Alex Philippou, a 2022 Summer Space Grant intern at Missouri S&T, presented his work at the 16th International Conference on Wind Engineering (ICWE16), August 27-31, 2023, Florence, Italy.
His presentation was on the genesis, evolution and decay of tornados from an initial momentary instability: CFD simulations. The internship was to support NASA’s Mars Mission to conduct research on dust devils on Mars—tornado-like wind patterns. Dust devils will have potential impact on vehicles, instruments and structures on Mars.
This 5-day conference, attended by approximately 700 attendees, had numerous technical sessions on various aspects of wind engineering. Alex’s presentation together with the publication co-authored by his mentor, Dr. K. M. Isaac, in the Journal of Wind Engineering & Industrial Aerodynamics, the premier peer-reviewed journal in its field with an impact factor of 4.8 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jweia.2023.105529), shed new light on rotating wind patterns in the atmosphere.
This interdisciplinary conference was attended by researchers from civil engineering, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, and atmospheric sciences, who showcased their work on various aspects of wind that affect people’s lives, ranging from disaster mitigation to energy harvesting.