Dr. Di Yang
Associate Department ChairAssociate Professor of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Office Location N238 Engineering Building 1
Phone 713-743-7260
Fax 713-743-4503
Email diyang [at] uh.edu
Website Research Website
Education
Ph.D., 2010, Civil Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
M.S., 2009, Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
B.S., 2004, Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China
Professional Experience
2024-present: Associate Chair, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Houston
2021-present: Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Houston
2021-2023: Graduate Admissions Director, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston
2015-2021: Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston
2012–2015: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
2011–2012: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Civil Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
Professional and Scientific Affiliations
Member of American Physical Society, Division of Fluid Dynamics
Member of American Geophysical Union
Reviewer for: National Science Foundation, Nature Geoscience, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, Physics of Fluids, Geophysical Research Letters, Journal of Geophysical Research – Oceans, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A, Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Wind Energy, Journal of Turbulence, Energies, Journal of Fluid Engineering, Journal of Wind Engineering & Industrial Aerodynamics, Environmental Fluid Mechanics, Ocean Modelling, Journal of Environmental Engineering, Fluids
Courses Taught
Spring 2024: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics (MECE 3363)
Fall 2023: Fluid Dynamics 1 (MECE 6345)
Spring 2023: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics (MECE 3363)
Fall 2022: Fluid Dynamics 1 (MECE 6345)
Spring 2022: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics (MECE 3363)
Fall 2021: Fluid Dynamics 1 (MECE 6345)
Summer 2021: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics (MECE 3363)
Spring 2021: Heat Transfer (MECE 4364)
Fall 2020: Fluid Dynamics 1 (MECE 6345)
Spring 2020: Fluid Mechanics (MECE 5363)
Fall 2019: Fluid Dynamics I (MECE 6345)
Spring 2019: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics (MECE 3363)
Fall 2018: Fluid Dynamics I (MECE 6397)
Spring 2018: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics (MECE 3363)
Fall 2017: Fluid Dynamics I (MECE 6397)
Spring 2017: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics (MECE 3363)
Fall 2016: Fluid Dynamics I (MECE 6397)
Spring 2016: Introduction to Fluid Mechanics (MECE 3363)
Fall 2015: Fluid Dynamics (MECE 7397)
pring 2015: Heat Transfer (MECE 4364)
Research Interests
- Computational fluid dynamics:
Direct numerical simulation and large-eddy simulation of turbulent flows, simulation of multi-phase flows, high-order computation of nonlinear ocean waves - Turbulent flows over complex boundaries:
Boundary layer flows over waves and terrain, rough- and smooth-wall turbulent boundary layers, flow over compliant surfaces - Subgrid-scale modeling in geophysical flows:
Modeling of the surface roughness scale, subgrid-scale closures for large-eddy simulation - Sustainable energy:
Offshore and onshore wind farm fluid dynamics, energy conversion from tides and waves - Environmental fluid mechanics:
Oil spill dispersion; pollutant transport in atmosphere, ocean and river - Ocean optics:
Light propagation in ocean euphotic zone, effect of optical variability on the marine ecosystem - Scientific computing:
High-performance large-scale parallel computing, scientific visualization of large data set
Awards & Honors
2021: W. T. Kittinger Teaching Excellence Award, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston
2020: Andrea Prosperetti Research Computing Faculty Award, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston
2018: Teaching Excellence Award, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston
2016: Larry Witte Fellowship, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston
2010: Corrsin–Kovasznay Outstanding Paper Award, Johns Hopkins University
2004: Joseph Meyerhoff Scholarship, Johns Hopkins University
2000: Panasonic Education Fund Scholarship, University of Science and Technology of China
Selected Publications
- Gharaati, M., Xiao, S., Martínez-Tossas, L.A., Araya, D.B., & Yang, D. (2024). Large-eddy simulations of turbulent wake flows behind helical-and straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbines rotating at low tip speed ratios. Physical Review Fluids, 9(7), 074603. [Cited by: 0]
- Zafar, A., Yang, D., & Chen, G. (2023). Extract and characterize hairpin vortices in turbulent flows. IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics. [Cited by: 2]
- Gharaati, M., Wei, N.J., Dabiri, J.O., Martínez-Tossas, L.A., & Yang, D. (2023). Large-eddy simulations of turbulent flows in arrays of helical-and straight-bladed vertical-axis wind turbines. Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, 15(6). [Cited by: 0]
- Gharaati, M., Xiao, S., Wei, N.J., Martínez-Tossas, L.A., Dabiri, J.O., & Yang, D. (2022). Large-eddy simulation of helical-and straight-bladed vertical-axis wind turbines in boundary layer turbulence. Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, 14(5). [Cited by: 22]
- Katz, J., Beegle-Krause, C.J., Boufadel, M.C., Chamecki, M., John, V., Koehler, K., ... (2021). Small scale physical and bio-chemical processes affecting the transport of oil after a spill. International Oil Spill Conference 2021, 688177. [Cited by: 0]
- Xiao, S., Peng, C., & Yang, D. (2021). Large-eddy simulation of bubble plume in stratified crossflow. Physical Review Fluids, 6(4), 044613. [Cited by: 11]
- Boufadel, M., Socolofsky, S., Katz, J., Yang, D., Daskiran, C., & Dewar, W. (2020). A review on multiphase underwater jets and plumes: droplets, hydrodynamics, and chemistry. Reviews of Geophysics, 58, e2020RG000703. (pdf) (journal link)
- Peng, C., Xiao, S., & Yang, D. (2020). Large-eddy simulation model for the effect of gas bubble dissolution on the dynamics of hydrocarbon plume from deep-water blowout. Journal of Geophysical Research – Oceans, 125, e2019JC016037. (pdf) (journal link)
- D’Asaro, E.A., Carlson, D.F., Chamecki, M., Harcourt, R., Haus, B., Fox-Kemper, B., Molemaker, M.J., Poje, A., & Yang, D. (2020). Advances in Observing and Understanding Small-Scale Open Ocean Circulation During the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Era. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7, 349. (pdf) (journal link)
- Xiao, S., & Yang, D. (2020). Effect of oil plumes on upper-ocean radiative transfer – a numerical study. Ocean Modelling, 145, 101522. (pdf) (journal link)
- Chamecki, M., Chor, T., Yang, D., & Meneveau, C. (2019). Material transport in the ocean mixed layer: recent developments enabled by large eddy simulations. Reviews of Geophysics, 57, 1338–1371. (pdf) (journal link)