An experimental analysis of a compressed-air internal combustion engine to characterize mechanical performance and identify optimal operating parameters. This project involved developing energy balance, friction, and inertia models validated through systematic testing. A grid search across motor speeds, flywheel configurations, and air injection timings identified optimal settings for peak power. MATLAB was used for all calibration, torque modeling, and energy calculations. 

Characterization of a DC motor system and implementation of a PID position controller meeting target performance specifications. This project involved modeling the motor's gain constant and time constant through both time-domain and frequency-domain analysis. simulation-based tuning was used to account for real-world nonlinearities like dead zones and motor saturation. The resulting controller achieved less than 6% overshoot, a settling time under 0.5 seconds, and near-zero steady-state error for target positions greater than 0.3 radians. MATLAB and Simulink were used for system modeling, simulation, and controller validation. 

Experimental validation of a radiative energy source to determine whether it operates under the ideal blackbody assumption. The Stefan-Boltzmann constant was derived experimentally across a range of aperture sizes, source-to-sensor distances, and source temperatures, and compared against the theoretical value. Results confirmed valid blackbody behavior within a source-to-target distance of 0.25–0.35 m using the largest available aperture diameter. Source temperature was found to have negligible effect on accuracy, while geometry proved to be the dominant factor in measurement precision. MATLAB was used for regression modeling and uncertainty analysis.