S&T researcher awarded grant to study turbulence at hypersonic speeds 

Posted by
On July 11, 2024

Dr. Davide Viganò works with Missouri S&T’s supersonic wind tunnel. Photo by Blaine Falkena/Missouri S&T.

Dr. Davide Viganò works with Missouri S&T’s supersonic wind tunnel. Photo by Blaine Falkena/Missouri S&T.

A researcher from Missouri S&T has been awarded $200,000 from the National Science Foundation to study how turbulence behaves at high speeds and how it could be used to make hypersonic vehicles more effective. 
 
“When people think of turbulence, they often focus on its downsides,” says Dr. Davide Viganò, an assistant professor of aerospace engineering. “However, turbulence can also be beneficial. This project will focus on how we can harness it to develop better hypersonic engines.” 
 
To travel at hypersonic speeds, which are over five times the speed of sound, engines need fuel to be mixed with air as quickly as possible, and Viganò says that is where turbulence will come into play. 
 
“In these engines, the fuel must be injected, dispersed and mixed with the incoming air before combustion can occur,” he says. “By studying turbulence at high speeds, we can understand how the swirling and chaotic motions can be used to mix the fluids most effectively.”  
 
For the study, Viganò will use Missouri S&T’s supersonic wind tunnel and advanced laser-based techniques to better understand how turbulence is produced. 
 
“As hypersonic flight advances, this technology will redefine the possibilities for global travel and space exploration,” he says. “The research we are doing now will have significant implications for this form of flight in the future.” 
 
The funding Viganò received from NSF will also go toward a new summer camp for high school students. The camp will launch next summer and focus on multiple STEM topics. 
 
Findings from Viganò’s study will be incorporated into an S&T graduate course focusing on turbulent flows. 

For more information about S&T’s aerospace engineering program, visit mae.mst.edu

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.

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