Erik Damgaard Christensen

Erik Damgaard Christensen is a Professor and Head of Section in Fluid Mechanics, Coastal and Maritime Engineering at the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark (DTU). His research is central to coastal and offshore hydrodynamics, with strong expertise in breaking waves, wave-structure interactions, and offshore wind turbine foundations.

His research interests include Fluid Mechanics, Coastal and Maritime Engineering, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Sediment Transport, Shoreline Development, and Wave Loads on Offshore Structures. His work applies advanced numerical modeling and experimental analysis to solve real-world coastal engineering challenges.

The recent publications indicate a strong trend towards sustainable offshore energy systems, environmental protection (e.g., microplastic retention), and innovative coastal defenses such as artificial reefs. His work integrates high-fidelity simulations with practical applications in offshore wind and marine ecosystems.

Scientific Contributions and Projects:

• Coordinator of EU 7th Framework Project MERMAID
• Involved in major projects: SASME, DELOS, Safe Offload, SBWI, SDWED, FIELD_AC, FMK, MSBWI
• Active in research on turbulence in plunging breakers and flow in porous marine structures

He has supervised several PhD students, including Y. Zhai, K. D. Göral, and Z. Wei, and is actively involved in advising and collaborative research. His external roles include former Head of Innovation at DHI (2007–2010) and prior positions as Hydrodynamics Specialist and Coastal Engineer at DHI from 1996 to 2010.

His laboratory and research team focus on computational and experimental hydrodynamics, with strong links to DTU’s coastal engineering facilities and international collaborations in offshore and coastal research.