Aeroacoustics is the study of sound generated by airflow, typically in an aircraft engine but with applications to car noise and wind turbine noise, among others. This part of this talk will concentrate on models for acoustic linings that absorb sound. We will see how the model for the last 40 years is provably wrong (ill-posed), what we can do about it, and how even today we do not have a good predictive model for sound absorption by a surface in an airflow. Metal Forming is bending bits of metal into the right shape. It is how most things from coke cans to cars are made. Finite element analysis is the tool of choice for engineers, but it is not fast enough for real-time control of metal forming processes; so these processes are not controlled. With a controlled metal forming process, we could make parts we can't today; we could reduce the energy needed to make parts; we could use more recycled metal; and, possibly, we could build machines that can make more than one part. The missing ingredient is a sufficiently accurate, sufficiently quick model of how metal forms, which is where mathematical modelling can help. This part of this talk will look at some recent attempts by my group at mathematical modelling of some simple metal forming processes.

Followed by wine and cheese (and beer) in the Common Room.