We think in generalities, but we live in detail.

–Alfred North Whitehead

   

Paul Gloyer received his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering (with Honors) from the University of Kansas in May 1990.  He then joined the University of Tennessee Space Institute where he earned a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering in May 1993. He also worked toward a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering until 1995.  His graduate work focused on combustion instability research. From 1995 to 2004, he served as Principal Engineer at AeroAstro Inc, later becoming PacAstro (PA), before purchasing the company which is now part of Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories, LLC.

In 2006, he relocated to the University of Tennessee Space Institute for its strategic location in the Tennessee Valley Corridor; he now manages his firm while assisting the institute through his service as Teaching Associate in the field of Aerospace Engineering; he offers highly sought after short and semester-long state-of-the-art courses on liquid and hybrid rocket engine design; he also mentors graduate student teams and guides them in developing and building functional rocket engines.

Paul Gloyer is an experienced developer of advanced technologies and innovative propulsion systems, and has been instrumental in the development of several advanced aerospace systems, including the development of the 15,000 lbf thrust PA-E liquid oxygen cooled rocket engine, the SPORT orbit transfer vehicle, and the Encounter solar sailcraft. As President of Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories, LLC, he is actively developing a variety of innovative propulsion technologies. His experience includes:

–Program Manager for the development of the PA-E Rocket Engine (AFRL Ph II SBIR)
–Principal Investigator for the development of a hypersonic aerobraking system for an orbit transfer vehicle (AFRL Ph I & II SBIR)
–Principal Investigator for the development of an aerobraking system for deorbiting spacecraft at end-of-life (DARPA Ph I SBIR)
–Principal Investigator for the development of the SHERPA orbit transfer vehicle (MDA Ph I & II SBIR)
–Principal Investigator for the development of the N2O MiPS micro propulsion system (NASA Ph I SBIR)
–Principal Investigator for the development of Metal Vaccro bonding technology (NASA Ph I SBIR)
–Principal Investigator for the examination of nanosatellite integration and test processes (NASA Ph I SBIR)
–Lead Engineer and mission architect for the Encounter solar sailcraft (commercial program)
–Lead Engineer and mission architect for the SPORT orbit transfer vehicle (commercial program)
–Lead Engineer for the development of the PA-X suborbital rocket (AFRL Ph II SBIR)
–Consultant on the development of Orbital Technology’s vortex rocket engine
–Consultant on the development of Rocketplane-XP propulsion system for Rocketplane, Ltd.

Some of his patents and design awards include:
(1.) U.S. Patent #6,550,720 “Aerobraking Orbit Transfer Vehicle”
(2.) U.S. Patent #6,561,461 “Orbit Transfer Vehicle with Support Services”
(3.) 2nd place, 1989-1990 AIAA Undergraduate Team Airplane Design
      Competition
(4.) 1st place, 1992-1993 AIAA Graduate Team Space Design Competition
(5.) 3rd place, 1993-1994 AIAA Graduate Team Rocket Engine Design
      Competition
(6.) 1st place, 1994-1995 AIAA Graduate Team Space Design Competition.
 

Some of his publications include:
(1.) Gloyer, P., Pedlikin, J. and Repas, G., “PA-E15k Liquid Oxygen Cooled Injector Design, Analysis and Test Results,” 52nd JANNAF Propulsion Meeting, May 2004.
(2.) Gloyer, P., Pedlikin, J. and Repas, G., “The Identification and Elimination of the PA-E15k Rocket Engine Instability Mechanism,” 52nd JANNAF Propulsion Meeting, May 2004.
(3.) Gloyer, P., “A Preliminary Study of Oxygen Rich Combustion Gas Generator Technology for LOX Tank Pressurization,” M.S. Thesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, May 1993.
(4.) Gloyer, P., “Small Payload ORbit Transfer (SPORT™) system: An Innovative Approach to Lowering Mission Costs Without Increased Risk,” 14th Annual USU Conference on Small Satellites, SSC00-IV-6, Logan, Utah, August 2000.
(5.) Gloyer, P., Robinson, T., et al., “Aerobraking to Lower Apogee in Earth Orbit with the Small Payload Orbit Transfer (SPORT™) Microsatellite Vehicle,” 15th Annual USU Conference on Small Satellites, SSC01-XI-8, Logan, Utah, August 2001.
(6.) Rogan, J., Gloyer, P., et al., “Encounter 2001: Sailing to the Stars,” 15th Annual USU Conference on Small Satellites, SSC01-II-2, Logan, Utah, August 2001.
(7.) Cohen, D., Gloyer, P., and Rogan, “Preliminary Design of a High Performance Solar Sailing Mission,” 16th Annual USU Conference on Small Satellites, SSC02-II-5, Logan, Utah, August 2002.
(8.) Rogers, A., Gloyer, P., Carlson, R., and Buckley, S., “SHERPA: A Flexible, Modular Spacecraft for Orbit Transfer and On-Orbit Operations,” 17th Annual USU Conference on Small Satellites, SSC03-II-2, Logan, Utah, August 2003.
 

*Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories LLC was formed in early 2004 from a merger of PacAstro and Aspect Engineering. PacAstro was originally founded in the late eighties and was focused on developing the PA-2 Small Launch Vehicle and supporting rocket technologies. PacAstro achievements include the development of the PA-X Suborbital technology demonstration rocket, the 15,000 lbf vacuum thrust PA-E15k rocket engine, and the 30,000 lbf vacuum thrust PA-E30k rocket engine. PacAstro was spun off from its parent company, AeroAstro Inc., in 2003 in preparation for the merger with Aspect Engineering.

In late 2005, the PacAstro division of Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories LLC relocated to Tullahoma, Tennessee after the Waveland, Mississippi office was destroyed by hurricane Katrina. The new PacAstro office is located on the campus of the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI), next to the Air Force Arnold Engineering and Development Center (AEDC). The PacAstro office is equipped with several computer workstations with rocket design tools, including design and analysis worksheets, SolidWorks 3D solid modeling and CEQUEL combustion chemistry code. As part of this relocation, Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories LLC has set up a joint propulsion research facility with UTSI.**

The Aspect Engineering division of Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories LLC is located in Murrieta, California. The California office has computer workstations with both 2-D CAD and 3-D parametric solid modeling software. This office also uses spreadsheets and proprietary software in the design and evaluation of composite pressure vessels and tankage. NASA-generated software LEW-10352 is used in the generation of dome contours for filament wound pressure vessels. The California office has in-house filament winding capability with a CMC model ULD computer-controlled filament winding machine capable of producing parts up to 24 inches in diameter, Fibergraphix software for pattern generation, a programmable oven for laminate curing, and 0ºF freezer for storage of prepreg materials and pre-mixed adhesives.
Lastly, the facilities and practices used during this effort meet the environmental laws and regulations of federal, state (California and Tennessee), and local Governments for, but not limited to, the following groupings: airborne emissions, waterborne effluents, external radiation levels, outdoor noise, solid and bulk waste disposal practices, and handling and storage of toxic and hazardous materials.

**Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories LLC has established a propulsion research facility at the University of Tennessee Space Institute. This facility leverages the infrastructure and data acquisition systems offered by the UTSI Research Facilities. The Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories LLC facility includes several propulsion test systems; in what follows, these systems are described.

Hybrid Rocket Test System. This system allows testing of conventional hybrid rocket fuel grains. It permits the use of transparent fuel grains, such as acrylic, to enable optical examination of the combustion flow field and fuel regression. The system also allows testing of different fuels up to 2 inches in grain diameter, and the use of flat sidewalls to minimize optical distortion during flow visualization.
Vortex Hybrid Rocket Test System. This system allows testing of vortex flow fields in a combustion chamber; it was instrumental in the original vortex hybrid rocket research, which Paul Gloyer used to initiate the vortex technology under development by Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC). This system comprises transparent sidewalls to permit optical examination of the combustion flow fields and fuel regression. The system allows testing of fuel grains up to 4 inches in diameter and a wide variety of vortex flow fields, including unidirectional, bidirectional, monopole, and multipole vortices.
Propellant Chemistry Test System. This system allows chemicals to be mixed remotely to explore alternative propellant chemistries. After mixing, the system permits the new propellant grain to be immediately tested in rocket combustion chambers to evaluate propellant performance.
Rocket Propulsion System Test System. Currently under development with internal funding, this system can allow testing of rockets with thrust levels up to 5,000 lbf. This unit is equipped to test monopropellant, hybrid and bipropellant rocket engines, and their associated pressurization and propellant feed systems.