Researcher

Dr Bianca Capra

Field of Research (FoR)

Hypersonic Propulsion and Hypersonic Aerodynamics

Biography

Dr Capra is a passionate and enthusiastic mechanical and aerospace engineer working to train and inspire future generations of innovative engineers. Bianca is excited about all things engineering, with experience in topics ranging from high speed atmospheric and interplanetary flight to generating practical solutions to reduce the energy use of our built environment. Her second great passion is education our future STEM leaders, and she has...view more

Dr Capra is a passionate and enthusiastic mechanical and aerospace engineer working to train and inspire future generations of innovative engineers. Bianca is excited about all things engineering, with experience in topics ranging from high speed atmospheric and interplanetary flight to generating practical solutions to reduce the energy use of our built environment. Her second great passion is education our future STEM leaders, and she has over 11 years' experience in the higher education sector, and currently lectures in aerospace engineering at UNSW Canberra.

Bianca holds both a bachelor's degree and Ph.D in aerospace engineering from the University of Queensland, a Graduate certificate in Academic Practice from the Queensland University of Technology and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Bianca is an elected council member of the Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society (AFMS) and is currently Chair of the AFMS sub-committees for Regional Branches and Women in Fluid Mechanics

My Qualifications

Doctor of Philosophy (Aerospace Engineering) - 2007 - The University of Queensland

Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical and Space) Honours Class I - 2001 - The University of Queensland

Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice - 2016 - Queensland University of Technology

My Research Activities

Bianca's research interests are in the broad field of thermo-fluids and fluid-structural interaction, with specific applications to aerospace and high-speed flight. Bianca currently performs research in the following areas:

Novel use of porous structures in hypersonic flow
Thermal-structrual response of composites in hypersonic flow
Fluid-Structrual Interaction at hypersonic speeds
Aerothermodynamics of entry vehicles
Experimental hypersonics

Current Ph.D research topics available:

Flame holding in supersonic flow
Use of porous structures for boundary layer control in hypersonic flow

My Research Supervision

Supervision keywords

hypersonic flow

fluid mechanics

fluid structure interaction (fsi)

Areas of supervision

Topics in hypersonic available with a focus in fluid-thermal interaction, hot wall testing, porous walls and aero thermal heating at hypersonic conditions.

Current PhD topics available include:

Flame holding in supersonic flow
Use of porous structures for boundary layer control in hypersonic flow

Currently supervising

Effect of targeted thermal energy on hot hypersonic structures

My Engagement

Bianca is heavily engaged within the UNSW Canberra and Australian Fluid Mechanics communities and in STEM Outreach.

Bianca's engagement activities include:

Co-Chair of UNSW Canberra's YoWIE (Young Women in Engineering) Program
Chair of the Women in Fluid Mechanics Subcommittee of the Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society
Chair of the Outreach Subcommittee of the Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society
Elected committee member of the Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society
Committee member of the UNSW Canberra EDI Committee
Member of the UNSW Athena Swan Self Assessment Team
Member of the UNSW Canberra Family Network Committee
Science & Technology Australia Superstar of STEM

My Teaching

Bianca is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

She currently teaches into the following courses

ZEIT2500 Thermofluids

Bianca is the course coordinator of this second year course that covers fundamental thermodynamics and fluid mechanics

ZEIT4503 Advanced thermodynamics and Propulsion

This is a fourth year course covering advanced thermodynamics with an emphasis on the design of gas turbine engines for aircraft and marine propulsion

Bianca also has experience teaching into the following areas: