Dr Daniel Mitchard
Lecturer
- mitcharddr@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2048 2093
- E3.10, Queen's Buildings - East Building, 5 The Parade, Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 3AA
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
I am a Lecturer at Cardiff School of Engineering. I am a particle physicist with research interests in lightning, lightning phenomena, and lightning interactions with physics and engineering applications. I am based in the Lightning Laboratory, part of the Advanced High Voltage Research Centre, within the Electrical Engineering Department. My expertise is in the characterisation of high voltage and high current laboratory-generated lightning arcs and their interactions and related phenomena, using a variety of advanced optical, high-speed, schlieren and spectrographic techniques. My research is cross-disciplinary involving physics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry and material science, and I work closely with other laboratories within the school of engineering, such as the Structural Performance Laboratory and the Wolfson Centre for Magnetics.
I am Head of Year 3 and a member of the Senior Teaching Committee, and Industrial Lead and member of the Industrial Board for the Mechanical Engineering Department. I teach Engineering Control and laboratories, as well as Matlab and Solidworks. I supervise a number of undergraduate and postgradute sudent projects each year in a variety of engineering fields, which also includes heritage engineering project via the National Museum of Wales.
Biography
Career Overview
2021: Lecturer, Lightning Physics & Engineering
Head of Year 3, Mechanical Engineering
Industrial Lead, Mechanical Engineering
2019: Lecturer, Lightining Physics & 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
Education and Qualifications
2022: FHEA, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
2008: CPhys, Chartered Physicist, Institute of Physics, London
2006: PhD, Particle Physics, Swansea University at CERN, Geneva
2002: MPhys, Master of Physics, Swansea 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
2023
- Xu, X., Millen, S. L. J., Lee, J., Abdelal, G., Mitchard, D., Wisnom, M. R. and Murphy, A. 2023. Developing test methods for compression after lightning strikes. Applied Composite Materials (10.1007/s10443-022-10100-w)
2021
- Mitchard, D., Widger, P. and Haddad, A. 2021. Analysis of light emission and Schlieren from short gap high voltage streamers representing lightning impulses. Scientific Reports 11(1), article number: 24324. (10.1038/s41598-021-03839-y)
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., Widger, P., Clark, D., Carr, D. and Haddad, A. 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., Clark, D., Carr, D., Stone, C. and Haddad, A. 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., Jamoshid, N. S., Clark, D., Carr, D. and Haddad, A. 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., Clark, D., Carr, D. and Haddad, A. 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., Carr, D., Mitchard, D., Stone, C. and Haddad, A. 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., Jamoshid, N. S., Stone, C. and Haddad, A. 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., Jamoshid, N. S., Stone, C. and Haddad, A. 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., Clark, D., Carr, D. and Haddad, A. 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., Vinestock, T., Eaton, M. J., Mitchard, D. and Pullin, R. 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., Featherston, C. A., Eaton, M. J., McCrory, J. and Mitchard, D. 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., Mitchard, D., Stone, C. and Haddad, A. 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., Clark, D., Stone, C. and Haddad, A. 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., Griffiths, H., Haddad, A. and Mitchard, D. 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
Modules
4th Year / MSc Engineering Control
(Achieved 92% overall satisfaction and 95% on digital education in 2020/21)
2nd Year MatLAB
1st Year SolidWorks
Laboratories
2nd Year Thermodynamics
Funded projects
Sep 23 - Jul 24: "Engage - Engineering Animations Engagement", CoI, Ingenious Awards.
Jun 23 - Aug 24: "Light-based instrumentation and sensors", PI, CU student internship
Jun 23 - Aug 24: "EDF exchange summer student", PI, EDF
Nov 22 - Mar 26: "Identification and qualification of C4F7N gas mixture arcing by-products and their implications for GIS operation", CoI, National Grid
Nov 22 - Oct 23: "Replicating stratospheric lightning phenomena (Jets) within the laboratory", PI, NERC
Oct 22 - Mar 26: "Development of ultra-high-speed image-based technology for the study of lightning and lightning interactions", PI, EPSRC DTP
Aug 20 - Jan 21: "Visiting academic", PI, University of Florida (suspended)
Jun 18 - Dec 18: "Physical, chemical, and biological impact of lightning strikes due to climate change", PI, GW4
Jun 18 - Sep 18: "Investigation into the stability of synchrotron end-station for nanoprobe beamline 14", Co-I, Diamond Light
May 18 - Jul 18: "Acoustic emission techniques for National Grid assets", Co-I, National Grid
Jan 17 - Dec 22: Lightning, an invisible driver of background tree mortality in the tropics. Co-I, NERC
Nov 16 - Nov 17: "Streak camera for high-speed spectral analysis of lightning". Co-I, RIF
Jan 15 - Dec/16: "Combined travel grants". Co-I, 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-I, Sêr Cymru NRN
Apr 15 - Mar 17: "Musculoskeletal research centre". Co-I, WEFO
Apr 14 - Jul 14: "GW4 initiator fund: lightning". Co-I, GW4 Initiator Fund
Jun 14 - Aug 14: "Optimisation of the Morgan-Botti Lightning Laboratory control and data acquisition system". Co-I, 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
Dec 2012 - Dec 14: "Business gateway, knowledge transfer centre extension". Co-I, WEFO
Aug 12: "Testing of rucksacks". Co-I, BCB International
Jun 12: "Impact strength testing and flow testing". Facilitator, Fuel Defend Global
Dec 09 - Dec 12: "Knowledge transfer centre". Manager/Specialist, WEFO A4B
Public Engagement
2021 - "Sprties, elves and jets: the mysterious world of lightning", Scout's Cymru
2018 - "Me and my lightning machine", Hay Festival
2016 - "Lightning", The Nature of Things, CBC
Supervision
Supervised Areas
Lightning, lightning phenomena and interactions, light-based / electromagnetic-based sensors and instrumentation, high-speed imaging, high voltage / high current.
Research Associates
2023: Phillip Lugg-Widger
PhD Students
2022 - 2026: Meirion Hills
