Project: Fluid dynamics for a sustainable future: mathematical modelling across the scales
Supervisors: Xuesong Wu (Imperial) & Darren Crowdy (Imperial)
Project Description:
The project is on modelling troposphere-stratosphere coupling through Rossby-wave mechanisms, which involve generation, propagation, reflection and breakdown of planetary scale Rossiby waves. Progress on three of these aspects has been made by a research supported by the previous phase of this CDT, and our recent breakthrough on small-scale instability will enable us to investigate the fourth, the breakdown of Rossiby waves. These results will be integrated to form a closed loop, which could then be included in dynamical models for weather and climate.
The project on energy harvesting led by Prof. Crowdy, on the other hand, aligns closely with the mitigation themes wherein novel multiphysics technologies for scavenging waste heat (for example) will reduce the burden on other energy sources that potential harm the environment and contribute to climate change.
The joint project on vortex-wave interactions will seek to model the dynamics of tropical cyclones. Improved representations of cyclones based on vortices will be developed, key wave activities (instability modes) on the vortices will then be identified to explain the formation of substractures (such as helical spirals), and the back action of the waves on the vortices through nonlinear interactions will be investigated in order to shed light on mechanism of cyclone intensification.The result will improve our ability of forecasting the evolution of cyclones, whereby helping multigate their damage.
