Research Interests
Turbulence in fluids is an important unsolved problem of classical physics with broad applications in engineering ranging from aerodynamics of vehicles to mixing of fuel and oxidizer in combustion chambers. My research has focused on the understanding of the structure and mechanics of turbulence and development of reduced order models for prediction and control of turbulent flows for engineering analysis. I have used large scale numerical simulations as the primary tool in analysis. An appreciable portion of my work has focused on the development of numerical algorithms for computation of turbulent flows and the processing of massive data generated by such computations. Using numerical experiments we have been able to elucidate the fundamental structure of turbulent shear flows, including the minimal flow unit in wall bounded flows. We have combined optimal control and optimization theory with the equations governing fluid flow, and demonstrated that complex turbulent flows can be manipulated for engineering applications such as mitigation of noise or aerodynamic forces. More recently, we have extended our studies to chemically reacting flows and combustion in propulsion systems.
Membership Type
Member
Election Year
2011
Primary Section
Section 31: Engineering Sciences
Secondary Section
Section 34: Computer and Information Sciences