Fall 2022 Fluids-Structure-Materials Seminars

Dear FSM Students and Postdocs,

The FSM Seminar Series meeting this coming Wednesday, 16 November, at 4:30 pm in Aero 114 will be practice presentations for five students attending the upcoming APS Division of Fluid Dynamics meeting in Indianapolis (https://www.apsdfd2022.org/). The APS (American Physical Society) DFD meetings have the feel of cutting edge academic research, in part because this meeting has historically focused on university-based research, in part because abstracts are short and not reviewed, and in part because the presentations are pretty quick: 10 minutes for the presentation, 2 minutes for discussion, and 1 minute for changeover to the next presenter. It goes like clockwork and no one is allowed to go over. That is how we shall run the FSM Seminar session this Wednesday except that we request that the 2-minute discussion period be oriented towards comments that help the presenter improve their presentation.

Photos of the students presenting are grouped below followed by their abstracts in order of presentation, each of which is 10 minutes. Prof. Brasseur will moderate as he has done many times at the DFD meeting. A 2-minute warning will be given which , at the DFD meeting, is marked by the change in color of a screen facing the presenter from green to yellow. At 10 minutes the screen turns red. At this point Prof. Brasseur will signal the speaker to wrap up and end. Typically which Prof. Brasseur is the moderator, he allows the presenter to go max 30 seconds beyond the 10-minute presentation period before cutting the presenter off and opening the floor for discussion. Any extra time required will reduce the discussion period accordingly.

Wednesday 16 November, 4:30 pm, Aero 114
5 Student Presentations for the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Annual Meeting 20-22 November 2022 (www.apsdfd2022.org)

NOTE: a video recording is availalbe at the FSM Seminar Series Video Recordings: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xGZpGjPNOu5hto-JZRtU-ypcr_5VeGxC

(1) A Data-Driven Nonlinear Eddy Viscosity Model for Sub-Grid Scale Stress Closure

​Samantha Friess
(advisor: Prof. Evans)

Abstract. The growing popularity of machine learning in fluid mechanics research has unveiled the massive potential of Big Data in the turbulence modeling community to reduce model uncertainties. The vast amounts of previously unmanageable high-fidelity flow field simulation and experimental data are now being harnessed to systematically inform medium to lower-cost turbulence models, which often outperform current state-of-the-art approaches. Through the extraction of meaningful statistics from a nominal amount of open-source Direct Numerical Simulation data, we have constructed a data-driven framework to model the Sub-Grid Scale Stress (SGS) tensor to close the filtered Navier Stokes equations. Our proposed Nonlinear Eddy Viscosity (NLEV) model imbeds frame, Galilean, time, and dimensional invariance properties directly into the machine learning model by training over an integrity basis of invariant scalars and tensors. Unlike previous approaches, our NLEV model form has been extended to handle anisotropic filter widths. We demonstrate the robustness of our low-cost data-driven framework and show improved predictive performance over classical SGS models for Large Eddy Simulations.

(2) Direct numerical simulation of the Gaussian (Boeing) bump: pressure gradient and curvature effects

Aviral Prakash
(advisors: Profs. Janssen and Evans)

Abstract. The growing popularity of machine learning in fluid mechanics research has unveiled the massive potential of Big Data in the turbulence modeling community to reduce model uncertainties. The vast amounts of previously unmanageable high-fidelity flow field simulation and experimental data are now being harnessed to systematically inform medium to lower-cost turbulence models, which often outperform current state-of-the-art approaches. Through the extraction of meaningful statistics from a nominal amount of open-source Direct Numerical Simulation data, we have constructed a data-driven framework to model the Sub-Grid Scale Stress (SGS) tensor to close the filtered Navier Stokes equations. Our proposed Nonlinear Eddy Viscosity (NLEV) model imbeds frame, Galilean, time, and dimensional invariance properties directly into the machine learning model by training over an integrity basis of invariant scalars and tensors. Unlike previous approaches, our NLEV model form has been extended to handle anisotropic filter widths. We demonstrate the robustness of our low-cost data-driven framework and show improved predictive performance over classical SGS models for Large Eddy Simulations.

(3) Generalizing the Concept of a Surface Layer as Wall-Modulated Eddies

Samantha Sheppard
(advisors: Profs. Brasseur and Farnsworth)

Abstract. The classical description of the surface layer (SL), often called the log layer, is the inertia-dominated wall-adjacent region within the high Reynolds number turbulent boundary layer (TBL) in which integral scales scale linearly on the distance from surface z and where law-of-the-wall scaling applies. We generalize the SL concept to the wall-adjacent inertia-dominated region in any wall-bounded turbulent flow with vertical turbulence fluctuations w' directly modified by surface impermeability and causing integral scales involving w' to scale on z. We further explore the hypothesis that coherent motions can be separated into those that are directly modulated by the surface and those that are not. To do so, we compare analysis of time-resolved PIV data from two sets of wind tunnel experiments: (1) grid turbulence from three different grids interacting with an impermeable flat plate and (2) the classical TBL. In both flows we successfully identify SL regions characterized by integral scales that grow linearly with z and we apply conditional wavelet filtering to extract coherent wall-modulated eddy structures and quantify their contributions to SL statistics

(4) Unsteady Loading of a Wing in Global Streamwise Gusts

Dasha Gloutak
(advisor: Prof. Farnsworth)

Abstract. Characterizing the aerodynamic response of wings to oncoming gusts is critical to maintaining stability and efficiency of aircraft. In this study, surface pressure and particle image velocimetry measurements are used to analyze the unsteady flow physics of a separated NACA 0015 wing in global streamwise gusts, which impose a time-varying velocity on the wing. Unsteadiness exhibited in the wing's aerodynamic response to velocity acceleration and deceleration can be attributed to the dynamics of developing vortical structures on the suction side. Whether the flow is accelerating or decelerating determines the temporal and spatial scales of the vortical structures, including the convective time, size, and location from which vortical structures develop and shed. These scales determine the degree to which vortical structures interact with each other and with the wing surface, thereby also influencing the unsteady loading on the wing.

(5) Computational Comparisons to Experimental Streamwise Gust Interactions

Preston Tee
(advisors: Profs. Janssen and Farnsworth)

Abstract. Unsteady aerodynamics can have a significant effect on small scale aircraft, motivating the study of how convectively evolving gusts interact with wings at low Reynolds numbers. Computational study of this problem allows for access to the flow physics from the entire, spatially and temporally evolving flow field, but requires careful setup of the simulation conditions to accurately capture the flow phenomena characteristic of low Reynolds number boundary layers. Therefore, a single interesting configuration identified from the unsteady experiment was studied carefully to first understand the computational behavior and accuracy of the flow in steady conditions within the range of Reynolds numbers of the unsteady case. Results of LES simulations performed within this range of Reynolds numbers are directly compared to their experimental counterparts in order to assess the simulation’s ability to accurately match the experiment under the same conditions.

From the FSM Seminar Series websites above you can download pdf’s of the presentations and find the abstracts and the site for available video recordings of previous meetings. The semester schedule is at the bottom. From the Video Recordings website you can review videos of the previous FSM Seminar Series meetings that were recorded.

With regards,
The FSM Seminar Organization Team:
Aviral Prakash, Nils Wunsch, Thomas Calascione, Jim Brasseur

Wednesday 9 November, 4:30 pm, Aero 114
Postdoctoral Researcher  Presentation

Investigation of Thermal Properties of Porous Niobium Thermal Spray Coatings via ​
Image-Based Finite Element Method and Machine Learning Approaches​

Dr. Artem Pimachev
Postdoctoral Scholar (working with Prof. Neogi)

Recording & pdf: For propietary reasons, the video and pdf will not be available for Artem's talk. Please contact Artem and Prof. Neogi with questions.

Abstract. Single phase niobium, a refractory metal which is of interest for its superior corrosion resistance. In an ideal deposition case with no surface roughness, the splats of niobium form pancake-like shapes. However, it is challenging to spray and the resulting configuration often contains not bonded or fragmented splats. This gives rise to the larger pore features, identified as globular porosity, or the strings of sawtooth-like small pores along the interface. The range of interfacial features, well-bonded to not bonded, make modeling challenging when investigating thermal and electronic transport through coatings. We propose a Machine Learning approach based on the Generative Adversarial Networks to identify and characterize types of interfaces in thermal spray coatings. This model along with the Finite Element Analysis tools is targeted to predict material properties and performance. The model was trained on Backscattered Electron images that reveal grain structure and surface features of niobium, such as porosity and interfaces.

From the FSM Seminar Series websites above you can download pdf’s of the presentations and find the abstracts and the site for available video recordings of previous meetings. The semester schedule is at the bottom. From the Video Recordings website you can review videos of the previous FSM Seminar Series meetings that were recorded.

With regards,
The FSM Seminar Organization Team:
Aviral Prakash, Nils Wunsch, Thomas Calascione, Jim Brasseur

This week Nils Wunsch and Aviral Prakash will make practice presentations for the upcoming 10th International Conference on Isogeometric Analysis, 6-9 November 2022, Banff, Canada  (IGA 2022) meeting (http://iga2022.usacm.org/). Each will present for 16 minutes without interruption, followed by 10 minutes discussion, both on the technical content of the presentations and on any comments you may wish to make to help the speaker improve his presentation.

(1) Face-Oriented Ghost Stabilization for Hierarchically Refined XIGA

Nils Wunsch
Graduate Student
Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences
University of Colorado Boulder

PDF of presentation is here: PDF
The video of presentation is available on the GoogleDrive

Abstract. Immersed finite element methods such as “eXtended IsoGeometric Analysis” (XIGA) enable the analysis of complex geometries by creating an interpolation basis on a geometrically simple background mesh into which a geometry is immersed. This eliminates the need to create high quality body-fitted meshes. Compared to other immersed finite element methods, the use of hierarchical B-spline basis functions in XIGA allows the mesh to be efficiently refined where needed to improve accuracy. The background basis functions are enriched to interpolate the state variable fields within different materials. However, this enrichment may lead to ill-conditioning due to vanishing support of basis functions within a given material. To alleviate the conditioning issue, Face-Oriented Ghost Stabilization may be applied. In this work, an efficient multi-material multi-physics XIGA framework alongside a strategy to identify and construct the elemental facets required for Ghost stabilization will be presented.

(2) Comparison of Surrogate Modeling Approaches for Isogeometric Design Space Exploration

Aviral Prakash
Graduate Student
Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences
University of Colorado Boulder

PDF of presentation is here: PDF
The video of presentation is available on the GoogleDrive

Abstract. The projected increase in computational resources in the coming decades will pave the path for a fast, direct, interactive, and real-time approach to exploring industrial geometric designs. However, the traditional design space exploration approaches suffer from a design-through-analysis bottleneck that involves a significant user time commitment and prohibits real-time design space exploration. The isogeometric design space exploration framework proposed by Benzaken et al. overcomes this issue by leveraging concepts from isogeometric analysis (IGA), which provides seamless integration between FEA and CAD, with modern parametric and non-parametric modeling techniques and efficient design space sampling. In this presentation, we plan to test the limits of modal, gaussian process regression and neural-network-based surrogate models for creating an efficient mapping between design parameters and the solution manifold consisting of IGA control points. We evaluate these models for scenarios inside and outside the training design space for several structural mechanics problems and compare the accuracy and computational cost.

Nils and Avi will display the QR code for feedback after each presentation. However more useful comment and discussion are possible in the 10-minute discussion period after each presentation, so please make notes during the presentation for discussion afterwards, both on positive aspects of the presentation as well as on possibilities for improvement—and, of course, technical content.

With regards,
The FSM Seminar Organization Team:
Aviral Prakash, Nils Wunsch, Thomas Calascione, Jim Brasseur

Wednesday 26 October, 4:30 pm, Aero 114
Faculty Presentation

Computational Modeling of Gas Phase Chemistry for Hypersonic Flows

Professor Robyn Macdonald
Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences
University of Colorado Boulder

PDF of presentation: PDF
The video recording of presentation is avaiable on the Google Drive

Abstract. The flow around hypersonic vehicles is dominated by the presence of strong shock waves which generate enormous gradients in thermodynamic and flow properties. In the presence of such sharp changes, the time scale of chemical reactions become comparable to the time scale of the flow. This leads to the presence of a region of thermo-chemical non-equilibrium in which internal energy mode relaxation and chemical reactions occur at a similar time-scale to the flow. Modeling this region of thermo-chemical non-equilibrium is crucial for hypersonic vehicle design, but it can be computationally intensive depending on the level of fidelity required. This talk will discuss the fundamental processes relevant to air chemistry and provide the necessary background to understand these processes. Finally, it will highlight legacy and recent work focused on thermo-chemical non-equilibrium modeling for hypersonic flows.

With the aim to understand the depths of Prof. Macdonald’s teaching within the broader context of Gas Phase Chemistry surrounding shock waves in Hypersonic Flows, please do request from Professor Macdonald clarification of expansion of key knowledge during his presentation (within reasonable time limits). As much as possible, please write down useful discussion points for the discussion period after Prof. Macdonald’s formal presentation.

With regards,

The FSM Seminar Organization Team:
Aviral Prakash, Nils Wunsch, Thomas Calascione, Jim Brasseur

Wednesday 19 October, 4:30 pm, Aero 114

Faculty Presentation

Molecular Beam Studies of Extreme Aerospace Environments

Timothy K. Minton
Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences
University of Colorado Boulder

Download a pdf of the presentation here: PDF
The video recording of presentation is not avaiable (sorry)

Abstract. High-energy gas-surface interactions might seem to be exotic, but there are numerous situations where gas-surface interactions in extreme environments influence the outcome of practical endeavors, especially in the case of an object or vehicle moving at high velocities through a gaseous medium. The relevant chemical dynamics in these environments involve pathways that are unusual and often difficult to predict.  Studies of such gas-surface processes can reveal the rich details of the chemical and physical processes whenever a surface is subjected to a gas at high collision energies or temperatures, thus providing a foundation upon which to advance space technology through improved materials, predictive models, and hardware design.  This presentation will highlight the fundamental aspects of energetic gas-surface scattering dynamics in the context of their applications to spacecraft-environment interactions in low Earth orbit and during atmospheric entry.

With the aim to understand the depths of Prof. Minton’s teaching within the broader context of surface chemistry and the aircraft-environment interactions, please do request from Professor Minton clarification of expansion of key knowledge during his presentation (within reasonable time limits). As much as possible, please write down useful discussion points for the discussion period after Prof. Minton’s formal presentation.

With regards,

The FSM Seminar Organization Team:
Aviral Prakash, Nils Wunsch, Thomas Calascione, Jim Brasseur

Wednesday 12 October, 4:30 pm, Aero 114
Two Student Presentations

A pdf of Marwa's presentation is here: PDF
A pdf ot Jarred's presentation is here: PDF
The video of the presentations is avaiable on the Google Drive 

(1) Multifunctional Zirconia-reinforced Metal-Matrix Composite for Energy Dissipation and High Temperature Applications
pdf of ppt presentation: here

Marwa Yacouti
PhD Graduate Student, Aerospace Engineering Sciences
University of Colorado Boulder

Practice for a presentation at the  “Society of Engineering Science Annual Technical Meeting (SES2022)” at Texas A&M, October 16 - 19, 2022 (https://na.eventscloud.com/website/33592/)
» 18 Minutes + 10 minutes discussion

Abstract. Zirconia-based ceramics belong to a class of smart materials that are characterized by two properties: superelasticity and the shape-memory effect. These features are achieved thanks to the reversible phase transformation from a high-temperature tetragonal phase to a low-temperature monoclinic phase. Compared to other widely used shape-memory materials, zirconia-based ceramics are distinguished by higher stresses, higher energy dissipation and a wider transformation temperature range that varies from room temperature to up to 1200 °C.  For several decades, the applications of zirconia faced major limitations due to its brittle failure at low strains. Nevertheless, recent studies showed that zirconia cracking can be suppressed by using microscale zirconia structures. This encouraging result contributed to the resurgence of zirconia-reinforcing particles as one of the most promising materials for energy dissipation applications. The objective of this study is to exploit the shape-memory behavior of zirconia to develop a composite with improved strength, energy dissipation and shape recovery upon heating. The composite consists of zirconia particles embedded in aluminum matrix. Microstructural simulations were performed to characterize the response of the composite and investigate the effect of the matrix yield stress as well as zirconia volume fraction and particle diameter on the strength, the energy dissipation and the strain recovery upon heating. This work provides insights into the promising potential of zirconia-reinforced aluminum-matrix composite for damping systems and artificial muscle applications such as robotics, aerospace and medical devices.

(2) Wind Turbine Main Bearing Response to Atmospheric Turbulence

Jarred Kenworthy
PhD Graduate Student, Centre for Doctoral Training in Wind & Marine Energy Systems & Structures
Strathclyde University, Glasgow, Scotland
(carrying out PhD Thesis Research in AES at the University of Colorado)

Practice for a Comprehensive-like Presentation for Jarred’s Doctoral programme in the Centre for Wind & Marine Energy Systems & Structures, Strathclyde University, Glasgow, Scotland, October 2022 (https://www.strath.ac.uk/engineering/electronicelectricalengineering/windmarineenergysystemsstructures/)
» 20 Minutes + 10 minutes discussion

Abstract. The continued expansion of wind energy within nations’ energy portfolios requires continued reductions in the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), the ratio of financial cost to purchase and operate wind farms to financial gain from the electrical power produced by the wind farm. Major contributors to the numerator include replacement costs for premature component failure on the drivetrain, including, in particular, the main bearing (Hart et al. 2020a). There is a general consensus among wind farm operators that main bearing failures have reached an unacceptable rate and a number of potential mechanisms likely contribute. However, the dominant processes underlying premature main bearing failures are not currently known (Hart, et al. 2019,2020a). The research centres on the hypotheses that (1) the mechanisms underlying premature main bearing failures result from specific repetitive time changes in the bearing load-zone, and (2) that deleterious load-zone forcings occur in response to specific temporal characteristics in the moments and forces on the main shaft that result from the passage of the energy-dominant atmospheric turbulence eddies through the wind turbine rotor plane.  I will present the motivations and key questions behind my research, the methods I aim to use to collect data, and the analytical techniques I aim to apply to answer to key questions from my research.

Wednesday 5 October, 4:30 pm, Aero 111
The Process of Creating High-Quality Papers for Publication

Jaylon McGhee (PhD Graduate Student) and James Brasseur (Dr. B, Professor)
Aerospace Engineering Sciences
University of Colorado Boulder

A pdf of the presentation documents is here: PDF
A video of the meeting is avaiable on the Google Drive

Abstract. Jaylon McGhee (PhD student) and James Brasseur (prof; Dr. B) have teamed up to develop discussion on the process of writing a high-quality manuscript for submission to international scientific and technical journals for publication. Jaylon will begin the discussion with a focus on elements of high-quality papers, followed by discussion by Dr. B that focuses on process. There will be significant overlap between the Jaylon and Dr. B within an over-riding theme similar to the first Workshop: COMMUNICATION AND TEACHING. Like a high-quality technical presentation, the aim of a high-quality paper is to communicate clearly and precisely new knowledge that was obtained through a research process. At its core, high-quality publication teaches the reader: (1) what are the key scientific and technical questions that are being addressed by the research (background and motivation), (2) why are these key scientific and technical questions important (what difference with answering these questions make to the engineering community), (3) what are the data that were generated to address the questions and how were the data generated at what level of precision (methods), (4) how were the data analyzed specifically to address the key questions asked (results) and, perhaps most importantly, (5) what are they key new knowledge elements that were generated by the research (conclusions and take-away messages). Jaylon, in his discussion, will emphasize important elements of a high-quality scientific paper, while Dr. B will discuss the process of organization of the manuscript through progressive development of outlines before writing begins. Jason and Dr. B will coordinate around the key these of Communication and Teaching.

Wednesday 28 September, 4:30 pm, Aero 114
Modeling Neuron Material Transport Using Isogeometric Analysis, Deep Learning and PDE-constrained Optimization

Dr. Angran Li
(advisor: Prof. Doostan)
Aerospace Engineering Sciences
University of Colorado Boulder

A pdf of Angan''s presentation slides is here: PDF
A video of Angran's presentation if available on the Google Drive

Abstract. The motor-driven intracellular transport plays a crucial role in supporting a neuron cell's survival and function. The disruption of transport may lead to the onset of various neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, it is essential to study how neurons regulate the material transport process and have a better understanding of the traffic jam formation. In this study, I propose several methods to model the neuron material transport process and study the traffic jam phenomena during transport. We first develop an isogeometric analysis (IGA) based platform for material transport simulation in complex neuron geometries. A graph neural network (GNN)-based deep learning model is then proposed to learn from the IGA simulation and provide fast material concentration prediction within different neuron morphologies. To study the traffic jam phenomena, we develop a PDE-constrained optimization model to simulate the material transport regulation within neuron and explain the traffic jam caused by reduced number of microtubules (MTs) and MT swirls. A novel IGA-based physics-informed graph neural network (PGNN) is proposed to quickly predict normal and abnormal transport phenomena such as traffic jam in different neuron geometries. The proposed methods help in discovering several spatial patterns of the transport process and provide key insights into how neurons mediate the material transport process within their complex geometry.

Wednesday 21 September, 4:30 pm, Aero 114
Prediction of damage and crack propagation in additively manufactured composites

Maryam Shakiba
Assistant Professor
Aerospace Engineering Sciences
University of Colorado Boulder

Abstract. This presentation will discuss computational modeling of progressive damage and crack propagation in fiber-reinforced composites. In fiber-reinforced composites, cracks initiate around the fibers aligned transversely to the loading direction. The transverse cracks can potentially cause leakage in specific applications or progress to inter-ply delamination and catastrophic failure. We first integrate an efficient numerical framework with robust and accurate constitutive equations to study transverse behavior and multiple cracking of two-dimensional representations of fiber-reinforced composite laminates. We then extend our simulations to three-dimensional representations of additively manufactured discontinuous fiber-reinforced composites. The representative volume element is generated randomly based on a target distribution for the fibers' aspect ratios reported by experiments. The developed frameworks are validated versus experimental results. The effects of several material properties on the transverse crack density, delamination, intra-ply stress redistribution, and damage propagation are then investigated. Since finite element simulations of such composites are complex and computational cost is expensive, we develop a deep learning framework to predict the post-failure full-field stress distribution and the crack pattern in two-dimensional representations of the composites based on their microstructures. The deep learning framework contains two stacked fully-convolutional networks. A physics-informed loss function is also designed and incorporated to improve the proposed framework's performance further and facilitate the validation process. The accuracy of the deep learning framework to predict complex nonlinear behavior is obtained to be more than 90%.

Wednesday 14 September

Professor Brasseur will give a discussion on “Wind turbine response to atmospheric turbulence”  
along with Broader Discussion into the areas of research he has developed over the past decades:

(1) Turbulence-Related Topics: fundamental turbulence, atmospheric boundary layer turbulence, large-eddy simulation, wind turbine function, turbulent combustion

(2) Mechano-physiology of the gastro-intestinal tract: mechanics and control of the pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestines, and sphincters

(3) Drug delivery and pharmaceutical sciences: dissolution, transport, absorption, small vs. large drug molecules

 A pdf of the presentation is here: PDF
The video of the discussion is avaiable on the Google Drive

Dear FSM students,

We hope to see you at the first FSM Seminar Series tomorrow, Wednesday, 4:30 - 5:30 pm. This meeting will be partly organizational and partly a workshop on key elements of creating and presenting high-quality presentations, to be led by Professor’s Evans and Brasseur.

PDF of presentation by Prof. Evans: PDF
PDF of presentaton by Prof. Brasseur: PDF

Please note the highlighted section below where we ask each FSM graduate student to please go to the Google Form at https://forms.gle/ZtffK7s1q5nY5pp16 and provide information on seminars that you will present at a professional meeting this academic year. We also ask for volunteers who would like to present a seminar to their peers on their research in order to make your colleagues aware, to practice giving a talk, and to receive feedback. To date, the FSM Seminar Organization Team has received only 3 responses. We would appreciate it if you would please fill in the form before you go to bed this evening so that we can review it tomorrow in advance of our meeting tomorrow.

See you tomorrow.

With regards,
Professor Brasseur

From: James Brasseur
Sent: Friday, September 2, 2022 9:59 AM
To: …
Cc: Aviral Prakash (Aviral.Prakash@colorado.edu) <Aviral.Prakash@colorado.edu>; Nils Wunsch (Nils.Wunsch@Colorado.EDU) <Nils.Wunsch@Colorado.EDU>; Thomas Calascione (Thomas.Calascione@colorado.edu) <Thomas.Calascione@colorado.edu>
Subject: FSM Seminar Series

Dear Fluids-Structures-Materials (FSM) graduate students,

The FSM Seminar Series meetings will take place Wednesdays from 4:30 - 5:30 pm from September 7th - December 7th, except for Thanksgiving week. The meetings will take place in Aero 114, with the exception of October 5th when it will be in Aero 111. Please put these dates on your calendar.

I have agreed to take responsibility for the organization of the series in the coming academic year. To this end we have formed the “FSM Seminar Organization Team” (FSMSOT) consisting of myself and three FSM graduate students: Aviral Prakash, Nils Wunsch, and Thomas Calascione. The team has decided that the FSM Seminar Series meetings will have three components this term, not all seminars:

              (1) WORKSHOPS: These will center on key topics that are important in the education and career of engineering graduate students. We have chosen the three themes for this term:

               A. Key elements of creating and presenting high-quality presentations (the theme of the first FSM Seminar meeting (see * below)

               B. The development of high-quality professional papers for publication

               C. Reading the literature and the development of the literature review

(2) STUDENT SEMINARS: These will likely be primarily practice presentations preceding the student’s presentation at a scientific meeting or as part of the comprehensive exam. However, longer presentations that present new knowledge obtained within a student’s research program are welcome. Please refer to the section below where students are requested to fill in a form with potential seminars they might present with the FSM Seminar Series this semester. We have already blocked November 2nd for practice presentations from two FSMSOT members, Aviral Prakash and Nils Wunsch, in preparation for the IGA2022 meeting (http://iga2022.usacm.org/) and November 16th for students presenting at the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics 2022 meeting (https://www.apsdfd2022.org/).

(3) FACULTY SEMINARS: The aim of these seminars is for students to become familiar with the research being developed under the Fluids-Structures-Materials (FSM) faculty and within the Aerospace Mechanics Research Center (AMReC). In principle, these presentations could include faculty from outside Aerospace Engineering Sciences developing research within fluid and structural mechanics and materials.

*Our FIRST FSM SEMINAR MEETING of the term this Wednesday, September 7, 4:30-5:30 pm in Aero 114. Please put this meeting on your schedule to attend, and please block out each Wednesday 4:30--5:30 pm on your calendar for the rest of the term. The Agenda for the first meeting is:

(1) To summarize and discuss the aims and organization of the FSM Seminar series for the Fall term and for the academic year;

(2) Professors Jim Brasseur and John Evans will make short presentations and lead discussion of Workshop theme A: Key elements of creating and presenting high-quality presentations.

Now, the FSM Seminar Organization Team has a REQUEST FROM EACH FSM GRADUATUATE STUDENT to please go to the Google Form at https://forms.gle/ZtffK7s1q5nY5pp16 and list (i) any presentations you will make this term at scientific meetings and (ii) a seminar on your research that you would consider giving this term in order to make your colleagues aware of your research and receive feedback and, perhaps most importantly, to practice making presentations and learn how to improve. PLEASE RECORD THIS INFORMATION IN THE FORM ASAP so that the FSM Seminar Organization Team can organize the rest of the term. We will try to schedule your practice talk shortly before your formal presentation.

ONE FINAL REQUEST: the FSM student email list was kindly compiled by Madeline Job, AES Graduate Advisor. However, we may have missed a person who should be on the list. Furthermore, students not technically part of FSM who would like to participate in the FSM Seminar Series are welcome to do so, so please forward this email to others who should or may wish be on the listserve for the FSM Seminar Series and ask them to either send me email to be added to the list (brasseur@colorado.edu).

Sincerely,

Professor Jim Brasseur, for The FSM Seminar Organization Team (FSMSOT):
Aviral Prakash, Nils Wunsch, Thomas Calascione, Jim Brasseur