JHU/ERG research staff operate the Advanced Engine & Rocket (AERo) Fuels Laboratory at a secure facility off-campus. This allows JHU/ERG to pursue state of the art research in the area of rocket & hypersonic fuels, systems, and energetics; including ITAR and applied research on NASA and DoD critical technologies.
Facilities & Equipment
The AERo Fuels Laboratory is a 3,000 sq ft secure laboratory located in the Guilford Industrial Park.
The lab is capable of performing a number of R&D and applied experimental studies as well as prototype development.
- 660 gallons of combustible fuel storage (liquid rocket & hypersonic fuels)
- Ability to produce liquid methane and LNG surrogates with controlled contaminants for test
- Thermal stability and heat transfer testing with liquid and cryogenic fuels at high heat fluxes
- Design and test of advanced heat transfer components for liquid rocket engine and hypersonic vehicles and propulsion systems
- Compact Rapid Assessment of Fuel Thermal Integrity (CRAFTI) apparatus
- Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) chemical characterization
- Real-time mass spectrometry evolved gas analysis
- Carbon deposition quantification
- Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS)
- 3D surface characterization of micro and miniature additively manufactured structures
- Materials compatibility test apparatus, NASA
Collaborative Innovation
The AERo Fuels Laboratory has a long history of collaboration with small businesses on DoD and NASA sponsored research projects, both as prime contractor and as a sub-contractor. Contact us to discuss potential synergies.
News & Publications
“Institution-Wide Effort to Address Ventilator Shortage.” JHU Engineering Magazine, 24 June 2020, engineering.jhu.edu/magazine/2020/06/addressing-ventilator-shortage/
McLean, Linda. “Hopkins Engineers Develop a Promising New Ventilator.” The Hub, 23 Apr. 2020, hub.jhu.edu/2020/04/23/engineers-develop-pumpless-ventilator/
“Two Ventilator Concepts Emerge From Design Thinking Workshop Led by Johns Hopkins APL.” JHU APL Press Release, 15 April 2020,
https://www.jhuapl.edu/PressRelease/200415
Lee, Nicole. “Making Ventilators Is Easy, but Pivoting to Do so Is Difficult.” Engadget, 22 Apr. 2020,
https://www.engadget.com/ventilators-174820581.html
McLean, Linda. “Johns Hopkins Researchers Aim for Safer, More Efficient Rocket Engines.” News from The Johns Hopkins University , 28 Apr. 2016,
https://releases.jhu.edu/2016/04/28/johns-hopkins-researchers-aim-for-safer-more-efficient-rocket-engines/
Gruss, Mike. “U.S. Air Force Awards Three Engine Research Contracts.” SpaceNews, 15 Dec. 2015,
https://spacenews.com/u-s-air-force-awards-three-engine-research-contracts/
Gruss, Mike. “Air Force Funds 3-D Printing Study for Rocket Engines.” SpaceNews, 11 Nov. 2015,
https://spacenews.com/air-force-funds-3-d-printing-study-for-rocket-engines/
“Senior Design Project: Low-Altitude Unmanned Reconnaissance Airship (LAURA).” JHU APL Technical Digest. Volume 28, Number 3. 2010,
https://www.jhuapl.edu/Content/techdigest/pdf/V28-N03/28-03-Samsundar.pdf