Portfolio
About Me
CruzCSaucedo@gmail.com
I’m Cruz, a mechanical engineer from Portland. The best engineers aren’t always the most decorated, they are the ones inquisitive enough to ask the right questions and disciplined enough to do the work correctly. That is the engineer I want to be. Whether it’s picking up an unfamiliar tool, learning a new method, or walking into a new system, I strive to utilize my curiosity and integrity to become the best engineer I can.
Currently looking for entry level opportunities in mechanical and aerospace engineering in the Portland area.
Cruz Saucedo
Masters of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Professional Experience
Altitude Aerospace
What was the problem? An aerospace company was mid-redesign on an aircraft and needed support across their stress and certification workflow.
What did I do? As a stress and certification intern, I supported safety assessments, fault tree analysis, and test plans on an active aircraft redesign. Separately, I researched what it would take for the company to become an ODA and mapped out a pathway including key requirements.
What came of it? Gained hands-on exposure to flight certification processes on a live aircraft redesign. Also, I researched the ODA qualifications requirements and mapped out an approval pathway the company can act on.
Projects
Beaver Racing CVT Case
What was the problem? The CVT case on the Baja SAE was expensive and heavy. To maintain a competitive edge, I was tasked with improving this.
What did I do? I designed, manufactured, and tested a new case and cooling system. This included learning CFD software, composite manufacturing, and solid modeling to reduce weight and cost of the case.
How did I do it? Designing and manufacturing spanned the use of CFD (ANSYS), composite manufacturing, solid modeling (NX), and machining. Integration of my design into the larger subsystems required both teamwork and communication.
What came of it? Gained hands-on experience with design decisions, computational software (CFD), communication skills between subsystems, and machining processes leading to a 10% reduction in both cost and weight.
CVT Case Structural Analysis
What was the problem? The CVT case redesign prioritized weight reduction, but this may have unwanted consequences under load. Though regulations require specific material, this was an opportunity to apply FEA methods to a real competition geometry and validate the results.
What did I do? I ran and FEA in ANSYS on the CVT case geometry across several different materials (carbon fiber, aluminum, and steel) simulating an 8.6g inertial load. This was then validated through mesh convergence and hand calculations.
How did I do it? Analysis included mesh convergence studies, hand calculation validation via geometric approximations, and static structural simulation in ANSYS.
What came of it? Carbon fiber produced the lowest deflection (0.00037in) and lowest weight (3.9lbs). While regulations dictate material choice, this exercise validated methodology and demonstrated proficiency in ANSYS and FEA workflows.
Top Level Space Mission Design
What was the problem? High level spacecraft design capable of orbiting closer to the sun than the Parker Solar Probe while surviving thermal, power, propulsion, and communication challenges.
What did I do? As the systems engineer lead for the SUNRISE mission, this involved coordinating requirements, subsystem integration, mass and power budgets, risk management, and ensuring the design met all mission objectives.
How did I do it? Worked with propulsion, power, thermal, and astronautic team leads to define requirements, evaluate tradeoffs, integrate systems, and ensure all components functioned together.
What came of it? The team produced a complete conceptual spacecraft design for an 8,100kg solar probe with validated propulsion, thermal, power, and communication requirements.
Rocket Propulsion
What was the problem? Design and analyze a booster stage to a launch vehicle capable of delivering 100,000kg payload with a delta-V of 2,300m/s evaluated across multiple propellant configurations
What did I do? Independently designed and analyzed two complete liquid engine configurations. This included sizing combustion chambers, propellant tanks, and nozzle geometry for each. From this, I built trajectory simulation and validated against drag and gravity losses.
How did I do it? Analysis spanned propulsion thermodynamics (NASA CEA), trajectory integration, tank structural sizing, and nozzle design all implemented in Python.
What came of it? Both designs provided the 2,300m/s delta-V target with thrust exceeding twice that of liftoff weight. Booster configurations are now ready for comparison and selection.
