Professor Kevin Knowles

Prof Kevin Knowles

Head of Aeromechanical Systems Group
Location: Shrivenham campus
E: K.Knowles@cranfield.ac.uk
T: +44 (0) 1793 785354
Department of Engineering and Applied Science


Current activities

Research includes:

  • Jet and nozzle aerodynamics and aircraft propulsion integration, covering impinging jets in cross-flows relevant to STOVL aircraft
  • Fundamental studies of turbulent impinging jets and supersonic jet mixing
  • Swirl flow in propulsion nozzles
  • Jet/intake interactions in STOVL aircraft
  • Aeroacoustics and unsteady aerodynamics (ranging from transonic cavity flow studies for aircraft weapons bays to insect-inspired flapping-wing aerodynamics for future micro air vehicles)
  • Aircraft design studies (including novel UAV configurations)
  • Vortex flows
  • Ground-effect aerodynamics
  • Flow control.

Background

Professor Kevin Knowles is Head of the Aeromechanical Systems Group.  With solid industrial experience first with the National Gas Turbine Establishment, Pyestock, looking at jet noise experimental research, then at the Central Electricity Research Labs, Leatherhead, on flow modelling of power station feed heater instability, and finally with GEC Turbine Generators Ltd  concentrating on turbomachinery aerodynamic development, research on unsteady supersonic aerodynamics of high pressure control valves and submarine power plant flow analysis he moved into academia.  He was appointed Head of the Aeromechanical Systems Group in 1993.  He is an editorial board member of the Proceedings of the IMechE Part G Journal of Aerospace Engineering and a member of a number of national and international committees, including the AIAA V/STOL Aircraft Systems technical committee), and the Aerodynamics National Advisory Committee, Weapons Aerodynamics Sub-committee. Professor Knowles is President of the Swindon branch) of the Royal Aeronautical Society, he is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society) (FRAeS) and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics)(AFAIAA). He has published over 130 research articles in books, journals and conference proceedings. 

Professor Knowles has over 20 years’ experience of fundamental and applied aerodynamics research and development, with support from MoD, industry and research councils. At Shrivenham his teaching has concentrated on fluid mechanics and basic aerodynamics (origins of lift, drag and thrust, wing theory, aircraft stability and control) and applied helicopter aerodynamics.  Professor Knowles has established links with a number of national and international research groups, including:

Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal – Dept of Aerospace Sciences

Tohoku University, Japan – Institute of Fluid Science

Selected publications

B. Khanal, K. Knowles, and A.J. Saddington, "Computational Study of Flow field Characteristics in Cavities with Stores", Aeronautical Journal, 2011, 115 (1173), pp 669-681. [ISSN 0001-9240]

B. Khanal, K. Knowles, and A.J. Saddington, "Mathematically Consistent Boundary Conditions and Turbulence Matching at Block Interfaces for Computational Aeroacoustics", International Journal of Computational Fluid Dynamics, 2011, 25 (8), pp 449-468. [ISSN 1061-8562 print / ISSN 1029-0257 online; http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10618562.2011.632370]

B. Khanal, K. Knowles, and A.J. Saddington, "Computational Investigation of Cavity Flow Control Using a Passive Device", Aeronautical Journal, 2011. Accepted for publication. [ISSN 0001-9240]

N. Phillips and K. Knowles, "Effect of Flapping Kinematics on the Mean Lift of an Insect-like Flapping Wing", Proceedings IMechE Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 2011, 225 (7), pp 723-736. [ISSN 0954-4100; DOI 10.1177/0954410011401705]

M.A. Richardson, A.J. Saddington, S.A. Ritchie, K. Knowles, D.H. Titterton, L. Sjöqvist, and M. Henriksson, "The Aero-Optical Effects of a Directional Infrared Countermeasure Pod in the Transonic Regime", AIAA Journal, 2011, 49 (7), pp 1551-1555. [ISSN:0001-1452;  DOI:10.2514/1.J050420]

J.T. Economou, K. Knowles, A. Tsourdos, and B.A. White, "Fuzzy-hybrid Land Vehicle Driveline Modelling Based on a Moving Window Subtractive Clustering Approach", International Journal of Systems Science, 2011, 42 (2), pp 303-317 [First published on: 01 March 2010 (iFirst)]. [ISSN 0020–7721 print / ISSN 1464–5319 online; DOI: 10.1080/00207720903199572]

K. Knowles (section editor), Section 5.1 “Flight Mechanics and Dynamics, Stability and Control, and Navigation” in Encyclopedia of Aerospace Engineering, Vol 5: Dynamics and Control. Pub Wiley 2010 [ISBN 978-0-470-075440-5]

L. Karunarathne, J.T. Economou, and K. Knowles, "Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System-based Intelligent Power Management Strategies for Fuel Cell/Battery Driven Unmanned Electric Aerial Vehicle", Proceedings IMechE Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 2010, 224 (G1), pp 77-88. [ISSN 0954-4100; DOI 10.1243/09544100JAERO514]

A.J. Saddington, K. Knowles, and P.M. Cabrita, "Flow Measurements in a Short Take-off, Vertical Landing Fountain: Splayed Jets", AIAA Journal of Aircraft, 2009, 46 (3), pp 874-882. [ISSN 0021-8669; E-ISSN 1533-3868; DOI: 10.2514/1.38296]

G.P. Kladis, J.T. Economou, A. Tsourdos, B.A. White, and K. Knowles, "Fault diagnosis with matrix analysis for electrically actuated unmanned aerial vehicles", Proceedings IMechE Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering - Special Issue on Structure and Machine Monitoring, 2009, 223 (G5), pp 543-563. [ISSN  0954-4100; DOI: 10.1243/09544100JAERO422]

K. Atvars, K. Knowles, S.A. Ritchie, and N.J. Lawson, "Experimental and Computational Investigation of an "Open" Transonic Cavity Flow", Proceedings IMechE, Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering - Special Issue on Integrating CFD and Experiments in Aerodynamics, 2009, 223 (G4), pp 357-368. [ISSN 0954-4100; DOI 10.1243/09544100JAERO445]

S.A. Ansari, N. Phillips, G. Stabler, P.C. Wilkins, R. Zbikowski, and K. Knowles, "Experimental Investigation of Some Aspects of Insect-like Flapping Flight Aerodynamics for Application to Micro Air Vehicles", Experiments in Fluids - Special Issue on Animal Locomotion: The Physics of Flying, 2009, 46 (5), pp 777 - 798. [ISSN 0723-4864 (Print) 1432-1114 (Online); DOI 10.1007/s00348-009-0661-2]

P.C. Wilkins and K. Knowles, "The Leading-edge Vortex and Aerodynamics of Insect-based Flapping-wing Micro Air Vehicles", Aeronautical Journal, 2009, 113 (1143), pp 253-262. [ISSN 0001-9240]

A.J. Saddington, K. Knowles, and P.M. Cabrita, "On the Characteristics of a Twin-Jet STOVL Fountain", Aeronautical Journal, 2009, 113 (1140), pp 139-148. [ISSN 0001-9240]

S.A. Ansari, K. Knowles, and R. Zbikowski, "Insect-like Flapping Wings in the Hover Part II: Effect of Wing Geometry", AIAA Journal of Aircraft, 2008, 45 (6), pp 1976-1990. [ISSN 0021-8669; E-ISSN 1533-3868; DOI: 10.2514/1.35697]

S.A. Ansari, K. Knowles, and R. Zbikowski, "Insect-like Flapping Wings in the Hover Part I: Effect of Wing Kinematics", AIAA Journal of Aircraft, 2008, 45 (6), pp 1945-1954. [ISSN 0021-8669; E-ISSN 1533-3868; DOI: 10.2514/1.35311]

A.J. Saddington, K. Knowles, and P.M. Cabrita, "Flow Measurements in a Short Take-off, Vertical Landing Fountain: Parallel Jets", AIAA Journal of Aircraft, 2008, 45 (5), pp 1736-1743. [ISSN 0021-8669; E-ISSN 1533-3868; DOI: 10.2514/1.32599]

A.J. Saddington, R.D. Knowles, and K. Knowles, "Laser Doppler Anemometry Measurements in the Near-wake of an Isolated Formula One Wheel", Experiments in Fluids, 2007, 42 (5), pp 671-681. [ISSN 0723-4864 (Print), 1432-1114 (Online), DOI 10.1007/s00348-007-0273-7]

R.K. Strachan, N.J. Lawson, and K. Knowles, "The Vortex Structure Behind an Ahmed Reference Model in the Presence of a Moving Ground Plane", Experiments in Fluids, 2007, 42 (5), pp 659-669. [ISSN 0723-4864 (Print) 1432-1114 (Online) DOI 10.1007/s00348-007-0270-x]   

R.D. Knowles, M.V. Finnis, A.J. Saddington, and K. Knowles, "Planar Visualization of Vortical Flows", Proceedings IMechE Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering — Special Issue on Integrating CFD and Experiments in Aerodynamics, 2006, 220 (G6), pp 619–627. [ISSN 0954-4100, DOI 10.1243/09544100JAERO75]

R. Zbikowski, S.A. Ansari, and K. Knowles, "On Mathematical Modelling of Insect Flight Dynamics in the Context of Micro Air Vehicles", Bioinspiration and Biomimetics, 2006, 1 (2), pp R26-R37. [ISSN 1748-3182 (paper) 1748-3190 (online), DOI:10.1088/1748-3182/1/2/R02]

S.A. Ansari, R. Zbikowski, and K. Knowles, "A Nonlinear Unsteady Aerodynamic Model for Insect-like Flapping Wings in the Hover: Part II. Implementation and Validation." Proceedings IMechE Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 2006, 220 (G3), pp 169-186. [ISSN 0954-4100, DOI 10.1243/09544100JAERO50] - Awarded IMechE Charles Sharpe Beecher Prize

S.A. Ansari, R. Zbikowski, and K. Knowles, "A Nonlinear Unsteady Aerodynamic Model for Insect-like Flapping Wings in the Hover: Part I. Methodology and Analysis", Proceedings IMechE Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 2006, 220 (G2), pp 61-83. [ISSN 0954-4100, DOI 10.1243/09544100JAERO49]  – Awarded IMechE Charles Sharpe Beecher Prize