My research interests range from experimental fluid mechanics to advanced optical fluid flow diagnostics and from vortices to feathered flight.
From experimental fluid mechanics to advanced optical fluid flow diagnostics
Experiments are a great way to study fluid mechanic phenomena. By physically creating the flow of interest, we know that the phenomena are real. But to accurately capture fluid flow in an experiment, we need good flow diagnostics and analysis tools.
Optical fluid flow measurement techniques have improved significantly and currently we can capture complete velocity fields (all three components) in a measurement volume and resolve the flow phenomena in time (e.g. time-resolved tomographic particle image velocimetry, Lagrangian particle tracking).
Using these optical fluid flow measurements, we develop analysis tools to describe the flow more accurately (e.g. frequency–wavenumber mapping) and to describe the interaction between flow and objects immersed in the flow (e.g. pressure determination from particle image velocimetry).
From vortices to feathered flight
One of the most intriguing yet apparently simple flow phenomena is a vortex. Vortices can be very small (turbulence), very large (hurricanes) and anything in between. They can also occur on lifting surfaces along the leading edge (like the Concorde when taking off or landing) and such leading edge vortices also help keep insects, bats and birds aloft.
Feathers are the unique feature that enable birds to excel in flight and allow them to conquer the sky. They are exquisite fibre composite structures that are a marvel engineering design. They overlap to create a lifting surface that can improve flow over the wing and create a morphing wing to allow birds to improve flight performance or perform exceptional flight manoeuvres.
Research projects
Current
At the University of Southampton:
- Holistic Optical Metrology for Aero-Elastic Research (HOMER). EU-H2020, 769237, September 2018–August 2021
- Understanding and exploiting non-equilibrium effects on turbulent boundary layers: Towards realisable drag reduction strategies. EPSRC, EP/R034370/1, July 2018–June 2022
- Effect of Separation and Stall on Aerofoil Noise. EPSRC, EP/R010900/1, June 2018–June 2021
Past
- Feathers on the wing. Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship, ECF-2013-259, May 2014–April 2017
- Non-intrusive Optical Pressure and Loads Extraction for Aerodynamic Analysis (NIOPLEX). EU-FP7, 605151, October 2013–November 2016
de Kat Lab 