Any advice or criticism would be greatly appreciated!
My Strive for Success
Like many children, I was captivated by flying objects and space exploration. Growing up I visited aerospace landmarks like the Kill Devil Hills and Cape Canaveral. Such trips fueled my developing mind with questions of how amazing feats like powered flight and rocket propulsion were possible. Amongst all this evidence it is obvious I have always had a great interest in air and space flight. However after high school, turning a blind eye to these indicators, I followed my athletic abilities to collegiate lacrosse. As a hardworking student athlete, introductory engineering courses were appealing but my specific future was foggy. Finally, one day in Fluid Mechanics the fog cleared. The discussion of lift and drag forces generated a spark that ultimately ignited my passion for everything aerospace. From that point on I sought any opportunity to better my foundation of engineering fundamentals in preparation for a life as an aerospace engineer. I learned the importance of pushing myself to expand and adapt my knowledge to take on any new experience. This same drive will empower my dedicated graduate study at the University of Florida, to definite success. Doing so in pursuit of my ultimate goal to lead a life contributing to continued achievements in aerospace engineering.
Upon realizing my true calling I embarked in search of aerospace knowledge. With no aerospace courses or research at my school, I focused my efforts on anything to do with Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer and Thermodynamics. Taking a course in Wind Power offered a great introduction to the aerodynamics of airfoils. My apparent interest invoked the professor to suggest further reading from John D. Anderson's Introduction to Flight. I read it cover to cover. Everything from aerodynamics and aircraft performance to propulsion and hypersonic flow reinforced my deep interest in aerospace engineering. Acting on this idea, I sought possible undergraduate research with my Wind Power professor. My programming knowledge was minimal at the time and consequently, I was not able to benefit the research. This notion had a profound impact on me, causing me to grasp the importance of scientific computing and begin learning C programming. Nonetheless throughout that semester I persisted for opportunities and finally my professor offered me a short paid task. This job consisted of composing a procedure to model wind turbine blades using a 3-Dimensional Computer Aided Design (CAD) program. Specific interest was on the method of importing different airfoil geometries along radial positions of the blade, to enable smooth lofting of surface contours. This procedure was then used by the Professor's graduate students in the modeling portion of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study. My unstoppable interest in everything aerospace pushed me to continuously seek new learning experiences.
During the past year I applied my interests to research concerning numerical simulations of multi-phase flows. Adapting to these high level concepts took the combination of strong engineering fundamentals and motivated work ethic. The simulation, written in FORTRAN, used a Volume of Fluid (VOF) method to model an accelerated molten droplet impacting a solid substrate. Acclimating to a new programming language was easier having previously programmed in C, finding knowledge on the subject however, required me to truly hone my research skills. To increase the effectiveness of the simulation, my studies concentrated on the heat transfer and consequent adhesion of the coating. The more I could take in on any related topics, the more effective my understanding and therefore ability to benefit the work could be. Such as when I came across research on water droplets on rough surfaces that helped understand the dynamic molten coating on substrate being simulated. This opportunity showed me how the knowledge sharing capabilities available today enable for rapid advancement in science and engineering. My research was an exciting experience; however, at the time the majority of my day out of class went to my senior design project.
My senior design team consisted of mechanical and electrical engineers. I held the lead engineer position in the design and implementation of a subsonic wind tunnel for testing models of vertical axis wind turbines. This project developed my leadership skills and built my knowledge of experimental aerodynamics. It also allowed me to apply my experience with commercial modeling and analysis software such as MATLAB, ANSYS and SOLIDWORKS. My design team finished on-time with complete customer satisfaction while remaining 11% under budget. I concluded that semester by graduating Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Balancing research and managing a yearlong project on top of the demands of a rigorous engineering curriculum continuously pushed me to become the highly organized, responsible and result-driven individual I am today.
Seeking a Master's Degree from the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department will allow me to pursue my dream to work at continued progress in the field of aerospace engineering. Specifically I will study propulsion systems and hypersonic flows. I find thrust engines fascinating. Working on the optimization of any type of flight propulsion would be my ideal career. Considering the rise of commercial space programs and the undeniable benefits of high speed transportation, knowledge of hypersonic flow will be essential in contributing to new and advanced propulsion technologies. The thermoaerodynamic processes occurring in high speed propulsion engines create highly complicated flows. For instance, the low residence time potential in a supersonic combustion chamber requires that mixing and flame holding techniques be optimized to reach the safety and reliability standards of any conventional engine. The advance of plasma actuator, or Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) techniques show great promise in controlling elements of high speed flows. These complex topics make empirical data essential for validating computational models. Therefore I plan to continuously explore either experimental or numerical methods for any experience that will increase my knowledge and ability of propulsion engineering and high speed flow physics.
Upon acceptance I will pursue study under the Thermal Science and Fluid Dynamics discipline. Building on my successful reputation, I will become published as soon as possible. The Combustion and Propulsion Group has an impressive list of credited works. I recently read one of these publications, The Scramjet Engine by Dr. Corin Segal. I found his book to be a great resource for information on the current progress of hypersonic air-breathing propulsion engines. Dr. Segal briefly mentions the Single Stage To Orbit (SSTO) flight vehicle as a realistic and logical future. Realizing this technology will require the development of a high performance combined cycle propulsion engine. This open frontier for technologic enhancement is both exciting and motivating. In these engines, I see the application of plasma flow control techniques like those studied by Dr. Subrata Roy and the Applied Physics Research Group, a significant option. The University of Florida therefore provides the perfect environment for applied motivation towards sculpting my intellect into a scholar that will contribute to the definite future of reusable Transatmospheric flight vehicles powered by combined cycle propulsion engines.
My drive for increased aerospace knowledge has sent me after a variety of experiences that have shaped my engineering fundamentals. In this process I have grown to value an open mind in the adaptation of any project at hand. I know the importance of utilizing necessary tools and resources. Similarly, I believe to be fully capable I must continue to expand both my understanding of computational and experimental methods. Specifically I will concentrate on propulsion systems and hypersonic flows while considering the relative benefits of plasma on flow. My motivation and supreme interest in aerospace engineering will prove substantial value to the University of Florida. As a Gator I know I can look forward to an exciting graduate study and the undertaking of groundbreaking research. I greatly appreciate your time in consideration of application. I hope you will give me the opportunity to pursue my goals. Together we can further mankind's knowledge and capabilities of high speed flight.
Like many children, I was captivated by flying objects and space exploration. On growing up, I visited aerospace landmarks like the Kill Devil Hills and the Cape Canaveral. Such trips fueled my developing mind with questions of that how the amazing feats like powered flight and rocket propulsion were possible. Amongst all this evidence it is obvious that I have always had a great interest in air and space flight. However after high school, turning a blind eye to these indicators, I followed my athletic abilities to collegiate lacrosse. As Being a hardworking student athlete, introductory engineering courses were appealing to me but my specific future was foggy. Finally, one day in Fluid Mechanics the fog cleared. The discussion of on lift and drag forces generated a spark that ultimately ignited reignited my passion for everything pertaining to aerospace. From that point on, I sought any opportunity to better my foundation of engineering fundamentals in preparation for a life as an aerospace engineer. I learned the importance of pushing myself to expand and adapt my knowledge to take on any new experience. This same drive will empower my dedicated graduate study at the University of Florida to definite success. Doing so in pursuit of my ultimate goal to lead a life contributing to continued achievements in aerospace engineering.
