University of Missouri, Rolla
• Acoustics and Vibrations
Acoustics: Extensive experience in gas turbine acoustics, including noise source mechanisms and duct acoustics has been obtained over a 20 year period of funding by NASA Lewis Research Center and Langley Research Center. Finite element codes have been written for acoustic lining design, modeling of turbomachinery noise sources, and near and far field radiation of turbomachinery generated noise. Work has been done on the prediction of combustion instability in combustors and afterburners in realistic geometries. Research strength is in the area of computational acoustics. Modeling techniques developed at UMR are in current use in the aerospace industry and in the automotive industry.
Vibration: Interest and capability exists in the area of flutter and unsteady aerodynamics. Published work includes lifting surface unsteady aerodynamics, finite state modeling in transient aerodynamics, and flutter and limit cycles in nonlinear systems of airfoils. Work is currently underway in active vibration and flutter suppression using adaptive control techniques.
• Radiative Heat Transfer
Can calculate the radiative heating of the combustion gases. This may be important in exotic systems. The efficiency generally increases with temperature which may make radiation become more important. Also, the fuel-type is an important radiation factor. Particles (coal, dust, soot) are strong radiators.
• High Temperature Composite Materials
An interdisciplinary group consisting of faculty from Aerospace Engineering, Ceramic Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, Mechanical Engineering and Metallurgy is working on high temperature composites. Expertise in this area include processing of ceramic matrix, metal matrix, intermetallic matrix composites, room and high temperature characterization using micro and macromechanics approaches including the finite element methods, fracture and fatigue, and analytical modeling of the processing of high temperature composites.
Extensive facilities are available for processing, fabrication, and mechanical testing of high temperature composites.
• CAD/CAM
The following research capabilities in the CAD/CAM area exist at UMR: a) CAD modeling of new products with complex geometry, including geometric modeling, dynamic simulation, vibration analysis, finite element analysis, real time animation, simulation of the manufacturing process, … etc.; b) CAD/CAM integration, including CAD/CAM interfacing to produce prototypes of the designed products.
Research facilities in the CAD/CAM area are: a) Software; IDEAS, ACIS, CATIS. B) Hardware; a wide variety of computing facilities, such as IBM RS/6000, Silicon Graphics IRIS. Etc., and several computer-controlled machining centers are available.
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