Scholarly Commons

The adoption of small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (sUAS) represents a significant technological shift within the commercial aviation maintenance enterprise, offering the potential to improve inspection accuracy, enhance operational efficiency, and reduce maintenance-related risk. Despite these anticipated benefits, adoption intentions remain vague, influenced by a complex interplay of organizationa…

Thermal energy storage systems play an important role in improving energy efficiency, enabling load shifting, and supporting the integration of renewable energy technologies. Latent heat thermal energy storage using phase change material (PCM) offers high energy storage density and near isothermal operation, making it particularly attractive for ambient and cold temperature applications. Despite …

Understanding how mental states such as fatigue, workload, and engagement influence driving behavior is key to improving both road safety and the design of intelligent vehicle systems. With recent advances in portable electroencephalography (EEG) technology, it is now possible to study these cognitive states in realistic driving situations rather than only in clinical settings. In this ongoing re…

Understanding plasma behavior requires accurate measurement of electrical properties, such as the floating potential and plasma potential; the natural electric potential a conductive object acquires when immersed in plasma. This project, conducted in the Space and Atmospheric Instrumentation Laboratory (SAIL) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, focuses on developing a diagnostic system to me…

The Radiation Orbital Shielding Investigation Satellite (ROSISat) is a 1U CubeSat project studying the effectiveness of various shielding materials against single-event upsets (SEUs) in computer memory modules in Earth orbit. Developed by the Embry-Riddle Orbital Research Association (ERORA), a student organization at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, ROSISat provides hands-on experience in C…

This research presents an integrated study combining computational modeling and experimental validation to enhance the design and performance characterization of small-scale turbine systems. The theoretical component focuses on developing an object-oriented Python code for the preliminary design and performance prediction of radial turbines, capable of generating velocity triangles, thermodynamic…

The rapid growth in popularity of artificial intelligence, especially large language models (LLMs), has fueled a widespread desire to harness this technology for a variety of purposes. There are, however, a variety of concerns surrounding the adoption of LLMs that warrant an examination of the factors that influence user trust in these technologies. This study conducts a literature review surroun…

Pulsed Low-Temperature Plasma (LTP) has become a subject of interest in various fields, including propulsion, material processing, and medical technology. LTP flows are challenging to accurately simulate due to their physical complexities and multiscale nature, spanning scales ranging from meters on the system level to nanoscale when investigating the interactions between ions and electrons. The …

This paper answers a heretofore unasked question: What role do Nazi propaganda posters play in the broader ideological project of Volksgemeinschaft, particularly regarding the roles of industrial advancement as threatened by the anti-nation? Propaganda posters are used as a lens into how the regime depicted industrialization and technological advancement to support its racial and ideological goal…

Small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS) are being utilized in a variety of environments, where changes in air density and pressure can influence flight efficiency and control stability. This study quantified how density altitude affects electrical current draw, battery performance, and flight duration of a multirotor sUAS across varied elevations in Argentina and Chile. Standardized flight tests, …

A hurricane’s intentions are unknown until you look it in the eye. Dragoon’s Coriolis Small Uncrewed Aircraft System (sUAS) has been engineered to collect atmospheric sounding data at low altitude regimes within these severe weather events. During 2025 operations, Coriolis has been classified as a mature prototype capable of operating more than 15 continuous hours and Beyond Visual Line of Sight …

The servicing of spacecraft and other structures in microgravity requires the use of many tools. Current systems require repetitive action to install the tool to the dock, which can be cumbersome and quickly fatigue astronauts. The servicing of spacecraft and other systems in microgravity necessitates a robust device to mount tools to a tool dock. The 2026 NASA Micro-g NExT Challenge calls for a …

This undergraduate research project advances a low-cost, open-source manipulation system for a university-scale quadruped, extending the Embry-Riddle OpenMutt platform with a compact 3-R arm and modular end-effectors. Motivated by the high purchase price and limited extensibility of commercial quadrupeds, we target a reproducible, student-serviceable alternative that supports loco-manipulation re…

Only one A-type supergiant, Deneb, has a measured angular diameter from long-baseline interferometric measurements. The next two brightest A-type supergiants, η Leo and ν Cep, are expected to have angular diameters below 1 milliarcsecond, well matched for the angular resolution of intensity interferometry with Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) arrays, such as VERITAS. While VERITAS has measu…

The global coverage of total electron content (TEC) measurements from ground-based GNSS receivers and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations offers an opportunity to extract physical insights into the ionosphere. However, many current analyses treat these datasets in isolation, focusing on geometry-specific inversion methods that limit the exploitation of their complementary information. In this wo…

In space flight, medication can be a large expense to take into space. Not only the weight but the conditions may cause some medication to expire on a long-term mission. This issue is compounded by how our immune systems decline in long term space exposure. It is important to understand in what ways the immune system is affected and why it’s happening. This study explores how space flight and gam…

Over the past 40 years, the radar, satellite technology, statistical probability schemes, and numerical weather prediction models that meteorologists use to study and track tropical cyclones (TCs) have become increasingly advanced and refined. This has provided scientists with a clearer view of not only TCs themselves, but the environmental factors that impact them as well. The Statistical Hurric…

This study presents a delta wing body for the UCAH Undergraduate Hypersonic Flight Design Competition, optimized for maximum low altitude range while meeting strict requirements on Mach number, stability, thermal survivability, size, mass, and maneuver capability. The configuration blends a blunted diamond nose with a moderately swept delta planform to harness vortex lift, preserve internal volum…

The human immune system is complex and highly responsive to physiological stress, especially when subjected to spaceflight conditions. Spaceflight conditions have shown to increase the risk of opportunistic infections such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This clinically relevant, gram-negative pathogen has been found in space flight-related environments such as on the International Space Station. Indi…

This research presents the development and aerodynamic evaluation of finlets—a novel class of vortex-generating devices created by Mako Winglets. Unlike traditional vortex generators, Mako finlets utilize a unique, swept geometry optimized to enhance spanwise flow control and delay boundary layer separation on lifting surfaces. Computational and experimental analyses demonstrate that the finlet c…