Dr Bassam Rakhshani is a lecturer in the school of computing, engineering, and physical sciences (CEPS) at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), and also the programme lead for the aerospace engineering courses. I teach mechanical and aircraft engineering subjects. My teaching expertise includes; aerodynamics and aircraft performance, aircraft design, aircraft systems, and aircraft propulsion. Before joining UWS in 2016, I have been involved in teaching aerospace and aircraft engineering courses at the University of Manchester and UHI (University of the Highlands and Islands). Before joining the academic/research involvement I have worked with a number of aircraft design, operation and maintenance engineering organisations. I was involved in the design certification process of commercial aircrafts at design bureau, where aspects of aircraft aerodynamic and structural design along with ground and flight testing were examined and certified against international aviation regulations. 

My research interests cover a relatively broad range of aerospace engineering modelling (numerical simulation) and experimentation techniques with focus on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and theoretical and experimental approach to investigate both fundamental and applied aspects of flow physics for aerodynamic problems. Alongside with fluid flow problems, numerical aero-noise (aeroacoustics) investigations have been in the centre of my research work at the University of Manchester where a number of paper have been presented on the aeroacoustics effect of aircraft high-lift system and the use of coating technique to mitigate aerodynamic noise from aircraft wing systems. The tools used are advanced turbulence models and acoustic formulation in the form of commercial packages and in-house codes. Apart from the CFD-based research interest I’m currently developing experimental methodology to improve aircraft wing aerodynamic and structural performance in testing configuration and through the fluid-structure interaction (FSI) concept analysis. I am building wind tunnel facility with associated data acquisition systems, wing models and material/structure design to establish the FSI testing methodology that can lead to better understanding of the process of aerodynamic/turbulent flow interaction with wing models and their surfaces.

Aircraft Aerodynamics: simulations, testing and measurements

Aircraft Design Performance and Optimization: computational design, design and performance analysis, multidisciplinary optimization

CFD: aerodynamic flow simulations, aerodynamic noise analysis, FSI    

Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI): I am currently designing and building experimental setup for aerodynamic wing models to study the levels and characteristics of surface interaction with the turbulent flow. The aim of the research is to investigate physics-based approaches to correlate features of the aerodynamic (turbulent) flow that responsible for structural adverse response. Various geometry and material models (including composite) are considered for the testing procedure. I am looking to implement advanced data acquisition systems such as NI and advanced model design and build using three-dimensional printing. I also intend to build validation data base using cloud simulation.

I intend to link my current research activity with clean sky projects and further the research though collaboration with European institutions including experimental and research centres and university involved with the clean sky projects. Also, I am looking to reach collaborative relationship with industrial aerospace and wind energy organisations.

• CFD simulations
• Computational design
• Aerodynamic testing and experimentation