Designing hypersonic vehicles through an engineering PhD

Life as a graduate researcher: Vincent Liu

PhD candidate Vincent Liu is working with industry partners to advance autonomous flying technology.

When Vincent Liu finished his Master of Engineering, he knew he wasn’t quite finished studying just yet. So, he enrolled in a PhD in Engineering and IT at the University of Melbourne to follow his passion for control theory and applied mathematics, while gaining industry insights in the process.

“Doing a PhD with an industry partner has been a great way to see what it’s like to work in and with industry, and to really build that connection while researching,” he says.

Cutting-edge industry collaboration

Vincent’s PhD is part of a broader collaboration between the University of Melbourne, the University of Southern Queensland and aerospace company BAE Systems. The research team is investigating the design of pilotless vehicles that fly faster than the speed of sound – autonomous hypersonic vehicles.

“Everybody’s tackling a different aspect. Some researchers are working on optimising the actual mechanical design of the vehicle, others are working on computational fluid dynamics – that is, how to simulate the vehicles. We’re all working on a different part and trying to actually get this thing to fly.”

There are two key aspects to the project – the design of the vehicle itself, and the design of the autopilot algorithm that will be used to autonomously pilot it. “Both of those [aspects] will determine how well the vehicle will fly in practice, and whether it can achieve certain mission objectives or not. [We are] really looking at how to optimise both.”

As for Vincent’s specific topic, he is designing an autopilot algorithm that would enable hypersonic vehicles to autonomously fly at Mach 5 – five times faster than the speed of sound. Achieving that milestone would have many potential applications, from faster disaster responses to easier access to space, and deployment in military operations.

“Most of my work is in the theoretical side. I’m producing mathematical theorems and algorithms. For me, it’s all about the maths.”

Vincent has always been interested in maths, but he was worried that embracing his passion would mean giving up the chance to help solve real-world problems. His PhD has given him the best of both worlds – the chance to work with numbers while being part of a bigger project with practical applications.

The experience also benefits industry partners, who gain access to a community of cutting-edge researchers who “think outside the box”, he says.

“For industry, it’s really about being able to leverage expert knowledge in a field that’s only just developing. You need thinkers who can work out solutions to things that just have no solutions yet.”

Travel with a PhD scholarship

As the recipient of the Faculty of Engineering and IT Ingenium scholarship, Vincent has received a stipend and top-up scholarship, as well as access to a dedicated fund for professional development and travel opportunities.

The funding has enabled Vincent to embrace networking opportunities outside of Melbourne, and he has attended a conference and undergone an academic visit to Canberra. He also traveled overseas to attend the Global Young Scientists Summit.

While at the University of Melbourne he has also seized the opportunity to teach at the faculty where previously he had been a student.

“It was really great to be able to finish my degree, then go back and share my passion and knowledge, passing that onto future students. That has been such a rewarding experience.”

As for where Vincent wants to take his PhD, he is “still not 100% sure” whether he wants to pursue a career in academia or industry. But one thing’s for sure – his PhD will equip him well for navigating both pathways.

“I’ll always be interested in autonomous systems and aerospace applications. I’m definitely interested in pursuing research and development roles, either as an academic or within industry such as BAE Systems themselves, or within Defence.”

Learn more about a PhD in Engineering and IT