FET06
Title: “Investigating novel bio-inspired aerodynamic designs to underpin next generation flying
vehicle applications using high-fidelity and high-performance CFD methods and capabilities”
Contact: Professor Yufeng Yao Yufeng.Yao@uwe.ac.uk
Project:
There is a strong focus on revolutionary step changes in civil aircraft design in order to push the
design envelope further as we strive to meet the ACERA 2020 target and 2050 vision for reduced
carbon footprint, noise level and emissions. To reflect these urgent demands, there is a clear trend
of moving from current fixed rigid wings to flexible large deformable and morphing wings which
promise maximum aerodynamic & flight performance and at same time minimum CO2 production,
noise level and NOx emissions. In order to achieve these ultimate goals, it requires a greater
understanding of underlying flow physics, such as the highly unsteady separating flow, material and
structure integrity as well as the investigation and application of novel control algorithms to ensure
that flexible structures can be optimised for all phases of flight. Modelling and simulation using
modern computational fluid dynamics on high-performance computing facilities paves way for
efficient, accurate and reliable predictions that would be essential for practical design process.
As such, the proposed PhD will involve the use of high-fidelity and high-performance Computational
Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods for the prediction and understanding of the underlying flow physics
of novel bio-inspired flexible deformable morphing wings. This is expected to be achieved through
the development of novel shape concepts, in-house and open source CFD code, comprehensive
analysis through Validation and Verification, optimisation for all phases of flight through novel
closed loop control techniques and scaling effects (e.g. from Laboratory scale to industry scale).
Upon successful of the bid, the student would be able to access UK super-computer via EPSRC
funded UK Turbulence Consortium (EP/L000261/1) http://www.turbulence.ac.uk/ for which
Professor Yao is member, plus UWE in-house subsonic and supersonic wind tunnel, and Bristol
Robotics Lab (UAV Flying Arena) for modelling, testing and validation.