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Isabelle Sanders

Photo of Isabelle Sanders

Address:

4800 Oak Grove Drive

Pasadena, CA 91109

Curriculum Vitae:

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Member of:

Laboratory Studies And Atmospheric Observations

Biography

I finished my PhD at UCLA in Fall 2023 in the Laser Spectroscopy and Gas Dynamics Laboratory. My research background involves development and deployment of in-situ laser absorption spectroscopy (LAS) sensors for rocket propulsion and fire/environmental sensing applications. I have previously worked with JPL on a couple of projects, including LAS thermochemical measurements in a hybrid rocket engine reaction layer. I have also worked with FEMA on development of miniaturized tunable laser spectrometers (TLS) for firefighter safety and characterizing toxicant emissions from synthetic polymers.

Education

  • 2019 - BASC in Engineering Physics and Mechanical Engineering – Queen’s University (Ontario, Canada)
  • 2021 – MS in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
  • 2023 – PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering – University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Professional Experience

  • 2019-2023 - Graduate Student Researcher – Laser Spectroscopy and Gas Dynamics Laboratory at University of California, Los Angeles
  • 2018 – Undergraduate Student Researcher - Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at University of Toronto
  • 2016/2017 – Mechanical Engineering Intern – Standard BioTools/Fluidigm Corp. (Ontario, Canada)

Research Interests

Spectroscopy, optical diagnostics, sensor development, trace gas detection, rocket propulsion, combustion diagnostics

Selected Awards

  • 2022 - Best Paper (Hybrid Rockets) – American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
  • 2020-2023 – Postgraduate Doctoral Fellowship – Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

Selected Publications

  1. Sanders, I.C., Oberlander, K.A., Spearrin, R.M. (2023). Polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) burn characteristics and toxicant formation in an oxidizer cross-flow via laser absorption tomography. Submitted to Proceedings of The Combustion Institute
  2. Kuenning, N.M., Sanders, I.C., Minesi, N.Q., Pineda, D.I., Spearrin, R.M. (2023). High-temperature absorption cross-sections and interference-immune sensing method for formaldehyde near 3.6 $\mu$ m. Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Heat Transfer, 108690
  3. Sanders, I.C., Kuenning, N.M., Minesi, N.Q., Pineda, D.I., Spearrin, R.M. (2022). Methyl methacrylate thermal decomposition: Modeling and laser spectroscopy of species time-histories behind reflected shock waves. Fuel 335, 126846
  4. Sanders, I.C., Bendana, F.A., Kuenning, N.M., Spearrin, R.M. (2022). Spatially-resolved characteristic velocity (c*) measurements for hybrid rocket combustion analysis using laser spectroscopy. AIAA SciTech 2022 Forum, 2233
  5. Chen, S., Leung, M.C.H., Yao, X., Sivanandam S., Sanders, I.C., Liang, R. (2022). Optical design and wavelength calibration of a DMD-based multi-object spectrograph. SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 2209.15077
  6. Kuenning, N.M., Sanders, I.C., Minesi, N.Q., Pineda, D.I., Spearrin, R.M., Kinetics of MMA combustion assessed by time-resolved speciation behind shock waves (2022). AIAA SciTech 2022 Forum, 2231
  7. Sanders, I.C., Bendana, F.A., Stacy, N.G., Spearrin, R.M. (2021) Injector effects on hybrid polymethylmethacrylate combustion assessed by thermochemical tomography. Journal of Propulsion and Power 37 (6), 928-943
  8. Bendana, F.A., Sanders, I.C., Stacy, N.G., Spearrin, R.M. (2021). Localized characteristic velocity (c*) for rocket combustion analysis based on gas temperature and composition via laser absorption spectroscopy. Measurement Science and Technology 31 (12), 125203
  9. Sanders, I.C., Bendana, F.A., Stacy, N.G., Schwarm, K.K., Spearrin, R.M. (2021). Swirl injection in hybrid polymethylmethacrylate combustion assessed by thermochemical imaging. AIAA Propulsion and Energy, 3513
  10. Bendana, F.A., Sanders, I.C., Castillo, J.J., Hagstrom, C.G., Pineda, D.I., Spearrin, R.M. (2020). In-situ thermochemical analysis of hybrid rocket fuel oxidation via laser absorption tomography of CO, CO2, and H2O. Experiments in Fluids, 61(9), 190
  11. Sanders, I.C., Bendana, F.A., Hagstrom, C.G., Spearrin, R.M. (2020). Assessing oxidizer injector design via thermochemical imaging of PMMA combustion in a hybrid rocket motor geometry. AIAA Propulsion and Energy, 3747

Projects

JPL Laser Hygrometer