Applications are invited for a fully-funded PhD studentship for eligible UK/EU students. The student will join the Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics Research group at the University of Southampton, a leading fluid dynamics research team in the UK with a range of computational/experimental research spanning wall-bounded flows, flow combustion and aeroacoustics and environmental flows amongst others.
The aim of this project is to develop new adjoint sensitivity algorithms that are robust to chaotic dynamics and can thus be used to solve complex aerodynamic optimisation problems using scale-resolving unsteady turbulent flow simulation. Current trends in computing suggest that unsteady flow simulation will gradually replace Reynolds-Averaged-Navier-Stokes approaches in industrial settings for flow analysis and design. However, existing adjoint sensitivity methods are ineffective when coupled to unsteady simulations. This is fundamentally due to the chaotic nature of turbulence dynamics and its high sensitivity to external perturbations. Developing new methods has the potential to transform a) the engineering design cycle in future years and b) accelerate fundamental turbulence research, as new methods for analysis and design will be available. The project will build upon recent theoretical advances in dynamical systems theory developed by the supervisor and collaborators. The primary focus will be to develop efficient numerical techniques that can scale to large-scale, billion-grid-point simulations and then testing the tools on a range of fluid dynamics problems ranging from aerodynamic flows on lifting bodies to turbulent boundary layers developing over complex, textured surfaces.
The project is multidisciplinary and spans dynamical systems theory, high performance computing and fluid mechanics. It is suitable for candidates with a first degree in either applied maths, physics or computing or a relevant engineering subject. Visits to project partners (KU Leuven) are planned. Good programming skills using compiled languages and a background in general fluid dynamics are essential for this post. However, as part of the selection process, the strength of the whole application is taken into account, including academic qualifications, examples of previous written work (e.g. final thesis or equivalent), CV and references. This three-year studentship covers UK/EU level tuition fees and provides an annual tax-free stipend at the standard EPSRC rate, which is £15,009 for 2019/20.
If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Dr Davide Lasagna, Aerodynamics and Flight Mechanics Research Group, Email: davide.lasagna@soton.ac.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 2380 59 4907.