Dr. Fred Schauer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering
BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Dayton, 1993; Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998; Air War College 2008. Dr Schauer’s research interests include energy, propulsion, and power - in particular, he is active in developing novel cycles. From 1997-2019, he served as the principal investigator for AFRL’s in-house detonation propulsion research program. Starting from AF sponsored dissertation research on laser diagnostics and modeling flame/turbulence interactions, he eventually led the Propulsion and Power Advanced Concepts Group, which includes the Detonation Engine Research Facility and the Small Engine Research Laboratory. Prior to joining AFIT fulltime, Dr. Schauer served as a research advisor for numerous M.S. and Ph.D. students and maintains collaborations with other research institutions including AFRL, NASA, DOE, and academia. His research group has published extensively and been recognized by AIAA, ASME, AFOSR, and AFRL including the AFRL Commander’s Cup and Innovation Award, two time winners of the AFRL Science & Technology Achievement Award, the ASME Airbreathing Propulsion Award, and finalists for both the Collier Trophy and Aviation Laureate. Dr. Schauer is an AFRL Fellow and was named Air Force Scientist of the Year and AIAA Engineer of the Year.
Education
BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Dayton, 1993
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998
Air War College 2008.
Publications
Selected Publications:
“Detonation Initiation and Performance in Complex Hydrocarbon Fueled Pulsed Detonation Engines,” F. Schauer, J. Stutrud, R. Bradley, V. Katta, and J. Hoke, 50th JANNAF Propulsion Meeting, paper I-05, 11-13 July, Salt Lake City UT (2001).
“Experimental Performance Scaling of Rotating Detonation Engines Operated on Gaseous Fuels,” M.L. Fotia, J.L. Hoke, and F. Schauer, Journal of Propulsion and Power, 33(5): 1187–1196, 2017. doi: 10.2514/1.B36213.
“Stealing the Moon”, F. Schauer, AFRL INSPIRE Lecture, 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWWzdJ6CUIE
“Overview of Performance, Application, and Analysis of Rotating Detonation Engine Technologies,” B.A. Rankin, M.L. Fotia, A.G. Naples, C.A. Stevens, J.L. Hoke, T.A. Kaemming, S.W., Theuerkauf, and F. Schauer. Journal of Propulsion and Power, 33(1):131–143, January 2017. doi: 10.2514/1.B36303.
“Thermodynamic model of a rotating detonation engine,” C.A. Nordeen, D. Schwer, F. Schauer, J. Hoke, Th. Barber, and B. Cetegen, Combustion, Explosion, and Shock Waves, Vol 50, Issue 5, pp 568-577, Sept 2014.
“Temperature Estimates of Exhaust Plumes from a Turbine Driven by Pulsed Detonations,” B.A. Rankin, J.P. Gore, J.L. Hoke, and F. Schauer, Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 30, pp. 1437-1443 2014.
“Experimental Testing of a Rotating Detonation Engine Coupled to Nozzles at Conditions Approaching Flight,” M. Fotia, F. Schauer, and J. Hoke, International Colloquium on the Dynamics of Explosions and Reactive Systems, Leeds United Kingdom, 2-7 August 2015.
“Experimental Study of the Performance of a Rotating Detonation Engine with Nozzled Exhaust Flow,” M. Fotia, and F. Schauer, Journal of Propulsion and Power, 15 December 2015, doi: 10.2514/1.B35913.
“Effect of Unsteady Flow on Intercooler Performance," J. Miller, J. Hoke, and F. Schauer, SAE Technical Paper 2014-01-2220, SAE 2014 Aerospace Systems and Technology Conference.
"Development of a Small Internal Combustion Engine Thrust Stand/Dynamometer," A. Brown, J. Hoke, and F. Schauer, SAE-2010-01-0658, SAE World Congress, Detroit, MI, 12-16 Apr 2010.
"Pulsed Detonation Propulsion," F. Schauer, invited paper; selected as Best Paper, Von Karman Institute Lecture Series on High Speed Propulsion, Brussels Belgium, March 2007.
“Impulse Correlation of Partially Filled Detonation Tubes,” M. Cooper, J. Shepherd, and F. Schauer, Journal of Propulsion and Power 0748-4658 Vol.20 No.5 2004.
“Trends in JetCAT Microturbojet-Compressor Efficiency,” N.D. Grannan, M.J. McClearn, P.J. Litke, J. Hoke, & F. Schauer, AIAA 2017-0552, 55th Aerospace Sciences Meeting DOI: 10.2514/6.2017-0552.
“Petroleum-based and Bio-derived Jet Fuel Efficiency Optimization Using Fuel Injection in a 34cc 4-Stroke Spark Ignition Engine,” C. Wilson, F. Schauer, P. Litke, J. Hoke, and JR Groenewegen, SAE 2011-11-08, SAE Small Engine Technology Conference, 8-10 Nov 2011.
“"Performance Evaluation of an Unsteady Turbine Driven by a Pulse Detonation Combustor," K. Rouser, P. King, F. Schauer, J. Hoke, R. Sondergaard, GT-2011-45396, ASME Turbo Expo Vancouver, BC, Canada, Jun 6-10, 2011.
“Performance of Low-Octane Fuels in a Rotax 914 Engine with Advanced Knock Mitigation Strategies,” E. Anderson, A. Brown, J. Baranski, J. Hoke, P. Litke, and F. Schauer, AIAA-2011-5725, 47th Joint Propulsion Conference 2011.
“Detonation Initiation and Propagation in a Branched Detonation PDE,” D. Hopper, P. King, J. Hoke., D. Paxson and F. Schauer, JANNAF Journal of Propulsion and Energetics, May 2010.
“Detonation studies and performance for a research PDE,” F. Schauer, J. Stutrud, R. Bradley, V. Katta, and J. Hoke, in Confined Detonations and Pulse Detonation Engines ed. by G. D. Roy, et al., Moscow: Torus Press, ISBN 5-94588-012-4 (2003).
“Performance of Spark Ignitions in Pulsed Detonation Engines”, K. Busby, S. Williams, J. Corrigan, J. Hoke, C. Cathey, C. Carter, M. Gundersen, S.T. Yu, and F. Schauer, 2nd Int. Workshop & Exhibition on Plasma Assisted Combustion, (2006).
“Effect of Supercritical Fuel Injection on Cycle Performance of Pulsed Detonation Engines,” T.M. Helfrich, P. King, J. Hoke, and F. Schauer, Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol 23, Nov 4 2007.
“Detonation initiation studies and performance results for pulsed detonation engine applications,” F. Schauer, J. Stutrud, and R. Bradley, AIAA 2001-1129, 39th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, , Reno, NV 2001.
“Acoustic Measurements for a Pulse Detonation Engine,” L. Shaw, K. Harris, F. Schauer, and J. Hoke, AIAA-2005-2952, 11th AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics Conference, Monterey, California 2005.
“Performance Studies of Pulse Detonation Engine Ejectors,” D. Allgood, E. Gutmark, J. Hoke, R. Bradley, and F. Schauer, Journal of Propulsion and Power 0748-4658 Vol.24 No.6 2008.
“Numerical studies on cellular detonation wave subjected to sudden expansion,” V.R. Katta, L.P. Chin, and F. Schauer, 17th International Colloquium on the Dynamics of Explosions and Reactive Systems, July 25-30, Heidelberg, Germany (1999).
"Vortex-Flame Interactions in Hydrogen Jet Diffusion Flames: An Experimental and Computational Investigation," R.D. Hancock, F. Schauer, R.P. Lucht, V.R. Katta, and K.Y. Hsu, Proceedings of the Twenty-Sixth Symposium (International) on Combustion, pp. 1087-1093 (1996).
“Integration of a pulsed detonation engine with an ejector pump and with a turbo-charger as methods to self-aspirate,” J. Hoke, R. Bradley, J. Stutrud, and F. Schauer, AIAA 2002-0615, 40th Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Reno NV (2002).
“Performance Measurements of Multi-Cycle Pulse-Detonation-Engine Exhaust Nozzles,” D. Allgood; E. Gutmark; J. Hoke; R. Bradley; and F. Schauer, Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 22 No. 1 2006.
“Lumped-Capacitance Model of a Tube Heated by a Periodic Source with Application to a PDE Tube,” L.W. Byrd, F. Schauer, J.L. Hoke, and R. Bradley, Chapter 10 in Heat-Transfer Calculations, Myer Kutz ed., McGraw-Hill, New York 2005.
"Dual-Pump Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) Measurements of Nitrogen and Oxygen in a Laminar Jet Diffusion Flame." R. Hancock, F. Schauer, R. Lucht, and R. Farrow, Applied Optics, Vol. 36, Issue 15, pp. 3217-3226, May 1997.