When
Thursday, February 12, 2026, 4:00 p.m.
Steven Beresh
Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff
Sandia National Laboratories
"Wind Tunnel Testing of Unsteady Loading in Hypersonic Environments"
AME Lecture Hall, Room S202 | Zoom link
Abstract: Hypersonic ground test facilities ordinarily are used to predict the aerodynamic performance and material response of flight vehicles. But aerodynamically-induced vibration also is a major factor because it generates a structural response in internal components. The loading environment of hypersonic vehicles arises from unsteady pressure fluctuations caused by many different aerodynamic sources. Pacing issues in the development of hypersonic technology have been prediction of laminar-to-turbulent transition, shock/boundary layer interactions and high-temperature aerochemistry. These are investigated using a combination of conventional measurements and advanced optical diagnostics in Sandia’s Hypersonic Wind Tunnel and Hypersonic Shock Tunnel. The resulting wind tunnel data form a critical foundation for the development of next-generation predictive models.
Bio: Steven J. Beresh is a distinguished member of the technical staff at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he has worked since 1999 and leads the Experimental Aerosciences Facility. He received his BS in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University in 1994 and his PhD in aerospace engineering from The University of Texas at Austin in 1999. His research interests emphasize the use of optical diagnostics for compressible aerodynamics, particularly particle image velocimetry, but is now focused on maturing instrumentation techniques for hypersonics. He also is responsible for a wide range of high-speed wind tunnel testing and facility operation. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics, has served as Chair for the AIAA Aerodynamic Measurement Technology Technical Committee and is a past President of the Supersonic Tunnel Association International.