Professor David Kennedy
MA, PhD, CEng, MBCS, CITP, FRAeS
Professor
- kennedyd@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 5340
- Fax:
- +44 (0)29 2087 4939
- S/0.20, Queen's Buildings - South Building, 5 The Parade, Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 3AA
- Welsh speaking
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
Professor of Structural Engineering with expertise in buckling, vibration, optimisation, composite materitals, damage modelling and detection. Developed exact strip software (VICONOPT) for analysis and optimum design of lightweight aircraft structures.
Graduated from Cambridge University in 1978, PhD from Cardiff in 1994.
Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Member of the British Computer Society.
Deputy Director (Staff) in the School of Engineering (2010-2017).
Director of Postgraduate Reseach Studies (2003-2007).
Collaborative research with Airbus, NASA, Tsinghua University and Dalian University of Technology.
Biography
Qualifications
PhD, University of Wales, Structural Engineering, 1994.
B.A, Cambridge University, Mathematics / Engineering, 1978.
Other Expertise
In my previous employment at Scicon Ltd, I was engaged in the development and support of the mathematical programming system SCICONIC/ VM. With support from the BP Venture Research Unit, I spent 2 years carrying out research into methods for nonlinear optimisation. Some of the resulting special problem structures and techniques to improve the branch and board search were incorporated in SCICONIC/VM.
Industrial Relevance
Aerospace industry. Automotive industry.
Languages (Reading, Writing, Speaking)
English: (fluent, fluent, fluent)
French: (basic, basic, basic)
Welsh: (basic, basic, basic)
Professional memberships
- American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Senior Member)
- British Computer Society (Member)
- Chartered Engineer, Engineering Council
- Chartered IT Professional
- Royal Aeronautical Society (Fellow)
Academic positions
2005-2009, Reader, Cardiff University, Structural Engineering
2000-2005, Senior Lecturer, Cardiff University, Structural Engineering
1991-2000, Lecturer, Cardiff University, Structural Engineering
1987-1993, Senior Research Associate, Cardiff University, Structural Engineering
1983-1987, Research Associate, Cardiff University, Civil Engineering and Building Technology
1978-1983, Scicon Ltd, Analyst/Programmer
1981-1983, Scicon Ltd, BP Venture Research Fellow
Committees and reviewing
Editorial Board, Computers and Structures
Editorial Board, Journal of Sound and Vibration
EPSRC Peer Review Panel
Publications
We are currently unable to retrieve the list of publications. Visit our institutional repository.Teaching
Engineering Analysis (UG year 2)
Structures and Design (UG year 2)
Structural Engineering (UG year 4 / MSc)
Case Study (MSc)
Research theme: Mechanics, Materials and Advanced Manufacturing
My current research centres on the solution of nonlinear structural eigenvalue problems by exact (as opposed to finite element (FE)) methods. The characteristic approach is to assemble the static or dynamic stiffness matrix of the structure using exact member equations (eg for plane frames, space frames and plate assemblies) and to guarantee convergence on all required eigenvalues by using the Wittrick-Williams algorithm. Collaborative work with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and British Aerospace has led to the release of buckling and vibration programs for 3-dimensional lattice structures (BUNVIS-RG) and for prismatic plate assemblies (VICONOPT). VICONOPT includes a design capability, and is used in the aerospace industry in the UK, Europe and the USA. Particular emphasis has been placed on the efficient implementation of the numerical algorithms used to converge on the eigenvalues, including parallel processing techniques and optimisation strategies. Current research areas include postbuckling analysis, accurate mode-finding methods, discrete optimisation and delamination of carbon-fibre composites.
In 2007 I undertook an industrial secondment at Airbus UK, funded by The Royal Society, developing software tools for the postbuckling analysis of composite aerospace structures.
Future Research
- Accurate mode-finding techniques using the Wittrick-Williams Algorithm.
- Multi-level optimisation strategies for lightweight structural design.
- Postbuckling of aerospace structures.
- Delamination of carbon-fibre composites.
- Detection of damage via changes in natural frequencies.
Major Funding Received
Royal Society Industry Fellowship: Software tools for postbuckling of aerospace structures, £24635, Feb 1, 2007 to Sep 30, 2007.
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council: Mode finding when using the Wittrick-Williams algorithm, via linear eigensolution analogy, £140229, Jan 11, 2001 to Jan 10, 2004.
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council: Initial and advanced post-buckling of optimized stiffened panels, £71763, Nov 23, 1998 to Nov 22, 2000.
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council: Algorithms for avoiding local optima in aerospace panel design, £101889, Apr 1, 1994 to Mar 31, 1997.
Science and Engineering Research Council: ITE: New solution methods for exact structural eigenvalue problems using parallel computers, £81487, Jun 22, 1992 to Jun 21, 1995.
Contracts
| Title | People | Sponsor | Value | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel grant | Dr D Kennedy | The National Assembly for Wales | 3000 | 01/01/2002 - 01/01/2003 |
| Computational mechanics | Dr D Kennedy | Royal Society | 1486 | 05/09/2004 - 15/09/2004 |
| Software tools for postbuckling of aerospace structures | Kennedy D | Royal Society | 24635 | 01/02/2007 - 01/10/2007 |
| Mode finding when using the Wittrick-Williams algorithm, via linear eigensolution analogy | Prof FW Williams, Dr D Kennedy | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council | 140229 | 11/01/2001 - 10/01/2004 |
Supervised Students
| Title | Student | Status | Degree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crack Detection In Frames Using Natural Frequency Degradations | LABIB Amr Osama Mostafa | Graduate | PhD |
| Modelling of damage in composite stiffened panels | SULIMAN Basem Saoud | Graduate | PhD |
| Improved Exact Strip Postbuckling Analysis Of Anisotropic Plate With Combined Load And Edge Cases. | CHE Bin | Graduate | PhD |
| Postbuckling analysis of stiffened panels. | ZHANG Chi | Current | PhD |
| THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF NANO-SIZED MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES | ZHANG Hongchao | Graduate | PhD |
| DESIGN OPTIMISATION OF ADVANCED FIBRE COMPOSITES. | KANG Jiaming | Current | PhD |
| Buckling Behaviour of Delaminated Composite Plates Using Exact Stiffness Analysis | DAMGHANI Mahdi | Graduate | PhD |
| Multilevel Optimisation of Aerospace and Lightweight Structures | FISCHER Marc | Graduate | PhD |
| Computational Modelling of Particlate Composites using Meshless Methods | ISLAM Md Sultanul | Graduate | PhD |
| POSTBUCKLING ANALYSIS OF COMPOSITE STIFFENED PANELS LOADED IN COMPRESSION AND SHEAR. SPECIALISATION - CIVIL/STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING. | AL SAYMAREE Muthana Shaker Mahdi | Current | PhD |
| DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF SHELLS | EL KAABAZI Nihal Husein Fouad | Graduate | PhD |
| Multilevel Optimisation of Aerospace and Lightweight Structures Incorporating Postbuckling Effects | QU Shuang | Graduate | PhD |
| New Generic Algorithms for Constrained Optimisation snd Applications to Design of Composite Laminates | YU Tat Loong (Raymond) | Graduate | PhD |
| Multi-storey frames with rigid joint damage detection method based on the second order difference of influence lines | LIU Xiaoyang | Current | PhD |
| THE APPLICATION OF VICONOPT SOFTWARE FOR DAMAGE IDENTIFICATION IN PLATE STRUCTURE OF BRIDGE DECK SLAB. | LUO Yulin | Current | PhD |