Daniel Grieb

Aerospace engineering has played a significant role in developing my interests in research, analysis, and design. As an undergraduate in the Cal Poly Honors Program, I worked as a research assistant for a NASA-funded project to develop hybrid rocket technology. I conducted literature research for rocket nozzles, participated in test firing rocket motors in the lab, and focused on developing rocket fuel geometries for testing, which involved procuring materials, designing molds, and having the molds machined, as well as mixing and casting rocket fuel in the various geometries for testing.

Aerospace research remained an important part of my academic career as I entered graduate school. When the Cal Poly hybrid rocket research team received $600,000 from NASA to design and test a new nozzle, I was responsible for designing the nozzle and performing finite analysis to predict temperatures and thermal stress. I also developed concepts, coordinated CFD analysis with research partners, and used the CFD analysis as an input to the FEA to guide the detailed design of the nozzle.

My thesis "Design and Analysis of a Reusable N2O-Cooled Aerospike Nozzle for Labscale Hybrid Rocket Motor Testing" is available online. 

I have always liked cars, so when I was offered a job at Cummins, Inc after graduate school to work on diesel engines for Class 8 trucks, it seemed like a good fit. In my earlier roles at Cummins, I designed fuel plumbing and filtration components for 12- and 15-liter diesel engines. I then led the development of a new fuel system for a 15-liter natural gas engine.

Most recently, I have been working in an applied mechanics role, performing analysis and testing of base engine components on 2.8- to 15-liter engines. I enjoy the technical depth required to solve challenging problems using simulation tools while still having opportunities to practice hands-on work in the lab.

As a master's student, I spent a semester abroad studying Naval Architecture at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenberg, Sweden. I took courses in marine economics, ship hydrostatics, and ship resistance and propulsion.

I also recently constructed a fully functional wooden boat using only hand tools and early 20th century methods under the direction of local Indiana craftsman Doug Jones. Someday, I would like to apply my interest in fluid mechanics to restore old boats and design new ones.