Diagnostics and Modeling

UVA instream diagnostics are enabling an understanding of combustion associated with high-speed propulsion and the development of comprehensive databases for the validation of new models.

Lin Ma and Chloe Dedic lead our advanced diagnostics work in high-speed 4D combustion and flow visualization (Ma) and advanced reacting flow quantification (Dedic). These faculty pair the existing high-speed propulsion expertise of Christopher Goyne and Harhsa Chelliah with leading-edge experimental flow measurement technologies and experience. Ma has worked extensively on experimental and image processing techniques to study multiphase and reacting flows in three-dimensional space at high-speed to study flow structures as they evolve with time. Dedic has experience developing laser-based techniques to measure thermodynamic properties (temperature, gas density) and combustion-relevant species to study challenging reacting flow environments including gaseous detonations, shock waves, and nonequilibrium plasma systems.

In advanced modelling, the Sandia S3D Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) code has been modified by Chelliah’s group to investigate complex interactions occurring in compressible, turbulent flow geometries and relevant for ramjet flow conditions, with reduced-order models developed at UVA. Production level tip-to-tail simulations have also been performed with partner institutions to better understand system-level flow dynamics observed in the UVA scramjet facility.

Eric Loth has investigated the role of atmospheric particles (ash, ice, sand, and rain) in surface energy position and potential for material damage. This includes understanding the influence of particle shape and Mach number on trajectory as well as impact velocity, location, and frequency.  This expertise links strongly with materials, structures, and thermal protection systems and can provide an understanding of the fundamental physics as well as defining critical test conditions for forebody surface materials.

Modeling Capabilities

  • Hypersonic shock boundary layer interaction control
  • Multiphase and supersonic flows

Diagnostics

  • Particle image velocimetry (PIV)
  • Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF)
  • High heat flux material characterization
  • Portable four-dimensional sensor packages
  • Coherent anti-stokes raman scattering (CARS)
  • Direct numerical simulation
  • Chemical kinetics and model reduction

Our suite of advanced laser-based diagnostics provides highly resolved insights into the physics of highspeed combustion and enables the development of comprehensive databases for model validation.

Chloe Dedic Chloe Dedic Assistant Professor Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Faculty

Harsha K. Chelliah

Professor

Professor Chelliah is currently serving as the Program Director for Combustion and Fire Systems in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems at the National Science Foundation (NSF). His research interests are vast and include fundamental investigations on interaction of finite-rate kinetics with transport.
Google Scholar Reacting Flow Lab
Email harsha@virginia.edu
Phone (434) 243-3265

Christopher Goyne

Professor Director of the UVA Aerospace Research Laboratory

Professor Goyne, after groundbreaking research at his alma mater University of Queensland, Australia, and UVA Engineering, continues his work in hypersonic air-breathing propulsion, supersonic aerodynamics, hypersonic ground and flight test techniques, diagnostic and measurement technique development, controls and advanced manufacturing.
Google Scholar Hypersonic Research at the University of Virginia UVA Hypersonics Research Complex UVA Aerospace Research Laboratory University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics
Email goyne@virginia.edu
Phone (434) 982-5355

Patrick E. Hopkins

Whitney Stone Professor of Engineering Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor, Materials Science and Engineering (Courtesy) Professor, Physics (Courtesy)

Patrick E. Hopkins is a Whitney Stone Professor in Engineering at the University of Virginia, with a primary appointment in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and courtesy appointments in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Physics. He is also the director of the ExSiTE Lab.
Google Scholar ExSiTE Group
Email phopkins@Virginia.edu
Phone (434) 924-6297

Eric Loth

Rolls-Royce Commonwealth Professor Director, Fluids Research Innovation Lab

Dr. Loth has given invited talks at Cambridge, Penn, Princeton, Oxford, Harvard, and MIT.  In 2017, his project team was invited to US Congress to discuss their new the $3.7M project on extreme-scale morphing wind turbines.
Google Scholar FRIL SUMR CV
Email loth@Virginia.edu

Lin Ma

Professor

4D Diagnostics & Thermal-Fluids​
Development of novel diagnostics with 4D spatiotemporal resolution to study combustion, propulsion and fluid dynamics
Google Scholar
Email lm4wb@virginia.edu

Houston Wood

Professor Emeritus

Dr. Houston G. Wood is Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. He has been a leader in the Northeast Chapter of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management (INMM). He has held visiting positions at Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique, Saclay, France, among many others.
Google Scholar
Email hgw9p@Virginia.edu

Chloe Dedic

Associate Professor

Dedic received her B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Iowa State University in 2012 and 2017, respectively. After graduation she worked as a visiting scientist with the National Institute of Aerospace at NASA Langley Research Center and joined the University of Virginia as an assistant professor in 2018. Dedic is an active member of the AIAA.
Google Scholar Researchgate Reacting Flow Lab
Email CD5QM@virginia.edu