Derek K
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at Stanford University
Expertise
Mechanical / Aerospace engineering / Physics. Best at theoretical, computational and mechanical work. Less experienced in electrical engineering.
Bio
My main interest is in the future of humanity in space. One of the greatest hindrances to space travel is the enormous distances between planets. Current rockets that burn fuel are powerful, but not very efficient and require loads of fuel that makes them very expensive. I'm interested in studying the next generation of electric spacecraft thrusters that can make long-distance space missions a reality. Outside of my research, I love music. I used to play in the school band, but now I practice the accordion, both on my own and with a few friends. I'm not very good yet, but I think it's a marvelous instrument and there are plenty of songs I'd love to learn and perform.Project ideas
Electric Propulsion vs Chemical Propulsion
Rockets are mainly made out of fuel. When the fuel burns it gets heated and expelled out, producing thrust. Fuel is heavy, and for long-range space missions, we need to carry around the fuel for the rest of the mission the whole way. It is important, then, that the fuel gives us the most bang for our buck (i.e. most acceleration per unit fuel). One project could be comparing the amount of fuel (weight) required to get to various celestial objects and back using current electric and chemical propulsion technologies. Then, also a cost analysis and comparing how long it would take.
Simulate the solar system
Learn how to code up a simulation to show the evolution of the solar system, showing all the planets orbiting the sun. You can get good experience in the importance of time-step size when doing simulations and visualization techniques (in MatLab). What would the solar system look like if we had a binary star system, or if Earth's moon were bigger? In addition, by playing around with the masses and locations of the various planets, we can show how the solar system can be unstable in the long run.