Research Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

At the beginning of the year, Dr.-Ing. Francesca Lupi started a two-year research stay at the faculty within the framework of a research grant from the AvH Foundation. She received her master's degree from the Università Degli Studi di Firenze in 2009 and passed her doctorate in engineering with distinction in 2013 as part of an international graduate program of the German Research Foundation. The topic of her doctoral thesis is.
"A new aerodynamic phenomenon and its effects on the design of ultra-high cylindrical shells". The doctoral thesis was supervised by Prof. Dott.-Ing. Claudio Borri, Prof. Dr.-Ing. E.h. Udo Peil and Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Hans-Jürgen Niemann.
While writing her dissertation, IABSE (International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering) and IASS (International Association for Shell and Spacial Structures) awarded her the "Outstanding young engineer contribution award" for the publication "Non-conventional wind loading on ultra-high towers in solar updraft power plants".
In total, she can refer to 30 publications as main or co-author in renowned journals and to well-known conferences. The joint publications with Prof. Dr.-Ing. E.h. habil. Wilfried B. Krätzig on large shell structures for upwind power plants may be particularly emphasized. Since 2014, Dr.-Ing. Lupi has been a member of CICIND (International Committee on Industrial Chimneys).
Dr.-Ing. Lupi's research at the Wind Engineering and Fluid Mechanics WG is focused on aerodynamic effects on circular cylinders, focusing on the bistable flow around vortex shedding anomaly she discovered. She also addresses vortex-induced vibrations on wind turbines and smokestacks in a new research direction. Other topics include general aeroelastic vibrations of slender structures and the further development of wind tunnel testing techniques.
Dr.-Ing. Francesca Lupi can be reached via phone 27773 or in room IC 5-133.

This text appeared in Newsletter 2016-1. The entire newsletter can be downloaded from the homepage of the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering.