Vector Particle-in-cell Simulation of Plasma Flow in a Hall Effect Thruster: This project was performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory during my internship through the GEM (Graduate Education for Minorities) Fellowship. Ran large-scale, parallel simulations of collisionless plasmas using LANL’s Vector Particle-in-Cell code (VPIC), a fully relativistic kinetic code that solves the Maxwell-Boltzmann equations in an energy-conserving scheme. Initially examined shock development in mildly relativistic, unmagnetized collisionless counter-streaming flows (applicable to a wide range of astrophysical problems). Developed Hall Effect thruster (HET) model for VPIC by determining the relevant PIC parameters to model the HET in VPIC. Then explored the effect of varying ion-to-electron mass ratios in the HET simulations, employing an ion-to-electron mass ratio of up to 1000. Discovered plasma instabilities appear more readily as the mass ratio increases.
Collaborators: Nicole Lloyd-Ronning
Publication: None
CubeSat Microgravity Experiment: This Project was performed during my Senior Spacecraft Design course in my undergraduate career at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. This was a CubeSat project launched from the International Space Station with the mission of performing on-orbit experiments to determine the effect of microgravity and radiation on a yeast sample. I served as the Chief Systems Engineer and developed systems requirements, defined and designed interfaces, and oversaw integration and test.
Collaborators: Sebastian Cox, Joshua Engel, Joseph Gaddes, Andrew Shaffer, Taylor Guevarez, Terique Stinnie, Zachary White
Publication: Cox, S., Engel, J., Butler-Craig, N., Gaddes, Joseph., Schaffer, A., Guevarez, T., Stinne, T., White, Z. “CubeSat Payload to Explore the Effects of Space Radiation Exposure on Cell Population Growth.” (2019).
Sub-Kilowatt Electric Propulsion Project (SKEP): This project was performed while at my summer internship as a NASA Glenn Pathways student. SKEP is a small sub-kilowatt hall-effect thruster project. My responsibilities ranging from systems to testing. For systems, I worked on the requirements matrixand performed a literature review on the propulsion trade space. Participated in test build-up and served as test operator for anode orifice testing, anode flow uniformity mapping, LM1 thruster tests, and thruster characterization. Calculated discharge coefficient measurements, generated data visualization, and test statistics, and supported data analysis.
Collaborators: Gabriel F. Benavides, Hani Kamhawi, Thomas Liu, Luis R. Pinero, Timothy R. Sarver-Verhey, Corey R. Rhodes, John Yim, Jon Mackey, Timothy G. Gray, James L. Myers and Arthur G. Birchenough
Publication: Benavides GF, Kamhawi H, Liu T, Pinero LR, Sarver-Verhey TR, Rhodes CR, Yim J, Mackey J, Gray TG, Butler-Craig NI, Myers JL. “Development of a High-Propellant Throughput Small Spacecraft Electric Propulsion System to Enable Lower Cost NASA Science Missions.” AIAA Propulsion and Energy 2019 Forum. 2019.
ALBus CubeSat: This project was performed while at my summer internship as a NASA Glenn Pathways student. I worked as the Assembly Integration and Test Systems engineer on a high-power density CubeSat. Responsible for writing the environmental test plans (Random Shock and Vibrations, Deployer Fit Check, and Thermal Vacuum Tests) for the flight hardware as well as performing a dry run of the Thermal Vacuum test. Designed test hardware and the electronics stack up to mimic flight hardware for test to validate thermal models and test profiles for the run for records test with the flight hardware.
Collaborators: Katie Oriti
Publication: Naia I. Butler-Craig. “An Investigation of the Thermal Behavior of High-Power Density 3U CubeSats Capable of Supporting High Impulse Missions,” 2018 Joint Propulsion Conference, AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum, (AIAA 2018-4972)
