At the FSI lab, we are engaged in projects at the intersection of fluid dynamics and computational mechanics. The research conducted in this laboratory is mainly concerned with the stability analysis of flexible structures interacting with fluid flow, bio-inspired design of aero vehicles, the evolutionary study of designs in nature, and innovative energy harvesting methods.

Fluid-structure interaction, as its name tells, is a highly interdisciplinary field which involves collaboration with researchers from other disciplines such as civil (wind) engineering, robotics, biomechanics, and zoology. Fluid-structure interaction is a subject that studies the behavior of the fluid flow and the structure of a body when they interact. It applies to all disciplines such as aerospace, biomedical, mechanical, and civil engineering. Another and more significant view concerns the interaction between the Lagrangian structural dynamics and the Eulerian fluid dynamics–often the most mysterious part of computational work.

Aeroelastic and structural-dynamic phenomena can result in dangerous static and dynamic deformations and instabilities. Thus, they have important practical consequences in many areas of technology, especially when one is concerned with the design of modern aircraft and space vehicles—both of which are characterized by the demand for extremely lightweight structures. The solution of many structural dynamics and aeroelasticity problems is a basic requirement for achieving an operationally reliable and structurally optimal system. Aeroelastic phenomena can also play an important role in turbomachinery, civil-engineering structures, wind energy converters, and even in the sound generation of musical instruments.

Aeroelastic problems may be roughly classified into the categories of response and stability. Suppression and/or control of aeroelastic phenomena is another aspect of our study. In the aircraft industry, the designs are produced to avoid aeroelastic instabilities. In flow-induced vibration energy harvesting technology, the system is designed such that it experiences instability, but in a controllable and operational manner.