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Paul Allen

Position
Research Officer
Location
Procter and Gamble
PhD Project Title
Transitional multiphase flow: the enigmatic behaviour of seafloor landslides
Cohort
2015

Background

I graduated from Oxford University in 2015 with a MMath degree in mathematics. My fourth year dissertation was on ‘The Rupturing of Thin Liquids Sheets’ where, as well as pulling together the current research in the area, I created my own numerical solutions to the governing equations using Matlab. Asides from fluid dynamics, I’m a keen player of both squash and snooker.

Research Interests

My current research resolves around gravity currents and, in particular, those created by a lock-release or dam-break.  By exploring theoretical examples I  provide insights to the prediction of potentially hazardous geophysical flows, for example landslides, pyroclastic flows and lahars.  Predominately, the models are based on the shallow-water assumption and solved numerically with finite-volume or finite-difference schemes and validated with idealised experiments or direct numerical simulations conducted in the spectral element solver Nek5000.

My first publication classifies the range of solution for the phased-released of two sequential lock-boxes in terms of two parameters (the Froude number and a dimensionless separation time) using a shallow-water model. It was chosen as a highlighted article and is accompanied by a scilight (science highlight, read my paper on gravity current hazard prediction model for lahars, landslides and avalanches). This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in (Allen, P. A., et al. "Pulse propagation in gravity currents.Physics of Fluids 32.1 (2020): 016603.).

Why I chose the CDT in Fluid Dynamics

Coming from a heavily theoretical background, I chose the CDT in Fluid Dynamics to diversify my skill set in the hope that I can tackle real world problems. The CDT also offered me the chance to explore a wider range of fluid dynamical problems, whilst working with many people from different backgrounds, before deciding on my PhD research project.