Krishnan Mahesh

Dr. Krishnan Mahesh is a Professor at the University of Michigan with joint appointments in Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. He serves as Director of the Center for Naval Research and Education and leads the Computational Fluids Laboratory, where he develops advanced numerical methods for simulating multi-physics turbulent flows.

• Education: Ph.D. (1996), M.S. (1990) from Stanford University, B.Tech (1989) from IIT Bombay
• Leadership: Director, Center for Naval Research and Education (2022-present)

His research focuses on high-fidelity simulations of turbulent flows with applications in marine propulsors, multiphase systems, cavitation, hydroacoustics, superhydrophobic surfaces, biofouling, fluid-structure interaction, and flow stability. His group develops the MPCUGLES software for unstructured grid simulations on parallel computing platforms.

Recent work examines cavitation dynamics, tip vortex flows, and roughness-induced transition in complex marine and aerospace systems. His 15 most recent articles demonstrate expertise in LES/DNS of multi-physics flows, with emphasis on marine propulsion, bubble collapse, and turbulent noise prediction.

• Scientific Honors:
  • 2021 AIAA Best Paper Award
  • 2018 Fulbright Scholar
  • 2017 Marine Propulsors Symposium Best Paper
  • 2011 APS Fellow
  • 2010 Taylor Award for Distinguished Research

He mentors numerous graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, with collaborative projects spanning jet in crossflow analysis, gas turbine simulations, and shock-turbulence interactions. His research receives funding from ONR, NSF, and international naval programs.