Experience Snapshot

  • Experience type: Research
  • Host organization: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, NC State (BEFAST Lab)
  • Date range: May 5, 2025 – August 17, 2025 (Present)
  • Average hours/week: 40
  • Supervisor: James Braun, Assistant Professor

Context and Scope

I joined BEFAST Lab to work on computational fluid dynamics problems where modeling choices and physics assumptions directly impact trustworthiness of conclusions. My research focused on rotating detonation engines (RDEs), conjugate heat transfer (CHT), and boundary-layer-informed heat-flux analysis.

Major Workstreams

1) Aerospike CFD Proposal and Thermal Trade Study

  • Simulated multiple aerospike geometries from Mach 3 to Mach 5 in ANSYS Fluent
  • Quantified peak local heat flux and total heat-load behavior (roughly 3 to 5 MW peaks depending on case)
  • Proposed hot-pressed silicon nitride as a material candidate based on thermal demands
  • Evaluated external performance implications in OpenRocket (about 3% to 5% drag reduction and near 10% apogee gain in modeled scenarios)
  • Designed a deployable nose-cone aerospike concept in SolidWorks to bridge CFD findings to mechanical integration

2) RDE Conjugate Heat Transfer Research

  • Built CHT-oriented workflows for rotating detonation engine thermal analysis
  • Investigated near-wall resolution and turbulence-model implications for wall heat-flux credibility
  • Worked through k-omega and k-epsilon URANS assumptions and limitations, with context for when higher-fidelity approaches are warranted

Challenge and Growth Moment

A key pressure point occurred at semester start, when a major project update required substantially improved figures on a compressed timeline. I spent intense work blocks debugging post-processing and re-running analysis until outputs communicated a coherent technical story. That period strengthened my execution under pressure and improved how I prioritize, validate, and communicate technical progress.

Reflection and Learning

This reinforced that credible CFD work is not just producing plots; it is validating assumptions, checking trend realism, and understanding which model choices drive outcomes. I also improved collaboration by asking better-structured technical questions, which accelerated troubleshooting and reduced wasted iteration time.

Skills Gained

  • Technical depth: thermal-fluids simulation workflow design for high-enthalpy propulsion contexts
  • Analytical rigor: boundary-condition validation, model-choice reasoning, and result credibility checks
  • Communication: deadline-driven research updates with clearer figures and stronger narrative framing
  • Collaboration: faster problem-solving through targeted questions and cross-domain lab support

Career Impact

This experience sharpened my long-term direction toward a PhD in aerospace engineering with focus on CFD, heat transfer, and boundary-layer physics for advanced propulsion systems.

Reflective Caption (Ready to Reuse)

In BEFAST Lab, I conducted CFD research on aerospike thermal trade studies and rotating detonation engine CHT workflows, where heat-transfer credibility depended on near-wall modeling decisions. I translated simulation outputs into engineering decisions, including material recommendations and deployable concept integration, while delivering under tight research deadlines. This strengthened my technical rigor, communication under pressure, and commitment to doctoral-level thermal-fluids research.