My Fulbright project aims to advance urban heat resilience by revealing how air and heat circulate and stagnate within dense city centres. By integrating wind-tunnel experiments with field measurements, I will uncover key drivers of urban ventilation and deliver evidence-based design tools for cooler, healthier, climate-resilient cities across the globe.
Dr Rahul Deshpande is a mechanical engineer and aerodynamicist at the University of Melbourne, specialising in the measurement, analysis, and physical modelling of turbulent fluid flows. His research reveals hidden structure within chaotic three-dimensional eddying motions governing the airflow, heat transfer, and energy efficiency in engineering systems and nature. By clarifying how turbulence shapes thermal and aerodynamic performance, his work informs clean, high-speed transport and improved prediction of weather phenomena.
As a Fulbright Scholar, Rahul will collaborate with experts at Princeton University to advance fundamental understanding of airflow and heat transfer in complex urban environments.