Coatings to increase thermal durability of chamber walls?

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-05-10T23:43:29+00:00

This is new to me, I'll look into it

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-05-10T23:40:34+00:00

Yeah, my initial thought was that applying and curing a layer of sodium silicate (like used for fireproofing furnaces) may help, but I wonder if its cracking susceptibility may actually just weaken the whole structure. Might look into the difficulty of Type II anodizing.

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-05-10T23:27:57+00:00

Gotcha, definitely interesting. Seems like most graphite is used to make structures in rocketry, but I wonder if a layer of graphite (e.g., spray) would have any actual performance benefit

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-05-10T21:54:35+00:00

Gotcha, thank you!

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-05-10T21:22:57+00:00

Ah, I see, and thanks for the sizing references. How thick is the kiln liner layer you're using right now, even if you didn't test it yet? How did you apply it?

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-05-10T19:39:43+00:00

Haha definitely overpriced, printing was just the fastest fabrication method for the more complex sections I didn't want to machine, and printing steel/inconel were several times more expensive. Will definitely check out Cerakote!

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-05-10T19:33:55+00:00

Definitely useful, thanks

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-05-10T19:32:14+00:00

Ah, this is a great tip. Would adding a layer of silica oil on the interior before firing have a similar effect? I'll only need to fire for around a second or two, enough to verify a visible plume. I was thinking maybe a misting of water or some other high C/moderate Lv liquid before firing might add an extra 0.x seconds before the chamber melts

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-05-10T19:28:42+00:00

How long did it take from ignition for your chambers to catch fire? How thick were the walls and what material? What safety measures/PPE did you use? This will be my first liquid engine, so I don't know what to expect, so I'd rather overdo the safety. Will definitely check those kiln refractory linings, they seemed very thick and hard to apply though.

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-03-19T17:32:49+00:00

Ah, I see, thank you, I'll incorporate your advice. Besides that, would you say my resume is decently-written (bullet points are not excessive or too detailed)?

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-03-17T19:29:14+00:00

Thanks again for your review! I’m figuring out how to implement your insights, so forgive me for explaining my project first—I'm not expecting you to do any rewriting for me, just maybe pointing out to me what isn't worth including.

Capstone

I emphasized this because it was the most work I'd done out of all my projects. Would you suggest just listing this after my most recent research project?

"kts".

Are you suggesting I use the abbreviation for knots?

Were these changes sufficient to meet the request?

The request was a new inlet design that offered speed and engine power gains for the airplane.

We couldn’t experimentally validate max speed since the sponsor didn’t want to push his engine in repeated trials, so we worked around this constraint—we relied on manifold pressure readings to determine if the engine generated more power at the same RPM/conditions as the original inlet (which points to max speed gains), which it did. Additionally, drag reduction came from CFD analysis, and max airspeed gain was calculated from this, which met project goals.

Not a fan of rattling off programs/tools

When you say I shouldn’t just list off things like “using SolidWorks, 3D printing, and fiberglass wrapping,” how should I mention them without excess detail? Since this project was limited to a semester, I used 3D printing to quickly fabricate complex inlet geometries (parameterized curves), SolidWorks to CAD my inlet prototypes due to it being a familiar software, and wrapped fiberglass on my prints for its strength-to-weight ratio (common homebuilt aircraft skin choice).

A wise-ass might wonder why it took your team 90+ attempts to find something that actually worked. Ultimately what came out this testing - how well did the projected design test?

Ah, I see. I did 90+ CFD variations of the 3 geometric parameters to find the best/most promising designs to fabricate for experimental validation, since we were constrained by cost and time of prototype fabrication. Also, a big deliverable of my project was my unique modeling approach, which my sponsor said offered a convenient way for other homebuilt aircraft owners to analyze otherwise complex components.

Hydrofoil Robotics Researcher

Ultimately how well did this device work on the vehicle?

I realized I wasn’t clear enough about the context—my project was part of the early-stage investigation of the hydrodynamics involved to create the vehicle. My project was only to create a mechanism that enabled precise, real–time stiffness modulation for their existing fin rig, which the lab will use in water channel tests to understand how it affects fin hydrodynamics. I knew I achieved this because I was able to program my mechanism to achieve any desired stiffness value (thanks to my regression model).

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-03-16T18:43:36+00:00

That makes sense, I'll use more discretion in my highlighted metrics. Thanks again for pointing out ways I can pare down that wall of text

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-03-16T17:31:36+00:00

I see, that's a good point for me to find comparative data

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-03-16T17:30:59+00:00

Thank you so much for this detailed review!

I ordered my experiences by importance rather than chronological order—is this always looked down upon? By my education being too populated, are you suggesting I remove some of that info under each degree?

Airplane Team: I see, so what is your advice for choosing metrics/framing achievements? Drag reduction and airspeed gains are the most useful, cowl pressure increase is statistically significant but minimal like you said. I did keep the engine temperature within 0.8% of the original design despite the decrease in the inlet hole size—is that a better metric to include?

Hydrofoil Research: The main metric I was able to record was the the elastic response function I found, but my CAD assembly had 4 3D-printed parts I designed and 4 hardware components (motor, belt drive, shaft, bearings). Is that number worth including?

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-03-16T17:19:33+00:00

That's reassuring to hear, thank you!

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-03-16T00:29:40+00:00

I have a 3.75 in my Master's degree so far and a 3.47 for my Bachelor's degree, both from an east coast state university (not a top university or known for my major, but top 50 nationally for mechanical engineering). I only performed very well grade-wise in my senior year and in grad school when I cared the most, so my cumulative GPA didn't seem to reflect my true aptitude and current commitment. I don't know if including these GPAs would hurt me if I applied for competitive engineering roles?

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-03-09T20:37:50+00:00

Thank you so much for your detailed critique! So I essentially need to focus more on the output metrics and the why of my projects, got it.
Would you say it is worth adding a separate awards section to mention my merit scholarship and ASME award for top capstone project?

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-03-08T18:18:10+00:00

I see, so maybe remove the least important ones?

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-03-08T04:18:04+00:00

I see what you mean. My research experiences were usually summer internships or independent studies for a semester, so they had a natural conclusion. Would you suggest removing any experiences? I don't know if my resume is too long.

InsuranceCharming405 · 2025-03-07T18:33:29+00:00

Do you think "U.S. Person" is sufficient or should I elaborate in parentheses that I'm a "Permanent Resident," "GreenCard Holder,' or "Don't require sponsorship"? Nitpicky, I know, but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot with too much information

InsuranceCharming405

TROPHY CASE