Ashok Gopalarathnam

Professor

Dr. Gopalarathnam directs the NCSU Applied Aerodynamics Group. Dr. Gopalarathnam (referred to by his students as Dr. G) is committed to the development of innovative and useful ideas, concepts, and methodologies for the design of aircraft, other types of vehicles, and for alternative-energy systems. He is interested in applied aerodynamics, flight mechanics, aircraft design, adaptive aircraft, and design methodologies.

At the graduate level, Dr. G teaches Airfoil Theory (MAE 551) and Wing Theory (MAE 561). In these courses, the students look beyond theoretical methods in aerodynamics and address practical requirements in the design of airfoils and wings. At the undergraduate level, Dr. G teaches Aerodynamics of V/STOL vehicles (MAE 452) and Flight Vehicle Stability and Control (MAE 462). In MAE 462, his students do team projects in which they design/build/fly micro-gliders.

The graduate students who work with Dr. G are motivated and have an interest in flight and aerodynamics. During their studies, they are exposed to a mixture of theoretical, experimental, and computational methods applied to the design of a wide range of aero-hydrodynamic systems. His students work on sail boats, race cars, aircraft, and wind turbines, to name a few.

Outside of work, Dr. G spends time with his family and enjoys recreational flying when time permits.

Publications

Leading-edge-vortex tailoring on unsteady airfoils using an inverse aerodynamic approach
Suresh Babu, A. V., Narsipur, S., Bryant, M., & Gopalarathnam, A. (2022), PHYSICS OF FLUIDS, 34(5). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0090328
Low-Order Modeling of Dynamic Stall on Airfoils in Incompressible Flow
Narsipur, S., Gopalarathnam, A., & Edwards, J. R. (2022, September 7), AIAA JOURNAL. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.J061595
Low-Order Modeling of Wingtip Vortices in a Vortex Lattice Method
Loewenthal, E., & Gopalarathnam, A. (2022), AIAA JOURNAL, 60(3), 1708–1720. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.J060654
Novel Surface Flow-Reversal Sensor Applied to Detection of Airfoil Stall
Aleman, M. A., Gopalarathnam, A., & Granlund, K. (2022, May 13), JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT, Vol. 5. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.C036732
Flow criticality governs leading-edge-vortex initiation on finite wings in unsteady flow
Hirato, Y., Shen, M., Gopalarathnam, A., & Edwards, J. R. (2021), JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS, 910. https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2020.896
Leading-edge flow sensing for detection of vortex shedding from airfoils in unsteady flows
Saini, A., Narsipur, S., & Gopalarathnam, A. (2021), PHYSICS OF FLUIDS, 33(8). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0060600
Low-Order Method for Prediction of Separation and Stall on Unswept Wings
Hosangadi, P., & Gopalarathnam, A. (2021), JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT, 58(3), 420–435. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.C036027
Theoretical and experimental investigation of an unsteady airfoil in the presence of external flow disturbances
SureshBabu, A. V., Medina, A., Rockwood, M., Bryant, M., & Gopalarathnam, A. (2021), JOURNAL OF FLUID MECHANICS, 921. https://doi.org/10.1017/jfm.2021.484
Aeroelastic inverse: Estimation of aerodynamic loads during large amplitude limit cycle oscillations
Kirschmeier, B., Pash, G., Gianikos, Z., Medina, A., Gopalarathnam, A., & Bryant, M. (2020), JOURNAL OF FLUIDS AND STRUCTURES, 98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfluidstructs.2020.103131
Amplitude Annihilation in Wake-Influenced Aeroelastic Limit-Cycle Oscillations
Kirschmeier, B. A., Gianikos, Z., Gopalarathnam, A., & Bryant, M. (2020), AIAA JOURNAL, 58(9), 4117–4127. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.J058942

View all publications via NC State Libraries

Grants

  • KH2 Vehicle Development - Phase I: Outer-Mold-Line Geometry, Aerodynamic Analysis, and Wind Tunnel Testing
  • Control of Aeroelastic Structures via Prescribed Aerodynamic Disturbances
  • Development of a Fast Low-Order Aerodynamic Prediction Method for Aircraft Configurations in Post-Stall Flight
  • Further Aerodynamic Modeling of Aerial Refueling Tanker and Receiver Interactions
  • Aerodynamic and Aeroelastic Behavior of Wings in the Presence of Upstream Vortical and Viscous Disturbances
  • Aerodynamic Modeling of Aerial Refueling Tanker and Receiver Interactions
  • CFD and Experimental Studies to Aid Development of Low-Order Aerodynamic Prediction Methods for Post-Stall Flight
  • Angelfish: Initial Planning and Project Management
  • Evaluation of Flexible Micropost Arrays for Shear Stress Measurement
  • Aerodynamic Sensing using Miniature Transducers
Ashok Gopalarathnam