Leander Krieg

Aerospace Engineer & Computational Scientist
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
linkedin.com/in/leander-krieg github.com/zanig

Current Position

Harvard University 2025 — Present
Research Fellow in Computational Engineering and Science
  • Developing computational models to improve understanding of combustion, turbulence, and fluid flows
  • Utilizing reinforcement learning as a tool for advancing computational fluid dynamics and combustion modeling

Publications

Nanosecond pulsed discharges for reliable ignition of ultra-lean hydrogen-air mixtures
Galia Faingold, Leander Krieg, Francis Pagaud, Quentin Malé, Nicolas Noiray
Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Volume 41, 2025
DOI: 10.1016/j.proci.2025.105840

Education

ETH Zürich 10/2024 — 04/2025
CAPS Laboratory Thesis Student
  • Thesis: Nanosecond Repetitively Pulsed Discharge Characterization for the Combustion of Lean Hydrogen/Air Mixtures
Imperial College London 10/2023 — 06/2024
Aeronautical Engineering Visiting Student
  • Grade: First-Class Honours
  • Key coursework: Turbulence and Turbulence Modelling, Artificial Intelligence for Aerospace Engineers, Applications of Computational Fluid Dynamics, Flow Instability and Transition
RWTH Aachen University 04/2022 — 01/2025
M.Sc. Aerospace Engineering
  • Current Grade: 1.6
RWTH Aachen University 10/2017 — 03/2022
B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration
  • Grade: 2.1 • Occupational Field: Aeronautical Engineering
  • Thesis: Concept Development and Design of the Thrust Structure of a Reusable Rocket Stage (Grade: 1.7)

Experience

German Aerospace Center (DLR) 06/2024 — 09/2024
Intern, Institute for Space Propulsion
  • Experimental investigation of heat transfer in regeneratively cooled satellite thrusters using non-toxic propellants
  • Contributed to development of environmentally friendly alternatives to legacy hydrazine-based propulsion systems
Imperial College London Rocketry 10/2023 — 06/2024
Propulsion Engineer, Volunteer
  • Developed automated software module for intricate cooling channel geometries in CAD for regeneratively cooled rocket engines
  • Won CPLC student competition ($30,000) in thrust vector control and throttling categories
→ CPLC Throttle Challenge Win
Space Team Aachen 12/2022 — 10/2023
Test Bench and Propulsion Engineer, Volunteer
  • Developed hardware and software for hybrid rocket test bench
  • Designed fluid system for 4kN hybrid sounding rocket and ground support equipment
  • Simulated thermal and structural behaviour of nozzle designs
→ Engine Test Stand → Rocket Launch
RWTH Aachen University 07/2022 — 09/2023
Student Research Assistant, Chair for Technology of Optical Systems
  • Conducted experimental work in extreme ultraviolet lithography and nanotechnology
  • Wet-chemical processing of semiconductor materials and photoresists
  • Designed components for extreme ultraviolet lithography systems

Research Projects

Master Thesis: Nanosecond Pulsed Plasma Ignition for Hydrogen Combustion 2024 — 2025
  • Experimentally characterized discharges across different plasma regimes and investigated their effect on ignition of premixed ultra-lean hydrogen-air mixtures
  • Analyzed influence of discharge characteristics including energy, pulse frequency, and pulse number on ignition behavior
  • Investigated kinetics and electron collision processes to establish fundamental understanding of plasma-assisted ignition mechanisms
Bachelor Thesis: Reusable Rocket Stage Thrust Structure 2021
  • Conducted extensive literature review of established thrust structures
  • Structural design and simulation of novel and established concepts
  • Comparative analysis of design concepts for structural performance, mass, and reusability

Technical Skills

Programming: Python, C++, MATLAB, LabVIEW
Software: Inventor, NX, STAR-CCM+, Ansys Mechanical, Ansys Fluent, OpenFOAM
Languages: German (native), English (fluent), Dutch (intermediate), French (basic)