Industry-University Education MoU – ASTRI

MoU AstriOn June 21st, 2017, a group of major European space manufacturing industries (all members of Eurospace: Airbus Defence & Space, Arianegroup, Avio, OHB, RUAG Space, Telespazio, Thales Alenia Space) and universities (Conservatoire National des Arts et Metiers of Paris, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, KTH Royal Institute of Technology of Stockholm, University of Montpellier, La Sapienza University of Rome, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Von Karman Institute of Brussels) have signed at Le Bourget a memorandum of understanding on an education partnership agreement aiming - through their joint and coordinated efforts - at organizing for multi-nationality teams of  students a structured transition  between their educational path and their entry into the professional world.

This is intended to take place by means of dedicated projects to be developed by teams of students coming from universities in different countries and working on industry's selected priorities, teams being selected by industry via competition of international teams.
This initiative, aiming at educating more specifically students by means of a longer industrial project phase has been given the name of: "Advanced Student Team Research in space Industry" (ASTRI), and is intended to materialize into ad hoc specific agreements involving at a time at least one industry and a team of at least five students coming from universities in at least three different countries.

Each ASTRI Programme is intended to devote globally eighteen months to carry out a project in industry with a first phase lasting six months that could be part of the thesis final project to accomplish a standard master, while a second phase, lasting the remaining twelve (12) months, would have to be carried out at the premises of one of the industrial Parties.


The MoU will remain valid for four years. It will be implemented via a first cycle of projects from early 2018 to mid-2019, with the corresponding diplomas, namely "First Distinguished Certificate of Excellence", being delivered in mid-2019. The MoU is intended to open to new Parties (industry and/or universities) at the end of each academic cycle.

PhD Best Presentation and Best Poster Awards

The faculty is pleased to announce the PhD Best Presentation Award 2017 and the PhD Best Poster Awards (PhD Symposium March 1-3, 2017) as chosen by the committee and attendees based on technical merit, relevance, originality, knowledge of subject, quality of material, and quality of presentation:

  • PhD Best Presentation 2017 - Alejandro Álvarez Laguna
    “Multi-Fluid Modeling of Magnetic Reconnection in Astrophysical and Laboratory Plasmas”
  • Best Poster 2017 in the Environmental and Applied Fluid Dynamics Department - Sara Porchetta“The Effect of the Wave Wind Interaction on the Energy Harvesting of Offshore Wind Turbines”

  • Best Poster2017 in the Turbomachinery and Propulsion Department - Tânia Cação Ferreira
    “Influence of Gas-to-wall Temperature ratio on Bypass Transition”

  • Best Poster 2017 in the Aeronautics and Aerospace Department - Joffrey Coheur
    “Uncertainty Quantification of Aerothermal Flow Simulation Through Low-Density Ablative Thermal Protection Materials”


About the PhD Symposium


The eighth symposium on the doctoral research of the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics took place during the period March 1 to 3, 2017. The doctoral students have presented the progress of their research work carried out in the three departments: Aeronautics and Aerospace, Environmental and Applied Fluid Dynamics, Turbomachinery and Propulsion. In addition to the presentations of the PhD candidates, we had the pleasure to welcome three prominent keynote lecturers who have opened each day the Symposium:    
-Dr. Russell Cummings, Technical Advisor and International Program Officer, Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), London, United Kingdom
Critical hypersonic aero-thermodynamic phenomenon: a plan for future research
- Prof. Rodney O. Fox, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, USA
Eulerian models for disperse multiphase flows     
- Dr. Ingrid Lepot, Cenaero, Belgium
Turbomachinery Optimization Research at Cenaero

61st Graduation Day

The 61st diploma presentation ceremony which will take place on Friday 30 June 2017, at 10:15 a.m.
This event will be the occasion to present a unique research activity performed during this academic year: The sloshing parabolic flight experiments (SPARGE).

The address to the graduates will be given by Prof. Benoît MARINUS, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Royal Military Academy RMA / KMS, Belgium. The ceremony will be marked by the presence of Princess Léa of Belgium who will award the Prince Alexandre of Belgium Prize.
A reception will follow the ceremony.

PRELIMINARY AGENDA

Introductory Remarks
Mr. Gaele WINTERS, Director, VKI

10:15 a.m.

Presentation of the Sloshing Parabolic Flight Experiment
Ms. Alessia SIMONINI, PhD Candidate, Environmental and Applied Fluid Dynamics Department

10:25 a.m.

On behalf of the VKI Board of Directors
Mr. Jean-Jacques DORDAIN, Chairman, VKI Board of Directors

10:40 a.m.

On behalf of NATO’s Science & Technology Organization
Dr. Thomas KILLION, Chief Scientist, NATO/OTAN

10:50 a.m.

Address to the Graduates
Prof. Benoît MARINUS, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Royal Military Academy RMA / KMS, Belgium

11:00 a.m.

Presentation of the von Karman Prize
Mr. Jean-Jacques DORDAIN

Presentation of the Belgian Government Prize
Mr. Bob VAN DEN BROECK, Office of the State Secretary Zuhal Demir (TBC)

Presentation of the Prince Alexandre of Belgium Award for the Best Presentation
Princess LÉA OF BELGIUM

Presentation of the Award for Excellence in Experimental Research
Mr. Gaele WINTERS

Presentation of the Award for Excellence in Numerical Research
Mr. Gaele WINTERS

Distribution of Diplomas
Mr. Jean-Jacques DORDAIN

11:20 a.m.

Presentation of the Best Collaboration Award and address to the graduates by the Alumni Association
Prof. M. CARBONARO, Honorary Director VKI and Vice-President of the VKI Alumni Association

12:00 p.m.

Presentation of doctoral degrees
Mr. Herman DECONINCK, Dean of the Faculty VKI

Delivery of the Award for the Best Presentation at the annual PhD symposium
Prof. H. DECONINCK, Dean of Faculty and Prof. M. CARBONARO,
Honorary Director VKI and Vice-President for Europe of the VKI Alumni Association

Vote of Thanks to the Guests
Mr. Alexandre Zapata, Member of the Research Master program

12:15 p.m.

Reception - Walking Lunch

12:25 p.m.

 

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61st Graduation Day and SPARGE

The 61st Graduation Day on 30st of June will be the occasion to present you a unique research activity at VKI:
Sloshing PARabolic fliGht Experiment (SPARGE)




The management of conventional and cryogenic propellants is one of the key technologies, which influences spacecraft or satellite operating conditions. Therefore, the prediction of the propellant behavior, i.e. the position and the topology of the fluid inside the storage tank, is of an extreme importance for example in the development of Attitude Control System. Even if the sloshing phenomenon has been extensively studied, today there is still a lack of reliable and consistent experimental database, in particular for the free surface shape, its velocity as well as the velocity of the fluid behind it. Measurements of forces and accelerations are available but they are punctual and cannot be used to have a proper CFD benchmark; global techniques, as high-speed visualization, are also commonly employed but they can give only qualitative information about the physics of the phenomenon. The aim of this project is to fill the gap, which today still exists, between the CFD simulations and the experimental characterization of sloshing. The objectives of the planned experiment are to determine both the liquid/gas interface shape and the fluid velocity during HFE 7200 sloshing in a small cylindrical closed reservoir at ambient temperature. The fluid is a replacement fluid with properties similar to aerospace propellants. During the parabolic flight test campaign the accelerations generated by the parabolic maneuver itself, will be used as trigger for a sloshing wave that can be characterized.

In order to fulfill these two objectives two quantitative visualization techniques will be used: 1) The fluorescent Particle Image Velocimetry (fPIV) and 2) the Level Detection and Recording technique (LeDaR). In order to use these two techniques, a colorant (dye) and appropriate microscopic fluorescent particles have to be mixed to the fluid and illuminated by laser sources. Two cameras will record the velocity of the fluid and the position of the gas/liquid interface on a plane of the tank, during microgravity.


Commercial sensors will measure the external accelerations acting on the reservoir during the experiment; these accelerations will be a part of the boundary conditions for the CFD simulations.
 

(1) Preparation of SPARGE at the Gravity Center

(2) Experiment team present in Novespace, Mérignac-Bordeaux: Laura Peveroni - Senior Res. Eng., Alessia Simonini - PhD student, Michel Bavier - Technician, Miguel Mendez - PhD student, Maria Teresa Scelzo - PhD student 

Congratulations to the VKI team for the wonderful race of Sunday 28 May 2017.

Despite the overpowering heat, the von Karman Institute Team finished 64th in the overall classification (out of 466 teams).

 

20 km of Brussels von Karman Institute Team

20 km of Brussels von Karman Institute Team

Among the 40000 runners, the VKI members obtained a respectable ranking with:

  • HELBER Bernd, Ranking: 191, Time: 1:17:27, Movie
  • RUBINI Riccardo, Ranking: 193, Time: 1:17:28, Movie
  • VILLAFANA Willca, Ranking: 725, Time: 1:28:26, Movie
  • MIRÓ MIRÓ Fernando, Ranking: 1814, Time: 1:31:01, Movie
  • REGNIER Nicolas, Ranking: 1823, Time: 1:31:04, Movie
  • FIORINI Domenico, Ranking: 4934, Time: 1:40:40, Movie
  • DESSET Julien, Ranking: 6015, Time: 1:43:26, Movie
  • PLANQUART Philippe, Ranking: 6022, Time: 1:43:27, Movie
  • DEMANGE Simon, Ranking: 6822, Time: 1:45:14, Movie
  • TORRES HERRADOR Francisco, Ranking: 10865, Time: 1:54:51, Movie
  • PADILLA MONTERO Ivan, Ranking: 11012, Time: 1:55:11, Movie
  • SCHWALBACH Marc, Ranking: 11393, Time: 1:56:06, Movie
  • LENAERTS Maud, Ranking: 3747 (W), Time: 2:08:26, Movie
  • VERWILGHEN Maxime, Ranking: 16911, Time: 2:14:44, Movie
  • SCANDELLA Davide, Ranking: 18056, Time: 2:22:14, Movie
  • RAMJATAN Sahadeo, Ranking: 19064, Time: 2:33:48, Movie
  • CAPRIATI Michele, Ranking: 19153, Time: 2:35:01, Movie
  • YENIGUN Onur, Ranking: 19153, Time: 1:11:41 (at 10km)