News
Lab News
CFAL presents nine papers at AIAA SciTech 2026
Lab members presented work spanning hypersonic water droplet breakup, Dragonfly lander aerodynamics, physics-informed neural networks for atmospheric prediction, and in-space manufacturing at the AIAA SciTech 2026 Forum.
Dr. Kinzel named AIAA Associate Fellow
Dr. Michael Kinzel was named to AIAA's 2026 Class of Associate Fellows, cited for contributions to applied computational fluid dynamics, aerodynamic design, and multidisciplinary analysis. Induction is set for January 14, 2026 at the AIAA SciTech Forum.
Embry-Riddle team contributes to design of NASA rotorcraft destined for Saturn's moon Titan
Dr. Kinzel secured a $475,000 NASA New Frontiers contract to help design the aerodynamics of the Dragonfly rotorcraft-lander, running high-fidelity CFD simulations of the vehicle's fuselage for operation in Titan's atmosphere.
Dr. Kinzel featured by STEM to the Sky
An interview profile covering Dr. Kinzel's career path, his work on NASA's Dragonfly mission, and his views on the future of aerospace engineering.
New NSF award funds low-gravity functional sensor research
CFAL received a $600,000 NSF award (BRITE PIVOT) to develop new functional sensors based on light-matter interactions for use in low-gravity space environments.
UCF researcher is part of team that will send rotorcraft to Saturn's moon, Titan
While an assistant professor at UCF, Dr. Kinzel joined NASA's Dragonfly mission team, using computer simulations of atmospheric interactions to help optimize the rotorcraft's aerodynamic design.
UCF researchers identify features that could make someone a virus super-spreader
A CFD sneeze-simulation study co-authored by Dr. Kinzel found that nasal congestion and teeth affect how far droplet sprays travel, informing airborne pathogen transmission mitigation during the COVID-19 pandemic.