Dr Alistair Saddington

Senior Lecturer
Location: Shrivenham campus
E: a.j.saddington@cranfield.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)1793 785219
Department of Engineering and Applied Science

Current activities

2010 -present Senior lecturer, Aeromechanical Systems Group, Cranﬁeld University (Shrivenham)

Teaching

MSc, Guided Weapon Systems. Module Leader for the ‘ Aerodynamics’, ‘Structures’, ‘Air Systems’ and ‘Parametric Study’ modules.
MSc | PgDip | PgCert, Military Aerospace and Airworthiness. Course Director and Module Leader for the ‘Aeronautical Engineering 1’ and ‘Research Project’ modules.
Ballistic and Cruise Missile Technology. Course Director.

Research

Applied experimental and computational aerodynamics with emphasis on the following:

High-speed compressible aerodynamics

The main focus of my research has been in the ﬁeld of high-speed, turbulent, compressible aerodynamics. This has include:

Experimental and computational studies to better understand jet mixing and examine ways to enhance or suppress it.
Impinging jet studies and work on jet-intake interactions for STOVL aircraft, driven by a need to better understand propulsion integration on such aircraft.
Developing numerical tools for aerodynamic and aeroacoustic predictions to improve guided weapon internal carriage and release.

Low-speed aerodynamics

A further research area involves bluff body aerodynamics. Initially this concentrated on racing car aerodynamics, through the Aeromechanical Systems Group’s links with the motorsport industry. The work involved developing a better understanding of the ﬂow around racing car wheels, support struts and their effect on the vehicle. Latterly this has evolved into research to better understand the ﬂow structures in urban environments with a view to assisting in improving UAV design and ﬂight control laws.

Background

1997 - 1999 Aerodynamicist, Fan Systems Engineering, Rolls-Royce plc. (Bristol)

1999 - 2010 Lecturer, Aeromechanical Systems Group, Cranﬁeld University (Shrivenham)

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]

Khanal, B., Knowles, K., and Saddington, A. J., “Computational Investigation of Cavity Flow Control Using a Passive Device,” The Aeronautical Journal, 2011.

Richardson, M. A., Saddington, A. J., Ritchie, S. A., Knowles, K., Titterton, D. H., Sjöqvist, L., and Henriksson, M., “The Aero-Optical Effects of a Directional Infrared Counter Measure Pod in the Transonic Regime,” AIAA Journal, Vol. 49, No. 7, July 2011, pp. 1551–1555.

Saddington, A. J., Knowles, K., and Cabrita, P. M., “Flow Measurements in a Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing Fountain: Splayed Jets,” Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 46, No. 3, 2009, pp. 874–882.

Saddington, A. J., Knowles, K., and Cabrita, P. M., “On the Characteristics of a Twin-Jet STOVL Fountain,” The Aeronautical Journal, Vol. 113, No. 1140, 2009, pp. 139–
148.

Saddington, A. J., Knowles, K., and Cabrita, P. M., “Flow Measurements in a Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing Fountain: Parallel Jets,” Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 45, No. 5, 2008, pp. 1736–1743.

Saddington, A. J., Knowles, R. D., and Knowles, K., “Laser Doppler Anemometry Measurements in the Near-Wake of an Isolated Formula One Wheel,” Experiments in Fluids, Vol. 42, No. 5, 2007, pp. 671–681.

Knowles, R. D., Finnis, M. V., Saddington, A. J., and Knowles, K., “Planar Visualization of Vortical Flows,” IMechE Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, Vol. 220, No. G6, 2006, pp. 619–627.

Knowles, K. and Saddington, A. J., “A Review of Jet Mixing Enhancement for Aircraft Propulsion Applications,” IMechE Part G: Journal of Aerospace Engineering, Vol. 220, No. G2, 2006, pp. 103–127

Cabrita, P. M., Saddington, A. J., and Knowles, K., “PIV Study of a Twin-jet STOVL Fountain Flow,” The Aeronautical Journal, Vol. 109, No. 1100, October 2005, pp. 439–
449.

Saddington, A. J. and Knowles, K., “A Review of Out-of-ground-effect Propulsion-induced Interference on STOVL Aircraft,” Progress in Aerospace Sciences, Vol. 41, No. 3-4, April-May 2005, pp. 175–191

Dix, J., Saddington, A. J., Knowles, K., and Richardson, M. A., “Infra-red Signature Reduction Study on a Small-scale Jet Engine,” The Aeronautical Journal, Vol. 109, No. 1092, February 2005, pp. 83–88.

Saddington, A. J., Lawson, N. J., and Knowles, K., “An Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Under-expanded Turbulent Jets,” The Aeronautical Journal, Vol. 108, No. 1081, March 2004, pp. 145–152.

Knowles, R. D., Saddington, A. J., and Knowles, K., “On the Near Wake of Rotating, 40 %-Scale Champ Car Wheels,” SAE 2002 Transactions — Journal of Passenger Cars: Mechanical Systems, Vol. 111, No. 6, 2003, pp. 2245–2253, ISBN 0-7680-1290-2.

Saddington, A. J., Knowles, K., and Wong, R. Y. T., “Numerical Modelling of Mixing in Jets from Castellated Nozzles,” The Aeronautical Journal, Vol. 106, No. 1066, December 2002, pp. 643–652.