Postdoctoral Research Associate

Overview

Working as part of a supportive multidisciplinary team, you will support the Principal Investigator in delivering research activity on Project WHOWL:
Whale‑and‑Owl‑Inspired Synergistic Aerodynamic–Aeroacoustic Control for Wind Turbine Blades. The UKRI/EPSRC‑funded project starts October 2026 under the EPSRC “Unlocking the Full Potential of Nature-Based Engineering” call. It investigates the first‑time synergistic integration of whale‑inspired leading‑edge protuberances and owl‑inspired trailing‑edge serrations on wind turbine blades to address the trade‑off between aerodynamic performance and noise emissions.

• Designing and parametrising hybrid bio‑inspired aerofoil configurations and contributing to an open‑source parametric design framework for bio‑inspired wind turbine blades.
• Conducting wind‑tunnel experimental campaigns, including aerodynamic measurements of bio‑inspired aerofoil configurations.
• Developing and running high‑fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations with associated aeroacoustic analysis.
• Producing high‑quality, peer‑reviewed publications and presenting at international conferences.
• Coordinating technical engagement with project partners and contributing to dissemination activities.

Applicants should hold a PhD (or equivalent experience) in mechanical or aerospace engineering, applied physics, fluid mechanics, or a closely related field, with demonstrable expert knowledge in aerodynamics, experimental fluid mechanics, computational fluid dynamics, or aeroacoustics.

• Bio‑inspired aerodynamics, wind turbine blade design, and/or aeroacoustics.
• Aerofoil or blade design, including parametric geometry generation and CAD‑based modelling.
• Low‑speed wind‑tunnel testing, including dynamic stall testing and non‑intrusive flow measurement techniques.
• Unsteady CFD simulations and turbulence modelling.
• A track record of publications in peer‑reviewed journals in fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, aeroacoustics, or renewable energy.

24‑month fixed‑term post starting October 2026. A bespoke £75,000 ring‑fenced PDRA/Early Career Researcher development programme is uniquely built into this project, reflecting a commitment to supporting ECRs’ long‑term career growth. The successful candidate will benefit from structured technical training in the UK and USA, international conference presentations, industrial mentoring at ORE Catapult, and tailored development in research and project management, providing a strong springboard toward fellowship, faculty positions, or senior industry roles.

The project is delivered within the School of Engineering, Physics and Mathematics at Northumbria University. It is hosted at the Northumbria University Aerodynamics Laboratory, with access to the university’s wind‑tunnel facility, advanced PIV instrumentation, and high‑performance computing resources. WHOWL is a flagship project under Northumbria’s Energy Futures multidisciplinary research theme, supporting partnerships with over 30 industrial collaborators in the renewable energy sector.

Dr Xiang Shen (Principal Investigator) –