Dr Shaun Shen

Senior Lecturer

School: Engineering, Physics and Mathematics

Dr. Shaun Shen, publishing as Xiang Shen, is a distinguished Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at Northumbria University, renowned for his expertise in applied aerodynamics. A specialist in experimental fluid dynamics, flow control and visualisation, numerical simulations, aerodynamic and thermal design, and multidisciplinary optimisation, Dr. Shen has cultivated over a decade of expertise in advancing the field.

As the Academic Lead of the Northumbria University Aerodynamics Laboratory (NUAL, www.northumbria.ac.uk/windtunnel), he spearheads cutting-edge research and mentors the next generation of engineers through innovative projects within this state-of-the-art facility.

Dr. Shen's academic journey includes a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Queen Mary University of London, UK, followed by postdoctoral research in aerodynamics and thermal management within Electrical Power group at Newcastle University. He also broadened his international research experience as a Visiting Scholar at Tohoku University in Japan (2008-2009).

Dr. Shen has a strong track record of leading and contributing to impactful sustainable and low-carbon aerodynamics research. His project portfolio encompasses diverse and significant initiatives, including investigations into dynamic stall mechanisms on wind turbine blades (Royal Society), bio-inspired wind turbine design inspired by humpback whales (NERC), wind tunnel-aided design for vortex generator optimisation (Northern Accelerator Project), contributions to turbulence research as part of the UK Turbulence Consortium (EPSRC), and fundamental aerodynamic studies for large-scale wind turbines (China State Programme).

Recognised for his scholarly contributions, Dr. Shen is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS) and serves as a respected reviewer for over ten leading academic journals, including Physics of Fluids, Flow Measurement and Instrumentation, Ocean Engineering and The Aeronautical Journal.

Driven by a passion for aerodynamics and mechanical engineering, Dr. Shen is dedicated to disseminating his knowledge, fostering innovation, and shaping the future of the field.

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Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Aerodynamic Design and Optimisation for Performance and Sustainability
Thermal Design and Management for Energy Efficiency
Wind Engineering and Industrial Fluid Dynamics Applications
Fluid Mechanics (Fundamentals and Applications)

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Influence of curvature distribution smoothing on the reduction of aerofoil self-noise, Shen, X., Avital, E., Ikram, Z., Yang, L., Korakianitis, T., Dala, L. 24 Apr 2023, In: International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat and Fluid Flow
Effects of the height and chordwise installation of the vane-type vortex generators on the unsteady aerodynamics of a wind turbine airfoil undergoing dynamic stall, Zhu, C., Feng, Y., Shen, X., Dang, Z., Chen, J., Qiu, Y., Feng, Y., Wang, T. 1 Mar 2023, In: Energy
An efficient discrete velocity method with inner iteration for steady flows in all flow regimes, Yang, L., Shu, C., Wu, J., Liu, Y., Shen, S. 1 Feb 2022, In: Physics of Fluids
Comparison of Blade Aeroelastic Responses between Upwind and Downwind of 10 MW Wind Turbines under the Shear Wind Condition, Kang, H., Xu, B., Shen, X., Li, Z., Cai, X., Hu, Z. 8 Mar 2023, In: Energies
Experimental Study of Surface Curvature Effects on Aerodynamic Performance of a Low Reynolds Number Airfoil, Shen, X., Avital, E., Paul, G., Rezaienia, M., Wen, P., Korakianitis, T. Sep 2016, In: Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy

Current and Recent Projects

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Research on the mechanisms of dynamic stall of the wind turbine blades equipped with vortex generators, Shen, S. (Principal Investigator), The Royal Society, 18/05/20 - 31/03/22, £12,000.00

PGR Supervision

Vlad Volodkovic Dynamic Stall Mitigation in Wind Turbine Blades Using Bio-Inspired Aerodynamic Modifications Start Date: 06/01/2025 End Date: 17/10/2025
Frank Wigglesworth Next-Generation Wind Turbulence Modelling with AI Integration Start Date: 01/10/2025 End Date: 17/10/2025
Frank Wigglesworth Next-Generation Wind Turbulence Modelling with AI Integration Start Date: 25/03/2026
Vlad Volodkovic Dynamic Stall Mitigation in Wind Turbine Blades Using Bio-Inspired Aerodynamic Modifications Start Date: 06/01/2025