Dasha Gloutak, a Ph.D. candidate in Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, will present her research in this seminar. She researches the aerodynamic performance of finite-span wings in streamwise gusts. 

ABSTRACT

Unsteady flows and turbulence challenge the performance of aerodynamic systems operating in various fluid dynamic regimes. Naturally occurring gusts within the atmospheric boundary layer threaten the structural and aerodynamic stability of many engineering systems, including unmanned aerial vehicles and wind turbines. In response to a time-varying freestream generated in an unsteady wind tunnel, synchronized experimental measurements demonstrate that the unsteady wing loading is dominated by the behavior of regions with flow separation

Large turbulent fluctuations encountered in otherwise subsonic flows can create small regions with strong fluidic compressions, which has significant implications for the efficiency of highspeed vehicles. Experimental investigations within the Variable Density and Speed of Sound Vessel (VDSSV) show that the growth of free shear layers is significantly attenuated with increasing compressibility. A brief summary of future research directions enabled by these two foundational works will also be given.

BIOGRAPHY

Dasha Gloutak is a Ph.D. candidate in Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she researches the aerodynamic performance of finite-span wings in streamwise gusts. Dasha received her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University studying compressibility effects on turbulent length scales in the Variable Density and Speed of Sound Vessel (VDSSV). Prior, she designed and tested inertial measurement units and navigation systems as a Mechanical Design Engineer at Northrop Grumman after receiving her B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).