Fernando Ponta

Fernando Ponta

Contact

  • Richard and Elizabeth Henes Professor (Wind Energy), Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
  • Postdoctoral, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • PhD, University of Buenos Aires
  • BE, Mechanical Engineering, University of Buenos Aires

Biography

Fernando Ponta, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Michigan Technological University, earned his engineering degree and PhD at the University of Buenos Aires. Before coming to Michigan Tech in 2007, he was for three years a Postdoctoral Fellow in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dr. Ponta's area of expertise is in theoretical and computational continuum mechanics, vortex dynamics, and advanced numerical methods for fluid-structure interaction analysis; especially as they apply to the study of wind-turbine aerodynamics and other energy systems utilizing renewable-energy sources. His research has resulted in more than 60 peer-reviewed articles, and 3 book chapters. Dr. Ponta has been awarded a 2010 Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation to help reduce the uncertainties related to wind turbine blade dynamics. He was also awarded the Gold Medal for Best Scientific Paper, at the Fifth World Renewable Energy Congress (Florence, Italy, September 1998), for a work in innovative wind-power concepts.

Areas of Expertise

  • Theoretical and Computational Fluid Mechanics
  • Vortex Dynamics
  • Fluid-Structure Interaction
  • Wind-Turbine Aerodynamics
  • Renewable-Energy Sources
  • Energy Systems

Research Interests

  • Theoretical and Computational Fluid Mechanics
  • Vortex Dynamics
  • Fluid-Structure Interaction
  • Wind-Turbine Aerodynamics
  • Renewable-Energy Sources
  • Energy Systems