1. Lattice Boltzmann modelling of droplet equatorial streaming in an electric field
Dr Geng Wang, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London
In a strong electric field, when a low-viscosity droplet is placed in a medium with higher electric conductivity and permittivity, it forms a lens-like shape and continuously generates detached liquid rings and fingers at the equator. As these rings and fingers break up, hundreds of size-controllable satellite droplets are produced in the equatorial plane of the mother droplet; this phenomenon is known as equatorial streaming.
This figure shows the morphology of a streaming droplet and the typical evolution process of equatorial streaming, with the droplet coloured by charge density distribution. The results are obtained using a cutting-edge electrohydrodynamic lattice Boltzmann model developed at UCL. The simulations are conducted on the ARCHER2 national supercomputer, and for a typical case, more than 4000 cores are used for over one day.
2. Radiation-Hydrodynamics simulation of burning inertial fusion design
Dr Aidan Crilly, Department of Physics, Imperial College London
This image shows a simulation of an inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosion. ICF experiments involve firing an external driver (generally a laser) at a capsule which contains fusion fuel. The capsule then implodes, creating extreme temperatures and densities and leading to a high rate of fusion. The physics of ICF is well captured by radiation-hydrodynamics simulation. Shown in the image are the electron temperature and mass density at the time of peak fusion rate, this multi-dimensional simulation includes the effect of fusion product heating of the fuel. The simulation was the end product of a machine learning driven optimisation of implosion design. Archer2 was used to perform hundreds of two-dimensional radiation-hydrodynamics simulations, enabling autonomous design in order to maximise the fusion energy released.
3. Pathways of freshwater in the Ganges delta
Katie Lee and Dr Lucy Bricheno, National Oceanography Centre
These maps show pathways which freshwater takes through the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta in Bangladesh and India. A lagrangian particle tracking approach was used to trak waters released in the red area at the far north of the domain, then allowed to travel freely down the network of river channels.
The top row is from the 'wet season' in Septmber, and the bottom row is for the 'dry sesason' in March. The fast flows in the wet season are seen to wash partcles rapidly down the delta, forming a freshwater plume offshore. In the dry season, slower flows mean the particles do not travel so far.
The numerical models generation the underlying current velocity data were generated by a configuration of FVCOM run on ARCHER2.
4. Root of Failure
Dr Eric Breard, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh
3D discrete element method (DEM) reveals grain size sculpting contacts, contacts braiding forces, and forces becoming strength. Granular materials fail or hold—by their network. Using 3D discrete-element simulations (MFIX-DEM) on the ARCHER2 supercomputer, we explore how the grain-size distribution (GSD) organizes the contact network that governs rheology. In each granular assembly, particles are coloured by diameter while the paired contact network (drawn as a graph of force chains) highlights strong and weak pathways. As the GSD shifts, so does the network’s connectivity, anisotropy and load-bearing architecture, altering effective friction and the onset of yield. These renderings (ParaView + OSPRay Path Tracer) make visible the “root of failure”: the percolation and collapse of strong chains within a sea of weaker links. From this platform we probe how the internal force network forecasts incipient failure in natural piles (landslides and other gravity-driven flows) and ask whether in situ or remote proxies for contact-network health could help assess slope strength before it gives way.
5. Vortices swirling around a Formula 1 front wing
Mr Parv Khurana, Department of Aeronautics, Imperial College London
This image shows the instantaneous swirling three-dimensional vortices generated by the Imperial Front Wing (IFW), a benchmark Formula 1 geometry based on the McLaren MP4-17D race car. The Lambda2 isocontours, coloured by streamwise velocity, highlight the complex wake created by the multi-element wing operating in ground effect with a rolling wheel.
The flow field was computed using one of the highest-fidelity aerodynamic simulation approaches available: wall-resolved implicit large-eddy simulations (iLES). The unsteady simulation involved over 260 million unknowns and required more than 6 days of continuous computation on 8,192 CPU cores of ARCHER2. Thanks to recent improvements in the Nektar++ software, such runs now take only a third of the time compared with just a few years ago. This benchmark dataset will support future aerodynamic studies by providing a reference for both wind tunnel measurements and lower-fidelity models.
6. Contour plots of density from the evolution of a triple material interaction, simulated with a hybrid DG-FV method using UCNS3D
Prof Pangiotis Tsoutsanis, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Cranfield University
The evolution of the collision of three distinct materials, give rise to spectacular visuals ranging from interaction of shockwaves to vortical instabilities across the interfaces, to chaotic mixing that disperses materials. These collisions can be found in several settings such as supernova explosions, inertial confinement fusion, and ablation of thermal protection systems. Gaining a deeper understanding of these worlds depends on developing numerical frameworks that are highly efficient, accurate, and robust. In this instance this triple material interaction has been simulated on ARCHER2, by a high-order Discontinuous Galerkin- Finite Volume found in the open-source UCNS3D CFD software.
7. Spontaneous rolling of brine droplets on the PAH-covered hydrate surface
Dr Anh Phan, Chemical and Process Engineeringmical Engineering, University of Surrey
The video demonstrates the spontaneous rolling of brine droplets (NaCl and CaCl₂) on a methane–ethane hydrate surface coated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in pure toluene, as observed via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations run on ARCHER2.
PAHs, known for their unique π–π stacking, hold promise for advanced applications, underscoring the need for a deeper understanding of their interfacial properties. Using MD, we investigated the wetting behavior of brine droplets on hydrate surfaces in various oil solvents. The results highlight synergistic effects from PAHs and ion-specific interactions. The KCl droplet exhibits a larger contact angle than NaCl and CaCl₂ droplets when the toluene volume fraction is below 0.5, with the rate of increase slowing at higher toluene levels. NaCl and CaCl₂ droplets display similar contact angles across all solvent compositions. Notably, in pure toluene, these droplets exhibit contact angles exceeding 150°, occasionally leading to spontaneous rolling on the PAH-covered surface.
08. Mach number flow field over time on OAT15 aerofoil showing transonic buffet
Ms Jiayi Gong, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London
This study investigates unsteady shock-wave boundary layer interaction, commonly referred to as transonic buffet, using the open-source Nektar++ flow solver. The geometry under consideration is the ONERA supercritical OAT15 aerofoil, a widely recognized benchmark for transonic buffet research.
High-fidelity simulations were performed on the UKTC Archer2 resources in June 2025. The flow conditions correspond to an inflow Mach number of 0.73 and a Reynolds number of 3 million. The simulation successfully reproduced the self-sustained, periodic shock-wave oscillations characteristic of transonic buffet.
This work represents both the first application of Nektar++ in a compressible regime at such a high Reynolds number and the first attempt to model and analyse transonic buffet using Nektar++.
09. The Beehive Lantern of Porosity - the Hidden Architecture of ZIF-71
Dr Debayan Mondal, Multifunctional Materials and Composites (MMC) Laboratory, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford
Harnessing the computational power of ARCHER2 alongside the CRYSTAL23 quantum-chemistry code, we unveil the hidden architectural marvel within the porous framework of ZIF-71. The visualization captures the solvent-accessible volume as a luminous beehive lantern-a molecular cosmos where golden honeycomb voids spiral through crystalline constellations of violet and emerald atoms.
Like nature’s perfect hexagonal hives suspended in a crystalline cage, this structure embodies geometric efficiency on the nanoscale. The warm honey-colored pathways trace molecular highways where guest species may journey, while the violet lattice forms a precise architectural scaffold. Emerald coordination nodes punctuate the framework like watchful sentinels, each atom positioned with quantum-mechanical exactness.
Just as bees weave order from wax, ZIF-71 self-assembles into a harmonious framework of pores designed for selective molecular hosting - an elegant reminder that the architectures of nature and of matter often rhyme.
10. Electromagnetic waves propagation underground
* * * Winning Video and overall competition winning entry * * *
Dr Sebastien Lemaire, EPCC, University of Edinburgh
This video shows a gprMax simulation modelling the propagation of Electromagnetic fields coming from an above ground source into the earth. It models the interactions with the materials the fields come into contact with. The electric field (blue) is emitted at the surface, goes through the ground and interacts with a pair of perpendicular metallic pipes. These simulations enable the modelling of the return signature of subterranean structures, which have a variety of industry applications.
The simulation at the centre of the video uses an underlying grid of 750M cells and was run on 8 nodes using the UK national supercomputer ARCHER2. The data was then pre-processed using ParaView to export vdb files and perform a lossy data compression by discarding data points where the Electromagnetic field is negligible. Finally, the scene and all its components were designed and rendered using Blender.
11. New look into Taylor-Green Vortices
Dr Sebastien Lemaire, EPCC, University of Edinburgh
The visualisation shows a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation of Taylor-Green vortices. The Taylor-Green vortex test case is a common setup for benchmarking and validating CFD solvers. The flow is initialised with sin waves velocities. Vortices decay over time showing the different scales of turbulence. The simulation at the centre of the visualisation was performed by ASiMoV-ccs (https://github.com/asimovpp/asimov-ccs), a CFD and combustion code designed for large scale simulations.
The simulations was run using 16 nodes for 20h on ARCHER2. The data was then pre-processed using ParaView to compute the Q-criterion (quantity calculated from the velocity field and highlighting vortices). Finally the scene setup and all its components were designed using Blender.
12. Ice is born in vibrating nanopores
* * * Winning Early Career entry * * *
Mr Pengxu Chen, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh
Ice nucleation in supercooled water begins when small molecular clusters organize into the first ice-like structures. The figure shows this process: white molecules indicate ice (transparent particles) forming within supercooled water (blue particles) confined in a nanopore whose wall vibrates. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that vibration induces negative pressure as the wall stretches the confined liquid. This tension promotes the growth of larger ice-like clusters, thereby accelerating nucleation. Once these clusters reach a critical size, they coalesce into a stable front that propagates swiftly across the nanopore, transforming the entire volume into ice. All simulations were conducted in LAMMPS on the ARCHER2.
13. Vibration-induced freeze desalination
Mr Pengxu Chen, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh
Freeze desalination works by freezing seawater so that pure ice can be separated from the salty solution. The accompanying video illustrates this process at the molecular scale. White regions show ice forming and expanding within salt water, while green and yellow particles represent salt ions. As the ice front grows, these ions are rejected and pushed into the boundaries between ice grains, leaving behind purer ice. In this study, vibrational disturbances were applied to the system, which promoted ice nucleation and accelerated growth. The simulation captures how freezing and salt rejection occur simultaneously until the ice fills the entire domain. This work was performed using molecular dynamics simulations in LAMMPS on ARCHER2.
14. Simulated Blood Flow Patterns in an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Mr Vijay Nandurdikar, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The University of Manchester
Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) account for thousands of deaths worldwide each year and are permanent dilations of the abdominal aorta. Often silent until rupture, they carry an overall case fatality of around 80%, making them one of the most lethal vascular conditions. Diameter alone remains an unreliable predictor of rupture, and disturbed blood flow patterns are increasingly recognised as contributors to aneurysm growth and rupture. The image shows a synthetic AAA geometry representing a male patient over 80 years old, generated through an automated framework. Pulsatile blood flow was simulated on the ARCHER2 supercomputer, and the visualisation captures velocity fields at peak systole. Streamlines and colour-mapped slices highlight regions of disturbed flow within the aneurysm sac, illustrating how complex haemodynamics arise beyond what a single-diameter measure can capture. Such simulations demonstrate the power of large-scale CFD to explore anatomy–flow interactions and improve clinical understanding of rupture risk
15. Vapour Shielding
Mr Debarshi Debnath, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh
When multiple droplets evaporate in close proximity, the surrounding vapour accumulates and suppresses their evaporation. Because vapour diffuses more slowly than droplets evaporate, this accumulation creates a shielding effect that reduces evaporation at the droplet edges facing neighbouring droplets. As a result, the cooling effect at the droplet interface becomes asymmetric for corner droplets in the array, breaking symmetry and driving azimuthal flow. In contrast, the central droplet experiences suppression uniformly from all sides, producing a more symmetric convective flow. These findings are obtained from full-scale direct numerical phase-field simulations carried out on ARCHER2 using our in-house code TPLS.
16. Vortical structures in a swirling jet, visualised using a Q-criterion isosurface coloured by vorticity magnitude.
Dr Xinyi Chen, Department of Engineering, Newcastle University
Gas turbines are widely used for aircraft propulsion and power generation, and improving their efficiency while reducing emissions is a key step toward cleaner energy. Hydrogen is a promising alternative fuel because it produces no carbon dioxide when burned. However, hydrogen flames are highly sensitive to turbulence and can become unstable, making them difficult to control. Gaining a clear understanding of how swirling flow patterns influence flame behaviour is therefore essential for the safe and reliable operation of future gas turbines.
The image is a Q-criterion isosurface coloured by vorticity magnitude from a Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of a swirling flow, carried out using the fully compressible solver SENGA2 on ARCHER2. It reveals the vortical structures that form when air is injected into a chamber at a given swirl number. These flow patterns are representative of conditions inside a gas turbine combustor.
By studying the flow field in detail before combustion, we can identify mechanisms that may later trigger instabilities once the flame is ignited. This knowledge underpins efforts to predict and control flame behaviour in practical combustors.
17. Propagation of a lean hydrogen premixed flame
Mr Sofiane Al Kassar, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh
This image shows the temperature distribution in a simulated two-dimensional laminar lean hydrogen premixed flame under ambient conditions, captured at different times during the flame propagation. These snapshots are superimposed to illustrate how the instabilities affects the propagation of the flame over time. The simulation begins from a flat, stable flame, but soon instabilities emerge and multi-scale structures develop in the flame. These instabilities are not observed with typical carbon-based fuel so we investigate how they form and how they influence the flame behaviour. Understanding this process is crucial for advancing hydrogen as a clean alternative to conventional hydrocarbon fuels, since it strongly affects the flame dynamics and has a direct impact on safety and efficiency in combustion systems. This simulation was performed on ARCHER2.
18. Turbulent lean hydrogen premixed flame
Mr Sofiane Al Kassar, School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh
This image shows the heat release rate and vorticity in a simulated three-dimensional turbulent lean hydrogen premixed flame under gas-turbine conditions. The left image represents a 2D slice of the vorticity (grey scale) and heat release on a flame surface (colours) and the right image represents the heat release on the same surface in 3D. Because hydrogen is very light, it behaves differently from carbon-based fuels. One important difference is that combustion instabilities emerge in hydrogen flames. We therefore investigate how such instabilities influence the turbulent flame behaviour in conditions close to operating gas-turbines. Understanding this process is crucial for advancing hydrogen as a clean alternative to conventional hydrocarbon fuels, since it strongly affects the flame dynamics and has a direct impact on safety and efficiency in combustion systems. This simulation was performed on ARCHER2.
19. Acoustic forcing of a lean premixed hydrogen-air flame
Mr Frederick Young, Mechanical Engineering, Newcastle University
The video shows a high-fidelity simulation of a premixed hydrogen-air flame becoming unstable due to the interaction of imposed acoustic waves with the flame front, run on ARCHER2. The top image shows the time evolution of the acoustic pressure field, with a monopole-type source prescribed at the center of the inflow plane. The superimposed black line shows the region of maximum heat release, which indicates the location of the thin flame front. The bottom image shows the time evolution of the (non-dimensional) temperature field, with values greater than 1 indicative of the strong reactivity of lean hydrogen-air flames. The imposed acoustic forcing leads to the emergence of distinct cellular patterning on the flame surface. The displayed research has implications in the design of control systems to mitigate combustion instabilities in future net-zero combustors.
20. Deep Impact
Dr Eric Breard, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh
This rendering illustrates a 3D discrete element method (DEM) simulation performed with the MFIX-DEM solver on the ARCHER2 high-performance computing facility and visualized in ParaView with the OSPRay path tracer, capturing the fleeting complexity of transient granular flow. A single impactor—ten times larger than the background grains—strikes a bed of 1.1 million particles at 100 m/s.
On the left, particles are coloured by velocity, revealing the granular shockwave that propagates radially through the particulate assembly, compressing and dilating the mixture as it dissipates into the medium. On the right, the evolving contact network traces the hidden skeleton of force: braided chains of compression and fragile links of tension. These filaments illustrate how momentum impacts the bed's structure, and how structure in turn governs failure or resistance.
Together, the velocity field and the contact force network reveal the transient choreography upon this deep impact.
21. Deep Impact: What Grain Do In The Shadows
Dr Eric Breard, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh
We illustrates a 3D discrete element method (DEM) simulation performed with the MFIX-DEM solver on the ARCHER2 high-performance computing facility and visualized in ParaView with the OSPRay path tracer, capturing the fleeting complexity of transient granular flow. A single impactor, ten times larger than the background grains, strikes a bed of 1.1 million particles at 100 m/s.
On the left, particles are coloured by velocity, revealing a granular shockwave that ripples radially through the assembly, compressing and dilating the mixture as it dissipates into the medium. On the right, a slice through the bed center exposes the evolving contact network, the hidden skeleton of force, where braided chains of compression and fragile links of tension form, buckle, and fade.
Much of this intricate choreography remains invisible in nature, yet simulations like this allow us to unravel the hidden architectures behind the intrinsic complexity of granular matter, where strength and failure are born from the synergy of weak and strong force chains.
22. Comparison of vortex evolution over pitching forward and backward swept wings
Ethan Warman, Lois Martin, Chandan Bose, Aerospace Engineering, University of Birmingham
This image shows how the vortex-dominated flow evolves around periodically pitching forward and backward swept wings in the laminar regime. The evolution has been layered in time, with earlier stages faded to suggest motion from past to present. The sliding meshing technique, combined with the arbitrary mesh interface boundary condition, allows the pitching motion of an inner rotating domain. The simulations were performed using a finite volume method-based Navier-Stokes solver with the framework of open-source code OpenFOAM on the ARCHER2 HPC system. The domain decomposition technique, such as scotch, enables the numerical simulation of these wings to be performed with large numbers of CPUs, thereby speeding up the extensive solution time. The unsteady wake patterns in the airflow resulting from the kinematic motion of the wing are challenging to examine experimentally. Therefore, access to these resources elucidates the unsteady aerodynamic phenomena and their implications for future wing design in low-speed aerial vehicles.
23. Vortices in motion: the hidden dynamics of a pitching forward swept wing
Ethan Warman, Lois Martin, Chandan Bose, Aerospace Engineering, University of Birmingham
The video reveals the vortical evolution around a 30 degree forward swept wing that sinusoidally pitches in the laminar flow regime. The animation displays the low-speed air interacting with the wing from the front, side and top view, bringing to life the complex three-dimensional nature of unsteady aerodynamics. Iso-surfaces of the Q-criterion coloured by spanwise vorticity identify the formation and breakdown of coherent vortical structures. The simulation was carried out using the finite volume Navier-Stokes solver within OpenFOAM on the ARCHER2 HPC system. Workload distribution via the scotch domain decomposition method enabled efficient use of large numbers of CPUs, reducing the extensive computational cost. Such simulations, challenging to replicate experimentally, provide valuable insight into wake development and vortex interactions, with applications to future low-speed aircraft design and nature-inspired flight used in for low-speed applications. ARCHER2 enables the simulations to run at a scale and speed impossible for normal high-end computers.
24. Squid-Inspired Flexible Nozzle for Underwater Propulsion
Paras Singh, Chandan Bose, Aerospace Engineering, University of Birmingham
In nature, cephalopods, particularly squids, achieve exceptional manoeuvrability and propulsive efficiency by combining fin activity with jet propulsion. Their fins undulate or beat synchronously or independently to provide thrust and lift, while rhythmic mantle contractions coupled with a flexible funnel generate pulsed jets. Funnel deformability and traveling waves modulate vortex-ring formation, jet entrainment, and exit-pressure impulse—mechanisms that enable squid to enhance thrust for efficient propulsion. Inspired by the biological funnel, we design passively deforming, flexible nozzles for underwater propulsion. Using ARCHER2, we conduct three-dimensional, strongly coupled, partitioned fluid-structure interaction simulations based on the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian framework. Our study probes how nozzle flexibility and geometry govern wave propagation, vortex dynamics, and hydrodynamic impulse.
25. Wake Dynamics of Bio-Inspired Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Rotors
Manu Aryal, Manabendra M. De, Chandan Bose, Aerospace Engineering, University of Birmingham
In nature, cephalopods, particularly squids, achieve exceptional manoeuvrability and propulsive efficiency by combining fin activity with jet propulsion. Their fins undulate or beat synchronously or independently to provide thrust and lift, while rhythmic mantle contractions coupled with a flexible funnel generate pulsed jets. Funnel deformability and traveling waves modulate vortex-ring formation, jet entrainment, and exit-pressure impulse—mechanisms that enable squid to enhance thrust for efficient propulsion. Inspired by the biological funnel, we design passively deforming, flexible nozzles for underwater propulsion. Using ARCHER2, we conduct three-dimensional, strongly coupled, partitioned fluid-structure interaction simulations based on the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian framework. Our study probes how nozzle flexibility and geometry govern wave propagation, vortex dynamics, and hydrodynamic impulse.
26. Unsteady Evolution of Leading-Edge Vortices from a Covert-Inspired Flexible Flap
Miss Hibah Saddal, Chandan Bose, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Birmingham
This image depicts how a covert-inspired flexible flap dynamically interacts with the unsteady leading-edge vortex shedding from a wing section in stalled condition, augmenting the aerodynamic lift force. The incompressible laminar flow is simulated using finite-volume method (OpenFOAM) and the hyper-elastic flexible flap deformation is solved using finite-element analysis (Calculix) on Archer2 HPC system. The fluid and structural counterparts are coupled using a partitioned strong coupling approach. Two coherent vortex structures are seen to convect from the leading-edge, emerging from the coupled fluid-structure interaction of the flexible flap. The flow-field is visualised in terms of the negative finite-time Lyapunov exponent ridges, representing the unstable manifolds of this higher-order dynamical system. This image highlights the role of passive flow-induced vibration of the bio-inspired flap that underlines the effective flow control, in turn, enhancement of the aerodynamic efficiency by mitigating the effect of flow separation due to the stall phenomenon.
27. Vortex Shedding Induced by Multiple Covert-Inspired Flaps
Miss Hibah Saddal, Chandan Bose, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Birmingham
This image shows an aerofoil at a post-stall angle of attack, equipped with avian covert feathers-inspired multiple flexible flaps. These flaps passively interact with the surrounding unsteady flow, promoting the formation and interaction with complex vortices in the wake, including leading-edge influencing lift enhancement and stall delay which is particularly crucial at high angles of attack. The underlying two-way coupled fluid-structure interaction is shown, in which aerodynamic forces drive flap deformation, while the resulting structural response alters the flow field. The numerical simulation is performed by coupling the finite-volume method-based solver OpenFOAM for the fluid dynamics with the fine-element method-based solver CalcluliX for the structural dynamics, conducted on Archer2 HPC. The visualisation presented employed line integral convolution, which highlights the streamlines, revealing the intricate vortices present and offering deeper insight into the underlying method of flow control.
28. Formation of a Reverse Kármán Vortex Street in the Wake of a Morphing Wing
* * * Winning Image * * *
Miss Hibah Saddal, Chandan Bose, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Birmingham
A fully flexible aerofoil, with varying flexibilities at the leading and trailing edges, mitigates the effect of gust through passive morphing. The flexible morphing foil interacts with incoming fluid flow, creating a symmetrical reverse Kármán vortex street in its wake through the alternate shedding of opposite sense vortices resulting from the leading- and trailing-edge vortex interactions. Capturing this required high-fidelity simulations on the Archer2 HPC system by coupling OpenFOAM (finite-volume method) as the fluid solver with CalculiX (finite-element method) as the solid solver. This wake pattern, formed by a coherent train of vortices with opposite sense of rotation at high Strouhal number is representative of thrust generation. Visualised using finite-time Lyapunov exponent, this image showcases the benefits of dynamic fluid-structure interaction.
29. Flow Around a Peregrine Falcon and Barn Own during Gust Encounters
Miss Hibah Saddal, Lucky Jayswal, Chandan Bose, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Birmingham
This video presents the response of flexible bio-inspired peregrine falcon and owl wings to a sudden rotational gust in terms of accelerated pitching. As the wings are subjected to gust, vortex shedding intensifies, with the owl wing shedding the most coherent leading-edge vortex and generally generating larger vortical structures than the falcon wing. Line integral convolution, allowing us to visualise streamlines, highlights these differences in the resulting fluid flow between the two wings. The differences highlight how wing morphology and variable flexibility influence the resulting vortices, providing insight into the fluid-structure interaction of different bird wings during flight. Simulations were performed on the Archer2 HPC system, using a coupled fluid-structure interaction approach coupling OpenFOAM (finite-volume method) for the fluid solver with CalculiX (finite-element method) for the solid solver.
30. Deflected Wake of a Partially Trailing-Edge Flexible Aerofoil
Miss Hibah Saddal, Chandan Bose, Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Birmingham
This visual presents the flow field generated by a partially flexible aerofoil, exhibiting a distinctly asymmetrical deflected wake pattern caused by a symmetry-breaking bifurcation due to the coupled interaction between the trailing-edge flexible aerofoil and the incoming fluid flow. The numerical simulation is performed by coupling the fluid solver OpenFOAM (finite-volume method based) for the fluid dynamics with the structural solver CalcluliX (finite-element method based) for the structural dynamics using Archer2 HPC. From this wake, a vortex pair detaches, while a single isolated vortex is shed independently. The resulting fluid flow from the fluid-structure interaction highlights the influence of flexibility on the resulting wake and vortex dynamics, deviating from the rigid counterparts. Line integral convolution captures these unsteady flow features, tracing the streamlines, showcasing how imperfection can also be beautiful.