High-Speed Flow Simulation, Aerothermodynamics & Thermal Protection Systems

The Hypersonics Research Center (HypRC) in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering brings together faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students to solve critical aerodynamic and thermal challenges in high-speed flight.

Research teams at HypRC rely on high-performance computing clusters like Colibri to run compute-intensive simulations and data-driven models across several core focus areas:

• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD): Large-eddy simulations (LES), Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS), and modal/non-modal instability analyses for supersonic and hypersonic regimes.
• Aerothermodynamics & Multiphase Flows: High-speed fluid-particle and droplet interactions, microscale dynamics, and anisotropic heat/mass transfer.
• Materials & Thermal Protection: Modeling pyrolysis, gas-surface interactions, and carbon composites for extreme-environment thermal protection systems.
• Flow Control & Machine Learning: Data-driven modal analysis and active/passive flow control strategies paired with non-intrusive optical diagnostics.