Tennessee Tech is pushing the boundaries of aerospace technology by leading cutting-edge research in hybrid-jet propulsion and sustainable aviation energy systems.
Mechanical Engineering Professor Dr. Rory Roberts is leading a team of professors and students in those research efforts. He said the university’s rise as a leader in aerospace research is the result of strong partnerships and years of hands-on development.
“We’ve been able to secure projects from the Department of Energy’s RPE program and NASA’s Clean Zero Emission program, and that has allowed us to really take our ideas from paper to actual hardware now that we’re testing,” Roberts said.
Roberts said his work focuses on integrating turbine power, electric drive, and fuel-cell energy to reduce fuel consumption. Roberts said developing these systems will vastly improve current propulsion systems.
“Over the past five years, the lab here at the Propulsion, Power, and Thermal Systems Lab here at Tennessee Tech and the students have really worked hard in doing all the engineering analysis and development, and testing components and subsystems, and now we’re testing a full system,” Roberts said. “This is a groundbreaking technology that essentially can nearly double the efficiency of existing propulsion technologies out there, so we’re very excited to really have the opportunity to progress this with the support from our sponsors.”
In addition to hybrid propulsion, the team is also working on advancing electric aviation, an area Roberts said is the next major shift in transportation. While fully electric aircraft already exist, Roberts said that current battery limitations prevent them from being widely used for long-distance or heavy-load travel.
“If you want to take these aircraft to go longer ranges and longer, more payload, like we fly in, most of us fly in when we go to the Nashville Airport, it’s going to require a different strategy,” Roberts said. “And that’s how we kind of got into this, and our technology basically produces electricity on board for the aircraft to provide this needed power in order to enable these low-emission or zero-emission electric aviation aircraft.”
Roberts said the research is not only advancing aviation technology but also creating opportunities for students and the region. Tennessee Tech is collaborating with major aerospace and defense partners, including companies like Raytheon, Boeing, and Northrop, as well as federal agencies.
“We have approximately 35 students across the country working on one project… and about 10 or 12 of them are here at Tennessee Tech,” Roberts said. “That brings a lot of visibility to Tennessee Tech and this region.”
Roberts said those partnerships could eventually translate into economic growth in the Upper Cumberland by attracting new industries and startups focused on aviation and energy. Beyond economic impact, Roberts said the research could also benefit everyday travelers. By improving fuel efficiency, Roberts said the technology could lower the cost of flying.
“We could cut the cost of aviation by 25%, roughly, and that’s the fuel savings, that reduces the operating cost of flights,” Roberts said. “And that hopefully would translate into cheaper tickets for all of us, or the ability to transport goods across the world or across the country more effectively and costly. And so that all translates to be, you know, more savings, more benefits. And then there’s also impacts to more of the sustainable side of it.”
