Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Writer: Scott VanZandbergen
news@utsi.edu
Georges Henri Akiki, from the University of Tennessee Space
Institute (UTSI), won first place in the Masters Division at the
2011 Southeastern Regional Student Conference of the American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The conference,
held in Tuscaloosa, AL on April 4-5, was attended by over 200
delegates from 13 universities in the Southeastern Region.
Akiki’s award winning paper entitled “New Framework for Modeling
the Bidirectional Vortex Engine Flowfield with Arbitrary Injection”
was coauthored by his advisor, Dr. Joseph Majdalani. The paper
introduces a groundbreaking framework for modeling cyclonic motions
with arbitrary injection patterns inside a simulated,
swirl-dominated, vortex rocket engine. Despite its importance to the
modeling of trapped vortex engines, the same work may be extended to
meteorological and industrial applications such as the modeling of
hurricanes, twisters, cyclonic furnaces, and centrifugal flow
separators.
The award was presented by Dr. George F. Sowers, Vice President of
Business Development for United Launch Alliance and Mr. Alan Lowrey,
AIAA Southeastern Regional Director.
Akiki is from Kesrouan, Lebanon and received his bachelor’s degree
in Mechanical Engineering from Notre Dame University, Louaize. He
joined UTSI in 2009 where he is pursuing a master’s degree in
Aerospace Engineering.
From Left to Right: George F. Sowers, Akiki, Alan Lowrey
