Project staff and support

Alice Thompson (Intern, Nottingham University)
Joseph Lamb (Company Supervisor, Airbus)
Simon Masters (Company Supervisor, Airbus)
John Billingham (Academic Mentor, Nottingham University)
David Allwright (Technology Translator, Industrial Mathematics KTN)

This Internship project is being carried out at Airbus, in conjunction with the Nottingham University. It is part of the KTN's Industrial Mathematics Internships Programme and funded by EPSRC. Start date: January 2010; duration: 6 months.

Project description

This Internship project involves fluid dynamical modelling of droplet-scale processes, with particular attention to condensation, run-off and sinking. Surface tension and contact line effects are likely to be important. It is proposed that the project will

• Develop a water nucleation and growth model on vertical/sloping walls, ceilings and fuel free-surfaces.
• Develop an ice nucleation and growth model on vertical/sloping walls, ceilings and fuel free-surfaces for freezing conditions.
• Develop an ice-thawing model on vertical/sloping walls, ceilings and fuel free-surfaces as the environment warm up.
• Determine the critical size of water droplets when they start to run-off on walls, to drop off from ceilings and to sink from the fuel free surface.
• Determine the speeds of run-off on walls and of free-fall in air.
• Develop a run-off droplet growth model as it coalesces with other stationary water droplets.
• Determine the critical size and the critical velocity of droplet run-off that penetrates the fuel free-surface.
• Determine the critical size and the critical velocity of droplet free-fall that penetrates the fuel free-surface.
• Determine the speeds of run-off on walls in fuel and free-fall in fuel.
• The proposed work may involve some small-scale experiments to verify the mathematical models. The mathematical models are to be developed using the Matlab-Simulink application software.