Dr Ben Evans is an Associate Professor in Aerospace Engineering and sits on the design team for the Bloodhound Land Speed Record project with responsibilities for aerodynamic modelling.
Dr Evans's research interests range from computational shape optimisation and high speed aerodynamic modelling to molecular gas dynamics simulation and has worked with companies including Rolls-Royce, Airbus and Reaction Engines. He has interests in engineering public engagement and engineering education.
This module will introduce students to leading research technologies that will play a part in enabling future `net zero¿ aircraft using Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), hydrogen-based propulsion, electrification or a combination thereof. After introducing students to the motivation and likely timescales of next generation aircraft utilising these new propulsion approaches the module run as a series of research seminars, including class discussion and Q&A, on technology areas that will be necessary to facilitate practical implementation of future `net zero¿ aircraft. By the end of the module students should have a good understanding of the challenges facing the aerospace industry to achieve sustainable aircraft over the next 2 ¿ 3 decades as well as some of the technologies that will enable the transition.
This module is intended to extend the theory of EG-293 Aerodynamics & EG-335 Gas Dynamics and apply it in the context of aerodynamic design across a range of length scales, Reynolds and Mach numbers. A number of case studies will be used to explore the concepts of aerodynamic design ranging from subsonic civilian aircraft to aerodynamic design in nature and hypersonic space vehicles. The course is split into four sections: subsonic, transonic, supersonic and hypersonic. By the end of the course students should have developed a good understanding of why aerospace vehicles operating in these different speed regimes with varying mission objectives look the way they do from an aerodynamic perspective.
The module is a group design project for year 3 aerospace engineering students. Students are required to design an aerospace vehicle from an initial set of mission requirements and constraints through concept design to detailed design and flight testing. It requires students to draw on knowledge from a range of modules across the aerospace engineering course. Each student will specialise in one of six areas: aerodynamics, structures, materials & propulsion, weight & performance, control systems or dynamics & stability. Groups will be required to submit a series of group design reports at each stage in the design process as well as deliver presentations to the rest of the class. Each student will also take a turn acting as chief engineer and a reflective essay is required after the student's time as the chief engineer. By the end of the module students should have an understanding of the process and complexities involved in designing an aerospace vehicle from scratch and appreciate the multi-disciplinary nature of this task. Note that since this module is, in part, explicitly assessing students' ability to work effectively within a team environment the group submissions and peer review components of assessment cannot be excluded for extenuating circumstances.
EPSRC Research Impact Funding, £15,000
PhD project with Reaction Engines Ltd
Collaboration with South Africa, CSIR & University of the Witwatersrand, £4,600
Improved Aerodynamic Design Process for the Aerospace Industry through the Application of Unstructured Mesh Technology, Swansea University Impact Awards
Association of Computational Mechanics in Engineering Conference
Computational aerodynamic design optimisation for complex geometries, £55,500
Application of Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) to the BLOODHOUND SSC Numerical modelling in MATLAB for BLOODHOUND SSC performance predictions CFD in the design of BLOODHOUND SSC Schools-based STEM engagement based on BLOODHOUND SSC, £20,000
STEM schools-based public engagement based on the BLOODHOUND SSC, £21,760
, £21,000
Enhancing undergraduate teaching using social media: Teach by Twitter, £2,200
2017 - Present
2011 - 2017
2007 - Present
2007 - 2011
2004 - 2008
2000 - 2004
2019 - Present
2018 - Present
October 2018
IMechE – London
October 2017
Leicester University Research Seminar
August 2017
Innovate UK KTN Seminar
June 2016
Oxford e-Research Centre
May 2016
ParCFD16 - Kobe, Japan
March 2014
Basque Center for Applied Mathematical
September 2014
M.I.T. Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
September 2012
Rolls Royce
May 2011
Oxford University
March 2011
Institute of Mathematics
September 2010
MATLAB Virtual Conference
June 2010
Cheltenham
April 2010
Intel HPC Symposium
November 2009
Cambridge University
November 2009
TBC
June 2009
Cheltenham
March 2009
Mexican Automotive Association Congress
February 2009
Singapore Institute of High Performance Computing
