Materials for Extreme Environments

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Lockheed Martin Visits the HVIL

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Pictured left to right: Dr. Waruna Kulatilaka, Taylor Broten (LMCO), Peter Yip (LMCO), Nathaniel Bass, Paul Mead, Sidney Davis, Gavin Lukasik, Jacob Rogers, Dr. Thomas Lacy, Khari Harrison.

On January 13th, Lockheed Martin (LMCO) Hypersonics Portfolio Program Manager, Taylor Broten, and Senior Hypersonics Research Engineer, Peter Yip, from the LMCO Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL) visited the Hypervelocity Impact Lab (HVIL). The purpose of this visit was to discuss internship and full-time employment opportunities with students for internships. Peter and Taylor also observed a series of HVI tests as part of an ongoing LMCO and HVIL research project.

Gravitics Visits the HVIL

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Gravitics Team and the HVIL led by Thomas Lacy at the Center for Infrastructure Renewal.

In February 2023, Gravitics engineers Mark Miner and Jennifer Scozzari visited the Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory (HVIL) at the Center for Infrastructure Renewal Center on the RELLIS campus. The focus of the visit was to perform preliminary testing and discuss future collaborations between Gravitics and the TAMU HVIL.

NASA JSC Team Visits HVIL at the CIR

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NASA JSC Team and the HVIL led by Thomas Lacy at the Center for Infrastructure Renewal.

In January 2023, NASA JSC team led by Drs. Eric Christiansen, the Hypervelocity Impact Technology (HVIT) lead, and Heather Cowardin of the Orbital Debris Program office toured the Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory (HVIL) at the Center for Infrastructure Renewal Center on the RELLIS campus recently.

The focus was road mapping research collaborations between NASA and the TAMU HVIL related to hypervelocity impact testing and analysis of shielding concepts for micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) and other hypersonic vehicle applications.

HVIL Experiment Featured in Aerospace America Article

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High-speed imaging methods demonstrate new diagnostic capabilities

In January, researchers at Texas A&M University developed a suite of state-of-the-art laboratory testing and advanced in-situ optical diagnostic tools for analyzing near-space weather encounters of projectiles traveling at hypersonic speeds. When objects travel at hypersonic speeds through the air, atmospheric weather effects including rain, snow, ice and suspended particles can cause severe damage to surfaces and material systems and influence boundary layers, changing the overall flight path. Solid and liquid particle interactions on materials systems at hypersonic speeds are poorly understood and also difficult to predict by complex computational models. The Texas A&M activities simulated real-world phenomena by firing hypervelocity projectiles through particle fields, as well as impacting simultaneously launched fine particles on selected material targets… read more

YouTuber Atomic Frontier Visits the HVIL

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Atomic Frontier’s James Dingley visited the Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory (HVIL) in June 2022 to discuss some of the critical challenges in hypervelocity impact research. See the YouTube video below!

 

HVIL Researcher Receives Awards from the Aeroballistic Range Association and Hypervelocity Impact Society

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Congratulations to J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering graduate student and HVIL research Jacob Rogers on receiving the Aeroballistic Range Association (ARA) Student Award and the Alex Charters Student Scholar Award from the ARA and the Hypervelocity Impact Society (HVIS), respectively (June 2022). He will be attending and presenting at the 71st Meeting of the ARA in Königswinter, Germany (Aug. 2022), and the 2022 Hypervelocity Impact Symposium in Alexandria, Virginia (Sept. 2022). To learn more about Jacob, see his bio here.

East Texas News Station Visits the HVIL to Discuss the Importance of Tornado Safety Measures

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As part of a severe weather special, Chandlor Gyorke from CBS 19 in Tyler, TX, visited the Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory (HVIL) on Friday, April 8, 2022. The HVIL researchers weighed in on the importance of seeking proper safety during a tornado. The HVIL experimental setup, typically geared toward launching projectiles to velocities ranging 1.5–8.0 km/s (3,400–18,000 mph), was modified to perform supporting impact experiments at velocities consistent with peak tornado wind speeds (200–300 mph). The modified setup and corresponding high-rate diagnostics were used to study the response of sample building materials (e.g., plywood and drywall) and representative exterior wall structures. The experiments showed that projectiles impacting at 200 to 300 mph had residual (exit) velocities 25–50% lower than the impact velocity depending on target (i.e., representative “wall”) construction. Furthermore, the results of these tests emphasize the importance of maximizing the number of walls between those at risk and the exterior (e.g., seeking shelter in a centrally located room or space).

Video Credit: CBS 19 2022 (https://www.cbs19.tv)

HVIL Researchers Present at the UCAH Spring Forum

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Researchers from the Hypervelocity Impact Laboratory (HVIL) attended the University Consortium of Applied Hypersonics (UCAH) Spring Forum held at Texas A&M University on March 30, 2022. Five posters covering key on-going hypersonic-related research were presented by HVIL personnel to representatives and subject matter experts from both government and industry. Snapshots of the researchers at the conference are provided below.

HVIL Presenters: Khari Harrison, JD Leaverton, Gavin Lukasik, Matthew Intardonato, Joseph Stricklin, Dean Biava, Brynn Martin, Jacob Rogers
Photo Credits: TEES Engineering Communications