Fernando Ponta

Contact

flponta@mtu.edu
906-487-3563
MEEM 936

Richard and Elizabeth Henes Professor (Wind Energy), Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Postdoctoral, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
PhD, University of Buenos Aires
BE, Mechanical Engineering, University of Buenos Aires

Biography

Fernando Ponta, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Michigan Technological University, earned his engineering degree and PhD at the University of Buenos Aires. Before coming to Michigan Tech in 2007, he was for three years a Postdoctoral Fellow in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Ponta's area of expertise is in theoretical and computational continuum mechanics, vortex dynamics, and advanced numerical methods for fluid-structure interaction analysis; especially as they apply to the study of wind-turbine aerodynamics and other energy systems utilizing renewable-energy sources. His research has resulted in more than 60 peer-reviewed articles, and 3 book chapters. Dr. Ponta has been awarded a 2010 Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation to help reduce the uncertainties related to wind turbine blade dynamics. He was also awarded the Gold Medal for Best Scientific Paper, at the Fifth World Renewable Energy Congress (Florence, Italy, September 1998), for a work in innovative wind-power concepts.

Areas of Expertise

Theoretical and Computational Fluid Mechanics
Vortex Dynamics
Fluid-Structure Interaction
Wind-Turbine Aerodynamics
Renewable-Energy Sources
Energy Systems

Research Interests

Theoretical and Computational Fluid Mechanics
Vortex Dynamics
Fluid-Structure Interaction
Wind-Turbine Aerodynamics
Renewable-Energy Sources
Energy Systems

Recent Publications

Rajan, Anurag, Ponta, Fernando L., "A Novel Correlation Model for Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines Operating at High-Interference Flow Regimes," Energies, MDPI, Special Issue 10 Years Energies – Horizon 2028, Vol. 12, No. 6, Mar 2019, Article 1148, 20 pages. DOI:10.3390/en12061148
Rajan, Anurag, Ponta, Fernando L., "Aeroelastic Analysis of the 3-Dimensional Interference Patterns of Wind-Turbine Rotors: The 3-D DRD-BEM Model," Renewable Energy Focus, Vol. 26, Sep 2018, pp. 22-38. DOI:10.1016/j.ref.2018.06.001
Ponta, Fernando, Otero, A., 2009, "On the structural behavior of variable-geometry oval-trajectory Darrieus wind turbines," Renewable Energy, Vol. 34, No. 3, pp. 827-832.
Ponta, Fernando, Lago, L.I., 2008, "Analyzing the Suspension System of VGOT-Darrieus Wind Turbines," Energy for Sustainable Development,Vol. 12, No. 2, pp. 5-16.
Ponta, Fernando, Jacovkis, P., 2008, "Marine-current Power Generation by Diffuser-augmented Floating Hydro-turbines,” Renewable Energy, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 665-673.
Ponta, Fernando, Seminara, J., Otero, A., 2007, "On the Aerodynamics of Variable-Geometry Oval-Trajectory Darrieus Wind Turbines," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 35-56.
Ponta, Fernando, 2006, "Kinematic Laplacian Equation Method: A Velocity-Vorticity Formulation for the Navier-Stokes Equations," Journal of Applied Mechanics, Transactions of the ASME, Vol. 73, pp. 1031-1038.
Ponta, Fernando, 2006, "Effect of Shear-layer Thickness on the Strouhal-Reynolds Number Relationship for Bluff-body Wakes,” Journal of Fluids and Structures, Vol. 22, No. 8, pp. 1133-1138.
Ponta, Fernando, Aref, H., 2006, "Numerical Experiments on Vortex Shedding from an Oscillating Cylinder," Journal of Fluids and Structures, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 327-344.
Ponta, F., 2005, “The Kinematic Laplacian Equation Method,” Journal of Computational Physics, Academic Press, Vol. 207, pp. 405-426.
Ponta, F., Aref, H., 2005, “Vortex synchronization regions in shedding from oscillating cylinders,” Physics of Fluids, American Institute of Physics, Vol. 17, p. 011703.
F. Ponta, H. Aref; “Strouhal-Reynolds Number Relationship for Vortex Streets”; Physical Review Letters, American Physical Society; 2004, Vol. 93, p. 084501.
F. Ponta, P. Jacovkis; “A Vortex Model for Darrieus Turbine Using Finite Element Techniques”; Renewable Energy, Elsevier; 2001, Vol. 24, 1-18

Teaching Statement

Dr. Ponta's area of expertise is in theoretical and computational continuum mechanics, vortex dynamics, and advanced numerical methods for fluid-structure interaction analysis.