Personnel

Principle Investigator

Joseph Kalman, Ph.D.

Degrees

Ph.D.: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2014), Mechanical Engineering

M.E.: Rutgers University (2010), Mechanical Engineering

B.S.: Rutgers University (2008), Mechanical Engineering

Interests

Multiphase combustion, metal combustion/thermites, energetic materials, insensitive munitions, combustion diagnostics (optical, spectroscopic, synchrotron-based)

Graduate Students

• Christian Rodriguez
  
  
  • B.S.: University of California, Irvine (2017), Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering
  • Project: Slab Burner
  • Research Interests: Aircraft, rocket, and spacecraft propulsion systems, Rocket and space vehicle design, Combustion performance additives
  • Major: Aerospace Engineering (M.S. with space systems focus)
  • Expected Graduation Date: 2020
• Preston Silverstein
  
  
  • B.S.: California State University Long Beach (2019), Aerospace Engineering
  • Project: Ammonium Perchlorate decomposition
  • Research Interests: Solid rocket propellant, suborbital rockets, defense rockets, and combustion of energetic composite materials
  • Major: Aerospace Engineering (M.S. with Aerodynamics and Computational Fluid Dynamics)
  • Expected Graduation Date: 2021

Undergraduate Students

• David Ramirez
  
  
  • Project: Additive manufacturing of ammonium perchlorate propellant
  • Major: Aerospace Engineering
  • Expected Graduation Date: 2020
• Alex Bonilla
  
  
  • Project: Dip-coater apparatus design
  • Major: Aerospace Engineering
  • Expected Graduation Date:
• Jacob Dickerson
  
  
  • Project: Dip-coater apparatus design
  • Major: Aerospace Engineering
  • Expected Graduation Date: 2020
• Diego Chinchilla
  
  
  • Project: Formulation effects on propellant burning rate (UROP project)
  • Major: Mechanical Engineering
  • Expected Graduation Date: May 2022
• Eric Sierra
  
  
  • Project: Formulation effects on propellant burning rate (UROP project)
  • Major: Aerospace Engineering
  • Expected Graduation Date:
• Zoey Ferman
  
  
  • Project: Measuring the Concentration and Temperature of NH3 in a propellant flame. (Honors Thesis)
  • Interests:Spectroscopy, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Defence Missile Systems
  • Major: Aerospace Engineering
  • Expected Graduation Date: May 2020
• Andy Huynh
  
  
  • Project: Counterflow Diffusion Flames
  • Major: Aerospace Engineering
  • Expected Graduation Date: December 2020
• Luis Cruz
  
  
  • Project: Particle Distibution in composite propellants
  • Major: Aerospace Engineering
  • Expected Graduation Date: May 2022
• Aaron Chui
  
  
  • Project: LabRAM Mount fixture and measurements
  • Interests: Liquid and Solid rockets, defense rockets, project management, safety, analysis, CAD design
  • Major: Aerospace Engineering (Astronautical emphasis)
  • Expected Graduation Date: December 2020

Alumni

• Robby Kellogg
  
  
  • Project: Temperature dependent thermal expansion coefficient of ammonium perchlorate (honors thesis)
  • Major: Aerospace Engineering
  • Graduation Date: 2019
  • Interests: Supersonic flows, x-ray diffraction, and spacecraft communication systems
• Andrew Roder
  
  
  • Project: Thermodynamic analysis of metal-based water desalination cycle (honors thesis)
  • Major: Aerospace Engineering
  • Graduation Date: 2019
  Alternative rocket nozzles, Rocket propellant mixture design, Deep space mission design, Spacecraft systems design, Supersonic Aircraft and Inlet Design
• Kade Peich
  
  
  • Project: Statistical heat flux distribution calculations for modelling aluminum agglomeration in propellant(honors thesis)
  • Major: Aerospace Engineering
  • Graduation Date: 2019
• Logan Furlong
  
  
  • Project: Optical strand burner design (honors thesis)
  • Major:Mechanical Engineering
  • Graduation Date: 2019
• Jeffrey Gong
  
  
  • Project: Dip-coater apparatus design (UROP project)
  • Major: Mechanical Engineering
  • Expected Graduation Date:
• Alek Nilsen
  
  
  • Project:Slab Burner Design
  • Major: Aerospace Engineering
  • Expected Graduation Date: May 2019
  • Interests: Composite design, structures, supersonic flow, combustion, propulsion systems