• Dr. Bret Stanford
  • NASA Langley Research Center
  • 104D Surge Building
  • 4:00 p.m.
  • Faculty Host: Dr. Mayuresh Patil

This presentation will review recent progress in the field of aeroelastic topology optimization.  Topology optimization involves a process by which an optimizer makes fundamental decisions regarding the layout of structural reinforcement.  Many immediate and interesting application areas can be found for topology optimization of aerospace structures (wings, panels, bodies) for which fluid-structure interactions are a key design feature.  Computational solution methods are reviewed, and recent results are presented for a range of vehicle design processes driven by complex aeroelastic physics.

Biography:

Dr. Bret Stanford received his B.S. in mechanical engineering in 2003 and his Ph.D. in aerospace engineering in 2008, both from the University of Florida.  Dr. Stanford was a postdoctoral research associate at Wright Patterson AFB, Air Force Research Laboratory, through 2012, and is currently a research aerospace engineer at NASA Langley Research Center, in the Aeroelasticity Branch.  He is a patent-holder, and the author or co-author of over 100 publications (over 45 peer-reviewed) covering topics such as aeroelasticity, computational design, model reduction, and uncertainty quantification.