AE seminar Speaker Anabel de Val: Bayesian Learning of Thermochemical Models for Hypersonic Flows
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- Aerospace Engineering
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- Aerospace Engineering Seminars
Abstract:
The design of hypersonic vehicles relies heavily on the generation and interpretation of relevant ground test data. A central challenge lies in the accurate modeling of thermochemical phenomena, particularly concerning post-shock and boundary layer regions where thermal and chemical processes strongly interact. This challenge is further exacerbated by the presence of multiple sources of uncertainty, significantly affecting data interpretation, the inference of relevant model parameters, and model validation. Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) is therefore an essential component in the study of hypersonic flow physics and in the development of unbiased, validated models. The seminar will discuss recent advances in the development and application of Bayesian inference and optimal design of experiments to rigorously learn and validate relevant hypersonic flow thermochemical models. We will discuss two different research avenues: (1) the inference of reaction rate coefficients for air from plasma wind tunnel data, and (2) the Bayesian optimal design of experiments to validate complex thermochemical nonequilibrium models with shock tunnel data. Together, these approaches substantially improve our understanding of hypersonic flow physics and enable validated predictive capabilities for the design of future hypersonic and reacting flow systems.Bio:
Anabel del Val is an Assistant Professor in the Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics Department at the University of Minnesota. She received her Ph.D. jointly from École Polytechnique in France and the von Karman Institute in Belgium in 2021, joining the faculty at UMN in 2024. Her work lies at the intersection of uncertainty quantification, Bayesian inference, and high-fidelity modeling of high-speed flows. Since 2025, she is the co-lead of the Uncertainty Quantification, Verification and Validation task of a PSAAP IV Center, contributing to the development of predictive exascale simulations of ablative geometries in hypersonic flows.