Jacob Needels

Background

• Ph.D., Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, 2020-Present.
• M.S., Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University, 2020.
• B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Davis, 2018.

Research

• SU2
• Computational hypersonic aerothermodynamics
• Kinetic processes for gases in thermochemical nonequilibrium
• Multi-fidelity modeling of hypersonic vehicles
• Surrogate-based optimization

Bio

Jacob Needels is a current  Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University. He holds a M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis. His research focuses on computational fluid dynamics for high-speed flows, with an emphasis on nonequilibrium thermochemical models and uncertainty quantification for robust vehicle design. He works on development of the SU2 open-source software, particularly focused on implementation and validation of capabilities to model multi-species reacting gases.

Patents

• Michael F. Stoia, Garret W. Ek, Arun Muley, Jacob T. Needels, Kevin G. Bowcutt, "Methods and Systems for Generating Power and Thermal Management Having Combined Cycle Architecture", United States Patent 11,598,285-B2, Mar 7, 2023.

Awards

• NASA Early Career Achievement Medal, Contributions to Mars Sample Return Mission Earth Entry System and Whipple Shield, 2023.