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Donald B. Bliss

Associate Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
148B Engineering Bldg, Box 90300, Durham, NC 27708-0300
148B Engineering Bldg, Box 90300, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Professor Bliss has broad research interests in fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, acoustics, and structural dynamics. His work emphasizes improved understandings of physical phenomena and the development of innovative ways to solve important engineering problems. Professor Bliss recently developed a general analysis method called Analytical/Numerical matching (ANM) that combines numerical and analytical solutions to gain accuracy and computational efficiency. ANM is currently being applied to a variety of problems in aerodynamics and structural acoustics.

Much of Professor Bliss' research on fluid flows involves the aerodynamics of lifting surfaces and vortex wakes. For helicopter wakes he has developed curved vortex elements, constant vorticity contour wake models, and influence coefficient techniques. In collaboration with a private company, these have been incorporated into commercially available computer programs used by industry and government to predict helicopter performance, vibration, and noise. Currently, ANM is being used to develop a new unified treatment of lifting surfaces and wakes in unsteady compressible flow. Professor Bliss is also developing a new vortex roll-up analysis, and using ANM to study helicopter blade/vortex interaction.

In acoustics, Professor Bliss' primary effort is in the application of ANM to structural acoustics, particularly to acoustic scattering from submerged elastic bodies with structural discontinuities. He has also developed a method called Alternate Resonance Tuning (ART) to prevent low frequency sound transmission into flexible wall enclosures, with applications to aircraft interior noise. He also conducts research on mathematical homogenization applied to structural acoustic systems, and on general boundary conditions for bulk-reacting sound absorbing surfaces.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science · 2025 - Present Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Pratt School of Engineering

In the News


Published May 24, 2021
The Sky's the Limit for Duke Engineers Designing the Safest, Most Cost-Efficient Aircraft and Turbomachinery

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Recent Publications


A numerical study of tilt-based wake steering using a hybrid free-wake method

Journal Article Wind Energy · February 1, 2020 This study investigates the potential of using tilt-based wake steering to alleviate wake shielding problems experienced by downwind turbines. Numerical simulations of turbine wakes have been conducted using a hybrid free-wake analysis combining vortex lat ... Full text Cite

Benchmark analytical solutions for steady state high frequency broadband sound fields in three rectangular enclosures.

Journal Article The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America · April 2019 Analytical solutions are presented for broadband sound fields in three rectangular enclosures with absorption applied on the floor and ceiling, rigid sidewalls, and a vertically oriented dipole source. The solutions are intended to serve as benchmarks that ... Full text Cite

A novel hybrid free-wake model for wind turbine performance and wake evolution

Journal Article Renewable Energy · February 1, 2019 A new free-wake analysis for wind turbine aerodynamics is developed to accurately predict turbine performance and downstream wake evolution. A key feature is the Constant Circulation Contour Method (CCCM) which is a novel free-wake model for wind turbine w ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Acoustic Field Modeling Utilizing an Energy-Intensity Boundary Element Method

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Naval Surface Warfare Center · 2013 - 2014

A Revolutionary Boundary Element Approach Based on Energy Conservation for Interior Noise Predictions

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2003 - 2007

Local/Global Analysis Methods for Structural Acoustics

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Office of Naval Research · 1998 - 2001

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Education, Training & Certifications


Massachusetts Institute of Technology · 1973 Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology · 1970 M.S.
Princeton University · 1968 B.S.E.