Professor Thomas O'Donoghue

Biography

1981 University College Cork, Eire. BE (Civil), 1^st Class Honours.

1983 University College Cork, Eire. MEngSc, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Thesis: Development of an Irregular Wave Generation System. 

1987 Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, Scotland. PhD, Offshore Engineering, Thesis: The Dynamic Behaviour of a Surface Hose Attached to a CALM Buoy

1987-1988  Civil/Coastal Engineer, British Maritime Technology Ltd., Ceemaid Division, Hampshire, England. Coastal engineering consultancy.

1988–1990  Post-doctoral Research Associate, Department of Civil & Offshore Engineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. Response of floating production systems in waves.

1990 Lecturer, Senior Lecturer (1999), Reader (2006), Professor (2007), School of Engineering, University of Aberdeen.

Research Overview

Coastal and maritime engineering, oscillatory boundary layer flow, sand transport under sea waves, swash zone processes, wave-structure interaction, beach response, coastal monitoring.

Funding and Grants

• HYDRALAB+ Adapting to climate change, EC, H2020, Project Ref 654110, £76,816, 1/9/2015 – 1/9/2019. Project Partner and Task Leader. Total project value is 9.9M Euros; coordinated by Deltares, The Netherlands.
• Sand Transport under Irregular and Breaking Wave Conditions (SINBAD), EPSRC, £605,965, 1/1/2012 – 31/06/2016 (EPSRC EP/J00507X/1). PI with van der A as Researcher CI, 4-year research project with University of Twente (Ribberink) and Liverpool University (Ming Li). Dutch side of project funded by STW.
• The LRF Centre for Safety and Reliability Engineering,LRF, £1.2M, 2011 – 2018. PI. 
• Turbulence and wall shear stress in unsteady internal flows woith rough surfaces. EPSRC, £342,737, 2009-2012 (EP/G068925/1). CI with S. He (Sheffield) as PI and D. Pokrajac as second CI. Collaboration with Prof. A Vardy, University of Dundee.
• Experimental and Numerical Modelling Study of Swash Zone Hydrodynamics and Sediment Transport. EPSRC, £305,089, 2007 – 2010. (EP/E0113301). With D.Pokrajac. Collaboration with Prof. Dodd, University of Nottingham.
• Aberdeen Beach coastal monitoring project (ABCoMP). Aberdeen City Council, £199,145, 2006 – 2009. With Robert Wright (Geography & Environment), Professor Bill Ritchie (Aberdeen Institute for Coastal Science and Management).
• Sand Transport in Oscillatory Flows in the Sheet-flow Regime (SANTOSS). EPSRC, £321,027, 2005 – 2009. (GR/T28089/01). With the University of Twente, The Netherlands and a number of UK and Dutch industrial partners. Dutch side funded by STW, The Netherlands.
• SANDPIT: Sand Transport and Morphology of Offshore Sand Mining Pits and Areas. EC-funded, 170,000Euros, 2002 – 2005. EU 5th Framework research project involving 17 partner organisations from across Europe.
• Total Sediment Transport Rate Predictions in Wave-Current Sheet Flow with Graded Sand. EPSRC, £18,390, 2001 – 2004. (GR/R23572). Collaboration with Prof. B.A.O’Connor, Dr S.Pan, University of Liverpool and Prof. A.G.Davies, University of Wales, Bangor.
• Velocity Measurements to Understand Complex Flows and Sediment Behaviour in the Natural Environment. NERC (+ Development Trust), £62,770, 2001 – 2003. (NER/F/S/2000/00246 - JREI). With Dr. I.McEwan, Engineering and Prof. C.Soulsby, Geography, Aberdeen University as co-investigators.
• Experimental Study of Graded Sediments under Linear and Non-Linear Waves. EPSRC, £149,889, 1999 – 2002. (GR/M75563).
• Seabed Response to Jet Action. DTI/TCD + Industry, £96,950, 1999 – 2001. Teaching Company Scheme with PSL Ltd (TCS Project 2769). Principal Investigator with Dr. I.McEwan as co-investigator.
• In-situ Detection and Monitoring of Leaks in Water Distribution Pipes. Twenty One Ltd., £70,000, 1999 – 2000. Co-investigator with Dr. I. McEwan as Principal Investigator.
• Near-bed Water Particle Velocities in Front of Coastal Structures. EPSRC, £101,714, 1995 – 1998.
• Wave Kinematics and Erosion in Front of Coastal Structures. SERC, £61,349, 1992 – 1994.

Teaching Responsibilities

Fluid Mechanics, Civil Engineering Hydraulics