Prediction and control of fluid-structure interactions. Fluid-flows create a pressure that can deform the surface of a structure or cause it to vibrate; an extreme example is the fluttering of a flag. Flow-induced vibration of the external panels of vehicles causes damage, noise and can adversely affect performance. This project will develop a wholly new approach for the analysis of these interactions. The versatility and completeness of the approach permits a step-change in the design of panels ....Prediction and control of fluid-structure interactions. Fluid-flows create a pressure that can deform the surface of a structure or cause it to vibrate; an extreme example is the fluttering of a flag. Flow-induced vibration of the external panels of vehicles causes damage, noise and can adversely affect performance. This project will develop a wholly new approach for the analysis of these interactions. The versatility and completeness of the approach permits a step-change in the design of panels, reducing material and manufacturing costs without compromise to safety and performance - an immense benefit for the myriad engineered products or structures that feature flow over a deformable surface. Read moreRead less
Numerical simulation of the fish-like swimming of linked bodies. Although Zoologists have made detailed observations of swimming fish there are still many unanswered questions about how they swim. We do not know how the fins and undulating body work together to produce the high speed of the tuna, or the fast turns of a fish escaping danger. We see dolphins swim through the sea's surface but we don't know if they do that because it is much more efficient. This project is designed to simulate arb ....Numerical simulation of the fish-like swimming of linked bodies. Although Zoologists have made detailed observations of swimming fish there are still many unanswered questions about how they swim. We do not know how the fins and undulating body work together to produce the high speed of the tuna, or the fast turns of a fish escaping danger. We see dolphins swim through the sea's surface but we don't know if they do that because it is much more efficient. This project is designed to simulate arbitrary fish motion and give answers to these and other questions concerning swimming. It may also help humans to swim more efficiently and provide simulation tools for the design of robotic undersea vehicles.Read moreRead less
Taming turbulence: Hydrodynamic stability and flow-structure interaction using grid-free computation. Turbulence is characterized as seemingly disordered fluctuations that impede the progress of an object through a fluid by creating increased frictional or drag forces. Using a new type of fluid-flow simulation, this project will generate advanced understanding of turbulence in the flow over the surface of a vehicle, be it a ship, car, aircraft or within a pipe, with the technological objective o ....Taming turbulence: Hydrodynamic stability and flow-structure interaction using grid-free computation. Turbulence is characterized as seemingly disordered fluctuations that impede the progress of an object through a fluid by creating increased frictional or drag forces. Using a new type of fluid-flow simulation, this project will generate advanced understanding of turbulence in the flow over the surface of a vehicle, be it a ship, car, aircraft or within a pipe, with the technological objective of reducing drag by adhering a compliant skin to the surface. While the correct choice of compliance relies upon understanding very complex flow-structure dynamics, the resulting technology is simple, robust and has low capital and maintenance costs. Clearly, drag reduction reduces fuel costs and lower fuel consumption is environmentally beneficial. Read moreRead less
Analysis and application of a Lagrangian turbulence model for smoothed particle hydrodynamics. The project will use a new turbulence model to improve the predictions of chaotic motions that include plunging waves, fast flows carrying sediment and the mixing of pollutants.