These two topics are linked by the demands of the aerospace industry for precise analysis of fluid flow and complex structures. However, they can also be applied to other branches of engineering science as well as to the environmental and life sciences. The research programme is broad in scope, and includes basic investigations as well as applied work. The research activities in aerodynamics are divided between computational fluid dynamics and experimental studies. In addition the Department has an extensive programme of non-aerospace related work supported by a wide variety of home and overseas agencies.
Examples are investigations of road vehicle aerodynamics and wave loading on offshore structures.
FE programs are applied to problems in both aeronautical and non-aeronautical fields. Up until the academic year ending September 2000 the Department offered an MSc course in Computational Fluid Dynamics and Structural Dynamics. This replaces the previous MSc course and we are now inviting applications for entry to the course in October 2001. The course is presented by staff of both the Departments of Aeronautics and the Department of Mathematics and will be managed by the Department of Aeronautics. The intention is to provide advanced training in computational methods, the underlying physical principles and in appropriate experimental techniques.