Engineering Research Centre
The last few years have seen a continuous growth in research activity with the Engineering Research Centre (ERC) leading to a large increase in research volume and high quality of research outputs. Last year was a particularly productive year in terms of research outputs (37 refereed conference and journal publications) and postgraduate research student completions. The research income was also substantial and was in the form of a number of KTP grant schemes running concurrently. Possibilities for further KTPs are currently being pursued.
The Engineering Research Centre is a multidisciplinary centre that undertakes research selectively at national and international levels of excellence within interrelated areas of staff expertise. The Centre is engaged in research collaboration with a number of European and UK universities.
The Engineering Research Centre has been building targeted resources gradually and is in a position now to provide a good supportive environment for its members and their associated postgraduate students for the conduct of quality research of international significance.
The ERC consists of 10 academic staff involved in research, teaching, curriculum leadership activities and other scholarly activities. Extensive collaboration among staff within the research centre takes place. The principal research activities are described below.
a) Modelling and Simulation in Aerospace and Automotive Applications
The main focus of the research in these areas is biased toward computational analysis and simulation using finite elements, boundary elements, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and thermofluids techniques as well as flight dynamics and control systems design and simulation using analytical tools. This is seen as a cost effective way to have state of the art facilities and generate international quality research. However, it is important to have experimental validation in computational work, or to build prototype designs. To that end the acquisition of a rapid prototyping facility in the engineering labs has been an important resource development. Furthermore, measurement and testing equipment has recently been acquired for the wind tunnel making it an important resource for validation of CFD work. In addition, collaboration with other research institutions with a view to share experimental data for validation purpose has been taking place.
The ERC aims to develop further capabilities in modelling and simulation to become a centre of excellence in aerospace structures, fluid dynamics analysis, and fluid structure interaction. A research programme is underway to determine the aeroelastic behaviour of a wing using multiphysics (CFD+FE) simulation tools.
b) Signal, Power Systems and Control
The main focus of the research in these areas is the application of advanced signal processing and control systems techniques in the fields of power systems, medical, aerospace and automotive engineering. Examples of research activities include the use of Global Information Services and data technologies to optimise and enhance the performance of hybrid and electric vehicles. The research program is funded from a collaborative industrial research programme. This is a joint project with the University of Glamorgan, considering a mobile hydrogen fuel test platform. Medical research applications include skin cancer detection using image processing, mechanical ankle simulator with its control system to test ankle prosthesis (ankle joint simulator) and Micro and Nanotechnology (MNT) application in orthopedics. Other areas include flight dynamics and control, where research activities include fault tolerant control systems (fault detection and isolation and flight control systems reconfigurable), as well as advanced process control for the utilities. The main aim of this particular project is to fully review the design process within United Utilities Water, develop advanced control algorithms, produce procedures for water process system optimisation, maintenance, and commissioning, and to disseminate the knowledge to Instrumentation Control and Automation (ICA) engineers.
Members of the Centre
- Dr Zoubir Zouaoui: Reader and Director of the Engineering Research Centre
- Dr. Xiaogang Yang: Reader
- Dr Richard Grant: Principal Lecturer
- Dr Xiaobing Huang: Senior Lecturer
- Dr Zheng Chen: Senior Lecturer
- Dr Xiaobing Huang: Senior Lecturer
- Dr Yantin Hu: Senior Lecturer
- Dr Zhishun She: Senior Lecturer
- Dr Graeme Sparey-Taylor: Senior Lecturer
- Dr Yuriy Vagapov: Senior Lecturer
Associate Member of the Centre
- Cedric Belloc: Senior Lecturer
Glyndŵr University's Research Repository provides free access to the research outputs of the academic and research staff of the University.
