Women of ERCOFTAC

Interview withProf Simone Sebben

Head of Division VEAS, Mechanics & Maritime Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology

• What is your academic background?

I have a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University in Canada.

• What is your research specialism?

My research is on aerodynamics and thermal management of road vehicles. Although my group works predominantly with CFD, we often also conduct experiments using the full-scale wind tunnel facilities of our industrial partners.

• What projects are you working on currently?

Currently I am supervising projects about the aerodynamics of tyres and of the cooling drag and their influence on the performance of real road vehicles. I am also looking into by-stability of wakes on simplified vehicle models.

• Was there a woman who inspired you to get into your field?

No. I had a good supervisor during my Master thesis and he motivated me to pursue a PhD. After my degree, I spent 17 years in the automotive industry. I left industry and started full time in academia in 2016.

• What motivates you to work on fluid mechanics, or what you find fascinating about it?

I really liked to work with CFD, write my own code and solve the momentum equations and look at streamlines and so on. From looking at flow around simple bluff bodies, I became more interested in real applications, such as road vehicles. In order to increase efficiency, we need to make the car more aerodynamic by looking at the flow, the pressure, etc.

• What advice would you give to young women wanting to get into STEM?

You have to follow your heart. There is a lot to learn and it would be great if we were more in the community.

• What are the benefits of being a member of ERCOFTAC?

I don't have a personal membership, only through the university. I thought the group worked in very fundamental problems. My research is very applied, so I do not have much experience with ERCOFTAC.