REU Site: Advanced Technologies for HYpersonic, Propulsive, Energetic and Reusable Platforms (HYPER)

The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site: Advanced Technologies for Hypersonic, Propulsive, Energetic and Reusable Platforms (HYPER) at the University of Central Florida (UCF) addresses challenges in next-generation modes of transportation and energy generation. Realizing planned platforms for advanced space travel and energy production can only be achieved through multidisciplinary research. This renewal REU site will actively recruit and partner approximately 30 students over 3 years with leading faculty and graduate students at UCF. Together, these teams will advance the fundamental knowledge needed to overcome technical barriers limiting hypersonic flight. REU students will be matched with individual research projects based on their interests and skills. With the majority of their time engaged in cutting-edge research, participants also will benefit from research-oriented seminars, professional development workshops, software training, and launch pad facility tours. HYPER has several goals, most importantly, to prepare students for PhD-level research and research-oriented careers. The Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Site: Advanced Technologies for Hypersonic, Propulsive, Energetic and Reusable Platforms (HYPER) at the University of Central Florida (UCF) addresses challenges in next-generation modes of transportation and energy generation. HYPER will cultivate and unite multidisciplinary interests to study advanced structures and systems with application to hypersonics, space, propulsion, and energy. For example, components in launch vehicles are subjected to combined extreme environments where fluid-structure interactions are key considerations. Also, advanced manufacturing must be better understood to improve component performance and reduce weight. Frameworks for modeling digital versions of systems must be created to predict overall performance more accurately. Ten participants each year will gain hands-on research training in contemporary challenges such as: (1) utilizing advanced manufacturing techniques for high-value components, (2) developing propulsion methods for hypersonic flight, (3) developing novel methods for improved internal cooling and heat transfer effectiveness, (4) mitigating flutter through advanced rotor dynamic control, etc. The collection of projects are crafted to engage students in PhD-level topics; these research topics rely on approaches that cut across disciplines and techniques (e.g., experiments and simulations). As a result, HYPER will play a key role in preparing a workforce of young engineers and scientists for research careers in these areas. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.