Current Researchers Profile
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Nelson Guerreiro |
Nelson received both his B.S. and M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland, and began his Ph.D. studies in the Fall of 2007. Nelson’s research is focused in the areas of lift distribution control and aerodynamic sensors, requiring a multi-disciplinary knowledge of subjects such as: aerodynamics, flight dynamics, controls, structures, materials, electrical engineering, and programming. Additionally Nelson is interested in aircraft modeling and simulation and flight testing.
Flight is an integral part of Nelson's life. When he is not working, Nelson enjoys flying both full-scale and RC aircraft, and plans to one day purchase his own aircraft. He is also interested in general aviation and aircraft and airline operations. One of his personal goals is to one day own an air charter service with a fleet of amphibious aircraft that provide island-hopping flights, where he will be both the owner and a pilot.
Graduate Research
Title: Lift Distribution Control using Optimal Trailing-Edge Flaps and
Conformal Aerodynamic Sensors
The purpose of Lift Distribution Control (LDC) is to demonstrate the real-time, closed-loop control of an aircraft’s lift distribution in flight. LDC uses several enabling technologies, the key of which are spatially distributed trailing-edge flaps and conformal aerodynamic sensors. The number, size and location of the trailing-edge flaps are determined using a shape optimization problem based on the desired lift distribution or set of distributions. The result is a set of trailing edge flaps that can achieve the desired lift distributions with minimum error.
Conformal aerodynamic sensors have been developed for the LDC program that can provide direct measurements of the lift and drag on an aircraft wing. These sensors implement smart materials, such as piezo-resistive inks and quantum-tunneling composites, on spatially shaded sensor apertures that are designed to extract desired aerodynamic properties from the flow on an aircraft wing by on-board integration of the distributed pressures.
The LDC research program uses these spatially distributed flaps and conformal sensors, along with custom designed flight control and data acquisition hardware, to demonstrate the measurement and closed-loop control of the lift distribution on a testbed aircraft based on a commercially available model aircraft.
Professional Objectives
Nelson’s objectives as an engineering professional are to help improve the efficiency and safety of aircraft through the use of novel technologies, such as re-configurable or morphing structures and robust and adaptive control systems.
Personal Statement
"The Morpheus Lab allows me to work in an area closely related to my passion, which is fixed wing aircraft."
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