Missouri University of Science and Technology proudly announces the significant academic achievement of two of its bright undergraduate students, Aaron Berkhoff and Easton Ingram. Aaron, an alumnus who graduated last year with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, and Easton Ingram, a current senior in Mechanical Engineering, have collaborated to co-lead a noteworthy article recently published in the journal of Computational Particle Mechanics (JCPM).
Their article unveils a newly developed kinetic particle modeling framework that offers insights into the electrostatic transport of lunar regolith dust particles. This development could play a crucial role in the potential application of electrostatic sieving for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) on the lunar surface. Rooted in kinetic particle dynamics, their work has led to the formulation of sophisticated modules that are integral to sampling particle size distribution, resolving electric fields, and tracking the movement of charged dust grains under given electrostatic fields.
Validated by a case study on electrostatic sieving, the simulation performed by Berkhoff and Ingram achieved particle size classification performance comparable to that which is documented in the scientific literature. Remarkably, their model boasts computational efficiency, operating in a few minutes on a standard laptop, which is poised to significantly benefit researchers aiming to design and optimize systems through extensive parameter exploration. Under the expert supervision of Dr. Daoru Han, Dr. Fateme Rezaei, Dr. Jeffrey Smith, Dr. David Bayless, and Dr. William Schonberg, and financially supported by NASA and NSF, Aaron and Easton have exemplified the exceptional standard of student academic inquiry and research at Missouri S&T. This publication underscores the university’s commitment to providing undergraduate students with real-world, impactful research opportunities.