DONALD JACOB

Mechanical Design Engineer | S.L.A.W.D. Peters Engineering Ltd.

Designed the CAD models for a solar-powered lawn mower. Then, performed structural analysis and lightweighting of the lawn mower's blade to optimise energy efficiency and space utilisation. Collaborated with the Electronics Engineer to optimise air channels for the cooling of the mower's internal electrical components.

• Fusion 360
• Systems Design and Assembly
• Airflow Optimisation
• Geometric Design & Tolerancing (GD&T)

Mechanical Design Engineer | MoonHub Technologies Ltd.

Performed lightweighting on MoonHub’s M-2000 Inverter enclosures using Voronoi lattices and texturing to reduce material by 27%; lowering 3D printing cost, and improving aesthetics, while still meeting strength requirements. Then, prepared an automated lightweighting pipeline for future MoonHub’s inverter enclosures using geometry-parameterised inputs, enabling lower concept-to-market cycles.

• Fusion 360 and nTop
• Part Design
• Finite Element Analysis (F.E.A)
• Lightweighting

Computer-Aided Design (CAD)

Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM)

Finite Element Analysis (F.E.A)

Topology Optimisation

Gyroid‑Based Heat Exchanger Optimisation

Performed CFD studies on gyroid geometries. Adjusting cell size and periodicity to modulate pressure drop characteristics to balance performance against flow resistance.

• Thermal Management
• CFD
• Performance Optimisation

Voronoi EVA‑Foam Impact Mitigation

Applied spatial‑weighting to engineer Voronoi lattice cells in Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) foam, tailoring cell density for improved energy absorption and cushioning in protective gear.

• Architected Materials
• Lattice FEA
• Impact Mitigation

Topology‑Driven Impeller Lightweighting

Leveraged structural analysis results to guide lattice‑infill within a centrifugal impeller, achieving a 40.7% mass and material cost reduction while enhancing rotational stiffness and power consumption.

• Lightweighting
• FEA
• TPMS Latticing

Second Place | NASA - Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel for Human‑rated Entry Vehicles

Designed a Mach 19 hypervelocity expansion tunnel concept to close NASA’s ground‑test gap in high‑enthalpy flows for human‑rated entry vehicles. The model features:

A calculated and simulated Converging-Diverging section with staged high‑pressure gas generation and replaceable diaphragms for automated cycle resetting.

Test chamber sized for up to 0.6 m test articles, with large sapphire windows for Schlieren and laser‑based diagnostics.

First Place Co-Winner | NASA - Super Heavy Logistics Transport for the Moon and Mars

“The Limb” is a heavy‑lift moon-based transportation system optimised for unprepared lunar terrain, capable of moving up to 100t payloads from SpaceX Starship landers to distant ground-resource utilisation sites. Key features include:

Innovative crane-to-crane transfer technique for NASA’s Common Habitat during relocation, with low‑pressure, large‑footprint “Swing Feet” for stability.

FEA‑validated structural trusses specifically designed to handle NASA’s Common Habitat Architecture study.

Second Place Co-Winner | NASA - 3D Printable Bioreactor for Deep Space Food Production

Co-designed the Rotary Vane Bioreactor, a fully 3D‑printable reactor inspired by rotary vane compressors to enable on‑demand microbial culture in deep space. Key aspects include:

Compartmentalised vanes integrated with Luer locks for liquid culture injection and extraction, and a PTFE base membrane for gas transfer with the cabin during microbial growth.

Modular, stackable bioreactor shell design to minimise launch mass and simplify replacement of culture chambers.