Aerodyne Research, Inc.
Center for Aero-Thermodynamics

 

The Center for Aero-Thermodynamics at ARI is active in a wide variety of research efforts where coupled fluid flow and kinetics problems pose complex, interdisciplinary challenges in modeling and experimental measurement. State-of-the-art numerical tools are developed and applied through coupling Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tools to kinetic models of chemical reactions and/or physical processes in order to simulate and analyze phenomena ranging from combustion through aerosol formation and development. Advanced diagnostic measurement techniques are employed in sophisticated small-scale laboratory testing facilities at Aerodyne or taken to government or industry test facilities for problems ranging from engine emission characterization through exhaust system design. Research in these areas is supported by U.S. government agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Army, Navy and Air Force and by industry sponsors.

RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY AREAS

• High Spec Sensitive Measurement of Exhaust Pollutant Species

• Aircraft Plume and Wake Effects

• Contrail Formation - Chemical and Microphysical Modeling

• Turbine and Nozzle Chemical Processes

• Gas Turbine Combustion / Emission Control    

• Mixer / Ejector Nozzle Cold Flow Simulation Facility       

• Exhaust Afterburning Mechanisms 

• Source Characterization and Dispersion Modeling for Reactive Chemicals

ARI INTERNAL FACILITIES INCLUDE:

• Tunable Infrared, Visible and Ultraviolet Laser Fluid Flow and Property Diagnostics 

• Premixed Laminar Flame Burner 

• High Temperature Kinetics Flow Reactor 

• Cold Flow Simulation Facility

ARI NUMERICAL MODELING CAPABILITIES  

• Chemical Kinetics Packages coupled to Flow Solvers 

• Aerosol Microphysical Models of Nucleation, Condensation, and Coagulation 

• Flame Models, Perfectly-Stirred Reactors, and Plug-Flow Simulation 

• Gas Turbine Engine Cycle Simulation 

• Parallelized Beowulf Computational System - PC/Linux/MPI/LAM

ARI ALSO UTILIZES A WIDE RANGE OF SPECIALIZED EXTERNAL RESOURCES:

• NASA NAS SP2 Parallel Machine - via Internet connection 

• NASA Lewis PSL Engine Test Facility 

• AEDC Engine Test Facilities 

• MIT Gas Turbine Laboratory Flow and Thermal Facilities

For more information contact:

Dr. Richard C. Miake-Lye, Director
Phone: 978-663-9500, Ext. 251
Fax: 978-663-4918
e-mail: rick@aerodyne.com

AERO-THERMODYNAMICS PERSONNEL

An interdisciplinary group of ARI scientists and engineers is focused on this area. They also draw on the entire ARI staff for specialized support, as well as maintaining intensive interaction with university faculty as team members and consultants.

Richard C. Miake-Lye, Ph.D, Applied Physics, Stanford University

Dr. Miake-Lye's work is directed toward understanding the environmental impact of airplanes, focusing on the physical and chemical evolution of exhaust flowing from propulsion systems. Field studies, such as APEX1-3, AAFEX, and several military engine tests, as well as sub-scale physical models, and numerical models have been pursued to assess problems related to system performance, engine emissions characterization, and contrail formation. A tunable diode measurement technique for trace gas emissions has been developed and is being applied in support of the emissions characterization effort. In addition, a new Aerodyne measurement technology, the Aerosol Mass Spectrometer, is being applied to characterizing the particle emissions from aircraft engines. Additional advanced techniques are being developed for both particle and gaseous species measurements in parallel with on-going improvements in related microphysical modeling.  One major thrust of these efforts is to understand the effects of emissions from gas-turbine engines powering the commercial aviation fleet, both existing and planned, on the global atmosphere and as a contributor to regional air quality.  In addition to these research efforts, Dr. Miake-Lye serves on the SAE E-31 committee, Aircraft Engine Emissions Measurement, and was committee chair for five years.  This committee writes Aerospace Information Reports and Aerospace Recommended Practices specifying measurement procedures for characterizing emissions from aircraft engines.  He is currently Research Focal Point for Local Air Quality to the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO's)  Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP), and supports its working groups on environmental issues.

Simon E. Albo, Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Northwestern University

Dr. Albo joined Aerodyne in December 2007. His research is currently focused on developing an inverse modeling tool to determine release initial conditions based on dispersion measurements. During his Ph.D. he developed and applied multiscale modeling tools to study mass transport, residence times and selective oxidation in nanostructured membranes. This work included building a combination of atomistic, coarse-grained and macroscopic models. Previously, he worked on studying the solubilities of solids in supercritical CO₂ using molecular simulations; and also in the macroscopic modeling of hydrotreatment reactors in the petrochemical industry.

Lino A. Gonzalez, Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Gonzalez is a Senior Engineer in the Center for Aero-Thermodynamics.  His research is currently focused on the oxidative desulfurization of jet fuels for their use in Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs).  With his expertise in continuum and microphysical modeling, he will also be involved in modeling the microphysics of particulate matter formation in the exhaust streams of aircraft engines.  For his doctoral research at MIT, Dr. Gonzalez developed techniques to size-selectively trap and focus submicron, nonmagnetic species immersed in magnetic nanofluids using negative magnetophoresis.  The experimental results obtained in this work were modeled using continuum and Brownian-dynamic simulations.

Oluwayemisi (Luwi) Oluwole, Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Oluwole (Senior Chemical Engineer) leads research in computational science; both algorithms and applications. Recently his work has focused on developing and advancing: 1) solution techniques for inverse problems based on tangent-linear and adjoint concepts, with specific application to identification and quantification of atmospheric pollutant and hazardous release sources; 2) large scale data analysis techniques, with broad applications including dimension reduction and complex system modeling; and 3) large scale reacting flow modeling, with emphasis on combustion kinetics. An important goal in Dr. Oluwole’s work is increasing the impact of scientific knowledge on real-world problems through computational science and engineering. For his doctoral thesis at MIT, Dr. Oluwole developed mathematical methods and software tools to enable efficient detailed modeling of complex reacting flow systems. This research was particularly focused on enabling strict control of solution accuracy when using the simulation method of Adaptive Chemistry, as well as developing reduced chemical reaction mechanisms that accurately model hydrocarbon combustion over specified reaction conditions.

J. Jay Peck, Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Peck is a Senior Engineer in CATD since June, 2008.  With his expertise in heat transfer and fluid dynamics, he is currently involved in the development of a sampling probe for aircraft engine trace gas, and a plume aging chamber to simulate aircraft particulate emissions.  Prior to joining ARI, Dr. Peck developed combustion systems for micro-scale (“MEMS”) gas turbine engines for his doctoral thesis at MIT.  His research focused on developing a micro-scale heat source utilizing logistic fuels such as JP8.  Stable combustion was demonstrated, proving that a micro-combustor can be used as a reliable heat source for micro-gas turbine engines as well as heat-to-electricity converting devices such as thermoelectrics and thermophotovoltaics.  Dr. Peck’s research interests include portable power generation, heat and mass transfer phenomena, and Power-MEMS.

Michael T. Timko, Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

As a senior chemical engineer at Aerodyne, Dr. Timko leads experimental programs in two related areas: 1) characterizing the volatile particles emitted by gas turbine engines and 2) oxidative desulfurization of fossil fuels.  The gas turbine engine studies are part of a much larger program involving CATD, CACC, and CAEC personnel.  Dr. Timko’s programs are focused on identifying the chemical components in the volatile particles (sponsored by NASA) and developing a controlled means to convert gaseous material to the particle phase (sponsored by the Air Force).  MIT collaborators assist with the Army sponsored oxidative desulfurization program.  The core desulfurization technology is an inexpensive catalyst which has been shown to remove more than 99% of the refractory sulfur content present in diesel.  Reaction times (<60 min) and conditions (ambient pressure and near-ambient temperature) are modest.  As a chemical engineering doctoral student at MIT, Dr. Timko combined experimental and theoretical characterization of power ultrasound as a means to emulsify supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) and water.  During his Ph.D. studies, Dr. Timko became an expert in green chemistry and engineering.  Following his work at MIT, Dr. Timko was a post-doctoral researcher in Dudley Herschbach’s chemical physics group in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University.  His work in molecular beam slowing and cooling has promise in the fields of high resolution spectroscopy, ultracold chemistry, quantum computing, and atom lithography.

Hsi-Wu Wong, Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Northwestern University

Hsi-Wu Wong joined Aerodyne in September 2005.  Previously, he was a postdoctoral researcher at MIT, where he worked on developing kinetic models for various systems.  His research involved predicting yield bounds of selective propylene oxidation for the design of novel catalysts.  He also investigated reaction kinetics of trialkyl phosphate hydrolysis in biological and nuclear waste removal processes.  Hsi-Wu obtained his Ph.D. from Northwestern University, where he studied the formation chemistry and reaction kinetics of the next generation semiconductor nanomaterials, silicon nanoparticles.  Current research involves modeling microphysics and chemistry of particulate matter formation from aircraft engines.  This topic has gained a lot of interest due to growing concerns over air quality and its effects on human health.

Zhenhong Yu, Ph.D., University of Missouri-Kansas City

Dr. Yu joined Aerodyne as a senior scientist in October 2007. His current research interests focus on the atmospheric measurements of the gas and particle-phase species involved in the formation and evolution of aerosols, which are generated in the exhaust streams of aircraft engines. Previously, he was a postdoctoral associate at Harvard University, where he worked on studying intermolecular interaction and molecular dynamics of molecular clusters by high-resolution molecular spectroscopy, as well as kinetic modeling of chemical evolution in interstellar medium.

AFFILIATED PERSONNEL

Scott C. Herndon, Ph. D., Physical Chemistry, University of Colorado

Dr. Herndon's research interests are centered on laboratory measurements of atmospherically relevant parameters. He has experience measuring gas phase rate constants for reactions involving OH, HO₂ and SH radicals. Currently he is working on determining the rate constants for the reactions which determine the fate of the HO₂ radical in the atmosphere.

Ezra Wood, Ph.D., Physical Chemistry, University of California at Berkeley

Dr. Wood joined Aerodyne in January 2005. For his doctoral research at Berkeley he developed an instrument to measure the nocturnal nitrogen oxides NO₃ and N₂O₅ by thermal dissociation - laser induced fluorescence (TDLIF). Current areas of research involve use of the Aerodyne Mobile Laboratory for the detection of several gas phase species. Dr. Wood is interested in a number of environmental problems.

Joda C. Wormhoudt, Ph.D, Physical Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Wormhoudt's current work is focused on spectroscopic diagnostics of combustion systems, including development of tunable diode laser systems for diagnostic measurements in combustion flows and investigation of several laser-based monitors of explosives pyrolysis gases. He has demonstrated the utilization of infrared fiber optic probing of decomposition processes in burning strands of solid propellant, and analyzed FTIR measurement of infrared emission from combustion sources. He has also contributed to a wide range of experimental studies of molecular infrared and visible spectroscopy and chemical kinetics.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

ACRP Report 9: Summarizing and Interpreting Aircraft Gaseous and Particulate Emissions Data, P. D. Whitefield, P. Lobo, D. E. Hagen, M. T. Timko, R. C. Miake-Lye, C. Taylor, G. Ratliff, S. Lukachko, C. Sequeira, J. Hileman, I. Waitz, S. Webb, T. G. Thrasher, M. R. Ohsfeldt, H. K. Kaing, S. C. Essama, 60p. (2008).  Airport Cooperative Research Program, Transportation Research Board, Washington DC

ACRP Report 7: Aircraft and Airport-Related Hazardous Air Pollutants: Research Needs and Analysis, E. Wood, S. Herndon, R. C. Miake-Lye, D. Nelson, M. Seeley,  65p. (2008).  Airport Cooperative Research Program, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC

ACRP Report 6: Research Needs Associated with Particulate Emissions at Airports, S. Webb, P. D. Whitefield, R. C. Miake-Lye, M. T. Timko, T. G. Thrasher, 59p. (2008), Airport Cooperative Research Program. Transportation Research Board, Washington DC

"Engine Design and Operational Impacts on Particulate Matter Precursor Emissions," S. P. Lukachko, I. A. Waitz, R. C. Miake-Lye, R. C. Brown, J. Eng. Gas Turb. Power 130, (2), 021505 (15 p.), 2008.

"Microphysical Modeling of Ground-Level Aircraft-Emitted Aerosol Formation: Roles of Sulfur-Containing Species," H.-W. Wong, P. E. Yelvington, M. T. Timko, T. B. Onasch, R. C. Miake-Lye, J. Propul. Power 24, (3),  590-602, 2008.

"Speciation and Chemical Evolution of Nitrogen Oxides in Aircraft Exhaust near Airports," E. C. Wood, S. C. Herndon, M. T. Timko, P. E. Yelvington, R. C. Miake-Lye, Environ. Sci. Technol. 42, (6), 1884-1891, 2008.

"Commercial Aircraft Engine Emissions Characterization of in-Use Aircraft at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport," S. C. Herndon, J. T. Jayne, P. Lobo, T. B. Onasch, G. Fleming, D. E. Hagen, P. D. Whitefield, R. C. Miake-Lye, Environ. Sci. Technol. 42, (6), 1877-1883, 2008.

"The development of exhaust speciation profiles for commercial jet engines," Final report 04-344, JETS/APEX2.  P. Lobo, P. D. Whitefield,  D. E. Hagen, S. C. Herndon, J. T. Jayne, E. C. Wood, W. B. Knighton, M. J. Northway, R. C. Miake-Lye, D. Cocker, A. Sawant, H. Agrawal and J. W. Miller, 244p., 2007.  Prepared for and available from the California Air Resources Board and the California Environmental Protection Agency.

"Laboratory evaluation of an aldehyde scrubber system specifically for the detection of acrolein," W. B. Knighton, S. C. Herndon, J. H. Shorter, R. C. Miake-Lye, M. S. Zahniser, K. Akiyama, A. Shimono, K. Kitasaka, H. Shimajiri, K. Sugihara, J. Air & Waste Manage. Assoc. 57, (11), 1370-1378, 2007.

"Overview on the Aircraft Particle Emissions Experiment," C. C. Wey, A. E. Anderson, C. Wey, R. C. Miake-Lye, P. Whitefield, R. Howard, J. Propul. Power, 23 (5), 898-905, 2007.

"Nitrogen Oxide (NO/NO₂/HONO) Emissions Measurements in Aircraft Exhausts," J. Wormhoudt, S. C. Herndon, P. E. Yelvington, R. C. Miake-Lye, C. Wey, J. Propul. Power, 23 (5), 906-911, 2007.

"Chemical Speciation of Hydrocarbon Emissions from a Commercial Aircraft Engine," P. E. Yelvington, S. C. Herndon, J. C. Wormhoudt, J. T. Jayne, R. C. Miake-Lye, W. B. Knighton, C. Wey, J. Propul. Power, 23 (5), 912-918, 2007.

"Postcombustion Evolution of Soot Properties in an Aircraft Engine, " P. M. Dajhel, S. P. Lukachko, I. A. Waitz, R. C. Miake-Lye, R. C. Brown, J. Propul. Power, 23 (5), 942-948, 2007.

"Quantification of Aircraft Engine Hydrocarbon Emissions Using Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometry," W. B. Knighton, T. M. Rogers, B. E. Anderson, S. C. Herndon, P. E. Yelvington, R. C. Miake-Lye, J. Propul. Power, 23 (5), 949-958, 2007.

"Evolution of Carbonaceous Aerosol and Aerosol Precursor Emissions Through a Jet Engine," K. D. Brundish, A. R. Clague, C. W. Wilson, R. C. Miake-Lye, R. C. Brown, J. Wormhoudt, S. P. Lukachko, A. T. Chobot, C. K. Yam, I. A. Waitz, D. E. Hagen, O. Schmid, P. D. Whitefield, J. Propul. Power, 23 (5), 959-970, 2007.

"Hydrocarbon emissions from in-use commercial aircraft during airport operations," S.C. Herdon, T. Rogers, E.J. Dunlea, J.T. Jayne, R. Miake-Lye, B. Knighton, Environ. Sci. Tech., 40 (14) 4416-4413, 2006.

"Particulate emissions from in-use commercial aircraft," S.C. Herndon, T.B. Onasch, B.P Frank, L.C. Marr, J.T. Jayne, M.R. Canagaratna, J. Grygas, T. Lanni, B.E. Anderson, D. Worsnop, R.C. Miake-Lye, Aerosol Sci. Tech., 39, 799-809, 2005.

"NO and NO₂ Emission Ratios Measured from In-Use Commercial Aircraft during Taxi and Takeoff," S.C. Herndon, J.H. Shorter, M.S. Zahniser, D.D. Nelson, J.T. Jayne, R.C. Brown, R.C. Miake-Lye, I. Waitz, P. Silva, T. Lanni, K. Demerjian, C.E. Kolb, Environ. Sci. Technol., 38, 6078-6084, 2004.

"Effect of Relative Humidity on the Detection of Sulfur Dioxide and Sulfuric Acid using a Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometer," D. Salcedo, P.W. Villalta, V. Varutbangkul, J.C. Wormhoudt, R.C. Miake-Lye, D.R. Worsnop, J.O. Ballenthin, W.F. Thorn, A.A. Viggiano, T.M. Miller, R.C. Flagan and J.H. Seinfeld, Int. J. Mass Spectr., 231, 1, 17-30 (2004).

"SAE E-31 Committee on Aircraft Exhaust Emission Measurements and an Aerospace Information Report on the Measurement of Non-volatile Particle Emissions," R.C. Miake-Lye, V. Zaccardi, Proceedings of the AAC Conference, June 30 to July 3, 2003, Friedrichshafen, Germany.  European Commission Air Pollution Research Report 83.

"Heterogeneous Reactions in Aircraft Gas Turbine Engines," R.C. Brown, R.C. Miake-Lye, S.P. Lukachko, and I.A. Waitz, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29, 10, 2000GL011447, (2002).

"A Unified Model for Ultrafine Aircraft Particle Emissions," B. Kärcher, R.P. Turco, F. Yu, M.Y. Danilin, D.K Weisenstein, R.C. Miake-Lye and R. Busen, J. Geophys. Res., 105, D24, 29379-29386 (2000).

"Measurement of SO₂ and SO₃ in Aircraft Engine Exhausts Using a Tunable Diode Laser System," J. Wormhoudt, T.A. Berfkoff, and R.C. Miake-Lye, Symposium on "Laser Applications to Chemical and Environmental Analysis", 127-129 (2000).

Aviation and the Changing Climate," R.C. Miake-Lye, I. Waitz, D. Fahey, H. Wesoky and C. Wey, Aerospace America, September, 35-29 (2000).

"Aircraft Technology and Its Relation to Emissions," J.S. Lewis, R.W. Niedzwiecki, D.W. Bahr, S. Bullock, N. Cumpsty, W. Dodds, D. DuBois, A. Epstein, W.W. Ferguson, A. Fiorentino, A.A. Gorbatko, D.E. Hagen, P.J. Hart, S. Hayashi, J.B. Jamieson, J. Kerrebrock, M. Lecht, B. Lowrie, R.C. Miake-Lye, A.K. Mortlock, C. Moses, K. Renger, S. Sampath, J. Sanborn, B. Simon, A. Sorokin, W. Taylor, I. Waitz, C.C. Wey, P. Whitefield, C.W. Wilson, S. Wu. In Aviation and the Global Atmosphere, J.E. Penner et al., eds., Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge UK, 216-270 (1999).

"Subsonic Aircraft: Contrail and Cloud Effects Special Study (SUCCESS)," O.B. Toon and R.C. Miake-Lye. Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 8, 1109-1112 (1998).

"SO_x Oxidation and Volatile Aerosol in Aircraft Exhaust Plumes Depend on Fuel Sulfur Content," R.C. Miake-Lye, B.E. Anderson, W.R. Cofer, H.A. Wallio, G.D. Nowicki, J.O. Ballenthin, D.E. Hunton, W.B. Knighton, T.M. Miller, J.V. Seeley and A.A. Viggiano. Geophys. Res. Lett., 25, 10, 1677-1680 (1998).

"Production of Sulfate Aerosol Precursors in the Turbine and Exhaust Nozzle of an Aircraft Engine," S.P. Lukachko, I.A. Waitz, R.C. Miake-Lye, R.C. Brown and M.R. Anderson. J. Geophys. Res., 103, D13, 16159-16174 (1998).

 "Aircraft Sulfur Emissions and the Formation of Visible Contrails," R.C. Brown, R.C. Miake-Lye, M.R. Anderson and C.E. Kolb, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 385-388 (1997).

"Aerosol Particle Evolution in an Aircraft Wake: Implications for the High-Speed Civil Transport Fleet Impact on Ozone," M.Y. Danilin, J.M. Rodriguez, M.K.W. Ko, D.K. Weisenstein, R.C. Brown, R.C. Miake-Lye, and M.R. Anderson. J. Geophys. Res., 102, 21453-21463 (1997).

"Kinetic Modeling and Sensitivity Analysis for B/H/O/C/F Combustion Systems," R.C. Brown, C.E. Kolb, R.A. Yetter, F.L. Dryer and H. Rabitz, Comb. and Flame, 101, 221-238 (1995).

"Infrared Tunable Diode Laser Measurements of Nitrogen Oxide Species in and Aircraft Engine Exhaust," J. Wormhoudt, M.S. Zahniser, D.D. Nelson, J.B. McManus, R.C. Miake-Lye and C.E. Kolb, Conference on Optical Techniques in Thermal, Fluid and Combustion Flows, SPIE 1995 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering and Instrumentation, SPIE 2546. (1995).

"Studies of Pyrolytic Products in Soil Using Infrared Tunable Diode Laser Detection," J. Wormhoudt, J.H. Shorter and C.E. Kolb, Energetic Materials Symposium, Materials Research Society, 1995 Fall Meeting.

"Emission Measurements of the Concorde Supersonic Aircraft in the Lower Stratosphere," D.W. Fahey, E.R. Keim, K.A. Boering, C.A. Brock, J.C. Wilson, H.H. Jonsson, S. Anthony, T.F. Hanisco, P.O. Wennberg, R.C. Miake-Lye, R.J. Salawitch, N. Louisnard, E.L. Woodbridge, R.S. Gao, S.G. Donnelly, R.C. Wamsley, L.A. Del Negro, S. Solomon, B.C. Daube, S.C. Wofsy, C.R. Webster, R.D. May, K.K. Kelly, M. Loewenstein, J.R. Podolske, and K.R. Chan, Science, 270, 70-74 (1995).

"Kinetic Model for Hydrocarbon-Assisted Particulate Boron Combustion," R.C. Brown, C.E. Kolb, S.Y. Cho, R.A. Yetter, F.L. Dryer and H. Rabitz, International. J. Chem. Kinetics, 26, 319-332 (1994).

 "Gas Temperature Measurements Using a Dual-Line Detection Rayleigh Scattering Technique," M.V. Otugen, K.D. Annen and R.G. Seasholtz, AIAA J., 31, 2098 (1993).

"Fluid Dynamic and Chemistry Effects on Thrusted Decoy Exhaust Plume IR Intensity," K.D. Annen and E.J. Strang, 20th JANNAF Exhaust Plume Technology Meeting, CPIA Pub 568, p.391, May 1991. 

Aerodyne Research, Inc.  45 Manning Road Billerica, MA  01821-3976  978 663-9500