In this section

Research

Research in the Dynamics Section is concerned with a wide spectrum of phenomena which involve the dynamic behaviour of structures.

At one end of this spectrum are the problems which threaten the integrity of critical structures such as aircraft and aero engines, while at the other end there are problems of the environmental pollution of noise.

While much work is focused on reducing vibration and its associated problems, there are several applications where these same dynamic phenomena can be put to good use, such as in the diagnostics methods used to monitor the health of machinery and for other similar procedures which enable the detection of flaws in structures.

Structural Dynamics

The Structural Dynamics research team is led by Dr Christoph Schwingshackl and consists of 10-15 members. The team focuses on the structural dynamic behaviour of industrial scale problems, with a special interest in aero engines due to strong link to Rolls-Royce via the Vibration University Technology Centre.

Structural Performance and Integrity

The Structural Performance and Integrity research team is led by Professor David Nowell, who has over 30 years’ research experience in the field. Professor Nowell leads the overall Dynamics Group, and is Director of the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre (UTC) in Vibration.

Aeroelasticity

The team’s research uses computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to predict and improve our understanding of a range of aeroelastic phenomena in aircraft engines, ranging from flutter and forced response to compressor stall and surge.

Nonlinear Dynamics and Control

The group’s main activity is to develop new tools and methods to advance our understanding of nonlinearity and our ability to predict its effects on the dynamics of structures.