Student(s): Nathaniel Dudko
Project: Topology Optimization of Aerospace Vehicles | View Poster (PDF)
Major(s): Mechanical Engineering (Aerospace Engineering minor)
Advisor(s): Natasha Vermaak
Abstract
Airfoils provide the majority of lift for many Aerospace Vehicles. Maximizing the lift produced by the airfoil while minimizing the drag created is central to proper airfoil design. In a two-dimensional simulation, these performance metrics are determined by the geometry of the airfoil profile. As the flow conditions change, the optimal geometry for an airfoil also changes. This process creates a compliant airfoil that attempts to deflect from one optimal geometry to another depending on the flow speed (measured in Mach). The complexity of this process requires the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics and Optimization Algorithms. Using SU2, a multi-physics simulation tool, airfoil behavior is modeled with hyper-elastic materials and Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The process is divided into two phases to manage computational complexity: first, determine optimal airfoil geometries for two Mach numbers based on specific design parameters; second, design an internal structure compliant between these geometries. By varying the lift and drag coefficients in the objective function of the first phase, this study examines how different design parameters influence the final compliant airfoil.
About Nathaniel Dudko
Nathaniel Dudko is a Junior majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Aerospace Engineering. He is currently expecting to graduate early in Dec 2025. After this, he intends to pursue a PhD in Aerospace Engineering. Nathaniel is the Lead Systems Engineer for OSPREY, Lehigh University’s first CubeSat. Over the past semester, Nathaniel has been working with Professor Natasha Vermaak on a directed study into Topology Optimization specifically for Aerospace Vehicles. He hopes to gain more insight into the field and ultimately narrow in on a topic for his graduate studies.
Nathaniel worked on Satellite Structural Systems Research for the Air Force Research Lab last summer. This summer, he will intern at Los Alamos National Laboratory to model shape memory alloys for use in Hypersonic Vehicles.