Jesse Quinlan

Dr. Jesse Quinlan joined the Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch (ASAB) in 2014 as a Pathways Intern while completing his doctorate degree.  In the ensuing years, Dr. Quinlan held several technical and leadership positions in ASAB involving a variety of aircraft concept and technology applications. 

Before assuming the Branch Head position in September 2022, Dr. Quinlan served as the Systems Analysis & Integration (SA&I) Lead for the Advanced Air Transport Technology (AATT) Project where he managed a broad portfolio of aircraft design, advanced concept generation, technology assessment, and systems analysis in support of next generation, commercial subsonic transport aircraft concepts.  Dr. Quinlan has been instrumental in recent years for the advocacy, formulation, and execution of critical ARMD priorities including the Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability (AACES) 2050 studies and the Model-Based Systems Analysis & Engineering (MBSAE) effort in support of the Sustainable Flight National Partnership (SFNP).  

In his current position, Dr. Quinlan oversees aeronautics systems analysis, technology assessment, and advanced aircraft concept development and analysis for approximately 30 civil servants and 10 contractors supporting a broad collection of Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) projects and programs and relying on numerous external academic and industry partnerships toward this end.

Awards

• NASA ARMD Associate Administrator Award, Program and Mission Support (2022)
• US Patent 2018/0155021: Modular Unmanned Aerial System with Multi-Mode Propulsion (2018)
• US Patent 2017/0349281: System and Method for Modular Unmanned Aerial System (2017)
• AIAA Best Paper Award, Design Engineering (2016)
• AIAA Best Paper Award, High Speed Air Breathing Propulsion (2015)
• NASA ARMD Associate Administrator Team Award (2015)
• AIAA Best Paper Award, High Speed Air Breathing Propulsion (2012)
• NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship (2011)

Education/Professional Experience

• Branch Head, Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch (2022-Present)
• Adjunct Professor, University of Virginia (2020-Present)
• Systems Analysis & Integration Lead, Advanced Air Transport Technology Project (2018-2022)
• Tools & Methods Group Deputy Lead, Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch (2017-2018)
• Aerospace Engineer, Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch (2015-2018)
• Pathways Intern, Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch (2014-2015)
• PhD in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, 2015
• MS in Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2011
• BS in Aerospace Engineering, Minor in Applied Math, University of Virginia, 2009

Publications

• Quinlan, J.R., Gern, F.H., and Simon, R.L., “Investigation of aerodynamic matching sensitivities for conceptual design,” AIAA SciTech 2021, Nashville, TN, January 2021.
• Drozda, T.G., Quinlan, J.R., Drummond, P.A., “Flamelet Modeling for Supersonic Combustion,” Modeling and Simulation of Turbulent Mixing and Reaction, Springer, Gateway East, Singapore, 2020. (Book Chapter)
• Quinlan, J.R., Marien, T.V., Blaesser, N.J., Kirk, J., Perkins, H.D., and Fisher, K., “Far-term exploration of advanced single-aisle subsonic transport aircraft concepts,” AIAA Aviation 2019 Forum, Dallas, TX, June 2019.
• Quinlan, J.R., “Overview of NASA electrified subsonic transport aircraft concepts,” SAE AeroTech Americas Meeting, Charleston, SC, March 2019. (Invited)
• Quinlan, J.R., Pei, J., Cooper, J.R., Busan, R.C., Rothhaar, P.M., Milholen, W.E., Ozoroski, T.A. and Hartman, C.L., “Technical challenges associated with in-air wingtip docking of aircraft in forward flight,” AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition, San Diego, CA, January 2019.
• Quinlan, J.R. and Gern, F.H. “Update on the development of a flutter analysis capability for unconventional aircraft concepts using HCDstruct,” AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations Conference, Atlanta, GA, June 2018.
• Mason, B.H. and Quinlan, J.R. “Conceptual design shop: a tool for rapid airframe structural modeling,” AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials, Kissimmee, FL, January 2018.
• Welstead, J., Felder, J., Guynn, M., Haller, B., Tong, M., Jones, S., Ordaz, I, Quinlan, J.R., and Mason, B.H. “Overview of the NASA STARC-ABL (rev. B) Advanced Concept,” One Boeing NASA Electric Aircraft Workshop, 2017.
• Quinlan, J.R. and Gern, F. H. “Extension of HCDstruct for transonic aeroservoelastic analysis of unconventional aircraft concepts,” AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations Conference, Denver, CO, June 2017.
• Quinlan, J.R. and Gern, F. H. “Aeroelastic optimization of generalized tube and wing aircraft concepts using HCDstruct version 2.0,” AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition, Grapevine, TX, January 2017.
• Patterson, M.D., Quinlan, J.R., Fredericks, W.J., Tse, E. and Bakhle, I., “A modular unmanned aerial system for missions requiring distributed aerial presence or payload delivery,” AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition, Grapevine, TX, January 2017.
• Quinlan, J.R. and Gern, F. H., “Optimization of an advanced hybrid wing body concept using HCDstruct version 1.2,” AIAA Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations Conference, Washington, DC, June 2016. (2016 AIAA Best Paper Award)
• Mukhopadhyay, V., Welstead, J., Quinlan, J.R., and Guynn, M.D., “Structural configuration systems analysis for advanced aircraft fuselage concepts,” AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference, Washington, DC, June 2016.
• Quinlan, J.R. and Gern, F.H., “Conceptual design and structural optimization of ERA hybrid wing body concepts,” AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition, San Diego, CA, January 2016.
• Quinlan, J.R. and Gern, F.H., “HCDstruct—A tool for hybrid wing body conceptual design and structural optimization,” 2015 OpenVSP Workshop, Hampton, VA, August 2015. (Invited)
• Quinlan, J.R. Flamelet/progress variable modeling for a dual-mode scramjet combustor, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, August 2015.
• Quinlan, J.R., McDaniel, J.C., Drozda, T.G., Lacaze, G., and Oefelein, J., “A priori analysis of a compressible flamelet model using RANS data for a dual-mode scramjet combustor,” 22^nd AIAA Computational Fluid Dynamics Conference, Dallas, TX, June 2015.
• Quinlan, J.R., McDaniel, J.C., Drozda, T.G., Lacaze, G., and Oefelein, J., “A priori analysis of flamelet-based modeling for a dual-mode scramjet combustor,” 50^th AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference, Cleveland, OH, July 2014. (2014 AIAA Best Paper Award)
• Quinlan, J.R., McDaniel, J.C., Drozda, T.G., Lacaze, G., and Oefelein, J. “A priori analysis of flamelet-based modeling for a dual-mode scramjet combustor,” American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting, Pittsburgh, PA, November 2013.
• Quinlan, J.R., Unsteady simulation of dual-mode transition flows, Ph.D. Proposal, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, May 2013.
• Quinlan, J.R., and McDaniel, J.C., “Toward large-eddy/Reynolds-averaged simulation of supersonic combustion,” Virginia Space Grant Consortium Student Research Conference, Norfolk, VA, April 2013.
• Quinlan, J.R., McDaniel, J.C., and Baurle, R.A., “Hybrid large-eddy/Reynolds-averaged simulation of a supersonic cavity using VULCAN,” IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, March 2013.
• Drozda, T.G., Quinlan, J.R., Pisciuneri, P.H., and Yilmaz, S.L., “Progress toward affordable high fidelity combustion simulations for high-speed flows in complex geometries,” 48^th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, Atlanta, GA, July 2012.
• White, J.A., Baurle, R.A., Fisher, T.C., Quinlan, J.R., and Black, W.S., “Low-dissipation advection schemes designed for large-eddy simulations of hypersonic propulsion systems,” 48^th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit, Atlanta, GA, July 2012. (2012 AIAA Best Paper Award)
• Quinlan, J.R., McDaniel, J.C., and Baurle, R.A., “Simulation of a wall-bounded flow using a hybrid RANS/LES approach with turbulence recycling,” 42^nd AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference and Exhibit, New Orleans, LA, June 2012.
• Quinlan, J.R., and McDaniel, J.C., “Case study of a hybrid LES/RAS approach utilizing turbulence recycling,” Virginia Space Grant Consortium Student Research Conference, Williamsburg, VA, April 2012.
• Quinlan, J.R., Jones, C.J., Vittaldev, V., and Wilhite, A., “Design of an active debris removal reference architecture for low earth orbit space debris remediation,” AIAA Space Conference & Exposition, Long Beach, CA, September 2011.
• Quinlan, J.R., “A preliminary systems-level analysis of candidate active space debris removal architectures,” 21^st AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting, New Orleans, LA, February 2011.
• Quinlan, J.R., Petkofsky, D.A., and Rice, B.E., “The VaSST Celeritas: An innovative and robust preliminary design for a small supersonic commercial aircraft,” NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Technical Conference, Atlanta, GA, September 2009. (Invited)
• Quinlan, J.R., “Sonic boom minimization via fuselage shaping for the preliminary design of a supersonic commercial aircraft,” University Research and Design Symposium, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, April 2009.
• Quinlan, J.R., and Goyne, C.P., “Conceptual design of an aerodynamic brake for hypersonic recovery,” Virginia Space Grant Consortium Student Research Conference, Norfolk, VA, April 2008.

Hobbies/Interests

• Spending time with family – hiking, camping, biking, skateboarding, boating, and making music; motorcycling; woodworking and everything DIY – including never-ending home remodels.