Fluid Dynamics
Research Groups
- Actuarial and Financial Mathematics
- Applied Algebra and Information Theory
- Bayesian Statistics
- Computational Mathematics and High-Performance Computing
- Enumerative Combinatorics
- Fluid Dynamics
- Functional Analysis
- Mathematics Education
- Matrix Analysis
- Number Theory
- Potential Theory
- Probability
- Quantum Information and Computation
- Real Algebra
- Relativity and Mathematical Physics
- Statistical Genetics and Bioinformatics
- Statistical Modelling
Fluid Dynamics
Fluid mechanics has fascinated researchers for centuries and continues to do so today. Fluid mechanics is a very rich topic, covering a wide variety of applications (meteorology, climate, ocean waves, aeronautics, biomechanics, food industry, ship industry, oil and gas). The problem of turbulence is one of the central problems in theoretical physics. While the theory of fully developed turbulence has been widely studied, the theory of wave turbulence has been less studied, partly because it developed later.
The Fluid Dynamics in UCD has particular expertise in ocean waves (Frederic Dias), compressible fluid mechanics (Ted Cox), turbulence and dynamical systems (Miguel Bustamante) and multiphase flow (Lennon O’Naraigh). The group is heavily involved not only in fundamental theoretical descriptions of Fluid Mechanics, but also, in Computational Fluid Mechanics, and thereby interacts with major European supercomputing centres. Our goal is to make UCD an international centre of excellence in fluid mechanics.
The group is proud to have hosted three ERC grants, the ERC Advanced Grant (MULTIWAVE on rogue waves and HIGHWAVE on wave breaking) and one ERC Proof of Concept (WAVEMEASUREMENT on the measurement of extreme ocean waves).
Our group plays a key role in European initiatives promoting interactions between mathematics and industry, via membership of Bustamante and O'Naraigh in the management committee of the European COST action MI-NET ("Mathematics for Industry Network", TD-1409). We have developed a number of successful collaborations with industry involving fluid dynamics (RUSAL Aughinish, Wuppermann Steel, Analog Devices) and discrete mathematics (ENGINO).
Fluid mechanics has enjoyed a rich interaction with many other areas in mathematics (partial differential equations, statistics) and many other schools (geophysics, mechanical engineering, biology, physics). The applications covered in the UCD group range from marine renewable energy, a very promising topic in Ireland, to quantum superfluids, with applications ranging from terrestrial superfluidity to astrophysical dynamics.
People:
(opens in a new window)Dr Graham Benham
Research Interests: Environmental fluid dynamics, flow in porous media, carbon capture and storage, water waves, wave-body interactions, mathematics of rowing and cycling, industrial mathematics
Assoc Prof Miguel Bustamante
Research Interests: Fluid Dynamics and Turbulence, Nonlinear PDEs, Hamiltonian Methods and Integrable Systems
Assoc Prof Ted Cox
Research Interests: Nonlinear wave-propagation phenomena
Prof Frederic Dias
Research Interests: Partial Differential Equations, Free-surface Flows, Wave energy
(opens in a new window)Dr James Herterich
Research Interests: oceanographic and geophysical flows, fluid-structure interaction, industrial mathematics
(opens in a new window)Emeritus Prof Peter Lynch
Research Interests: Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Numerical Weather Prediction.
Dr Lennon Ó'Náraigh
Research Interests: Two-Phase Flows, Turbulence, Stability Theory, High-Performance Computing
Dr Conor Sweeeny
Research Interests: Probabilistic forecasting, weather and climate modelling, renewable energy
Group Contact (Email): (opens in a new window)Lennon Ó Náraigh