Aerospace, Chemical

and Material Sciences 17 March 2011

Joan Fuller

Interim Director

AFOSR/RSA

Air Force Office of Scientific Research

AFOSR

Distribution A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 88ABW-2011-0807

Transforming the Future of Aerospace Sciences

Fluid MechanicsSolid Mechanics

& StructuresPropulsion

MaterialsChemistry

The Directorate leads discovery and advancement of fundamental and integrated science that enables future air, space and cyberspace power.

Aerospace, Chemistry and Material Sciences

3

Energy, Power, and Propulsion

Complex Materials and Structures

Aero-Structure Interactions and

Control

Aerospace, Chemical & Material Sciences

(RSA)

Programs: 11 Program Manager’s Portfolios

Work Unit: >600 Individual Grants,Contracts

• Molecular Dynamics and Theoretical Chemistry

• Combustion and Diagnostics

• Space Propulsion and Power

• Thermal Sciences

• Organic Materials Chemistry

• Low Density Materials

• Mechanics of Multifunctional Materials

• Multi-scale Mechanics and prognosis

• Flow Interactions and

Control

• Aerothermodynamics

and Turbulence

• High Temperature

Aerospace Materials

RSA Investment Portfolio

4

Aero-Structure Interactions and Control

• Objective: Characterization, modeling, and exploitation

of interactions between unsteady aerodynamic flow

fields and dynamic air vehicle structures

• Critical Subjects Include:

– Turbulence & transition

– Flow control

– Unsteady aerodynamics

– Structural dynamics

– Aero elasticity

• Dr. Gregg Abate

• Lt Col John Seo

• Dr. Douglas Smith

• Dr. Ali Sayir

• Dr. John Schmisseur

• 2Lt Kevin Pohl

• Ms. Chakila Tillie

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Aero-Structure Interactions and Control

• Scientific Opportunities Include:

– Wide range of fundamental scientific challenges for micro air

vehicles related research

– Hypersonics research extending turbulence and laminar-

turbulent transitions physics to multidisciplinary study of

aerothermal materials environments

– Flow control for vehicle maneuverability and improved efficiency

– Novel in situ diagnostics to capture thermal, chemistry and

mechanical data.

• Interactions with Others:

– AFOSR, NSF, NASA, DOE, National

Hypersonics Foundational Research

Plan: Three NASA/AFOSR Basic

Research Centers (Propulsion,

Materials and Structures, Fluid Physics)30 kW Inductively Coupled Plasma Facility for High Temperature Material Testing

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• Objective: Focus on the production, storage, and

efficient utilization of energy.

• Critical Subjects Include:

– Novel energetic materials

– Combustion research

– Thermal science

– Novel propulsion methods

– Catalysis chemistry

– New ways in which energy can be

produced/collected/stored/utilized

Energy, Power, and Propulsion

• Dr. Michael Berman

• Dr. James Gord

• Dr. Mitat Birkan

• Dr. Kumar Jata

• Lt Col Brad

Thompson

• Dr. Rengasamy

(Pon) Ponnappan

• Mr. Stephen Kang

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Energy, Power, and Propulsion

• Scientific Opportunities Include:

– Alternate energy sciences for AF needs (synthetic fuels

chemistry to novel energy harvesting and storage materials)

– Turbine combustion research for enhanced energy efficiency

– Space propulsion research including signature characterization

– Low density materials for higher fuel efficiency.

• Interactions with Others:

- Interagency Combustion Working Group

(MACCCR) joint coordination of the National

Basic Research in Combustion (in particular

for Alternate Fuels), OSD Materials Reliance,

Active collaboration with AFOSR, ARO, ONR,

AFRL, SERDP, DOE, NSF, NIST, NASA, FAA

Blue light (465 nm) is used

to convert CO2 to alcohols

with a substituted pyradine

catalyst and a p-GaP

electrode

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Complex Materials and Structures

• Objective: Hierarchical design and functionality from the

nanoscale through the mesoscale to effect functionality

and/or performance characteristics.

• Critical Subjects Include:

– Materials with tunable

properties

– Adaptive morphing

structures

– Active materials with on-

demand shape and phase

change

– Reconfigurable structures

• Dr. Byung-Lip (Les) Lee

• Dr. David Stargel

• Dr. Charles Lee

• Dr. Joycelyn Harrison

• Dr. Kumar Jata

• Lt Col Randall “Ty”

Pollak

• Ms. Laura Cooney

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Complex Materials and Structures

• Scientific Opportunities Include:

– Complex materials which exploit the interaction

between environment and materials

– Active and dynamic tunable material properties

for on-demand shape and phase change

– Adaptive, reconfigurable, lightweight, and

precision deployable structures

– Thermally robust materials and new techniques

for characterizing, predicting, and controlling

thermal phenomena

• Interactions with Others:

Snapshot of an epoxy

System before failure

from coarse-grained

simulation

Joint AFOSR/RX/RH Center of Excellence

at Ga Tech on Bio Materials, active

collaboration with NASA and NSF

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PROACTIVE in the basic science research community

LEADERS in the DoD scientific community

ADVOCATES for Air Force S&T

MENTORS for future researchers

RSA -- Transforming the Future of

Aerospace Sciences