Mechanical and Civil Engineering: Trailblazer Seminar

Mechanical and Civil Engineering

Title: "Bridging Air and Sea: Physics-Inspired Models for Wind-Wave Interactions"

Abstract: Accurately modeling the interaction between ocean waves and the atmosphere is vital for improving weather forecasts, climate predictions, and offshore wind energy design. However, current methods are either computationally expensive or rely heavily on empirical tuning, limiting their practicality and accuracy. In this talk, I introduce two physics-inspired models—MOSD and SWARL—that bridge this gap by capturing essential wave-atmosphere dynamics while remaining simple to implement and computationally efficient. The Moving Surface Drag (MOSD) model enables large-eddy simulations to account for wave-induced drag without resolving full wave fields, reducing computational cost by orders of magnitude. The Surface Wave-Aerodynamic Roughness Length (SWARL) model estimates surface roughness directly from wave statistics, outperforming traditional empirical models. Together, these models offer a robust, low-cost alternative for studying wind-wave interactions, with applications ranging from offshore wind energy to atmospheric science.

Bio: Manuel Ayala is a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Originally from Venezuela, he earned his B.S. from Universidad de Oriente, where he continues to mentor undergraduates in computational fluid dynamics. He completed his M.S. in Aerospace Engineering at Old Dominion University, where he occasionally serves as adjunct faculty. His current research focuses on developing physics-inspired models to enhance predictions of wind-wave interactions, with applications in offshore wind energy and weather forecasting—work that has led to collaborations with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Committed to advancing equity in STEM, Manuel mentors Latinx students, supports first-year Ph.D. scholars, and serves on international wind energy and diversity committees.