Overview
Dr. Thomas' field of research is computational aeroelasticity. This is the study of fluid and structural interaction. Dr. Thomas develops numerical methods to simulate complex physical phenomena.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Assistant Research Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
·
1996 - Present
Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science,
Pratt School of Engineering
Recent Publications
Two-Dimensional Aeroelastic Limit Cycle Oscillation Computations for the NASA Benchmark Supercritical Wing Configuration
Conference AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition AIAA Scitech Forum 2026 · January 1, 2026 Aeroelastic flutter onset and limit cycle oscillation results are computed for a two-dimensional model of the NASA benchmark supercritical wing configuration consisting of the NASA SC(2)0414 airfoil section. The purpose of this investigation is to contribu ... Full text CiteNonintrusive Polynomial Chaos Approach for Nonlinear Aeroelastic Uncertainty Quantification
Journal Article Journal of Aircraft · December 1, 2025 A point collocation nonintrusive polynomial chaos approach is presented for nonlinear aeroelastic uncertainty quantification analysis. A unique aspect of the approach is the use of a nonlinear frequency-domain harmonic balance aeroelastic solution methodol ... Full text CiteAeroelastic Flap Free-Play Analysis Using a Harmonic Balance Approach
Conference AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition AIAA Scitech Forum 2025 · January 1, 2025 Aeroelastic limit cycle oscillation results are presented for a three-degree-of-freedom plunge, pitch, and flap structural model with flap free-play in a viscous transonic flow airfoil. A nonlinear frequency domain harmonic balance approach is used for the ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Aerothermoservoelastic interactions in hypersonic control surfaces
ResearchCollaborating Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina State University · 2024 - 2027Fluid Structural Thermal Interactions (FSTI) in Hypersonic Flow
ResearchCollaborating Investigator · Awarded by North Carolina State University · 2019 - 2023Data-driven physics-constrained model reduction of the Navier-Stokes equations
ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · 2017 - 2020View All Grants
Education
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor ·
1996
Ph.D.
University of Kansas ·
1991
M.S.
University of Kansas ·
1989
B.S.