Aayush Talreja

Prop Intern @ Sierra Space, MechE @ Purdue

Mount Laurel, New Jersey, United States

About

Third-year Mechanical Engineering student driven by one goal — to turn engineering into impact that matters.

Experience

  • Propulsion Engineering Intern at Sierra Space
    May 2026 - Present · 3 mos

  • Undergradate Research Assistant - Zucrow Labs at Purdue University
    Jan 2026 - Present · 7 mos

    The Applied Diagnostics and Propulsion Technologies Laboratory with Terrence Meyer

  • Purdue Space Program: A SEDS Chapter ()
    • Active Controls - Propulsion
      Jan 2025 - Present · 1 yr 7 mos

      ♣ Working towards development of a dual-chamber GOx/IPA co-axial swirl ignitor to kickstart 550 lbf propulsive lander vehicle. ♣ Leveraged Siemens NX and resin 3D printing to rapidly design and prototype igniter for cold-flow testing to validate theoretical propellant behavior. Diagnosed critical flaw in initial coaxial architecture’s spray pattern and delivered a simplified impinging-jet-style prototype in 25% of the time ♣ Utilized NX’s wave-linking features to incorporate a flame tube and allow for igniter exhaust gases to pass through existing regenerative-cooling manifold to main combustion chamber, increasing propellant residence time by 35% ♣ Built multiple parametric MATLAB models that consider atomization theory (Bayvel, Bazaroz), thermal-structural effects (pressure-vessel, Bartz HTC), and takeoff resonance frequency to calculate margin of safety to inform minimum viable design geometry and lower material costs by 6x. ♣ Setup rocket articles on test stand at Zucrow Laboratories - assisted in tube making (cutting, flaring and bending), as well as OX-cleaning all necessary hardware for full 18-hot fire testing campaign. Performing pre/post-testing procedures and setup as well as data analysis to derive meaningful insights from limited hot-fire allocations.

    • Active Controls - Structures
      Jan 2025 - Present · 1 yr 7 mos

      ♣ Designed and 3D printed compact, lightweight motor actuated TVC gimbal assembly, delivering ±15° range of motion via two four-bar linkages for zero-axis-coupled rotation to unblock GNC / Avionics testing and integration two years ahead of final pneumatic system readiness. ♣ Optimized gimbal linkage for coarse servo input resolution by tuning linkage lengths to achieve a 3:1 input–output motion ratio, improving control precision and responsiveness.

  • Mechanical Engineering Intern at Delaware River Port Authority
    May 2024 - Aug 2024 · 4 mos

    ♣ Proposed demolition and replacement project for the Commodore Barry Bridge by creating AutoCAD layout plans from 6+ months of traffic data and 100+ land acquisition estimates, avoiding a $220 M rehabilitation project ♣ Designed piezoelectric energy module in Onshape to capture traffic-induced vibrations and conducted field study on Benjamin Franklin Bridge (BFB) to determine potential module placement for energy saving of $100K / annum ♣ Identified optimal lane closure timing strategy for BFB by examining hourly traffic data to maximize concurrent traffic flow despite ongoing resurfacing project allowing for 50% greater time-efficiency in material testing