The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Graduate Speaker Seminar Series will feature a presentation, titled "Overview of Hypersonic Airbreathing Propulsion Ground Testing and NASA’s Enhanced Injection and Mixing Project," by Dr. Cody Ground, a research aerospace engineer in the hypersonic airbreathing propulsion branch at NASA Langley Research Center.

Abstract: Hypersonic airbreathing propulsion systems, such as dual-mode ramjets and scramjets, offer transformative impacts to both the civilian and defense sectors by enabling the development of vehicles with flight speeds in excess of Mach 5. However, despite rapid development over the past decade, these systems require further maturation to turn the promise of routine airbreathing hypersonic flight with reusable vehicles into a reality. Key to this maturation is the experimental ground testing of hypersonic airbreathing propulsion systems. In this talk, Dr. Ground will describe the challenges inherent to the experimental ground testing of dual-mode ramjets and scramjets and the role that NASA Langley Research Center and NASA’s Hypersonic Technology Project plays in moving these technologies forward. Then, to provide the audience with deeper insight into a specific ground test program, Dr. Ground will provide a technical overview of the Enhanced Injection and Mixing Project.

Biography: Dr. Cody Ground is a research aerospace engineer in the hypersonic airbreathing propulsion branch at NASA Langley Research Center. He specializes in the experimental ground testing of novel dual-mode ramjet and scramjet propulsion systems, both at the component and integrated system levels. He also specializes in the application of nonintrusive diagnostic techniques to the harsh environments presented by hypersonic propulsion systems.