Ph.D. in Civil Engineering · University of Windsor
Computational engineer turning physics-based simulation into engineering insight: CFD · FEA · Molecular Dynamics · HPC
8+ years building, validating, and analyzing large-scale simulations of fluid dynamics, structural mechanics, and molecular systems. My doctoral work established a multi-scale computational framework for the two main weather-driven hazards of bridge stay cables: wind-induced vibration and ice accretion & detachment.
My research connects three scales of physics (turbulent flow around structures, molecular behaviour of ice, and continuum fracture mechanics) into one predictive framework for cable-stayed bridge safety.
High-fidelity DES/DDES simulations (OpenFOAM) of flow around yawed and inclined circular cylinders. Revealed how the leeward axial flow intermittently interacts with von Kármán vortex shedding, the low-frequency excitation believed to drive large-amplitude dry inclined cable galloping on bridges.
LAMMPS simulations of ice melting and adhesion on metal and polymer substrates, in collaboration with the National Research Council Canada. Benchmarked SPC/E, TIP3P and TIP4P water models, quantified melting-front kinetics with the tetrahedral order parameter, and compared CPU vs GPU performance.
Fed MD-derived, temperature-dependent ice–HDPE adhesion into a cohesive-zone finite element model of an ice-accreted stay cable. Identified a narrow thermal window near 268 K where ice debonding becomes possible, and showed that wind direction, not suction magnitude alone, governs whether wind promotes or resists detachment.
First author on all publications except the invited 2023 ISDAC keynote. Each entry shows a key figure from the paper.
Multi-scale framework: CFD → MD → FEAA three-part dissertation integrating nine published or submitted papers: (I) CFD of wind-induced unsteady aerodynamic response of dry inclined cables; (II) molecular dynamics of ice melting and adhesion on silver and HDPE substrates; (III) a multi-scale FE model predicting thermally- and wind-driven ice detachment from cable sheaths.
Melt-front tracking on silver at 285–305 KWith the National Research Council: TIP4P/ice simulations of an ice cube melting on an atomically flat silver slab, tracked with the tetrahedral order parameter under a layer-resolved Langevin thermostat. Substrate temperature controls the melt; doubling ice thickness roughly triples melt time, and basal-plane contact loses crystalline order faster than prism-plane contact.
Axial-flow / Kármán-vortex interaction on an inclined cableDDES shows the leeward axial flow intermittently amplifying vortex shedding, with sectional lift propagating along the span in an S-shaped wavy pattern, the source of the low-frequency component of unsteady cable response observed on bridges.
Ice Ih crystal: prism & basal planes, ordered vs moltenWith the National Research Council: LAMMPS simulations of the ice-to-water transition tracked by the tetrahedral order parameter. Evaluates SPC/E, TIP3P and TIP4P water models for melting behaviour, stability and cost, plus CPU/GPU benchmarking, groundwork for predicting ice shedding from bridge cables.
Two ways to locate the separation point: skin friction vs pressure inflectionDDES at Re = 100–10⁴ shows separation on an imperfectly round cylinder can be triggered either by an adverse pressure gradient or by a gentle bend in the cross-section, and that the common pressure-based criterion needs flow-visualization verification at high Re.
Domain & "ridged" cross-section (4% roundness imperfection)Attack-angle sweep (0–45° in 5° steps) at Re = 10⁴ uncovers a low-frequency lift pattern near 30°, with intermittently enhanced correlation between the axial vortex and Kármán shedding, a candidate excitation for unstable cable motion.
POD modes: coherent span-wise structure, 30° vs 0° yawProper orthogonal decomposition reveals a synchronized anti-symmetric pressure-block structure and a low-frequency fluctuation at ~¼ of the Kármán Strouhal number, a periodic excitation that could contribute to dry cable galloping.
Axial-flow ribbons: ridged (e/D = 4%) vs smooth cableKeynote synthesis of the group's DDES findings: why instability appears only at certain cable orientations, and how imperfect roundness traps axial flow near the surface, strengthening its interaction with Kármán vortices.
Axial vortex retained along the leeward surface (4% imperfection)A realistic 4% roundness imperfection shortens the recirculation zone and retains more axial flow near the leeward surface, where it intermittently amplifies transverse lift at low frequency, identifying shape imperfection as a possible excitation source for dry inclined cable galloping.
Vortex shedding staggering in time along the cylinder axisDDES at Re = 1.4×10⁴ for yaw angles 0–60°: local vortex shedding staggers along the axis, producing near-zero span-wise averaged lift; Kármán shedding is mitigated above 30° yaw, and the Independence Principle holds for Strouhal number but not for other flow properties.
Wake structures vs splitter-plate perforation ratio (LES, Re = 3900)Models axial flow indirectly: a perforated splitter plate in the cylinder wake (LES, perforation ratios 0–1) interrupts shear-layer interaction the way axial flow does, weakening Kármán shedding and reducing fluctuating lift and drag.
Inclined-cylinder domain & leeward axial-flow formationDES/LES across Re = 3,900–2.8×10⁵ and attack angles 0–60°: inclination generates a secondary axial flow on the leeward side and near-zero span-averaged lift via span-wise delay of sectional forces, with lift becoming disorganized in the critical Re regime.
Inclined-cylinder model & O-grid mesh (DES, Re = 10⁵)DES in OpenFOAM of cylinders inclined 0–75°: visualizes leeward axial-flow formation, reshaped near-wake recirculation, and tests the validity of the Independence Principle at high Reynolds number.
Hands-on experimental and design work in the University of Windsor wind tunnel laboratories.
Led a three-person team testing an industrial partner's six-rotor drone model in the wind tunnel, measuring drag, lift, and pitching-moment coefficients with a six-axis force–torque sensor across pitch angles, yaw angles (0–90°), propeller-tilt configurations, and four wind speeds.
Co-designed a custom rig to mount a 1.42 m acrylic cylinder in the CFI open-loop wind tunnel: twin floor-standing columns, octagonal frames with ball-jointed rotating arms for adjustable inclination, Ø360 mm end plates for two-dimensional flow, and spring suspension for dynamic (free-vibration) testing.
Pursuing P.Eng. licensure (PEO)
Dissertation: Computational Analysis of Wind- and Ice-Driven Hazards of Stay Cables on Long-Span Cable-Stayed Bridges · defended May 6, 2026 · all degree requirements met
Aerodynamics of Bluff Bodies · Earthquake Engineering · Turbulent Flow
Thesis: Numerical Simulations on Flow Around an Inclined Circular Cylinder at High Reynolds Number
Finite Element Methods · Wind Engineering · Structural Dynamics · Theory of Stability · Flow Measurement
Open to opportunities in computational engineering, R&D, aerodynamics, and simulation.