Davide Modesti, "Taming wall turbulence with supercomputers"

Thursday 27 Mar 2025, 14:30 → 15:30 Europe/Rome

Ex-ISEF/Building-Main Lecture Hall (GSSI)

Abstract

Turbulence is arguably the most famous unsolved problem in classical physics. In real-world applications, turbulent flows often occur in domains bounded by solid walls. In this talk, we will present recent research efforts aimed at studying wall-bounded turbulence using direct numerical simulations of prototype flows relevant to several applications in aerospace engineering. A significant part of the talk will be devoted to heat transfer by turbulent forced convection in fluids with variable physical properties, typical of cooling systems in aircraft and rockets. We will then continue with an overview of supersonic flows relevant to atmospheric entry and reentry from space. Ultimately, we will show how direct numerical simulation is an excellent tool for exploring flow physics, testing hypotheses, and developing predictive models of turbulent flows.
 

 

Short Bio

Davide Modesti is an Assistant Professor at the Gran Sasso Science Institute (GSSI). His research focuses on wall-bounded turbulent flows in both compressible and incompressible regimes, which he studies using high-fidelity numerical simulations. His specific topics of interest include high-speed aerodynamics, heat transfer by forced convection, and flows over rough surfaces, complemented by the development of numerical schemes and algorithms for high-performance computing. Before joining GSSI, he earned a PhD in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from La Sapienza University of Rome. He worked as a research fellow at the DynFluid laboratory in Paris and the University of Melbourne, and later as an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology.