Research Associate in Theoretical and Numerical Fluid Mechanics

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. 

Overview

We are seeking a committed and motivated Research Associate to join the EPSRC-funded project “Towards data-driven turbulence control: saving energy in pipelines by suppressing turbulence”. This exciting opportunity involves leading the development of advanced data-driven mathematical and computational models to suppress turbulence in pipe flows, contributing to pressing engineering efforts toward greener transportation and energy.

Building on recent advances, the successful candidate will use a powerful combination of dynamical systems theory, optimisation, DNS and machine learning to model and optimise forced relaminarisation in pipe flow, aiming to uncover the underlying physical mechanisms and design effective turbulence control strategies.

You will deliver this project in close collaboration with the Principal Investigator, Dr Elena Marensi, and her team, supported by synergies with experimentalists, interdisciplinary collaborations with machine-learning experts, and partnerships with industry stakeholders in the pipe manufacturing sector.

As part of the School's renowned Thermofluids Research Group, you will work within one of the world’s leading hubs for fluid mechanics research. You will also benefit from interactions with the interdisciplinary Sheffield Fluid Mechanics Group. The role includes research visits to collaborators in Edinburgh and Vienna, engagement with industry partners, and several opportunities for personal and professional development, including tailored training, international conferences, student supervision, and support for career development.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Investigate and model forced relaminarisation in pipe flow using dynamical systems theory, high-fidelity simulations, and data-driven/machine-learning techniques.
• Design and assess turbulence control strategies for practical applications, using optimisation and feedback control methods.
• Collaborate and co-supervise a PhD student investigating relaminarisation under different forcing scenarios
• Work closely with experimental and industry partners to test solutions and incorporate industry insights into the design toward practical applications.
• Engage with industry stakeholders in the UK water sector to communicate project outcomes and maximize impact.
• Publish project outcomes in high-quality journals.
• Present research findings at national and international conferences and workshops.
• Ensure the availability of codes and data developed throughout the project, adhering to the University's Open Research policy and FAIR principles
• Report results and progress in regular project’s meetings.
• Provide mentorship and help supervise  junior researchers and PhD students as appropriate.
• Contribute to the development of research proposals to secure fundings to further develop the group research programmes.
• Actively participate in the general collaborative working of a team for example, to present to the group, help organise seminars, coordinate research visits etc…
• Uphold ethical and sustainable research practices in alignment with the University’s sustainability strategy.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post