Trevor M. Moeller

Trevor M. Moeller is the Jack D. Whitfield Professor and Associate Professor in the Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering (MABE) Department at the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI). He holds a Ph.D. (1998), M.S. (1993), and B.S. (1991) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, respectively. His research focuses on plasma physics, electromagnetics, and high-speed propulsion systems, with particular emphasis on electric propulsion, high-temperature plasmas, and advanced manufacturing for aerospace applications. Moeller has secured over $8M in grants, leading projects on electrospray thrusters, hypersonic flow environments, and space environment simulations. He has authored/co-authored over 70 peer-reviewed articles and one patent, and serves on committees for AIAA and IEEE.

Education:

• B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, 1991
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Tennessee, 1993
• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Tennessee, 1998

Research Interests: High-temperature plasmas, rocket propulsion, electric propulsion devices, electromagnetic acceleration, and plasma diagnostics. Current projects include developing electrospray thrusters and mitigating cryodeposition in vacuum chambers.

Publications reflect contributions to computational fluid dynamics, plasma modeling, and experimental propulsion studies. His lab, the Computational and Experimental Aerospace Research (CEAR) group, utilizes advanced facilities like wind tunnels and vacuum chambers, alongside the TEMPEST simulation software.

Moeller advises numerous graduate students and collaborates with agencies like AFRL, AFOSR, and DOD. His work addresses challenges in space environment simulation and propulsion system optimization.