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Amanda Smyth

Career Development Fellow in Engineering Science

Interests:
My research area is in unsteady fluid dynamics, with a particular focus on 3D effects and tidal stream turbines. My work explores the physics of unsteady flow interaction with 3D geometries such as wings or rotors, and the limitations of 2D strip-theory approaches to modelling these flow interactions. This is particularly relevant to tidal turbine blades, which are highly 3D in shape. I am also working on mitigation strategies to minimise unsteady hydrodynamic loading on tidal turbines, identifying passive design parameters for the turbine blades to reduce the risk of premature fatigue failures or catastrophic overloading. I also work on exploring the limits of applicability of 2D analytic models of unsteady gust-aerofoil interaction, and study the high-efficiency propulsive swimming motions of marine animals.

My primary research tools are a combination of high- and low-order numerical simulation (Computational Fluid Dynamics, or CFD), as well as analytical modelling. However, I also occasionally work on experimental projects, and recently completed an experimental campaign on tidal turbine design.

Biography:
I studied for my MEng in Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London from 2011 to 2015. I completed my PhD while at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, from 2015 to 2019, working in the Whittle Laboratory in the Cambridge University Engineering Department. During 2019-2020 I worked as a research associate in the Whittle Laboratory under an EPSRC Doctoral Fellowship Award, a stipendiary research fellowship intended to increase the impact of my PhD outcomes. In October 2020 I started as a Career Development Fellow at St Hugh’s College, and was appointed as Departmental Lecturer in the Department of Engineering Science. The Fellowship position includes a responsibility for promoting women in Engineering through outreach activities.

Publications:

Amanda S. M. Smyth, Anna M. Young, and Luca Di Mare, “Effect of Three-Dimensional Geometry on Harmonic Gust–Airfoil Interaction”, AIAA Journal 2021, 59:2, 737-750.

Anna M. Young and Amanda S. M. Smyth, “Gust–Airfoil Coupling with a Loaded Airfoil”, AIAA Journal 2021, 59:3, 773-785.

Amanda S. M. Smyth and Anna M. Young, “Three-Dimensional Unsteady Hydrodynamic Modelling of Tidal Turbines”, European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference (EWTEC), September 2019.

Anna M. Young, Amanda S. M. Smyth, Viraj Bajpai, Ruth F. Augarde, Judith R. Farman, Carl L. Sequeira, “Improving Tidal Turbine Efficiency Using Winglets”, European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference (EWTEC), September 2019.

Position
Career Development Fellow in Engineering Science
Subject
Engineering
Department
Academic - Fellows & Lecturers