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Dr David M. Birch

Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering

Qualifications: B.Eng., M.Eng., Ph.D.

Email:
Phone: Work: 01483 68 2430
Room no: 06 AB 02

Further information

Research Interests

Fundamental turbulence

  • Turbulent vortex flows
  • Turbulent boundary layer and channel flows
  • Rough-wall channel flows

Passive and active flow control

  • Advanced sensors and actuators for flow control
  • High-bandwidth electroactive materials
  • Synthetic jet actuators for wake control
  • Vortex drag and wake abatement

Novel sensing systems

  • Low-cost, low-profile constant temperature anemometers
  • Miniaturized directional velocity sensors
  • Surface-integrated sensing for pressure and wall shear
  • Medical diagnostic applications for thermal anemometry

Research Collaborations

Current and recent research partners include

  • Imperial College London
  • University of Southampton
  • Surrey Space Centre
  • Qinetiq
  • DSTL
  • Airbus
  • A major automotive manufacturer

Publications

Journal articles

  • Birch DM, Morrison JF. (2012) 'An innovative low-profile monolithic constant-temperature anemometer'. Elsevier Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 100 (1), pp. 38-45.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jweia.2011.10.010
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/69212/
  • Birch DM. (2012) 'Self-similarity of trailing vortices'. American Institute of Physics Physics of Fluids, 24 (2) Article number 025105
    doi: 10.1063/1.3689179
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/425660/

    Abstract

    Trailing vortices have been repeatedly shown to exhibit a remarkably robust self-similarity independent of the Reynolds number and upstream boundary conditions. The collapse of the inner-scaled circulation profiles of a trailing vortex has even been previously demonstrated for the cases of highly unsteady and turbulent vortex systems, as well as for vortices which were incompletely developed. A number of factors which contribute to and may artificially promote this self-similarity are discussed. It is shown that the amplitude of vortex “wandering” (or the random modulations in the vortex trajectory) observed in some experimental measurements are of sufficient amplitude to cause any arbitrary finite and axisymmetric flow structure to collapse with an idealized trailing vortex when scaled on inner parameters. It is further shown that, for the case of an incompletely developed wing-tip vortex, similarity in the outer core region may be an artefact of the rate of roll-up of the vortex sheet. Great care must, therefore, be taken when interpreting experimental measurements of vortex flows.

  • Birch DM, Morrison JF. (2011) 'Similarity of the streamwise velocity component in very-rough-wall channel flow'. CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS, 668, pp. 174-201.
    doi: 10.1017/S0022112010004647
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/69213/
  • Birch D, Lee T. (2005) 'Investigation of the near-field tip vortex behind an oscillating wing'. CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS, 544, pp. 201-241.
    doi: 10.1017/S0022112005006804
  • Birch D, Lee T. (2005) 'Tip vortex behind a wing undergoing deep-stall oscillation'. AMER INST AERONAUT ASTRONAUT AIAA JOURNAL, 43 (10), pp. 2081-2092.
    doi: 10.2514/1.13139
  • Birch D, Lee T. (2005) 'Tip vortex behind a wing oscillated with small amplitude'. AMER INST AERONAUT ASTRONAUT JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT, 42 (5), pp. 1200-1208.
  • Birch D, Lee T. (2005) 'Effect of trailing-edge flap on a tip vortex'. AMER INST AERONAUT ASTRONAUT JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT, 42 (2), pp. 442-447.
    doi: 10.2514/1.6749
  • Birch D, Lee T, Mokhtarian F, Kafyeke F. (2004) 'Structure and induced drag of a tip vortex'. AMER INST AERONAUT ASTRONAUT JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT, 41 (5), pp. 1138-1145.
    doi: 10.2514/1.2707
  • Lee T, Birch D, Gerontakos P. (2004) 'Testing unmanned aerial vehicle airfoils'. IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC IEEE INSTRUMENTATION & MEASUREMENT MAGAZINE, 7 (3), pp. 32-37.
    doi: 10.1109/MIM.2004.1337911
  • Lee T, Birch D, Gerontakos P. (2004) 'Vortex shedding and spacing of a rotationally oscillating cylinder'. AMER INST AERONAUT ASTRONAUT AIAA JOURNAL, 42 (6), pp. 1268-1272.
    doi: 10.2514/1.9469
  • Birch D, Lee T, Mokhtarian F, Kafyeke F. (2003) 'Rollup and near-field behavior of a tip vortex'. AMER INST AERONAUT ASTRONAUT JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT, 40 (3), pp. 603-607.
    doi: 10.2514/2.3137

Conference papers

  • McParlin S, Ward S, Birch DM. 'Optimal calibration of directional velocity probes'.
    doi: 10.2514/6.2013-45
  • Birch DM, Morrison JF. (2011) 'Similarity and Structure in Very-Rough-Wall Channel Flow'. Orlando, FL, USA: 49th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting
  • Birch DM, Morrison JF. (2011) 'Scaling of Turbulence Structures in Very-Rough-Wall Channel Flow'. SPRINGER PROGRESS IN WALL TURBULENCE: UNDERSTANDING AND MODELING, Lille, FRANCE: WALLTURB International Workshop on Understanding and Modelling of Wall Turbulence 14, pp. 405-412.
    doi: 10.1007/978-90-481-9603-6_42
  • Birch DM, Morrison JF. (2010) 'Velocity statistics of rough-wall channel flow'. Pennsylvania, USA: 16th US National Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/719218/
  • Birch DM, Morrison JF. (2010) 'Large Roughness Effects in Channel Flow'. SPRINGER IUTAM SYMPOSIUM ON THE PHYSICS OF WALL-BOUNDED TURBULENT FLOWS ON ROUGH WALLS, Clare Coll, Cambridge, ENGLAND: IUTAM Symposium on the Physics of Wall-Bounded Flows on Rough Walls 22, pp. 167-173.
    doi: 10.1007/978-90-481-9631-9_23
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/719216/
  • Birch DM, Morrison JF. (2009) 'Effects of very-large roughness in turbulent channel flow'. SPRINGER-VERLAG BERLIN ADVANCES IN TURBULENCE XII - PROCEEDINGS OF THE 12TH EUROMECH EUROPEAN TURBULENCE CONFERENCE, Marburg, GERMANY: 12th EUROMECH European Turbulence Conference 132, pp. 661-664.
    doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-03085-7_159
    Full text is available at: http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/719217/
  • Birch DM, Morrison JF. (2008) 'Velocity scaling in very-rough-wall channel flows'. San Antonio, Texas, USA: 61st Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society Division for Fluid Dynamics
  • Birch DM, Morrison JF. (2007) 'Applicability of Townsend's similarity hypothesis to very rough-wall channel flow'. Salt Lake City, Utah, USA: 60th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society Division for Fluid Dynamics 52 (12)
  • Birch D, Lee T. (2001) 'Control of unsteady shear layers over a cavity'. CANADIAN AERONAUTICS AND SPACE INST 48TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE CANADIAN AERONAUTICS AND SPACE INSTITUTE, PROCEEDINGS, TORONTO, CANADA: 48th Annual Conference of the Canadian-Aeronautics-and-Space-Institute, pp. 313-321.

Books

  • Morrison JF, Birch DM, Lavoie P. (2008) IUTAM Symposium on Flow Control and MEMS. Springer Verlag

Birch, D. (2010) Vector Dynamics: An Introduction for Engineering Students. Guildford:University of Surrey.

Teaching

Lecturing

I deliver components of the following undergraduate modules at the University of Surrey

  • ENG 1064    Design & Component Production
  • ENG 1066    Solid Mechanics I: Dynamics
  • ENG 3162    Group Design Project

I also deliver the following module as a Visiting Lecturer at Imperial College London

  • AE3 416       Advanced propulsion

Supervision

I supervise undergraduate project teams, undergraduate summer research students, M.Eng. and M.Sc. project students, and Ph.D. research students. 

External examiner

I am currently serving as the external examiner for the following degree courses at Southampton Solent university:

  • B.Eng. (Hons) Yacht & Powercraft Design
  • B.Eng. (Hons) Yacht Production & Surveying

Departmental Duties

Administrative roles:

  • Mechanical & Medical Engineering Undergraduate Admissions Tutor
  • Principal Investigator, Surrey Fluid Sensor Development Initiative

Consulting

I offer a variety of scientific and technical consulting services in the following fields:

  • Fluid flow
  • Instrumentation and measurement technology
  • Design, production and automation

We can also design and produce experimental models and bespoke sensing systems, and can provide full experimental facilities and support.

For more information or for examples of previous work, please contact me.