PROJECT 01 / 06 · NUSTARS, NORTHWESTERN AEROSPACE TEAM
Liquid Propulsion Nozzle
Helped develop a finite difference method (FDM) model for heat transfer in the nozzle, built in MATLAB with an implicit 2D scheme, to back up ANSYS results, learning the underlying FDM theory to expand the model.
- Built the MATLAB data analysis and visualization for temperature, flux, and stress data, including a function that incorporates temperature-varying material properties into the model.
- Drove the nozzle design and materials research, a throat insert and separated chambers with alignment pins keep performance up at high temperature while cutting cost, with further work on pin and o-ring tolerances.
- Presented the design in a preliminary design review to the propulsion chief engineer, including coupled thermal, fluid, and structural FEA with the analysis team.
314.85 psiamax chamber pressure, design case
585.80 psiahydrostatic test target (1.5× margin)
453 Kpeak modeled engine temperature
MATLAB
ANSYS
SolidWorks
Current work
The nozzle team presented its preliminary design review and is manufacturing the nozzle in-house now, ahead of hydrostatic testing and a target hot-fire in Fall 2026.
PROJECT 02 / 06 · NORTHWESTERN SOLAR CAR, SUSPENSION SUBTEAM
Solar Car Suspension
The car's front suspension had a warped rotor and seized calipers. Redesigned all four rotors to fit new calipers while minimizing weight, then designed a new rear brake bracket to go with them.
- Ran brake calculations and a cost analysis to select the replacement calipers.
- Redesigned the rotors with a larger annulus for brake pad contact and a higher factor of safety, validated in ANSYS FEA.
- Designed a new rear brake bracket mounting both the pedal-brake and parking-brake calipers to the trailing arm, and verified it in FEA against three braking load cases derived from the car's ASC regulations.
- Manufactured the rotors in-house, gaining hands-on experience with the conversational mill, waterjet, and surface grinder.
1.19 → 1.93rotor factor of safety
2.58 lbfront rotor weight
1.86 lbrear rotor weight
ANSYS FEA
SolidWorks
Waterjet
Mill
Current work
The team recently returned from the 2026 Formula Sun Grand Prix. Now serving as suspension co-lead for the next design cycle, leading the design of a new 3-wheel suspension system for the 9th-generation car, working from the 2026 ASC regulations.
PROJECT 03 / 06 · FLOW FIELD IMAGING LAB, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
Drone Wind Pathing Research
Research on wind-based route optimization for drones, focused on CFD-based design of a miniature city used to validate the pathing model.
- Designed a miniature cityscape from cardboard and acrylic sheets for real-world validation of the drone pathing algorithm.
- Used OpenFOAM CFD both to shape the city into a clear, optimized route, and to train the wind-field prediction model.
- Constructed a research-level fan wall, built from t-slot aluminum framing, to generate the city's wind conditions, running structural and modal analysis to optimize it for strength and cost.
OpenFOAM CFD
SolidWorks
ANSYS FEA
PROJECT 04 / 06 · MINNETONKA RESEARCH / MINNESOTA CENTER FOR BOOK ARTS
Paper Additive Research Project
An independent research project on how bio-polymeric additives affect the folding strength of paper, in the context of origami applications.
- Hand-made abaca paper samples at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts, alongside a University of Minnesota mentor, at varying levels of biopolymeric additive.
- Tested thickness, folding endurance, folding elasticity, and wet strength of each sample in a lab, then wrote the results up as a research paper.
- Quantified the effect of each additive on origami-relevant paper properties. 10% nanofibrillated cellulose and 0.8% guar gum gave the largest gains in folding endurance.
- Earned the Silver Grand Award at the Minnesota State Science & Engineering Fair, plus a regional award from ASM International.
+13.78%folding endurance, 10% NFC
+11.69%folding endurance, 0.8% guar gum
8bio-additive combinations used
Top 10%of projects, Silver Grand Award
Mechanical testing
Excel data analysis
Project presentation
PROJECT 05 / 06 · DESIGN THINKING & COMMUNICATION, NORTHWESTERN
Extend-a-StickExtendable Walking Stick
A client with muscular dystrophy needed a portable, discreet way to independently stand up from any chair. A team of four built an extendable walking stick that lifts a seated user with the flip of a switch.
- The design was chosen through mock-up testing with the client, for its portability and discreetness, a switch-activated linear actuator, a rechargeable drill battery, and a 3D-printed shell housing the circuitry.
- Led the brainstorming and design decisions, contributed most of the sketches and SolidWorks CAD, and iterated through 3D prints of the shell and the battery connection.
1,000 Nlift force (220 lb)
20 inactuator stroke length
400extensions per charge
5 lbactuator weight
SolidWorks
3D Printing
Project presentation
PROJECT 06 / 06 · DESIGN THINKING & COMMUNICATION, NORTHWESTERN
EasyPourAutomatic Granular Dispenser
Designed for a school serving students with limited motor skills, so they could take part in vocational pouring and dispensing tasks with more independence.
- A stepper-motor-driven auger dispenses controlled quantities of material, and a lazy-susan turntable lets one hands-free fill multiple containers, and windows into the mechanism keep students engaged with how it works.
- Contributed most to the design, printing, and manufacturing of the mechanical parts, including optimizing the auger and its stand for a smaller footprint and easy teardown for cleaning, and produced most of the CAD visuals for the client presentation.
5containers filled per cycle
2accessible switch inputs
$150build budget
SolidWorks
3D Printing
Project presentation
