Research Activities

The department is actively involved in theoretical, computational, and experimental research in various areas of Aerospace Engineering. The areas in which research is being pursued in the department may broadly be classified into following categories.

Aerodynamics

• Supersonic, transonic and subsonic aerodynamics
• Boundary layer flows
• High speed jets
• Drag reduction
• Wakes
• Transition and turbulent flows
• Hypersonic flow

Computational Fluid Dynamics

Transition & Turbulence

• ByPass Transition
• Leading Edge Contamination of Sweptback Wings
• Jets, Acoustics & Instabilities
• Hypersonic Transition

Unsteady Aerodynamics

• Dynamic Stall
• Insect Flight & MAV
• Non-linear Dynamics: Chaos & POD Analysis
• Air intake FlowsTransonic flows

 Bluff Body Flows

• Flow Control
• Robin-Magnus Effect
• Vortex Induced Vibrations

 CFD & Numerical Methods

• Compact Schemes for DNS/LES
• Over-Set Grid Methods
• Analysis of Time Advancement Schemes
• Fourier Spectral Analysis : Numerical Instabilities and Signal / Error Dynamics
• Parallel Computing
• Finite Element Methods

 Aerodynamic Shape Optimization

Structures, Structural Dynamics & Aeroelasticity

• Studies on helicopter rotor/fuselage dynamics
• Fixed wing and rotary wing aeroelasticity
• Modeling and Analysis of Smart Structures
• Damage Modeling and structural Health Monitoring
• Experimental Investigation of Smart and Composite Structures
• Material Characterization
• Stochastic Modeling
• Linear and Non-Linear Vibrations
• Structural Optimization
• Multi Scale Material Modeling
• Structural Dynamics
• Intelligent / Autonomous Micro Air Vehicles design

 Flight Mechanics

Conventional Flight Mechanics

• Airplane Performance
• Stability and Control
• Flight Testing

Space Dynamics

• Trajectories, Rendezvous & Interception
• Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics

Control & Guidance

• Active Control of Flexible A/c & Spacecraft
• Non- Linear Optimal Control

Aircraft and Helicopter Design

• Configuration & Design
1. Civil
2. Military

 Development & Fabrication of Scale Models

Propulsion & Combustion

Internal Flow Control (Active & Passive -- S-Ducts, Serpentine Ducts, Cascades)

• Secondary Flow
• Separation

 Flow Diagnostics

• Combustors
• Pipe flow

 Turbo-machinery

• Compressors (surge and rotating stall)
• Secondary Flow
• Flutter

 Thrust Vectoring

 Combustion

• Diagnostics
• Instability
• Emissions

Liquid Atomization and Spray Combustion

• Air-assisted, air-blast, effervescent, electrostatic, piezo-electric

Electric Propulsion

• Pulsed Plasma Thruster

 Other Related Areas of Research

• Bio-fluid mechanics
• Industrial noise control
• Industrial Aerodynamics
• Wind energy

Thrust Areas

• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
• Experimental Aerodynamics
• Composite materials and structures
• Structural dynamics, vibration and control
• Dynamics, control and guidance of atmospheric flights vehicles  and spacecraft
• Flight Testing
• Helicopter dynamics
• Smart materials and structures
• Intelligent Mini, Micro and Nano Air Vehicles