Key details
Professor Koulis Pericleous
Professor of Computational Fluid Dynamics
Biography
- Born in Nicosia Cyprus, 1952
- 1971-1977, London University (Queen Mary College), BSc Aeronautical Engineering, PhD in Unsteady Aerodynamics
- 1978-1979, Post-Doctoral Research Associate, University of London
- 1979-1989, Scientific software company CHAM ltd, Wimbledon (Head of Consultancy Division 1987-89)
- 1989 Joined the University of Greenwich
- 1994, Professor of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
Since leaving university, my professional career has been dedicated to the teaching, development and application of CFD techniques and software. My first employment (1979) was with the software company CHAM, an offshoot of Imperial College, CFD pioneers involved in the development of the first ever commercial CFD code PHOENICS. In a series of career moves from development, to software support, to consultancy, I became Head of the Consultancy division in 1987, involved in the acquisition, conceptual design and management of a wide range of projects for industry and the environment. I joined Greenwich (Thames Polytechnic as it was then) in 1989 in the position of Reader in CFD (promoted to professor in 1994) and have since maintained broad interest in the application of the technology, particularly in multi-physics simulations, two-phase flow and complex reacting flows. Topic areas of activity cover Mechanical, Process, Chemical and Aerospace Engineering, Magneto-Hydro-Dynamics (MHD) in liquid metals, melting, casting, welding and alloy microstructure simulation, fluid-structure interaction, ultrasonics and computational aero-acoustics.
My research (as the CSEG team leader) is maintained up to date and at the forefront of the subject through external funding from a wide range of sources, including the EPSRC, the EU, ESA, Royal Society, British Council, Interreg and industry. Dissemination of my work appears in over 300 archival publications.
In my professional capacity, I acted as consultant to several organisations worldwide, including: Alcoa (US), ARBED (Lux), Arcelor (Fr), BAe , BRE/Fire Research Stn. , Comalco (Aus), Corus (NL), DNV, Electrowatt (Switz.), Kobe (Jpn), Lafarge (Fr), Mott-MacDonald, PSI, Qinetiq, Rio-Tinto (UK, Aus), Rolls-Royce, Todd Combustion (USA), Xstrata-zinc.
Principal Research Activity
- Development of multi-physics finite-volume based software (code PHYSICA )
- Modelling of Casting and Welding processes
- Free-Surface flow modelling with Heat Transfer and Phase Change
- Reacting multi-phase flows for iron/steel production (e.g. the Rio-Tinto HiSmelt© process)
- Modelling of particle-laden swirling flows (esp. cyclones and swirl reactors)
- Development of Computational Aero Acoustic (CAA) techniques
- Modelling of Buoyant Plumes, Fires and Combustion (the BRE code Jasmine)
- Atmospheric pollution modelling
- Modelling of non-Newtonian flows in pipes and extruders
- Development of Structured Adaptive Mesh techniques for compressible aerodynamics
- Computational Magneto-Hydro-Dynamics (MHD) for metals processing applications (metal flow control, levitation, aluminium reduction cells, pumps/brakes, liquid metal batteries)
- Effect of magnetic fields on alloy microstructure
- Development of turbulence models for special applications, e.g. fractal-based Large Eddy Simulation, 2-layer models for electronics cooling, MHD turbulence, etc;
- Ultrasonic cavitation in liquids and metal melts.
Awards
- TMS Light Metals Award, 2021
- TMS Light Metals Subject award - Warren Peterson Cast Shop for Aluminum Production, for “Contactless Ultrasonic Treatment in Direct Chill Casting”, published in JOM, January 2020
- Best Paper Award 8th Int. Conf. Physical and Numerical Simulation of Materials Processing, Seattle, Oct. 2016
- British Foundry Medal and Prize 2014 – for the paper “Numerical modelling of the tilt casting process for γ-TiAl alloys”, Foundry Trade Journal International, 187 (3705). pp. 150-157. ISSN 1758-9789
- Best paper award: K Pericleous, G Djambazov, JF Domgin, P Gardin, B Lebon, "Time-dependent modelling and experimental validation of the metal flux interface in a continuous casting mould", Proc. 28th Int. ATS steelmaking days, 13-14 Dec. 2007, Paris, pp 207-217
- Best paper award, "The Use of Combined DC and AC Fields to Increase Superheat in an Induction Skull Melting Furnace": R A Harding, M. Wickins, G. Keough, K. Pericleous, V. Bojarevics, Int. Symp. Liquid Metal Processing and Casting, Santa Fe, USA, Sept. 18-21, 2005
Recognition
Editorial Board
- Applied Mathematical Modelling (Elsevier)
- Journal of Algorithms & Computational Technology (Multi-Science Publ. Co. Ltd)
- Journal of High Temperature Materials and Processes (De Gruyter)
Grant Reviewer
- Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) Helmholtz Alliance of German Universities (2013- 2019)
- EU H2020 Clean Sky 2 programme Reviewer (2017)
- EU/FP7 NMP.2011 nano materials, EU/FP6 NEST (New and Emerging Technologies), EU/FP6 IP Global 3 Proposal Evaluator, EU/FP6 Nanotechnologies & Nano-Sciences
- EU IP Project Monitor FIREPARADOX project (Forest Fires Prevention)
- EU ERC proposal evaluator 2013, 2014, 2015
- EPSRC, Leverhulme and Royal Society grant proposal reviewer
- Invited National Grant Reviewer for Cyprus, Israel, Germany, Latvia, Poland, Switzerland
REF UoA12 (Mechanical Aeronautical & Chemical Engineering) Panel Assessor (2014) (2029)
Scientific Committee MCWASP, LMPC, EPM, TMS & PAMIR international conference series and regular invited speaker
Key projects
1. Research England “M34Impact” 2024-2029 (£9.1M): Multi-Scale, Multi-Disciplinary, Modelling Platform (Co-Lead with Andrew Kao and Edwin Galea)
2. Innovate UK ColdMelt#2, 2023-2026 (£250K)
3. Continuous Melting and Atomisation of Titanium Alloys EPSRC “TEAM”, 2023-2025 (£450k)
4. Tailored Microstructures via Thermoelectric-Magnetohydrodynamics for Additive Manufacturing (PI A. Kao) (Co-Investigator)
5. EPSRC "Ultramelt#2", 2018-2021, value £329,613 “Upscaling environment-friendly cavitation melt treatment”
Collaboration with Brunel and Oxford Brookes Universities to develop of an improved cavitation model, based on the wave equation and conservation laws, applied to the two-phase problem of bubble implosion and transport in aluminium melt, and its interaction with solid inclusions (e.g. the solidification front of an aluminium alloy or of any intermetallic impurities present). Validation against experimental measurements.
6. EPSRC "Top-Coil" 2017-2020, value £364,031 “Contactless Ultrasonic Processing for Liquid Metals”
Collaboration with Birmingham and Oxford Universities to
develop of a novel electromagnetic vibration device (Greenwich patent) for the ultrasonic treatment of high temperature or reactive metal melts.
7. EU FP7 "SIKELOR", 2014-2017, value € 309,000 (Co-Investigator)
An important environmental project, for the recovery of the 50% or so silicon wasted as "kerf" in the cutting process to produce photo-voltaic silicon panels. Greenwich in collaboration with German and Italian partners to remove impurities from the kerf, using electromagnetic means so that the silicon can be recycled
8. EPSRC "TECalloy", 2013-2016, £279,000
Extension of theoretical framework developed at Greenwich, to study the effects of magnetic fields in producing tailor-made alloy crystal structures by controlling solute micro-convection using the thermoelectric properties of the alloy. Research in collaboration with the Manchester Uni. Synchrotron facility at Diamond (PI on 3 DLS synchrotron sessions, in kind value £190k)
9. EPSRC "UltraMelt", 2013-2016,£281,000
Development of method for the ultrasonic treatment of large volumes of liquid metal to produce refined grain structures. Collaboration with Brunel Uni. (experiments)
10. ESA-ELIPS THERMOLAB-ISS (2011- ) (Co-Investigator)
The International Space Station THERMOLAB Experiments investigate the temperature and physical properties of industrial alloys in weightlessness in their liquid state, to improve models used in industrial casting and solidification techniques. Greenwich conducts simulations of the ISS Electromagnetic levitator (EML) experiment.
11. ESA-ELIPS PARSEC experiment (2012 - ) (Co-Investigator)
The PARSEC experiments are focused on the influence of melt convection on phase selection in technically important peritectic alloys- alloys where a solid and liquid phase combine to a second solid phase at a particular temperature and composition. Greenwich models the EM- induced convection in order to study the effect of fluid flow on growth kinetics.
12. Interreg 2Seas "ISECA" 2011-2014 value €264,000
To study the effects of airborne pollution from urban sources on the growth of algal blooms in the coastal areas bordering the North Sea and the English Channel and develop a web-based information system for use by local authorities, tourism and other interested parties. Partners from France, Belgium, the Netherlands and UK.
13. EU "EXOMET", 2012-2016, value €400,000
To study the effects of external fields (magnetic, ultrasonic, shear) on the dispersion of nano-particles or oxides in advanced light alloys of magnesium and aluminium. Project led by the European Space Agency (ESA). Applications in the production of Metal Matrix Nano Composites (MMNC) for use in future transport. Total project value €20M. Keywords: advanced materials, nano-composites, materials modelling.
Doctorates Supervised
| # | Name | PhD Thesis Title | Year |
| 1 | Peter M-Y Chow | Control volume unstructured mesh procedure for convection-diffusion solidification processes | 1993 |
| 2 | Andrew KS Chan | Free surface flow with application to the filling and solidification of liquid metals into vessels of arbitrary shape | 1994 |
| 3 | Michael Hughes | Computational Magnetohydrodynamics | 1994 |
| 4 | Thomas N Croft | Unstructured mesh finite volume algorithms for swirling turbulent reacting flows | 1998 |
| 5 | Stephen N Little | The flow behaviour of non-Newtonian sludges | 1998 |
| 6 | Georgi S Djambazov | Numerical techniques for computational aeroacoustics | 1998 |
| 7 | Christopher R Bennett | Dynamic grid adaption using the LPE equation | 2000 |
| 8 | Charaka J Palansuriya | Domain decomposition-based algorithms for some inverse problems | 2000 |
| 9 | Avril K Slone | A FV unstructured mesh approach to dynamics fluid structure interaction between fluids and elastic bodies | 2000 |
| 10 | Sotirios Vardoulakis | An operational method for assessing traffic-related air pollution in urban streets | 2002 |
| 11 | Andrew P Campbell | Modelling freeze layer formation and refractory wear in direct smelting processes | 2002 |
| 12 | Dusko D Dincov | Fully coupled modelling of microwave heating in a porous medium | 2002 |
| 13 | James A Lawrence | The prediction of bubble defects in castings (post-humously) | 2004 |
| 14 | Zongkang Wang | A source extraction method for computational aeroacoustics | 2004 |
| 15 | Stylianos Plainiotis | Atmospheric dispersion modelling of particulate and gaseous pollutants affecting the trans-manche region | 2006 |
| 16 | David Kao | The vibro-acoustic modelling and analysis of damage mechanisms in paper | 2006 |
| 17 | Kulvir K Dhinsa | Development and application of low Reynolds number turbulence models in air-cooled electronics | 2006 |
| 18 | Mehmet Shala | Unstructured staggered mesh discretisation methods for CFD | 2007 |
| 19 | Hong Wang | Numerical modelling of the tilt-casting process | 2008 |
| 20 | Andrew Kao | Thermoelectric magnetohydrodynamics in dendritic solidification | 2010 |
| 21 | Lang Yuan | Multiscale modelling of the influence of convection on dendrite formation and freckle initiation during vacuum arc remelting (Imperial College) | 2010 |
| 22 | G S Bruno Lebon | Unstructured FV algorithms for compressible multiphase flow | 2011 |
| 23 | Zacharias Kountouriotis | Modelling of the liquid slag behaviour in the continuous casting mould | 2011 |
| 24 | Antony Siahaan | Defect correction based domain decomposition methods for some nonlinear physical problems | 2011 |
| 25 | Na Tian | Novel optimisation methods for numerical inverse problems | 2011 |
| 26 | Stuart Easter | Modelling of liquid droplet dynamics in a high DC magnetic field | 2012 |
| 27 | Yannick N Doh | Modelisation multiphysique du convertisseur d’aciere (Universite de Lorraine) | 2012 |
| 28 | Xiaoyang Liu | Advanced numerical methods for image denoising and segmentation | 2013 |
| 29 | Mazaher Molaei C | Modelling and CFD simulation of a fluidized bed process for the capture of CO2 from fossil fuel combustion sources | 2013 |
| 30 | Liang S Lai | Defect correction methods for computational aeroacoustics | 2013 |
| 31 | Timothy J Tlford | Numerical analysis of microwave processing problems using a multidomain solver approach | 2013 |
| 32 | Carmen-Jiawen Su | A New Constitutive Method for Arching of Cohesive Powders in Hoppers | 2017 |
| 33 | Francisco-Javier Granados-Ortiz | Stochastic Approaches to Computational Simulations of Industrial Jet Flows | 2017 |
| 34 | Matthaios Alexandrakis | Parallelised Multi-scale Modelling of Convection Driven Defects in Alloys | 2018 |
| 35 | Andrejs Tucs | Renewable Energy Supply and Storage : Liquid Metal Battery Stability | 2018 |
| 36 | Carolyn Snitzer | Quantitative Methods for Predicting the Success of Hollywood Feature & Marketing Strategies | 2018 |
| 37 | Christopher Beckwith | Staggered compact finite difference schemes for sound generation in a melt by electromagnetic induction | 2018 |
| 38 | Ivars Krastins | Parallel Lattice Boltzmann Method for Convection in Dendritic Solidification | 2018 |