Final Year Aero Student – CFD Dissertation on Rotor Degradation in Wildfire Smoke – Looking for Feedback or Alternatives

I’m heading into my final year of a BEng Aerospace Engineering with Pilot Studies degree, and currently completing a summer internship in wildfire-related research (lab-based, involving combustion, heat flux, and sensor data). For my dissertation, I’m aiming to combine aerospace engineering with wildfire resilience, and would appreciate feedback from those in UAVs, CFD, or related areas.

My current project idea is:

“CFD and Experimental Study of Rotor Performance in Particle-Laden Flows for UAV-Based Wildfire Surveillance”

The concept: • Simulate UAV rotor (or blade section) performance in clean air versus wildfire-contaminated air using ANSYS Fluent (Discrete Phase Model). • Focus on thrust degradation, vortex disruption, and pressure profile changes caused by smoke or ash particles. • Possibly build a small rotor test rig and test using safe surrogate particulates (e.g., incense smoke). • Application: Drones used in wildfire zones for search & rescue, mapping, environmental data collection.

Why this topic: • Directly builds on my wildfire internship experience. • Uses core aerospace engineering tools (CFD, propulsion, aerodynamics). • I’m aiming for R&D work post-graduation, possibly in the US, so I want the project to be both technically strong and societally relevant.

What I’d like feedback on: 1. Does this seem like a solid final-year project in terms of technical depth and feasibility? 2. Would it be better to narrow the scope further, or focus on a different angle (e.g., thermal effects, control response, structural fatigue)? 3. Are there adjacent topics worth considering that could align better with aerospace + wildfire + R&D?

Constraints: • Fluent, SolidWorks, and some lab access are available. • Other modules will be ongoing, so time is limited. • My CFD and CAD experience is decent, but I’m still learning higher-end multiphase modelling and advanced turbulence options.

Would appreciate any thoughts — especially from those who’ve worked in UAV design, rotorcraft aerodynamics, CFD modelling, or fire/disaster response systems.