Rauno Cavallaro

Rauno Cavallaro serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at University Carlos III of Madrid, where he conducts research in aeroelasticity, aircraft design, structural optimization, airborne wind energy systems, and sustainable aviation technologies including hybrid-electric and hydrogen propulsion. His work bridges theoretical aerodynamics with practical aircraft design, focusing on novel configurations like joined-wing systems and delta kites for renewable energy applications.

Cavallaro's research portfolio centers on minimizing aircraft environmental impact through innovative configurations. He has pioneered minimum induced drag theorems for nonplanar wing systems and developed advanced aeroelastic models for flexible wings. Current investigations target hydrogen-powered regional aircraft, distributed electric propulsion architectures, and airborne wind energy harvesting systems, with emphasis on noise reduction, emissions mitigation, and structural efficiency.

His publication record shows consistent focus on sustainable aviation solutions since 2021, with increasing emphasis on hydrogen propulsion and airborne wind energy. Recent works integrate computational fluid dynamics with structural optimization to address dynamic stall phenomena in delta kites and optimize strut-braced wing configurations for reduced noise and emissions, reflecting industry's shift toward zero-carbon aviation.

Cavallaro leads significant research initiatives including INDIGO (European Commission, 2023-2026) on low-emission aircraft technologies and CETACEO with Airbus (2023-2025). He has supervised doctoral research on delta kite aerodynamics for airborne wind energy and aerostructural optimization of next-generation aircraft, demonstrating strong mentorship in sustainable aviation technologies.

As a core member of UC3M's Aerospace Engineering Research Group, he contributes to experimental testbed development including visual motion tracking systems for airborne wind energy validation and participates in collaborative projects with European aerospace leaders like Airbus and CIRA on hydrogen propulsion and digital aircraft design frameworks.