Aurelien Borgoltz

Aurelien Borgoltz is a Research Professor in the Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering at Virginia Tech. He holds a Ph.D. (2007) and B.S. (2002) in Aerospace and Ocean Engineering from Virginia Tech. He is the Assistant Director of the Stability Wind Tunnel and a core member of the Center for Research and Engineering in Aero/Hydrodynamic Technologies (CREATe). His research focuses on aerodynamics, aeroacoustics, and wind tunnel testing, with expertise in advanced measurement techniques and CFD validation.

Dr. Borgoltz has over 15 years of professional experience, including roles as Research Scientist and Postdoctoral Researcher at Virginia Tech. His leadership in the Stability Wind Tunnel has enhanced its instrumentation and capabilities, particularly in aerodynamic and acoustic testing of wind turbine blades. The tunnel’s unique Kevlar-walled anechoic test section attracts leading manufacturers for blade design evaluation.

His research interests include boundary layer development, turbulence modeling, and fluid-structure interactions. Key contributions involve CFD validation experiments, wind tunnel calibration, and anomaly detection in experimental data using PCA. Recent work emphasizes modular test section walls and hybrid anechoic tunnel applications.

Publications span CFD model validation, wind tunnel boundary simulations, and aeroacoustic testing. Collaborations include NASA and industry partners in wind energy and low-speed aerodynamics.