Nenad Glodic

Research

My research focuses on aeromechanics in turbomachinery, with a particular emphasis on factors influencing aerodynamically induced vibrations in turbomachines. Modern turbomachinery design is characterized by a tendency towards thinner, lighter and highly loaded blades, which in turn gives rise to increased sensitivity to flow induced vibration such as flutter or forced response. Flutter, a self-excited, self-sustained vibration phenomenon caused by negative aerodynamic damping, can in severe cases lead to structural failures in components like blades or turbine seals.  To effectively predict potential flutter scenarios, it is essential to accurately assess unsteady aerodynamics during flutter events and to understand the underlying mechanisms driving this behavior. Precise aerodynamic damping predictions are also critical for forced response analysis, where blade vibration occurs at higher reduced frequencies.

I also look into the ways of how the aeromechanical design of turbomachinery components could be carried out in a more efficient manner, without jeopardizing the accuracy of the aeromechanical predictions. The push for more efficient, eco-friendly turbomachinery-based transport solutions demands significant advancements in technology and design. Validating new technologies and design approaches requires robust early-stage predictions of aeromechanical behavior. My work includes implementing reduced-order modeling and analyzing how assumptions in these models impact prediction outcomes. Another key aspect of my research is exploring how to leverage the anisotropic properties of composite materials, like carbon fibers, to enhance the aeromechanical design of aircraft engine components.

Currently, I am the project leader/PI at KTH for the NFFP8 projects VILD (VirtualIntegrated soLutions for futureDemonstrators and products), DARLING (Damaged andRepaired Blade Modeling with in-situ Experiments), VIFT (VirtualIntegratedFan andTurbine), ADiSS (Aeroelastisk Dämpning iSepareradStrömning) and ADA (AgressiveDuctAerodynamics).

I was also the project coordinator/PI for the EU H2020 project ARIAS (2018-2023) and the PI for the EleFanT  project (2021-2023) funded by Energimyndigheten.

Teaching

In addition to my research, I am deeply involved in teaching, serving as a teacher or course coordinator for several graduate-level courses. I also supervise multiple Master's thesis students each year, supporting their projects either in collaboration with industry or within our lab.

I am the program director for a joint Master's program called THRUST (Turbomachinery Aeromechanical University Training), which welcomed its first cohort in autumn 2010. THRUST is a collaborative program between the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden, the University of Liège (ULg) in Belgium, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) in Greece, and Duke University in the United States.

Since 2013, I have served on the management board of ECATA, and I act as the local supervisor at KTH for the ECATA ABI course. The European Aerospace Business Integration Program (ECATA ABI Course) offers specialized and distinctive training designed for future leaders in the aerospace industry.