Portfolio
Jet-Propelled Plane Launching Platform
May 2022 - August 2022
This project was completed for the NASA Space Grant Research Consortium. Over three months my team designed and tested an Ardupilot control system, a damped steering system, variable tension braking, a dual and single K70 jet damping and fueling system, a plug and play electrical box, and a variable angle plane release system.
Skills Developed:
Rapid Research and Development– Professional CAD Development – Machine Shop Skills - Problem Solving – Project Organization - Budgeting - PID Tuning - Soldering - Variable Frequency Damping - Aerospace Calculations - Jet Calibration
High Speed CFD Analysis
Oct. 2022 – Present
This project developed in order to develop my computational fluid dynamics skills. Using ANSYS software I have been studying meshing techniques, causes of various affects on flow, and methods of CFD. The future goals of this project are to investigate the re-entry of the Mars Science Laboratory Capsule and the oscillatory effects that come along with re-entering the atmosphere.
Skills Developed:
CFD Analysis – Dynamic Meshing – FEA Analysis
New Efficient Water and Terrestrial (NEWT) Aircraft for AIAA
January 2022 - May 2022
I served as the team lead for this semester-long design project within my applied aerodynamics course. The mission was to design an aircraft that fulfills the needs of outlying communities with limited resources and land, where creating airports is difficult. To achieve this, an aircraft capable of taking off and landing on both terrain and fresh or salt water is required. Additionally, the aircraft must be capable of VFR and IFR flight. The overall deliverable for the project was to develop a product report of the designs and analysis needed for said designs. As team lead I supported each individual team as well managed intercommunications.
Skills Developed:
Mechanical Construction and Design – Electrical Integration – CAD Skills – Team Leading - Structure Design
D.O.R.A.D.O
August 2021 - Present
The Device for Open-water Research with Aerial Docking Operations is an Autonomous pontoon for detecting algal blooms in lakes with quadcopter-carrying capabilities. The goal of this project was to revitalize the V.E.L.A infrastructure for a broader research platform. Our new design focused primarily on a modular integration system for future research teams wanting to use our platform. I personally designed both the drone attachment system and the pontoon mounting brackets as well as the camera gimble system
Skills Developed:
Mechanical Construction and Design – Electrical Integration – CAD Skills – `Sensor Integration – 3D Printing - Waterproofing
V.E.L.A
August 2020 – May 2021
The Vehicle for Emergency Locating and Assistance (VELA) is a semi-autonomous Search and Rescue vehicle designed to deliver critical supplies to astronauts following an emergency in the water. The hull design includes two primary sections: a recessed cargo bay and a sealed lower bay. I joined this project at the reflection state of the boat and was in charge of analyzing the old design and creating solutions to issues that arose.
Skills Developed:
Structural Analysis – CAD Development – Problem Solving – Project Organization
The majority of the projects I work on within this organization fall under a governmental Non-Disclosure Agreement so I cannot speak of the individual projects. I worked on thesis-level aerospace construction while gaining experience in the aerospace field. I have developed skills in aerospace construction from initial CAD designs, mold construction, plane lay-up, and electrical integration.
Skills Developed:
Aerospace System Construction – Industry Level Composite Work – Fiberglass construction – Carbon Fiber Assemblies – Plane Layups – Aerospace Electrical Components – CAD Modeling – CNC Operation – General Workshop Skills
Personal Drone Design Project
August 2022 – Present
This project originated from my lack of electrical integration knowledge. I began this to further develop my engineering skills in disciplines other than I would learn in the classroom. We are in the design/beginning construction phase of this project. Our goal is to have a collapsable drone small enough for a backpack that we build from scratch. I have calibrated the ESCs and soldered all connections on the batteries, ESC, Motors, and Arduino.
Skills Developed:
Mathcad – SolidWorks – General Construction – Arduino Mega – Team Management – Budgeting – Electrical Integration
I.G.V.C
August 2022 – Present
The Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition involves the design and creation of a small autonomous ground vehicle that navigates through harsh terrain. This is a current project in which we are in the design phase. I have developed the structural CAD design using 80-20 supports. We will have a LIDAR system with integrated controls to navigate the course. We hope to have a structure sturdy enough to handle potholes and gravel and a wheelbase that can handle inclines.
SolidWorks – General Construction – Team Management – Budgeting – Electrical Integration
I.L.A.T.A
February 2022 – Present
The Item Loading and Throwing Apparatus is a personal design project created to explore the dynamics of throwing a particle. I am the team lead on this research project and have gained experience in team management. I am constructing a traditional trebuchet device and then attaching electrical components for autonomous launching and DAQ components. I first used a Mathcad software to estimate the throwing ability of my device and tested these values with real-world results.
Skills Developed:
Mathcad – SolidWorks – General Construction – Arduino Mega – Team Management – Budgeting – Electrical Integration
First Tech Challenge Robotics Team Founder
August 2015 – May 2020
I have been passionate about engineering and research for as long as I can remember. I founded the Matrix/Level Up Robotics team while I was in middle school to help satiate this passion. This is where I developed my engineering prowess and skills. I developed research documents for future team members to use. Speaking with my school board I helped to add a coding class into our school system to help with onboarding. We had very little support from our community so I campaigned each year to gain funding and by my junior year, we were connected with Boeing. I set up robotics training camps for young kids in my town so that we could encourage S.T.E.M. mindsets. I remained the elected team captain for 7 years until I graduated in May 2020. I grew the team from a small 5-member team into a bustling 15+ team who placed at regionals every year I was a member. This club instilled within me a desire to not only be a great engineer but to also bring those around me to success.
FTC Robotics
August 2018 – May 2019
This project was early on in my introduction into robotic design. I was president of this organization and was tasked with creating a robot to autonomously pick up and stack blocks. With a very small budget and little oversight I was able to complete this project and place at the state competition. I included this example as it shows my development as an engineer and how the quality of my work has transitioned over time.
Skills Developed:
Robotic Design – Motor Systems – Electrical Integration – App Development – Team Management