Dr David Soper

Department of Civil Engineering
Lecturer in Vehicle Aerodynamics
Head of Admissions, School of Engineering

Contact details

Telephone: +44 (0) 121 414 4232
Email: d.soper@bham.ac.uk
Twitter

Address: Department of Civil Engineering
School of Engineering
University 麻豆精选
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr David Soper is a Lecturer in Vehicle Aerodynamics in the School of Engineering and Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education. His research interests lie in the field of applied fluid dynamics and engineering applications through vehicle aerodynamics.

He has particular expertise in experimental investigations both at model and full scale. He is the facility manager and operator of the University 麻豆精选 moving model TRansient Aerodynamic INvestigation (TRAIN) rig for vehicle aerodynamic research.

David completed his PhD in the field of freight train aerodynamics before becoming a Research Fellow at the University 麻豆精选, carrying out a range of academic and consultancy projects at the TRAIN rig. He has been an investigator on projects for EPSRC, BBSRC and industry funded work for many organisations including Arup, Network Rail High Speed, Railway Accident Investigation Branch, Network Rail, Bombardier.

This work has include complex full and model scale measurement campaigns supporting high profile project, such as the Twyford aerodynamic incident involving a wheelchair, Crossrail and HS2. Further information can be found at TRAIN RIG LINK.

The results of this work have been published in over 10 research papers in scientific journals and a similar number of conference presentations.

Qualifications

PhD in Civil Engineering 2014
MSc in Theoretical and Applied Fluid Dynamics 2010
BSc (Hons) Mathematics 2009

Biography

Dr Soper read Mathematics and Theoretical and Applied Fluid Dynamics at the University of Manchester before undertaking a PhD in Civil Engineering at the University 麻豆精选. His novel PhD used the TRAIN rig to look at the aerodynamics of a container freight train, and for the first time was able to characterise key aerodynamic flow characteristics of freight trains.

After successfully completing this work he remained at the University 麻豆精选 as a Research Fellow for 3 years working on a wide range of multi-disciplinary projects funded by EPRSC and BBSRC, as well as industrial funded projects including the aerodynamic incident at Twyford Station in which a wheelchair was drawn into the side of a passing freight train.

Dr Soper took up his position as a lecturer in the School of Engineering in 2017. Since taking on this role he has been involved in a wide range of research and teaching activities. He has continued to work on a range of purely academic research in the field of wind engineering and vehicles aerodynamics, as well as industry funded projects.

Postgraduate supervision

Dr Soper is interested in supervising doctorial research students in the following areas:

Railway vehicle aerodynamics
Wind effects on vehicles
The interaction between moving vehicles and infrastructure
Wind effects on crops and trees
Novel experimental techniques to measure turbulent flows

His current PhD students are:

Panos Illiadis
Anam Hashimi
Xiadong

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Marshall, SD, Snape, K, Soper, D, Sterling, M & Gillmeier, S 2024, '', Frontiers in Future Transportation, vol. 5, 1356539.

Liu, Z, Soper, D, Hemida, H & Chen, B 2023, '', Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, vol. 240, 105461.

Monka, A, Fraga, B, Soper, D & Hemida, H 2023, '', Physics of Fluids, vol. 35, no. 10, 103304.

Li, R, Soper, D, Xu, J, Jia, Y, Niu, J & Hemida, H 2022, '', Applied Sciences (Switzerland), vol. 12, no. 19, 9652.

Olaby, O, Hamadache, M, Soper, D, Winship, P & Dixon, R 2022, '', Sensors, vol. 22, no. 6, 2401.

Liu, Z, Zhou, D, Soper, D, Chen, G, Hemida, H, Guo, Z & Li, X 2022, '', Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit.

He, M, Huo, SS, Hemida, H, Soper, D, Baker, C & Sterling, M 2022, '', Frontiers in Future Transportation, vol. 3, 901204.

Zhang, X, Robertson, F, Soper, D, Hemida, H & Huang, S-D 2021, '', Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, vol. 210, 104514.

Robertson, F, Soper, D & Baker, C 2021, '', Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, vol. 209, 104481.

Joseph, G, Mohammadi, M, Sterling, M, Baker, C, Gillmeier, S, Soper, D, Jesson, M, Blackburn, A, Whyatt, JD, Gullick, D, Berry, P, Hatley, D, Finnan, J & Murray, J 2020, '', Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, vol. 202, 104169.

Soper, D, Gillmeier, S, Baker, C, Morgan, T & Vojnovic, L 2019, '', Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, vol. 191, pp. 266-278.

Soper, D & Baker, C 2019, '', Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit.

Robertson, F, Bourriez, F, He, M, Soper, D, Baker, C, Hemida, H & Sterling, M 2019, '', Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, vol. 193, 103966.

He, M, Huo, R, Hemida, H, Bourriez, F, Robertson, F, Soper, D, Sterling, M & Baker, C 2019, '', Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, vol. 193, 103956.

Iliadis, P, Soper, D, Baker, C & Hemida, H 2019, '', Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part F: Journal of Rail and Rapid Transit, vol. 233, no. 8, pp. 857-868.