WPI and Aerospace

The quick summary: my name is Alex Hodge. I am a fourth year aerospace engineering student at WPI.

When I was 7 years old I got on my first plane, a JetBlue A320. As my family and I were boarding the jet, my parents asked the crew for a photo of me in the cockpit. To my delight, the crew obliged. Young, impressionable, and new to the concept of flying, I took my seat in the First Officer’s chair. I gazed at the hundreds of tiny glowing buttons dials and switches that filled the cockpit. It would be an understatement to say that I was amazed. On that day, my mission began: learn as much as I could about this amazing and complex machine of wonders. That mission brought me to WPI, where as an aerospace engineer I learned about the flight dynamics and navigation techniques of aircraft.

Some of the projects I’ve worked on:

Aerial Refueling Tanker Design

This project, completed for the fulfillment of AE4770 “Aircraft Design”, details a next-generation variant of the Boeing KC-135R. The report includes an iterative MATLAB weight estimation algorithm, a hybrid laminar flow system, and more!

Grade: A

Design and Testing of Lattice Structures for Vibrational Attenuation in Jet Engines

This project, currently in progress for the fulfillment of WPI’s Major Qualifying Project requirement, is an investigation into the physical properties of lattice structures to determine whether they can reduce vibrations in jet engines and act as a structural component. This includes design in nTopology, simulation in Ansys, 3D printing, and physical testing + data collection using a shaker and vibrometer.

Grade: A

Strengthening WPI’s Presence in the Pacific: A Plan to Launch the Oceania Hub

Completed for the fulfillment of WPI’s “Interactive Qualifying Project” requirement, this report is a detailed outline that serves to guide the Global Studies Program through the process of launching the new Oceania Hub. The report includes a monograph titled Indigenous Knowledge & Identity Throughout the History of Oceania, featuring a range of interviews with cultural experts.

Grade: A

(The) Pup Watcher

The Pup Watcher is my final project for ME3902 “Engineering Experimentation”. I was given complete creative freedom to design a project that incorporated multiple components (e.g. proximity sensors, cameras, lights, photoresistors). The resulting Raspberry Pi & Python-powered device is able to detect when a dog is eating from their food bowl, take a photo, and send it to a designated Twitter account.

Grade: A