Rakesh Rayapureddi

Biography

Rakesh Rayapureddi joined the Centre of Research and Enterprise in Engineering (engCORE) as a Ph.D. student at SETU, Carlow. His specialization includes design, 3D-Printing, Computational Fluid Dynamics, and robotics. He completed a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronics) from Shiv Nadar University in 2020. Post-graduation he joined as a researcher at Bio-Inspired Robotics & Design Lab (BIRD LAB), where he studied maneuverability in complex spatial and underwater environments to develop control strategies for soft robotic actuation. Between 2021 and 2022 he was a Junior Research Fellow at Naval Research Board, in India. His research focuses on advancing computational techniques and he is currently working on atmospheric modeling, exploring the role of urban structure on microclimate. Having a background in mechanical systems and farming, he has a particular interest in the development of sustainable agriculture technology. He is the founder of FarmOn Agristack company, working on next-generation precision agriculture machinery.

Research Project Description

Rapid urbanisation and the continued migration of people to densely populated areas present significant sustainability challenges to modern society. These modern habitats create microclimates which are distinct from that of the extended surrounding rural and meteorological climates. As a consequence, negative environmental effects such as increases in local pollution concentrations and ambient temperatures occur. These aspects have a direct impact on the morbidity and mortality rates of citizens and consequently planning bodies and policy makers require advanced tools and guidelines for optimal urban design. The current project takes Dublin City Centre as a case study and investigates the effects of wind flows on pollution concentration and pedestrian comfort. Three sub-studies will be executed namely college green as an open area where vehicular pollution will be analysed, Pearse street as a reference canyon study to examine the effects of background pollution and lastly the Docklands neighbourhood to study the effect of high-rise buildings on the local air flow environment. The methods employed in the studies will be primarily simulation based using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) on meteorological microscale city model and further flow visualisation of reduced scale models using wind tunnel experiments.

Publications and Outputs

1. Rayapureddi, R. and Mitra, S., 2022. Novel Hydrodynamic Analysis Towards Capabilities Improvement of Bio-inspired Underwater Vehicles Using Momentum Redistribution Method. Journal of Bionic Engineering, 19(2), pp.314-330.

(This paper presents the development of an efficient and versatile OpenFOAM based model for solving Fluid–Structure Interactions (FSI) involving the immersed structure with changeable shapes. Study further extended to the three-dimensional hydrodynamics of a bioinspired, self-propelling manta bot. It is observed that the developed computational model is capable of performing any motion simulation and manoeuvrability analysis.)

2. Keval, S., Rayapureddi, R., Gurajala, J., Raghavan, V. and Gupta, A., 2022. Revamping the vehicle protection system using next-generation car bumper to mitigate pedestrian fatality. International Journal of Crashworthiness, 27(6), pp.1770-1789.

(The present study is focused on the design and development of an economical external multi-layered bumper that can be retrofitted to any car’s existing bumper fascia while improving the safety of pedestrians without compromising the safety of engine components. The increased emphasis on vehicle and occupant safety in automotive accidents has necessitated research on vehicle crashworthiness during the design phase. The proposed multi-layered bumper consists of spring and damper assembly along with layers of high-density polyurethane foam.)

3. Rayapureddi, R. and Gupta, A. (2021) “Method for Making Bale Using an Autonomous Electric Straw Baler,” Patent.
4. Rayapureddi, R. and Keval, S. (2021) “Pedestrian Protection Assembly for An Automotive Vehicle,” Patent.
5. Rayapureddi, R. (2023) “A Self-Sustaining Hybrid Solar Thermal Heater with Panel Protection and An Operation Method Thereof,” Patent.