
Join Cool Science for Science on Tap every 2nd Monday of the month [except this month- see below] at Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs. Presenters begin at 6:30 pm and typically speak for 60-90 minutes including Q&A, with food and drink available beginning at 6:00 pm. A wide variety of fascinating topics are presented by local scientists for informal discussion, and the relaxed atmosphere encourages anyone and everyone to come explore the latest ideas in science and technology. From practical to theoretical, the presentations and group interactions provide a fun and interesting way to gain an understanding of the world around us.
Join Cool Science for Science on Tap every 2nd Monday of the month [except this month- see below] at Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs. Presenters begin at 6:30 pm and typically speak for 60-90 minutes including Q&A, with food and drink available beginning at 6:00 pm. A wide variety of fascinating topics are presented by local scientists for informal discussion, and the relaxed atmosphere encourages anyone and everyone to come explore the latest ideas in science and technology. From practical to theoretical, the presentations and group interactions provide a fun and interesting way to gain an understanding of the world around us.
Next up: Monday, April 10, 2023 at 6:30 pm
Rocket Science: Combustion Instabilities and High-speed Laser Diagnostics
Matt Quinlan, Ph.D., UCCS
Summary: In this presentation, we will address one of the major challenges in rocket science—the lack of fundamental understanding of the driving and damping mechanisms underlying destructive combustion instabilities in rocket engines. Much of rocket engine development has been based on past successes rather than first principles, resulting in a reliance on trial-and-error methods. We will, however, attempt to resolve this lack of knowledge using modern, high-speed laser diagnostics to gain insight into the processes that occur during combustion instabilities and ultimately elucidate the mechanisms that control them. By understanding these mechanisms our research can lead to more efficient and effective rocket engine designs.
Dr. Matt Quinlan is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Colorado—Colorado Springs. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University, followed by a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Prior to returning to graduate school, he worked for 5 years as a Diesel Fuel System Engineer, where he was an inventor on 4 patents. Currently, Prof. Quinlan's research focuses on the theoretical, experimental, and numerical study of combustion dynamics and instabilities.