Pranay Patel Email & Phone Number

Blacksburg, Va, Us

Blacksburg, Virginia, United States

I’m completing an accelerated 5-year masters program with a focus in Propulsion systems. I will be responsible for a Project and Report on an experiment analyzing the particle dynamics in a Vortex Tube Separator (VTS) array used to mitigate sand ingestion into an engine. My project focuses on filtering out particles separated by the VTS array, allowing future researchers to have an accurate and physical measure of the separation efficiency of the array. The testing of the VTS array began in the Virginia Tech High Speed Wind Tunnel (HSWT). From advisor input it was suggested that a smaller rig be made. Utilizing PVC tubing, connectors, and suction blowers, my lead graduate student and I made another smaller wind tunnel for this test, dubbed the Low Speed Wind Tunnel (LSWT) . A benchtop experiment is being performed to assess filtration methods, before moving forward with the ideal filtration method on the main particle dynamics experiment.ONGOING WORK:The LSWT construction has been completed, and is now undergoing validation in order to match up the tunnel conditions to the HSWT. Pressure data will be obtained using a 5-hole probe both upstream and downstream of the VTS array, this data will be correlated to similar data taken in the HSWT. Along with rig characterization, I am also working to utilize Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) to process the team's existing Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) data. The goal of this POD is to try and reduce the noise in the current dataset.

Roanoke, Virginia Area

Blacksburg, Virginia, United States

Blacksburg, Virginia, United States

I provide design insight and technical advice to an undergraduate design team working to design, build, and test an experimental RC aircraft as well as being a mentor to the team leads and recruits. I also work directly with the Chief Engineer and Project Manager to provide insight into the overall team direction and help ensure the team has a solid base for the future.

Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Area

Competition based student design team that competes in the annual AIAA Design, Build, Fly competition. This year’s team placed 4th out of 99 teams internationally and placed 2nd place in America. The design report for this year placed 3rd and has therefore been published on the AIAA DBF website (linked below). I facilitated the design of a wing for an experimental RC plane that could fit within a standard luggage container and take off within 60 feet while maximizing its payload weight and speed. The plane also needed to have a high wing loading to maximize the competition score.

Served for 2 years as the sole point of contact responsible for sizing the propulsion system and manufacturing the electronics for an experimental RC aircraft. As electronics integration came as the final step before flight, I had the responsibility of being active during the closing stages of the build and ensuring all electronics were integrated seamlessly. My configurations allowed the team to make a large step forward in competition performance. Along with this I provided design insight in other areas of the plane’s design as well as assisted with carbon fiber layups and other manufacturing processes. In year 1 the plane needed to fly competition laps while deploying and reeling back in a sensor mid-flight. The plane also needed to fly as fast as possible for 3 laps carrying as much payload as possible. The 19 pound aircraft was capable of 15 pounds of thrust and went 75 mph.In year 2 the aircraft had to fly a competition lap, land, taxi to a staging box, deploy a competition component without triggering a 25g shock sensor, take off, and land again as many times as it could in 10 minutes. The plane also needed to fly as fast as possible for 3 competition laps carrying as much payload as possible. The propulsion configuration this year allowed the 19 pound plane to go 95 mph and had close to 30 pounds of thrust. The team placed 5th out of 131 entries worldwide.

Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

I had the opportunity to support the engine test campaign of an F110 engine by constructing a mounting rig for an Infrared (IR) Camera used to capture temperatures on the High-Pressure Turbine Stage 1 Blade. I also assisted the team with calibrating and operating a traverse system that controlled an optical probe which was used to capture the blade temperatures. Along with this, I was present during engine testing and learned how to acquire temperature data for the blades.My other project involved utilizing Siemens NX, Ansys Workbench, and GE Flowsimulator in order to design the cooling circuit for an IR camera to be used on a LEAP engine or on the next generation RISE engine. I used provided temperature and pressure data to generate a cooling model in GE Flowsimulator to ensure that the optical probe for the IR camera received enough cooling and purge flow. These temperatures and pressures also allowed me to obtain heat transfer coefficients to input as boundary conditions into an Ansys thermal model. The results from this thermal model were used in a structural analysis to ensure that the optical probe for the IR camera would not undergo stresses beyond its design capability. The results from this analysis were presented in a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) to senior engineers and Certified Title Holders (CTH). This rotation was done during the summer before my final year in the Virginia Tech Aerospace Engineering 5-year M.S. program. My project for my M.S. involves mitigating dust ingestion into aircraft engines through the use of Vortex Tube Separators. As dust ingestion/separation is also a key area of interest to GE aviation I took the initiative to conduct talks with engineers involved in engine testing about a potential collaboration. After organizing a meeting between my research advisors and GE, the company garnered enough interest to move forward with more in-depth talks.

Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

I worked in Services Engineering to substantiate a change in a tolerance for the High Pressure Turbine in the LEAP-1A engine. 80% of the parts for component I worked on were outside the tolerance at repair. The proposed tolerance change resulted in 90% of these parts to be usable again. The results of the new proposed tolerance were validated from a flowpath, durability, and rotor dynamics perspective.

Blacksburg, Virginia, United States

I was one of the leaders in the Nu Triton charge of the Theta Delta Chi social fraternity. Our charge was the only one in the TDX international organization that operated unaffiliated from the school. I was an instrumental part in working with the IFC office of the school and the TDX international office to help bring our organization to school affiliation in summer of 2022.

Virginia Tech

I assisted in a PhD research project centered around the concept of a Solid Fueled Ramjet. On testing days responsibilities included preparing the igniter before each test firing, helping to load the fuel grain into test rig correctly, and assisting with laboratory cleanup between and after tests. When testing on the main rig was not being performed I was responsible for a Counterflow Burner Rig which utilized an in-line electric air heater to blow hot shop air onto a pellet of fuel. The fuel was ignited as an LVDT pushed on it while measuring its position. This position was recorded at regular small time intervals, a plot of the fuel’s regression profile was made, and from this plot the fuel’s regression rate could be determined. Coupled with regression rate data, I operated a Phantom High Speed camera to take a high resolution video of the fuel burning. High speed camera pyrometry was performed on this video, and values for the temperature of the flame were deduced via the color of the flame at that point. Propellants that I tested included PMMA, HTPB, and an HTPB/Boron mixture.

Blacksburg, Virginia, United States

I helped create an AC circuit for a gas injection valve for a Linear Plasma Railgun. Argon gas was injected behind matter in a vacuum chamber to help accelerate it into and along the rails of the railgun. I utilized LTSpice to find pulse widths which correspond to the opening and closing of a Parker gas valve. I consolidated a test matrix of different pulse lengths which would allow experimenters to determine the effects on changing the amount of gas puffed into the chamber on the characteristics of the railgun.

United States

Bachelor'S Degree, Aerospace, Aeronautical And Astronautical Engineering, 3.3/4.0

Activities and Societies: Galileo Living Learning Community American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Design, Build, Fly Up&Up.

High School Diploma

Activities and Societies: National Honors Society Red Cross Club March of Dimes Baseball DECA March of Dimes