SheardLab.org

Rotating flows

We investigate the stability of shearing rotating flows to understand the polygonal deformations in atmospheric flows such as polar vortices and hurricane eyewalls.
Rotating flows

Rotating flows are found from bathtub drain whirlpools to mixing vessels in process industries to the rotating air masses in the polar atmosphere.
Magnetohydrodynamics

We are exploring novel combinations of physical and electrical turbulence generators to enhance heat transfer in MHD duct flows.
Magnetohydrodynamics

We are focused on heat transfer in electrically conducting fluid flows in high magnetic field environments.
Natural convection

We are focused on the scaling between convective heat transfer and thermal forcing, and its relationship to instability and turbulent transition in these flows.
Natural convection

Horizontal convection is the overturning circulation produced by non-uniform heating across a horizontal boundary.
The Sheard Lab

We specialise in the use of the high-order spectral element method for the direct numerical simulation of these flows.
The Sheard Lab

These include rotating flows, magnetohydrodynamics, convection and heat transfer.
The Sheard Lab

We investigate the fluid dynamics, heat transfer and stability of flows with geophysical and industrial applications.
The Sheard Lab

We are a research team located in the Engineering precinct of Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

News & highlights

Stability of flow in a channel with repeated flow-facing wedge-shaped protrusions J. Fluid Mech., 10 May 2022
In our latest article published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, the effect of adding wedge-shaped protrusions on a channel wall on the stability and behaviour of the flow is revealed.
Top Cited Article 2020-2021 Wiley, 31 Mar 2022
Our recent publications on the departure from the traditional Boussinesq approximation in buoyancy-driven flows have been recognised as Top Cited Articles in the International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids.
Energy saving and performance analysis of air-cooled photovoltaic panels Int. J. Energy Res., 25 Mar 2022
Field experiments and simulations demonstrate an improvement in efficiency of photovoltaic panels using a passive air-cooling system for hot climates.
PhD success for Chris Camobreco! The Sheard Lab, 8 Mar 2022
We congratulate Dr Chris Camobreco on the conferral of his PhD. Chris's thesis investigated the stability and turbulent transition of confined quasi-2D MHD flows.

Recent publications

Linear stability analysis of horizontal convection under a Gay-Lussac type approximation.

International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 182, 121929, 2022.
An entropy generation analysis of horizontal convection under the centrifugal buoyancy approximation.

International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 133, 105923, 2022.
Energy saving and performance analysis of air-cooled photovoltaic panels.

International Journal of Energy Research 46 (4), 4825-4834, 2022.
Stability of flow in a channel with repeated flow-facing wedge-shaped protrusions.

Journal of Fluid Mechanics 941, A59, 2022.
Buoyancy-driven flows beyond the Boussinesq approximation: A brief review.

International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer 125, 105316, 2021.
Stability of pulsatile quasi-two-dimensional duct flows under a transverse magnetic field.

Physical Review Fluids 6 (5), 053903, 2021.

Joining our team

We are expanding our team and welcome outstanding graduates with an interest in fluid mechanics, magnetohydrodynamics or convection and heat transfer to study towards a PhD. Applications must be made through Monash Graduate Research (how to apply?).