October 3
@
12:05 PM
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12:55 PM
The Mechanics Seminar Series is a weekly seminar given by campus and visiting speakers on topics across the spectrum of mechanics research (solids, fluids, and dynamics). Tanmoy Chatterjee is the Lead Research Engineer in Aerodynamics at GE Research Inc.
Presentation Title: From Turbulence to Turbines: Exascale CFD in Wind Energy
Abstract: Wind energy is rapidly expanding in scale, with individual turbines now exceeding 100-meter blades and offshore farms stretching tens of kilometers. Yet, predicting their performance and more critically reliability remains a grand challenge of fluid mechanics, spanning phenomena from centimeter-scale blade boundary layers to kilometer-scale atmospheric flows. This talk explores how exascale computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is transforming our ability to model and design wind energy systems across these scales. I will discuss recent advances in high-fidelity, turbulent fluid–structure interaction simulations, and their integration with the Department of Energy’s ExaWind project. Specific examples will include simulations of coastal low-level jets (LLJs) driving wind farm variability, and the development of data-driven dynamic stall models for next-generation turbine blades. Together, these efforts highlight how exascale CFD is reshaping our understanding of turbulence, turbines, and wind farms — and accelerating innovation in the renewable energy industry.
Bio: Tanmoy Chatterjee is a Lead Research Engineer in Advanced Simulations and Methods at the GE Vernova Advanced Research Center. Prior to joining GE, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Argonne National Laboratory, where he developed exascale CFD models using spectral codes for internal combustion engine simulations. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University, focusing on turbulence–turbine interactions in large wind farms.
At GE Vernova, Dr. Chatterjee has led the development of high-fidelity exascale CFD–FSI simulations of wind farms and turbine blade-level turbulence, as well as data-driven reduced-order models for blade vibrations in the regimes of stall-induced and vortex-induced vibrations (SIV/VIV). He has also contributed to advanced controller strategies for mitigating turbine loads under unconventional wind conditions. In addition to his technical contributions, Dr. Chatterjee has successfully led several GE-internal and government-funded research initiatives, including projects supporting the DOE-WETO RAAW campaign in collaboration with national laboratories and academic partners.