Pierre E. Sullivan, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Professor, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
Research Interests
My research focuses on understanding and controlling fluid flow phenomena, particularly emphasizing low Reynolds number flows and complex geometries. By leveraging advanced computational and experimental techniques, I aim to address challenges in energy efficiency, aerodynamic performance, and microscale systems.
Key areas of my work include:
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD): Developing and applying numerical models to simulate and analyze fluid behavior.
- Flow Control: Investigating methods to manipulate fluid flows for improved system performance, such as drag reduction and enhanced mixing.
- Synthetic Jets: Exploring using synthetic jet actuators for active flow control in various applications.
- Renewable Energy: Enhancing energy systems through innovative fluid mechanics solutions.
- Aerodynamics: Optimizing aerodynamic designs to improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
- Microfluidics: Studying fluid behavior at microscales for applications in biotechnology, chemical processing, and beyond.
- Thermal Systems: Addressing heat transfer challenges in fluid-based systems to improve overall efficiency.
This interdisciplinary research has broad applications in fields such as sustainable energy, aerospace engineering, and biomedical technologies.
Biography
Professor Pierre Sullivan received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Queen’s University and joined the University of Toronto in 1995. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. His research focuses on fluid mechanics and heat transfer with applications in energy systems, microfluidics, and aerodynamics. His work on synthetic jets and active flow control has been applied to improving aerodynamic performance and energy efficiency in various systems.
Current Courses
MIE1207
Turbulent Flows
MIE100
Dynamics
Research Group
PhD Students
Master’s Students
Selected Publications
- 2025 Jaber, K., Essel, E. E., & Sullivan, P. E., “GPU-Native Adaptive Mesh Refinement with Application to Lattice Boltzmann Simulations,” Computer Physics Communications, 109543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpc.2025.109543.
- 2024 Ho, H.H., Shirinzad, A., Essel, E.E., and Sullivan, P.E., “Synthetic Jet Actuators for Active Flow Control: A Review,” Fluids 2024, 9, 290. https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids9120290
- 2024 Bin Xu, Liu, T., Shi, X., Sullivan, P. E., Chen, Z., & Chen, X., “Mitigation of crosswind effects on high-speed trains using vortex generators,” Physics of Fluids, 36(7), 075199. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0218270
- 2024 Machado, A., Xu, K., & Sullivan, P. E., “Spanwise control authority of synthetic jets on a stalled airfoil,” Physics of Fluids, 36(6), 064113. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0212135
- 2023 Xu, K., Lavoie, P., & Sullivan, P., “Flow Reattachment on a NACA 0025 Airfoil Using an Array of Microblowers,” AIAA Journal, 61(6), 2476–2485. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.J062512
Grants & Awards
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NSERC Discovery Grant: Advanced Flow Control Methods for Low Reynolds Number ApplicationsPrincipal Investigator 2022-2027
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Fellow, Canadian Society for Mechanical EngineeringCSME 2012
Office Hours
- 2025: By appointment