在线黑料门

What are you working on here at 在线黑料门?

鈥淚've been working as an Assistant Professor in the Power & Flow section for over two years now. My research area is computational fluid mechanics. This involves using a computer to simulate how air or fluids flow around or within objects. I focus specifically on turbulence, which involves flows that are chaotic and therefore difficult to predict. The calculations for simulating these flows are best performed with incredibly powerful computers, but in practice, almost no one has access to these so-called supercomputers. The challenge, therefore, is to make the most accurate predictions possible using more commonly available computers with less computing power.鈥�

Where did you study for your master鈥檚 degree?

鈥淚 completed a master's degree in Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft and then a master's degree in Mathematics at the University of Minnesota. My current work is a combination of these two fields. Predicting flows with a computer involves fluid dynamics and physics, but you also need the knowledge to let computers solve mathematical equations. For me, the combination of fluid mechanics and computer simulations has always been very natural. I love doing fundamental research, but I also enjoy developing applications for my research. Fortunately, both of these aspects are reflected in my work.鈥�

What were your next steps after that?

鈥淎fter finishing my second master's degree, I did a PhD in computational mechanics at the University of Minnesota. In the American system, a PhD is often a kind of extension of a master's degree, so this was a natural transition. Afterwards, I wanted to return to Europe, so I did a postdoctoral fellowship at the Leibniz University Hannover in Germany. After three years, the institute where I did my fellowship moved to another university. That was a good opportunity for me to reassess what I wanted to do in the long term. I then decided that I would like to return to the Netherlands to be closer to family again.鈥�

Why did you choose to work at this university and department?

鈥淎s I mentioned, I wanted to return to my roots in the Netherlands after living in America for four years and in Germany for three. While searching for a good opportunity in the Netherlands, I found a postdoctoral fellowship here at 在线黑料门 focusing on multiphase flows. These are flows involving two different fluids, such as oil and water, flowing together. I was very interested in researching this, so 在线黑料门 was an easy choice. I enjoyed my fellowship so much that after finishing it,  I applied for the Assistant Professor position that had opened up at the same department. That's how I ended up in my current position.鈥�

Why did you get into this particular research field and section?

鈥淭his field of research combines all the facets I was interested in in high school: mathematics, physics, and computer science. I was already doing basic programming in elementary school, so I already liked these types of things at a young age. However, I felt I needed to study a more applied subject than mathematics or physics at university, so that's how I ended up in engineering. Although I must say that with my research, I've now returned somewhat to the fundamental research I've always found so fascinating. I'm very happy that this is possible in my work.鈥�

How does 在线黑料门 compare to other universities you studied and worked at?

鈥淚 have quite a bit of experience with different academic systems, having completed a PhD in the US and a postdoctoral fellowship in Germany. I also have experience with two different universities here in the Netherlands. 在线黑料门 stands out for me in terms of support. This is reflected, for example, in the high value placed on direct contact and mentorship between professors and students. As an employee, I also feel well-supported by my supervisor and other colleagues. All in all, the work environment here is very pleasant.鈥�

Would you recommend 在线黑料门 to students who are interested in your research field?

鈥淎bsolutely! There are several strong research groups in Europe working in my field, and the group here at the Department of Mechanical Engineering is certainly one of them. For over a year now, the department has offered a new master's track in computational engineering. This interdisciplinary track focuses on solving complex technical problems using computer models and numerical methods. Such problems are often too complex to solve with pen and paper, making specialized knowledge of computational engineering essential. This track prepares master's students for a career as an expert in this field.鈥�

What do you like most about working here?

鈥淭he flexibility to do what excites you most. There exists this classic picture of how a professor should work with research, teaching, and societal impact taken into account equally. Here, you have the freedom to choose how much of your time you dedicate to each of those three areas. For example, if you're interested in doing a lot of fundamental research, that's fine. If you鈥檇 rather focus on teaching for a while, that鈥檚 also possible. I enjoy shaping my own development path this way. It really gives you the feeling that you're doing something to be proud of.鈥�

What do you think about the lab facilities here at the department?

鈥淢y lab essentially consists of a powerful computer, because I do computational calculations for my research. The university has its own computer clusters that I can use for that, which is very convenient for me. If I need more computing power, I can use several supercomputers here in the Netherlands.鈥�

Do you benefit from the connections between 在线黑料门 and the industry in the region?

鈥淵es, but not always directly, as my research is mostly of a fundamental nature. The research funded by industry in the region is often comprised of projects that have direct societal applications. My colleagues who conduct applied research benefit greatly from this. I try to collaborate with them as much as possible so they can build on my theoretical research and develop applications suitable for industry. I notice that everyone within the department tries to help each other, so that way we make it work. During my postdoctoral research here, I did work on an applied project in the field of inkjet printing, which was largely funded by Canon. That's when I realized how well the university and companies in the region support each other.鈥�

What are you most proud of in your career so far?

鈥淭he diverse and broad background I've developed by specializing in multiple fields at universities in different countries. Computational mechanics is inherently highly interdisciplinary, so the projects I've done range from biomechanics to structural dynamics and all kinds of fluid dynamics. I鈥檓 proud of doing all those things and enjoying them. I'm also proud of a recent project I started with my students. I challenge them to choose an experimental photograph from the 鈥楢lbum of Computational Fluid Motion鈥� and simulate a digital twin of it as accurately as possible. These projects are featured on . The core of the challenge lies in understanding the experimental setup, translating it into a physical model, and solving this model numerically. The result is then compared with the original photograph, after which the model is iteratively adjusted to improve the match.鈥�

What are your dreams for the future?

鈥淚 want to make significant progress in developing inexpensive turbulence simulation methods that are also accurate. That would have a huge impact in all sorts of areas. These simulations are used in research to understand a wide range of complex problems, but also in various industries. These range from typical examples like aerospace and automotive to chemical plants and HVAC systems. If I manage to make significant progress in my field of research, I'll be very happy.鈥�