David Petty
University of New South Wales
Rate Professor David Petty
Knowledgeable and truly inspiring educator.
Inspires students to achieve their best.
Creates a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Always positive and motivating in class.
Brings real-world insights to the classroom.
About David
Dr David Petty is a Lecturer in the School of Engineering and Technology at UNSW Canberra, University of New South Wales, appointed in 2022. He also coordinates the PASS (Peer Assisted Study Sessions). Petty obtained his PhD in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Queensland in 2015. He also holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical and Space Engineering with Honours and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the same university in 2009. Prior to UNSW, he was a Research Scientist at the Center for Exascale Simulation of Plasma-Coupled Combustion at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, focusing on high-fidelity variable-density turbulence modelling.
Petty's research specializations include hypersonics, turbulence modelling and simulation, nonequilibrium real-gas physics, thermochemical nonequilibrium modelling and simulation of supersonic nozzle flows, Direct Simulation Monte Carlo implementations on Field-Programmable Gate Arrays, spectral modelling of hypersonic boundary-layer transition with automatic differentiation, state-to-state modelling of vibrational nonequilibrium gasdynamics in supersonic expanding flows, and high-fidelity variable-density turbulence modelling. His Fields of Research (FoR) are turbulent flows, hypersonic propulsion and hypersonic aerothermodynamics, fundamental and theoretical fluid dynamics, and numerical solution of differential and integral equations. Notable publications feature "A semi-Lagrangian direct-interaction closure of the spectra of isotropic variable-density turbulence" (Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 2019, with C. Pantano), "A Roe-like numerical method for weakly hyperbolic systems of equations in conservation and non-conservation form" (Journal of Computational Physics, 2016, with T.A. Smith and C. Pantano), "Effects of oxygen enrichment on scramjet performance" (AIAA Journal, 2013, with V. Wheatley, M.K. Smart, S.A. Razzaqi), the book chapter "Spatially-Parallel Collision Scheme for Implementing Direct Simulation Monte Carlo in Field-Programmable Gate Arrays" (Springer Aerospace Technology, 2026, with S. Bhattarai, S. O’Byrne, E. Peters), conference paper "Performance Modeling and Comparisons of an FPGA-based Direct Simulation Monte Carlo Solver" (2025), and his PhD thesis "Flow physics of a hypervelocity mixing wake with oxygen enrichment".
Professional Email: d.petty@unsw.edu.au