Phil Clausen

Associate Professor Phil Clausen is a computational biomechanics and wind energy expert at the School of Engineering, University of Newcastle. His career spans two major research themes: small wind turbine dynamics and fatigue testing and computational biomechanics of biological structures using finite element analysis (FEA). He has led the development of accelerated fatigue test programs for turbine blades and reverse-engineered iconic fossils like Smilodon fatalis and the Tasmanian Tiger to understand biomechanical evolution.

• Education: PhD and BEng (Hons) from University of Newcastle

Research Expertise focuses on:

• Small wind turbine blade design, fatigue life prediction, and performance optimization
• Computational biomechanics of crocodiles, komodo dragons, and extinct species

Publications (65+ journal articles) cover wind energy systems (2000–2020) and biomechanics (2005–2021), with high-impact work featured in Nature, PLoS ONE, and Royal Society B. Notable findings include debunking assumptions about sabre-toothed cat bite force and quantifying dingo vs. thylacine predatory mechanics.

Grants ($1.06M+ total) include ARC Discovery Projects, industry partnerships with Aerogenesis Australia and TUNRA, and commercialization of diffuser-augmented turbine technology. He has supervised numerous research students and collaborated with interdisciplinary teams across engineering, biology, and paleontology.