Research Activities and Facilities

Aero Fluid Mechanics   Laboratory (Rms. 051, 053, 725-3290)	Research in this lab is dedicated to basic studies of the fundamental properties of turbulent and reacting flow. Areas of interest include measurements of the structure of turbulent flames, direct numerical simulation of free shear flows, and use of topological methods for interpretation of complex three-dimensional vector fields. Recent projects include studies of fast-burning fuels for hybrid propulsion and decomposition of nitrous oxide for space propulsion.
Aerospace Computing Lab (Rms. 005, 723-6021)	The principal focus of the ACL is the development and application of numerical techniques in the design of aerospace products. The basis of these numerical techniques lies in the application of multigrid methods pioneered by Professor Jameson in the past decades. These methods are being used to solve mathematical models of fluid flow ranging from the linearized potential flow equations to the fully non-linear unsteady Navier-Stokes equations. The computational efficiency of these techniques has made them the de facto standard in the aerospace industry. These codes have been used to analyze and design vehicles ranging from sailboats to commercial airliners.
Aerospace Design Lab (Rm. 010a, 723-9564)	The Aerospace Design Laboratory (ADL) was established in order to foster the use of high-fidelity analysis and design tools in a variety of aerospace design problems including aircraft, turbomachinery, launch vehicles, helicopters, and spacecraft. The lab has three main areas of interest: development of discipline-specific advanced algorithms for the simulation of complex physical phenomena, advanced methods for design of complex systems, and practical applications of these advanced design tools. The goal at the ADL is to develop and test new algorithms and methodologies in abstractions of design problems that contain all the ingredients of industrial, real-life design problems, not just academic examples. This work is (or has been) funded by NASA, DARPA, DoE, AFRL, AFOSR, Boeing, Raytheon Aircraft, and the US Navy, among others.
Aerospace Robotics Laboratory (Rm. 017, 723-3608, -3677) (Rm. 10)	The ARL continually creates experimental systems for developing advanced robot systems and new control techniques with applications to free-flying space robots, to undersea and air systems, to mobile ground robots, and to industrial automation. The focus is on the human-robot team, with the human at the strategy and task-command level and the robot system doing the real-time planning and precise task execution. The modus operandi is to pursue entirely new control system concepts, one after another, to full experimental proof of concept. Outdoor and indoor precision GPS (2 cm) systems are an integral part of each of the above vehicle systems (except undersea). Joint projects are underway with the Computer Science Robotics Laboratory in the full vertical integration of task conceptualization, planning, and quick, precise execution. Experimental extension of these concepts to deep-underwater robotic vehicle development is being advanced with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
Aircraft Aerodynamics and Design Group (Rm. 464; 723-1640)	The Aircraft Aerodynamics and Design Group at Stanford University is involved with research in applied aerodynamics and aircraft design. Work ranges from the development of computational and experimental methods for aerodynamic analysis to studies of unconventional aircraft concepts and new architectures for multidisciplinary design optimization. The Flight Research Lab is devoted to studies of unusual aircraft configurations and novel flight control concepts; there, flight experiments involving small remotely-piloted aircraft instrumented with computers and sensors are used to augment results from analytical design studies.
GPS Laboratory (Rm. 452, 723-3755)	The GPS Laboratory is studying and building systems for vehicle navigation and attitude determination. Since the GPS satellite navigation system became operational in 1993, there is increasing interest in an array of applications for this technology. Specific Stanford accomplishments to date include: the demonstration of attitude determination with GPS in aircraft and spacecraft; the demonstration of centimeter-level accuracy in aircraft navigation during automatic landings; the demonstration of meter-level accuracy over continental areas using wide area differential techniques; the demonstration of the use of GPS for precision farming and open pit mining; and the demonstration of precision formation flight. In addition, the laboratory has been instrumental in the design of the new 3-frequency signals for future GPS satellites, and expects to be a leader in the development of this capability.
Gravity Probe B Project (GP-B) (HEPL, 725-4101)	The Gravity Probe B is a NASA satellite program being developed at Stanford. It is the largest program delegated to a University by NASA. GP-B supplies two entirely new, very precise, tests of Einstein's general theory of relativity, our fundamental, but very incompletely tested, theory of the large-scale structure of the Universe. Based on observations of gyroscopes in a "drag-free" satellite flying in Earth orbit, the mission will provide (a) by far the most precise test of general relativity ever attempted, and (b) the first measurement ever on one of Einstein's most fundamental predictions, the phenomenon of frame-dragging. These measurements have deep implications for unifying gravity with the other forces of nature, and for interpreting astrophysical phenomena.
Guidance and Control Labs	The Guidance and Control Laboratories include a wide spectrum of specialized facilities for making and testing novel instruments and control systems of extremely high precision. Applications include aerospace vehicle guidance and control, sensing instrument development and applications, robotics for manufacturing and operations in space, precision engineering and fabrication, and ultraprecision machine tool design and development.
Hybrid Systems Lab (Rm. 032, 736-2103 and 736-4116)	The Hybrid Systems Laboratory is designing algorithms for the analysis and control of complex aerodynamic systems. Research ranges from systems design and control for the next generation of Air Traffic Systems, through the development of algorithms for automatic flight-mode switching in flight-management systems, to the design and control of a team of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
Multidisciplinary Aerospace Simulation (Rm. 028, 733-8482)   (Rm. 023, 723-7098)	Research in multidisciplinary aerospace modeling and simulation is carried out by Prof. Farhat's research group (FRG). It designs, analyzes, develops, verifies, and validates whenever possible mathematical models and computational methods for the high-performance simulation of multidisciplinary aerospace engineering problems, among others. It specializes in distributed computing and massively parallel processing. Recent efforts focused on and continue to address structural dynamics, contact problems, CFD on moving grids, nonlinear aeroelasticity of fighter aircraft, fluid-structure interaction, acoustics, inverse problems, and shape optimization. Current emphasis is on aerothermodynamics, parameterized aeroelastic reduced-order modeling, near real-time computing, multiscale approximation methods, explosions and implosions, the dynamics, aerodynamics, and aeroelasticity of Formula 1 cars, and various large-scale applications in aerospace and marine engineering.
Networked Systems and Control Laboratory (Rm. 009, 723-1031)	The Networked Systems and Control Lab is developing algorithms and techniques for modeling, analysis, and robust design of complex interconnected and distributed systems. This research is at the intersection of dynamics, control, and computation. Applications include systems of multiple, semi-autonomous vehicles and data networks.
Space and Systems Development Laboratory (Rm. 001)	The Space and Systems Development Laboratory (SSDL) provides graduate students with a world-class education and research in the field of space system design, technology, and operation. SSDL's Satellite Quick Research Testbed (SQUIRT) trains students in all aspects of the spacecraft design life cycle through hands-on work on real, student-engineered satellites - intended to be excellent examples of simple, fast, cheap, flexible, and intelligent micro-satellite design, launched into orbit and operated from Stanford. SQUIRT also prepares students for participation in SSDL's advanced space research projects. Scientific and engineering partners in these projects include a variety of academic research centers, government laboratories, and industrial corporations. SSDL's flagship satellites are SAPPHIRE and OPAL.
Space Environment and Satellite Systems (Rm. 032B)	The Space Environment and Satellite Systems (SESS) laboratory encompasses both ground-based and space-based detection of the space environment and modeling to understanding how the space environment affects spacecraft. In particular, SESS is developing the Meteoroid and Energetic Detector for Understanding Space Situational Awareness (MEDUSSA) spacecraft aimed at characterizing the electrical effects that result when a meteoroid or energetic particle impacts a satellite. This research also includes ground-based hypervelocity impact tests to characterize the RF emission as a function of frequency, point of impact, and material strength. SESS is also focusing on understanding atmospheric effects on the ionosphere and how these ionospheric irregularities can disrupt or halt ground-to-space communication. Finally, we use ground-based radars from around the world, including Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, EISCAT in Sweden, and ALTAIR on the Kwajalein Atoll to collect plasma data formed when a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere. We use these data with sophisticated models to understand the natural debris population and their potential damage mechanism to satellites.
Structures and Composites Laboratory (Rms. 051, 054, 723-3524)	Research encompasses composite structural design, including vibration, stability, impact damage, and environmental effects; biological applications of composites; grid structures; composites in sports equipment; composite manufacturing; fiber optic and piezoelectric sensors; structural health monitoring; and smart structures. The laboratory is providing the data, design methods, and tools to make the most effective use of these materials.
Unsteady Flow Physics and Aeroacoustics Lab (Rm. 267)	The research areas of current focus include turbulence simulations, compressible shear flows, transition in boundary layers, aeroacoustics, jet noise, turbine blade heat transfer, aircraft vortex wakes and condensation trails, and numerical methods. Computational techniques are developed and used to study the fluid dynamics of a variety of problems.

[Back to Top]

aa-webmaster * [* add @stanford.edu]