ProfessorDavid Fletcher

As a specialist in computational fluid dynamics modelling, Adjunct Professor David Fletcher develops computer models of engineering problems involving fluid flow, heat transfer and chemical reactions for a wide range of applications. While rapid developments in technology have greatly advanced his research, he is particularly passionate about educating the next generation of skilled practitioners in this important field.

"Among the intended outcomes of my current research projects are improved understanding of fluid build-up in the spinal cord following injury, devices that will deliver drugs to the lungs more efficiently, means of reducing the requirements for repeated heart surgery in children and processing technologies that will increase the safety and efficiency of chemical and minerals plants.

"I am excited by the rapid developments in computing power, especially GPU computing, that have meant I can now tackle problems such as these in a way that even a few years ago would not have been possible. I work with the world-leading software in this area and have strong links with the developers worldwide, so I am using the most up-to-date versions at all times. It is very exciting being at the cutting edge of my field.

"I would also really like to educate more engineers in the use of computational fluid dynamics, so they can have an impact on Australian research and industry. I'm much less worried about the exact problems they will study than I am about addressing the lack of skilled computational fluid dynamics engineers in Australia. Many users of the software have no understanding of the underlying mathematics and models that it is based upon, so are not capable of using it correctly. I would really like to leave behind a large pool of well-educated computational fluid dynamics engineers.

"I have been working in this field since completing my PhD in 1982. I joined the University of Sydney in 1993, which has enabled me to collaborate with some really top researchers and to achieve some fantastic research across a wide range of areas. I am particularly excited about the access to supercomputing facilities that working at The University of Sydney provides that open up some very stimulating projects."