Rob Johnson - Head of Offshore and Ship Aerodynamics
Dr Johnson joined Cranfield Institute of Technology in 1975 to study wind engineering. His work involved extensive wind tunnel investigations and principal activities centred on wind flow over complex topography, and wind effects on offshore structures. In 1981, he joined ERA Technology Limited where his main responsibilities were for wind energy contracts; ranging from full scale wind measurement programmes both in the UK and overseas, to computer based dynamic modelling of wind turbine generator power systems.
In 1986 Dr Johnson joined the Wind Engineering Department of British Maritime Technology Limited, to work in the atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel investigating a variety of topics including wind flow around buildings and wind effects on helicopter operations and pilot workload. He later helped form the Turbulence Structure Group undertaking fundamental research in the structure of turbulence and its effect on aerodynamic drag. In 1989, he re-joined the Wind Engineering Group continuing with experimental test work and becoming increasingly involved with Computational Fluid Dynamics.
Following the formation of the Fluid and Structural Mechanics Group, Dr. Johnson increased his offshore work and managed several projects in this area. As well as maintaining responsibility for wind tunnel projects for the offshore oil and gas and ship industries, his experience is used to provide expert input to all of the group's offshore and maritime projects. These services span all wind related aspects of offshore platform and ship design, and especially in areas covered by regulatory bodies such as the Civil Aviation Authority and the Health and Safety Executive where regulations and guidelines require these structures to be formally assessed against established design requirements.