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About Dr Michael Kirkpatrick

Michael's research passion is for fluid mechanics and thermodynamics based projects that contribute to the conservation of Earth’s natural environment.

Michael conduscts research in the main area of environmental fluid mechanics.

Michael Kirkpatrick completed an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sydney in 1996. He then took up a position with the international building engineering consultancy Ove Arup & Partners. He worked in their building services groups for two years in Sydney and London. Michael returned to Australia in 1998 to study for a PhD at the University of Sydney. On completion of his PhD in 2002, he was awarded a two year Postdoctoral Fellowship with the Center for Turbulence Research at Stanford University and NASA Ames. In 2004 he accepted a lecturing position in the School of Engineering at the University of Tasmania.  In 2006 Michael moved to his current position as Senior Lecturer in Fluids, Energy and Environment in the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering.

Selected publications

  • Senocak I, Ackerman AS, Kirkpatrick MP, Stevens DE, & Mansour, NN (2007) A study of near-surface models in large-eddy simulation of a neutrally stratified atmospheric boundary layer, Boundary-Layer Meteorology, 124, 405–424.
  • Malalasekera W, Ibrahim SS, Ranga-Dinesh KKJ & Kirkpatrick MP (2007)  Large eddy simulation of isothermal turbulent swirling jets,  Combustion, Science and Technology, 179,  1481-1525.
  • Kirkpatrick MP, Ackerman AS, Stevens DE & Mansour NN (2006) On the application of the dynamic Smagorinsky model in large-eddy simulations of the cloud-topped atmospheric boundary layer, J. Atmospheric Sciences, 63, 526–546.
  • Bunyawanichakul P, Kirkpatrick MP, Sargison JE & Walker GJ (2006) Numerical studies of the flow field in a cyclone dryer, J. Fluids Engineering, 128, 1240-1250.
  • Stevens B, Moeng C-H, Ackerman AS, Bretherton CS, Chlond A, deRoode S, Edwards J, Golaz C, Jiang H, Khairoutdinov M, Kirkpatrick MP, Lewellen DC, Lock A, Mueller F, Stevens DE, Whelan E & Zhu P (2005) Evaluation of large-eddy simulations via observations of nocturnal marine stratocumulus, Monthly Weather Review, 133, 1443-1462.
  • Kirkpatrick MP & Armfield SW (2005) Experimental and large eddy simulation results for the purging of a salt water filled cavity by an overflow of fresh water, Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 48, 341-359. 
  • Ackerman AS, Kirkpatrick MP, Stevens DE & Toon B (2004) The impact of humidity above stratiform clouds on indirect aerosol climate forcing, Nature, 432, 1014-1017.
  • Kirkpatrick MP, Armfield SW & Kent JH (2003) A representation of curved boundaries for the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations on a staggered three-dimensional Cartesian grid, J. Comput. Phys., 184, 1-36.
  • Kirkpatrick MP, Armfield SW, Masri AR & Ibrahim SS (2003) Large eddy simulation of a propagating turbulent premixed flame, Flow Turbulence and Combustion, 70, 1-19.
  • Kirkpatrick MP, Armfield SW, Kent JH & Dixon TF (2000) Simulation of vortex shedding flows using high-order fractional step methods, ANZIAM J., 42(E), C856-C876.