cryogenic tank thermal managementLiquid Film Cooling Modeling for Merlin Vacuum Engine - Developed a liquid film cooling model used to calculate skirt temperaturesF9 Anomaly Investigation - Root cause investigation and modeling

Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS)/Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of boundary layer transition in hypersonic flow

Created a axi-symmetric two-dimensional ray tracing code for photon Monte Carlo radiative heat transfer modeling in gray media. Integrated into NASA DPLR code and validated code against existing exact solutions.

Thermal and Fluid System Design