Dr Daniel Mitchard
Lecturer
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
I am a particle physicist working in the research area of lightning physics and lightning engineering. I am based in the Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory, part of the Advanced High Voltage Research Centre. My expertise is in the characteriation of high voltage and high current laboratory generated lightning arcs with a variety of high-speed cameras, schlieren and spectrographic techniques. My research is cross-disciplinary across physics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and material science.
My teaching is based in the Mechanical Engineering department, with project students in lightning phenomena on Earth and Mars. I also supervise a number of long-term student heritage engineering project with the National Museum of Wales.
Biography
Education and Qualifications
2008: CPhys, Chartered Physicist, Institute of Physics, London
2006: PhD, Particle Physics, Swansea University at CERN, Geneva
2002: MPhys, Master of Physics, Swansea University
Career Overview
2019: Lecturer, Lightining Physics and Lightning Engineering. Head of Year 3, Mechanical Engineering.
2017: Research Fellow, Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory, and Teacher, Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Cardiff University
2017: Research Fellow, Wolfson Centre for Magnetics, School of Engineering, Cardiff University
2015: Research Fellow, Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory, School of Engineering, Cardiff University
Professional memberships
MInstP, Member of the Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics, London.
Academic positions
Oct 17 onwards: Research Fellow, Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory, and Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Cardiff University
Apr 17 - Sep 17: Research Fellow, Wolfson Centre for Magnetics, School of Engineering, Cardiff University
Jan 15 - Mar 17: Research Fellow, Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory, School of Engineering, Cardiff University
Speaking engagements
2018: Hay Festival
2016: CBC Dcoumentary "The Nature of Things"
Publications
2020
- Widger, P., Hills, M. and Mitchard, D. 2020. Schlieren images of negative streamer and leader formations in CO2 and a CF3I-CO2 electronegative gas mixture. Applied Sciences 10(22), article number: 8006. (10.3390/app10228006)
2019
- Mitchard, D.et al. 2019. Optical emission spectra of high current and high voltage generated arcs representing lightning. Applied Physics Letters 114(16), article number: 164103. (10.1063/1.5092875)
2017
- Mitchard, D.et al. 2017. Method for recording broadband high resolution emission spectra of laboratory lightning arcs. Journal of Visualized Experiments 150, article number: e56336. (10.3791/56336)
- Mitchard, D.et al. 2017. Investigation of lightning direct effects on aircraft materials. Presented at: 2016 International Conference on Electrical Systems for Aircraft, Railway, Ship Propulsion and Road Vehicles & International Transportation Electrification Conference (ESARS-ITEC), Toulouse, France, 2-4 November 20162016 International Conference on Electrical Systems for Aircraft, Railway, Ship Propulsion and Road Vehicles & International Transportation Electrification Conference (ESARS-ITEC). IEEE, (10.1109/ESARS-ITEC.2016.7841393)
- Mitchard, D.et al. 2017. Investigation of the effect of initiation wires on lighting arcs using spectral and high-speed imaging techniques. Presented at: International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering, Winc Aichi, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, 13 - 15 September 2017.
- Clark, D.et al. 2017. Spectroscopic techniques for temperature measurement of laboratory generated lightning arcs. Presented at: 20th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 28 August - 1 September 2017.
- Mitchard, D.et al. 2017. Experimental and theoretical evaluation of aluminium deflection due to lightning strikes. Presented at: 19th International Conference on Lightning Protection, Dubai, UAE, 30 - 31 January 2017.
2016
- Mitchard, D.et al. 2016. Experimental and theoretical evaluation of aluminium deflection due to lightning strikes. Presented at: Lightning Protection (ICLP), 2016 33rd International Conference, Estoril, Portugal, 25-30 Sept. 20162016 33rd International Conference on Lightning Protection (ICLP). IEEE, (10.1109/ICLP.2016.7791428)
- Mitchard, D.et al. 2016. Technique for the comparison of light spectra from natural and laboratory generated lightning current arcs. Applied Physics Letters 109(9), article number: 93502. (10.1063/1.4962205)
- Crivelli, D.et al. 2016. Acoustic emission for assessment of impact and lightning damage to woven carbon fibre laminates. Presented at: 8th European Workshop On Structural Health Monitoring (EWSHM 2016), Bilbao, Spain, 5-8 July 20168th European Workshop On Structural Health Monitoring (EWSHM 2016).
2015
- Evans, P. R.et al. 2015. Mechanical forces due to lightning strikes to aircraft: a pseudo-stereo DIC technique for measuring full-field displacement. Presented at: 10th International Conference on Experimental Mechanics, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK, 1-3 September 2015.
- Clark, D.et al. 2015. Spectrographic characterisation of high-current arcs for a lightning direct-effects laboratory. Presented at: ISH2015 - 19th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering, Pilsen, Czech Republic, 23-28 August 2015. Proceedings of the 19th International Symposium on High Voltage Engineering: ISH
- Mitchard, D.et al. 2015. Preliminary results for spectrographic lightning arc measurements. Presented at: ICOLSE 2015 - International Conference on Lightning and Static Electricity, Toulouse, France, 9-11 September 2015. Proceedings of the 2015 International Conference on Lightning and Static Electricity: ICOLSE
- Jamoshid, N. S.et al. 2015. Modelling the deflection of carbon fibre reinforced polymer materials under lightning strikes. Presented at: [International Conference on Lightning & Static Electricity (ICOLSE 2015), Toulouse, 9-11 September 2015International Conference on Lightning & Static Electricity (ICOLSE 2015), Vol. 6. pp. 42., (10.1049/ic.2015.0189)
Teaching
Summary
I teach in the areas of mathematics, physics and design within the Mechanical Engineering and supervise project and PhD students in lightning research across both Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.
Modules
Control Theory
SolidWorks
MatLAB
Laboratories
Thermodynamics
PhD Students
Deflection and Vibration of Carbon Composite Materials Struck by Generated Lightning, Co-supervisor
Student Projects
Simulation of Mechanical Lightning Shock
Digital Image Correlation of Materials Struck by Generated Lightning
Summary
My main research area is the characterisation of lightning, electrical discharges and related phenomena primarily through the development of optical and spectral based techniques and other non-contact methods. I am primarily based in the Mogan-Botti Lightning Laboratory, part of the Advanced High Voltage Engineering Research Centre, within the Electrical Engineering Department at the School of Engineering. My research is cross-disciplinaryacross physics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and material science.
Affiliations
Themes: Energy and Environment, Mechanics, Materials and Advanced Manufacturing
Centres and Groups: Advanced High Voltage Engineering Research Centre, Mechanical and Structural Performance Laboratory, Magnetics and Materials Research Group
Cross-Disciplinary Research: Aerospace, Materials
Facilities: Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory, Structural Performance Laboratory, Wolfson Centre for Magnetics
Projects
Jan 17 - Dec 20: "Lightning, an Invisible Driver of Background Tree Mortality in the Tropics" (led by Exeter University) Co-Investigator, NERC
Nov 16 – Nov 17: "Streak Camera for High-Speed Spectral Analysis" Co-Investigator, Research Infrastructure Fund
Jan 15 – Dec 16: Combined Travel Grants, Co-Investigator, Sêr Cymru NRN
Jan 15 – Dec 16: "Dynamic Capacitive Sensor for the Measurement of Millimetre Displacement of Carbon Composite Panels: Application to Aircraft Materials Subjected to Lightning Strikes" Co-Investigator, Sêr Cymru NRN
Apr 15 – Mar 17: "Musculoskeletal Research Centre" Co-Investigator, WEFO
Apr 14 – Jul 14: "GW4 Initiator Fund: Lightning" Co-Investigator, GW4 Initiator Fund
Jun 14 – Aug 14: "Optimisation of the Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory Control and Data Acquisition System" Co-Investigator, CUROP
Jun 13 – Dec 14: "Lightning Effects on Aerospace Carbon Composite Materials, the Next Generation of Materials and Components" Manager/Specialist, WEFO A4B
Oct 13 – Sep 15: "Develop Autonomous Load Cells through Power Management Electronics, Wireless Communication and Energy Harvesting Technologies for Monitoring Applications" Facilitator, KTP
2012-14: "Business Gateway, Knowledge Transfer Centre Extension" Co-Investigator, WEFO
2012: "Testing of Rucksacks" Co-Investigator, BCB International
2012: "Impact Strength Testing and Flow Testing" Facilitator, Fuel Defend Global
2009-12: "Knowledge Transfer Centre" Manager/Specialist, WEFO A4B
