Yu, Kenneth H.
Director of Graduate Studies
Director of Advanced Propulsion Research Laboratory
EDUCATION
- Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley (1989)
- M.S., University of California at Berkeley (1988)
- B.S., University of California at Berkeley (1985)
BACKGROUND
- (1999~present) Associate Professor, Professor at Aerospace Engineering Dept., University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland
- (1990~1999) Physical Scientist at Propulsion Research Lab, Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, California
- (1989~1990) Postdoctoral Scientist, Visiting Professor at Laboratoire EM2C, Ecole Centrale Paris, France
- (1985~1989) Research Assistant at Mechanical Engineering Dept., University of California, Berkeley, California
- (1985) Aerospace Engineer at Aerodynamics Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California
HONORS AND AWARDS
- AIAA Sustained Service Award, (2013)
- AIAA Best Paper Award in Propellants and Combustion - "Effects of Fuel Density, Velocity, and Composition on Flame-Acoustic Interaction," by Ghosh, A., Diao, Q., and Yu, K. (2008)
- AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference Best Paper in Propellants and Combustion - "Scale-Up Experiments on Liquid-Fueled Active Combustion Control," by Yu, K., Wilson, K., and Schadow, K. (1998)
- JANNAF Best Paper Award at APS Meeting - "Integrated Mixing Enhancer-Flameholder Cavities in A Supersonic Combustion Duct," by Yu, K., Wilson, K., and Schadow, K. (1998)
- AIAA Best Paper Award in Propellants and Combustion - "Combustion Enhancement of a Premixed Flame by Acoustic Forcing with Emphasis on Role of Large-Scale Structures," by Yu, K., Trouve, A., and Candel, S. (1991)
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fellow (2017)
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Associate Fellow (2001)
- The Combustion Institute
- Institute for Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
- Academic Chair, 47th Joint Propulsion Conference Organizing Committee, San Diego, CA (2011)
- Conference Organizer, 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, P&C Sessions, Orlando, FL (2009)
- Technical Program Co-Chair, US-Korea Conference on Science, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, Reston, VA (2007)
- Technical Program Co-Chair, US-Korea Conference on Science, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, Irvine, CA (2005)
- Co-Editor, Advances in Combustion and Noise Control, (2003~2005)
- Technical Program Co-Chair, International Colloquium on Combustion and Noise Control, Cranfield, UK (2003)
- Associate Editor, AIAA Journal of Propulsion and Power, (2001~2004)
- Technical Committee Chair, AIAA Propellants & Combustion Technical Committee, (2002~2004)
- Conference Organizer, AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, P&C Sessions, Los Angeles, CA (1999)
INSTITUTIONAL SERVICES
- Director of Graduate Studies, Aerospace Engineering, (2022~present)
- Director, Hypersonic Center of Testing Excellence, (2012~2023)
- Director, Space Vehicle Technology Institute, (2004~2007)
- Director, Aerospace Honors Program, (2002~2004)
ENAE 455: Aircraft Propulsion and Power
This is an introductory class on aircraft jet propulsion, with the main emphasis on the fundamentals of gas turbine engines. It is intended for the upper-level engineering undergraduate student with prerequisite knowledge of elementary fluid mechanics, gas dynamics, and thermodynamics. The jet engine operating principles are presented. Many variations of gas turbines including turbojet, turbofan, turboprop, and turboshaft are examined. The central topics include: (i) thermodynamic cycle analysis that enables engine performance assessment, (ii) individual component analysis including fundamentals of turbomachinery, (iii) overall system analysis and component matching for gas turbine design considerations. Also, some additional, supplementary topics, including (iv) reviews of fluid mechanics and aerothermodynamics, (v) equilibrium chemistry involving fuels and propellants, and (vi) contemporary advances in air-breathing engine technologies are addressed to strengthen the foundation and provide the proper engineering context.
ENAE 665: Advanced Air-breathing Propulsion
This is a graduate-level introductory class on advanced air-breathing propulsion concepts. High-speed air-breathing propulsion engines currently in use or in development, such as ramjets, scramjets, pulse detonation engines, and rotating detonation engines are examined from the fundamental systems perspective as well as from the engineering points of view. Relevant equations of fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and combustion are derived for analyzing their performance, using simplifying system models and practical approximations. Additional topics include contemporary problems and special case studies involving research and development of the high-speed engines. Some of the technical challenges, including ramjet combustion instability suppression, scramjet flame-holding and mixing enhancement, and detonation initiation and control problems are highlighted and examined in more detail.