Dr Ignazio Maria Viola
Lecturer in Naval Architecture

Profile

Dr. Ignazio Maria VIOLA is one of the world’s leading experts in yachting technology, who has led teams of engineers in Italy to develop many innovations in the science of sailing.

His PHD thesis, which was undertaken at the Politecnico di Milano, was sponsored by Luna Rossa, an America’s Cup challenger, and was on how to develop high-performance sails with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and wind tunnel tests.

He is currently a lecturer in Naval Architecture at the School of Marine Science and Technology at Newcastle University, United Kingdom. The School is the largest of its kind in Europe and among the globally leading institutes in Naval Architecture.

Ignazio was awarded a master degree in Genoa, Italy in 2001. Following his graduation, he worked in a yacht yard (MAS, Como) where, in three years, he became the Director of Mass Production. In the same period, he was the consultant for a Research and Development office (PRIMA R&D, Como), where he coordinated a team of engineers to develop patents for the yacht industry.

After completing his PhD, Ignazio was funded by the European Social Fund to investigate sail aerodynamics with CFD. He successfully performed a record-breaking simulation with a grid of more than one billion cells, which is still the largest grid ever performed with commercial software.

His specialist experience is in high-performance sailing yachts and, in particular, sail aerodynamics and hull hydrodynamics. He has collaborated with several America’s Cup Teams and he is currently leading the most active European research group in this field.

During 2009 and 2010, Ignazio was Post Doctoral Fellow at the Yacht Research Unit of the University of Auckland, which is the scientific advisor of Emirates Team New Zealand, a challenger for the America’s Cup.  In 2010 he performed the world’s first direct pressure measurements on a full-scale spinnaker.

Ignazio has written more than 40 scientific publications and is currently the most published writer in the world on fluid dynamics of sailing yachts. He has received several academic awards, such as the RINA Medal of Exceptional Merit and the Medal of Distinction. He is a member of the Editorial Board of prestigious scientific journals, he often chairs sessions at international conferences and offers guest lectures in research leading universities. He is an elected member of the Specialist Committee on CFD of the International Towing Tank Conference (ITTC),  whose members are the most influential CFD experts in the world.

Esteem Indicators

Awarded RINA Medal of Distinction for the paper Viola et al., (IJSCT) 2011
Awarded RINA Medal of Exceptional Merit for the paper: Viola and Flay, (IJSCT) 2009.
Awarded ‘Cultore della Materia in Dinamica dei Sistemi Meccanici’ (Academic Expert in Mechanical Dynamics) by Politecnico di Milano (2005)

Elected Member of the CFD Specialist Committee of the ITTC
Editorial Board, International Journal of Small Craft Technology (RINA)

Technical Reviewer, Journal of Fluids Engineering
Technical Reviewer, Naval Engineers Journal (WILEY)
Technical Reviewer, Journal of Wind Eng. and Industrial Aerodynamics (ELSEVIER)
Technical Reviewer, Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science (ELSEVIER)
Technical Committee, 4th High Performance Sailing Yacht Conference (HPYD4), 12-14 March, Auckland
Technical Committee, Int. Conf. on Innovation in High Performance Sailing Yachts (INNOV’SAIL3), Lorient

Invited Lecture (conference), IncrediblEdge 2012 Summit, 5-6 March, Auckland
Invited Lecture (dep. seminar), Institut de Recherche de l'Ecole Navale, Brest
Invited Lecture (dep. seminar), Yacht Research Unit, University of Auckland
Session Chairman, Developments in Marine CFD, 22-23 March, London
Session Chairman, Design & Constr. of Super & Mega Yachts, 5-6 May, Genoa

Memberships

CEng, Registered by the Engineer Council (UK), Chartered Engineer, 584133
EUR ING, European Federation of National Engineering Associations, 31153
MRINA, Royal Institute of Naval Architects, full member, 00300035
MSNAME, Soc. of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, full member, 2003765
PIANC, Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses, member
‘Albo Ingegneri Milano’, Engineer Board of Milan, member, A22092

Curriculum Vitae

 http://ignazioviola.com/ignazio_maria_viola/cv.html

 

Research Interests

Ignazio Maria Viola’s specialist skills and experience are in numerical and experimental fluid dynamics. His main research focus is high-performance sailing yachts and, in particular, sail aerodynamics and hull hydrodynamics. His research portfolio also includes the aerodynamics of trains, cars, long- span bridges and tall buildings.

Major Reserach Achievements

2008   One-billion-cell grid, the largest grid ever made in computational fluid dynamics
2009   First model-scale pressure distribution measurement on downwind sails
2010   First full-scale pressure distribution measurement on downwind sails

Research Group

Ignazio is the Group Leader of the Yacht and Superyacht Research Group (YSRG), which is the leading European academic research group on the fluid dynamics of yachts and superyachts. The YSRG researches is in three different areas: Sail Aerodynamics, Hull Hydrodynamics and Race Performance.

Sail Aerodynamics

The fluid dynamics of upwind and downwind sails is investigated with three methods: full-scale tests, model scale tests and computational fluid dynamics.

Hull Hydrodynamics

The hydrodynamics of sailing and powerboats is investigated with towing tank tests and computational fluid dynamics. Cavitation and ventilation of appendages are studied in the cavitation tunnel.

Race Performance

Velocity prediction programs and racing strategy models are developed in order to enhance the yacht performance and to support the decision process of the tactician during sailing yacht competitions.

Projects

Currently Teaching

Naval Architecture

Part of the module: 14/48 hours. Year 1, Newcastle University (MAR1003).

Taught topics: fluid properties, newtonian fluids; hydrostatic pressure, archimedes principle and buoyancy forces; fluids in motion, laminar and turbulent flow, quantifying fluid flow, continuity equation and volumetric flow rate, simple flow models, ideal fluids and Bernoulli's equation, real fluids and energy losses, inviscid fluids and potential flow models, introduction to Navier-Stokes equations.

Physics of Yacht Design (module leader)

Full module: 24hours. Year 2, Newcastle University (MAR2011).

Taught topics: fundamental characteristics of sailing crafts, equilibrium of small crafts, aerodynamic and hydrodynamic forces, sail aerodynamics, aerodynamic models, hull resistance, appendages, hydrodynamic models, performance predictions, transmission and propulsion system for small crafts.

Resistance & Propulsion I (module leader)

Half module: 24/48 hours. Year 2, Newcastle University (MAR2010).

Taught topics: resistance phenomena; skin friction, wave resistance; estimating ship resistance; scaling laws; regression analysis; standard series; model testing; hull form and ship resistance.

Engineering Applications (module leader)

1/5th of the module: Year 2, Newcastle University (MAR2012).

A coursework on Computer Aided Design Applications which aims at demonstrate the facilities and functionality available on proprietary Naval Architecture software, and to illustrate the importance of using software thoughtfully and the dangers inherent in using ‘black box’ technology.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (module leader)

Full module: 24/24hours. Year 3, Newcastle University (MAR3024).

Taught topics: modelling aspects of marine vehicles and offshore structures in incompressible viscid/inviscid flow; inertia forces and drag forces on offshore structures with small slender members; hydrodynamic forces on large floating bodies; motion response analysis; viscous resistances on marine vehicles.

Previously Taught (Since 2005)

Yacht Design

Full module: 40 hours plus project supervision. Part of the one-year Masters in Interior Design.

Topics: history of yacht design, fundamentals of naval architecture, stability, hydrodynamic forces, structures, materials, design methodology, computer aided design, space requirements, and ergonomics.

Sailing Yacht Aerodynamics

Half module: 30/60 hours plus project supervision. Year 4 of the five-years master-level degree in Marine Design, University of Genoa.

Topics: fundamental of fluid dynamics, forces and moments on yacht, stability, ITTC recommendations, towing tank test and Delft series, appendages hydrodynamics, NACA profiles, plan-forms, aerodynamics of sails, wind tunnel tests, computer-aided design and evaluation, numerical analysis of yacht hydrodynamics and aerodynamics, velocity prediction programs (VPP).

Mechanical System Dynamics

Half module: 37/60 hours plus project supervision. Year 4 of the 5-years master-level degree in Mechanical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano.

Topics: multi body systems dynamics (equations of motion for non linear mechanical systems, linearization around the static equilibrium position, natural frequencies and vibration modes evaluation, generalized forces evaluation, modal approach, experimental identification of modal parameters), continuous systems dynamics (rigorous approach, cable and beam transversal, axial end torsional vibrations, discretization methods, finite elements), rotor-dynamics (modeling of the real rotor, modeling of the bearing, critical velocities).

YachtMaster Offshore Certificate

Full module of Preparation for the examination to achieve the Yachtmaster Offshore  Certificate: 30 hours

Topics: navigation & safety, international regulations, boat handling, general seamanship & maintenance, responsibilities of skipper, navigational publications, basic geometry and chart-work, meteorology, principles of diesel engine and maintenance, VHF marine radio short-range certificate, first aid.