Fluid dynamics is the study of how fluids (liquids, gases, and plasmas) move and interact with each other and their surroundings, including the generation and propagation of sound waves within them. Applications of fluid dynamics and acoustics are pervasive in modern society and their understanding is essential for a wide range of engineering applications. Fluid dynamics research in the field of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) encompasses a diverse array of topics, including those related to biology, the environment, transportation, development of advanced flight-vehicles, and space exploration. Our research will lead to improvements for individuals and society, and in addition, a greater physical and mathematical understanding of fluid motion. Meanwhile, the study of acoustics can be conducted independently or in conjunction with fluid dynamics research in the field of aeroacoustics, which focuses on how noise is generated by fluids.
Research in fluid dynamics and acoustics has far-reaching implications for society, such as the development of more fuel-efficient modes of transportation, improved understanding of disease transmission, sustainable satellite technology, quieter transportation noise, and energy generation systems. At the University of Florida’s MAE department, we are conducting ongoing research in these fields, and below are some examples of the projects we are working on.
We have the ability to perform complicated simulations involving direct numerical simulation (pictured) and large-eddy simulation of single and multiphase codes.
We perform computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations to predict the motion of liquids, gases, and plasmas. We can perform RANS, LES, and DNS.
We use high performance computing to predict flow. We have significant high performance computational resources available through UF Research Computing.
Our groups study rotorcraft and electric vertical and take-off and landing vehicles. We can create, analysis, and measure complicated flow-fields around flight-vehicles.
Hypersonic flow-fields are those where the hypersonic similarity parameter, K, is near unity. Hypersonics represents the study of flow-fields that exhibit additional physics beyond supersonic flows. We are interested in the aerodynamic prediction of hypersonic flow-fields.
Our department has performed experiments in natural fluid dynamics including those investigating the natural atmospheric boundary layer, tornadoes, and more.
We have performed some of the largest simulations of how hot plumes spread on vertical and inclined walls using the entire HiperGator supercomputer at UF
The field of microfluidics involves the design and fabrication of devices with microfeatures, studying microscale flows, and engineering them for various applications
We have been investigating how diseases and pollutants spread in indoor settings to develop more advanced social-distancing guidelines
Areas of Excellence
- Aeroacoustics
- Aerodynamics
- Analytical & Theory
- Bio-Inspired
- Combustion
- Experimental Techniques
- Flow Control
- Fluid Structure Interactions
- Geophysical Phenomena
- High Energy Events
- Hypersonics
- Micro-Gravity Fluids
- Micro-Scale Fluids
- Numerical Techniques
- Propulsion
- Sonic Boom
- Space Weather
- Turbulence
Facilities
- Anechoic Wind Tunnel
- Experimental Fluids & Acoustics Facilities
- Interdisciplinary Microsystems Group Facilities
- Supersonic Wind Tunnel
- UF Research Computing
Associated Centers and Institutes
Related Faculty
Education
Ph.D, 1991, University of Virginia,
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Member
American Society of Engineering Education, Member
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Education
PhD, 1988, Brown University,
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Member
American Physical Society, Fellow 2006
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fellow 2008
American Society of Thermal and Fluids Engineers, Member
Teaching Interests
Computational fluid science (aka CFD), Large scale simulation of complex flows, transition and turbulence, multiphase flows, environmental flows
Education
Ph.D., 1988, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Member
American Society of Engineering Education, Member
American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Member
Research Interests
My current research interests center on engineering education with emphasis on peer mentoring and advising processes, incorporation of AI augmented recommender systems in academic and career mentoring, and factors affecting matriculation of students from undergraduate to graduate study.…
Dr. Chung is currently the Andrew H. Hines, Jr./Progress Energy Eminent Scholar Chair Professor at the University of Florida. He joined the University of Florida in 1998 after 19 years on the faculty at the Washington State University. Dr. Chung holds both B.S. and M.S. degrees in Nuclear Engineering and had spent 6 years working as a nuclear reactor safety engineer in the industry before receiving his Ph.D.…
Professor Fan joined UF in 2003. His research focus is to develop microfluidics and BioMEMS technologies and apply them to biomedical applications. Microfluidics involves device fabrication and manufacturing, study of fluid behavior in microscale, and exploiting the devices for a variety of applications including point-of-care testing, environmental monitoring, and detection of pathogens in the field.
Education
Ph.…
Applied AI and data analytics,Sensors,Energy,Space,Materials Under Extreme Environments,Lifelong workforce development
Ryan Houim received his BSME from North Dakota State University and his MS and Ph.D. degrees from the Pennsylvania State University. He was a National Research Council post-doctoral fellow at the Naval Research Laboratory and a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland prior to joining the University of Florida. His research is focused on understanding the dynamics of multiphase and chemically reactive flows using numerical simulation techniques. …
Dr. Thomas L. Jackson (Citizenship: USA). Dr. Thomas L. Jackson is a Research Scientist in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Previously he was Technical Manager for the Center for Compressible Multiphase Turbulence at the University of Florida. He received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1985, after which he joined the staff of the Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering (ICASE).…
Education
Ph.D., 1990, University of Illinois
Research Interests
Two-phase flow, turbulence, computational fluid mechanics.
Prof. Steven A. E. Miller, Ph.D., conducts research in theoretical fluid dynamics, theoretical aeroacoustics, and related disciplines. He joined the University of Florida Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in August of 2016. For seven years he was a United States government civil servant and was appointed to the position of theoretical aeroacoustician (research aerospace engineer) at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Langley Research Center, Aeroacoustics Branch.…
Professor Mohseni received his Ph.D. in 2000 from California Institute of Technology. After a year as a Postdoc in Control and Dynamical Systems at Caltech he joined the Aerospace Engineering Sciences department at the University of Colorado in Boulder as an Assistant Professor. Professor Mohseni joined the University of Florida as W. P. Bushnell Endowed Professor in MAE and ECE departments in 2011.…
Dr. Patrick Musgrave received his PhD from Virginia Tech in 2018 and BSc & BSE from the University of Pittsburgh in 2012. Dr. Musgrave’s research focuses on adaptive and morphing systems operating in fluidic environments, in particular systems subject to dynamic fluid-structure interactions. These systems are inherently multi-physical and sit at the intersection of structures, hydro/aerodynamics, mechatronics, smart materials, and controls.…
Alicia Petersen is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at the University of Florida. Through data analysis, instrumentation and modeling, Dr. Petersen researches the kinetic physics, magnetism and dynamics at play during the transit and interaction of space weather phenomena in the inner solar system, their impacts on spacecraft, and strategies for mitigating the impacts of space weather.…
Professor Subrata Roy studies ionized gas physics and its various applications: (1) Atmospheric plasma actuators for flow mixing, propulsion, and turbulent flow control; (2) Hypersonic flows; (3) Space propulsion; and (4) Hydrodynamic models for micro and nanofluidics by incorporating Knudsen’s theory. Prof. Roy is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), a Distinguished Visiting Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Fellow of the ASME, and an Associated Fellow of the AIAA.…
Jonathan Scheffe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida. Prof. Scheffe’s research is focused on the conversion and storage of solar energy in the form of renewable fuels/electricity through thermochemical routes. He is the former chair of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Solar Energy Division and has co-authored more than 35 peer received publications in the field of solar thermal energy conversion.…
Education
Ph.D., 1991, University of Virginia
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Member
Combustion Institute, Member
Research Interests
Combustion, fluid diagnostics, Fluid mechanics, aircraft design.
Mark Sheplak is currently a Professor holding joint appointments in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida. Prior to joining UF in 1998, he was a postdoctoral associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Microsystems Technology Laboratories, Cambridge, MA from 1995-1998.…
Education
Ph.D., 1985, Iowa State University
Professional Memberships and Fellowships
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Fellow 2002
American Society of Engineering Education, Member
American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Fellow 2002
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fellow 2000
Royal Aeronautical Society, Fellow 2017
American Society of Thermal and Fluids Engineers, Member
International Association for Hydrogen Energy, Member
International Institute of Refrigeration, Member
International Solar Energy Society, Member
Research Interests
Heat and Mass Transfer, Thermodynamics, Thermal System Design and Optimization, Refrigeration and Cryogenics, HVAC, Solar and Hydrogen Energy
Links
- UF Industrial Assessment Center
- International Association for Hydrogen Energy
- Google Scholar Page
- ASME Journal of Solar Energy Engineering
- ASME Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering Applications
- Applied Thermal Engineering
- Heat Transfer
- International Journal of Exergy
- International Journal of Energy for a Clean Environment
- International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
- Handbook of Hydrogen Energy
- International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer
- Journal of Thermal Science
- Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer Research
- Journal of King Saud University – Engineering Sciences
- International Journal of Energy and Environment
- International Journal of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering
- Highlights of Sustainability
- ORCID
Professor Xin Tang received his Post-doctoral training from Harvard University and Ph.D. from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research interests include cell and molecular mechanics in cancer development and metastasis, cardiovascular system, and neurons; unconventional mechano-electrophysiology; quantitative in vivo/vitro functional bio-imaging; bio-nanotechnology; and development of new biophysical tools to probe biological function/structure. His research is supported by NIH, NSF, AFOSR/DoD, UF Health Cancer Center, UF Opportunity Funds, and etc.…
Professor Thakur received his Ph.D. in 1993 from University of Florida. His research interests include computational fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and combustion modeling.
Education
Ph.D., 1993, University of Florida,
Research Interests
Computational fluid dynamics, heat transfer, combustion modelling.
Professor Trainham’s research interests are in renewable energy. Before joining UF, Trainham spent most of his professional career in industry: four years as chief technology officer JDC Phosphate, four years as vice president, distinguished fellow and director of the Research Triangle Solar Fuels Institute at RTI International, senior vice president of Sundrop Fuels (a solar fuel company), served as global vice president of Science and Technology at PPG Industries, and had a 25-year career at the DuPont Company.…
Lawrence Ukeiley is currently a Professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Florida. His primary research interests are in experimental fluid dynamics and turbulence as related to flow control, aeroacoustics, fluid structure interactions and the development of low order models. He received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Alfred University in 1989 and his MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University in 1992 and 1996 respectively.…
