Aerodynamics Symposium

The Aerodynamics Symposium has been the first International Event organised by AS Forlì-Bologna in 2019.
From the 5th to the 9th of November we hosted 20 EUROAVIAns in Forlì, where the University of Bologna has his central core for aerodynamics studies and flow dynamics computations laboratories.

Following the Aerodynamic’s custom to (firstly) address lessons with a theoretical approach (and then with a practical one), we setted up a dense programme of lectures holded by some professors of ours.
Their background in this field is remarkable and the quality of their teachings is well known. This is one of the reasons for tight collaboration between University of Bologna and KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

EUROAVIAns at CICLoPE Laboratory

As it is known a Symposium provides theoretical teaching sessions, nevertheless such lectures had been mixed with visits at our testing facilities and laboratories. In such a way, our guests had enjoyed the practical side of aerodynamics research with a robust supporting theory.

Schedule

Our primary aim for the event were to arouse the participants’ interest in aerodynamics and help them gain knowledge on this topic. Additionally, we included some cultural and social activities in the event’s schedule as well.
The event consisted of speeches, workshops, open dialogues and Soft Skills trainings. Furthermore, we ensured that the program contained a Company Visits, a Cultural Night and the Final Dinner.

Aeronautic parade in Forlì – courtesy of Frank Fourlas, AS Patras

Summary

As it has been said previously, the twenty EUROAVIAns who took part in this event attended four lectures held by some professors of ours.

  • Roughness and aerodynamic drag: old and new perspectives in wall bounded flows” held by prof. Talamelli Alessandro, Aerodynamics teacher;
  • Transition to turbolence, prediction and control” held by prof. Brandt Luca, from KTH Royal Institute of Technology;
  • Wall turbulence: from research to CFD applications“, held by prof. De Angelis Elisabetta, Fluid Dynamics teacher;
  • Additive manufacturing and prototyping application“, held by prof. Bagassi Sara, researcher in aerospace technologies and materials.

The students also participated in two training sessions regarding soft skills and the creation and achieving of goals.

EUROAVIAns seightseeing the city centre

Between lectures, they visited some laboratories and university facilities such as:

  • the Hangar, where they were shown the engine testrooms, the wind tunnel and our new 3D printer;
  • the “VLab”, which is our virtual reality laboratory;
  • Tecnopolo, where some PhD students explained the role of our university in the ESA’s ESEO (European Student Earth Orbiter) mission. Our students team designed and realised the GPS system which determines the satellite’s orbital position with a margin of error of less than one meter. Furthermore, we’re providing the mission command centre thanks to the radar dishes situated at Tecnopolo which can track the satellite.

On the last day, the students had the opportunity to visit the CICLoPE laboratory in Predappio, where a huge wind tunnel is used by groups of researchers from all over the world to carry out experiments on the boundary layer and turbulence. There, the Aerodynimics researcher Mascotelli Lucia described her three year-long work which concerned the wall turbulence at a high Reynolds numbers.

In the afternoon we moved to Faenza, a city near Forlì, for a visit to the “RIBA composites” company, a leader enterprise in the design and production of structural components made with advanced composite materials for the automotive, aerospace, marine and industrial sectors. There the students had appreciated how composites are handled and how the forming process are carried in order to deliver high quality equipments.

EUROAVIAns at Riba Composites

All these activities took place within the cultural and artistic setting that our city boasts: the students went sightseeing and visited some cultural buildings such as Palazzo Romagnoli and the Forlì art gallery “Musei San Domenico”.

Eventually, every day was completely filled up with the EUROAVIA spirit: sharing the same passion in science and engineering, getting in touch with different cultures and, most importantly, building the wings of our future together!