Research Fellow (Computational Aerodynamics and Aeroacoustics) - School of Metallurgy and Materials - 104750 - Grade 7

Position Details

School of Metallurgy and Materials, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £35,880 to £45,163 with potential progression once in post to £47,874

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to 2 years 

Closing date: 2nd March 2025

Background

Are you passionate about harnessing computational power to crack the secrets of aerodynamic sound generation for noise reduction? We are seeking a motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our group at the University of Birmingham, working on an exciting project funded by the EPSRC to understand and reduce turbulence-generated noise by leveraging high-fidelity flow simulation and modern data-driven approaches. This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research with direct industrial applications. 

Noise pollution has become the second-largest environmental cause of health problems in Europe, just after air pollution. Turbulence-generated noise is one of the most significant contributors, including noise from aircraft, wind turbines and land vehicles. Although the noise source is mathematically defined in acoustic analogy, the understanding of the physical process of noise generation remains incomplete. This consistently prevents us from effectively reducing the noise at the source. In our previous research, high-fidelity simulations have been developed to reproduce noise generation in turbulent flows from first principles, which enables a detailed examination of noise source mechanisms and noise reduction strategies.

This position will focus on developing advanced turbulence simulations with modern data-driven methods to unravel the nonlinear mechanisms of noise generation by turbulent flows, which will inform novel control strategies for reducing noise at the source. This exciting interdisciplinary project lies at the interface of fluid dynamics, acoustics and data science and offers opportunities to collaborate with leading academic and industrial partners, such as from Southampton, Cambridge, MIT and Rolls-Royce. The successful applicant will work in a vibrant and inclusive research group, led by Dr Zhong-Nan Wang. They will have the opportunity to conduct research with access to cutting-edge computational resources and benefit from direct industry engagement. They will also be supported to present research work and receive relevant training at national or international conferences and workshops. 

Role Summary

• Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing bids
• Operate within area of specialism (mesh generation, flow Simulation and data-driven analysis)
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results
• Contribute to generating funding
• Contribute to supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students and tutoring within the School
• Contribute to licensing or spin-out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and/or public understanding of the discipline 

Main Duties

• Develop and refine research objectives for own or joint research, with the assistance of a mentor if required
• Generate computational mesh and perform high-fidelity simulation on HPC clusters
• Work with group members and contribute to the development of a high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver
• Develop data-driven methods to examine and model noise generation mechanisms using the high-fidelity simulation data
• Collaborate with internal group members and external collaborators on relevant topics
• Assist the PI in the supervision of PhD students on relevant topics
• Write research papers for journal publications
• Present research work at academic conferences
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
• Undertake management or administration arising from research
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under the supervision of a project PI
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture

Person Specification

• First degree in Engineering, Physics, Math or Computer Sciences, and normally, a higher degree (PhD or near completion) relevant to the research area (such as aerodynamics, fluid mechanics and aeroacoustics) or equivalent qualifications
• Experience in generating computational mesh for flow simulation
• Experience in developing CFD code is essential
• Knowledge of the CFD method is essential
• Knowledge of data-driven methods, hydrodynamic instability and aeroacoustics is desirable
• Familiar with Fortran or C++ (but not limited) for CFD solver code development
• Familiar with Python or Matlab (but not limited) for data analysis
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Capability of time management
• High-level analytical capability
• Ability to contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Ability to co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day-to-day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Informal enquiries to Dr Zhong-Nan Wang, email: z.n.wang@bham.ac.uk or telephone 0121 4141 5193

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.