Â鶹ÊÓƵ

I am a Lecturer in Fluid Dynamics at the Â鶹ÊÓƵ. As an applied mathematician my research interests lie in the development of mathematical models and computational methods to describe boundary-layer fluid flows. I am an expert in the field of hydrodynamic stability theory, in particular competing instabilities and transition to turbulence, with numerous journal and conference publications of international quality and standard. I have led EPSRC research grants as PI and have secured over £300k of funding in recent years. Within the field of boundary-layer flows, I have applied analytical and computational methods to develop a theoretical formulation to model the stability of air flow over sharp spinning bodies. Meanwhile, I have links with researchers at Cambridge, Warwick and Sydney, Australia, and am National Lead of the UK Fluids Network () Special Interest Group (SIG) on ‘’. I hold Visiting Research Fellow positions at Sydney and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, and welcome interest from skilled fluid mechanics researchers and potential PhD students to join my research team.

Research expertise

Fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic stability theory, boundary-layer transition over rotating bodies, aerodynamics, asymptotics, Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD), non-Newtonian fluid flows, absolute and convective instabilities, non-modal stability theory, CFD of aerodynamically significant flows, multiphase flows, Large Eddy Simulation (LES), spectral stability analysis.

Grants

• 2020 EPSRC COVID-19 Allocation Fund, Â鶹ÊÓƵ - £37k
• 2018 EPSRC New Investigator Award - £190k

Prizes & awards

• 2023 College PGR Award for a funded PhD Studentship on the Fluid Dynamics of Swirling Flow in a Duct - £60k
• 2018 Faculty Award for a funded PhD Studentship on the Fluid Dynamics of Rotating Boundary Layers - £60k
• 2015 Faculty Award for fully funded PhD Studentship in Fluid Mechanics, £60k
• 2012 Innovation Fellowship: 'Capturing the commercial value in theoretical and computational studies of model fluid flows with engineering significance', £20k

Journal articles

S. Tambe, K. Kato, Z. Hussain (2023) Experimental and theoretical comparisons of the boundary-layer flow over rotating cones in axial flow: The centrifugal instability. (to be submitted to Journal of Fluid Mechanics Rapids).

B. Smith, Z. Hussain, S. J. Garrett (2023) The steady flow around a rotating sphere at large Reynold's numbers with temperature dependent viscosity. (to be submitted to Journal of Fluid Mechanics).

C. Thomas, S. O. Stephen, B. Alveroglu, M. A. S. Al-Malki, Z. Hussain (2023) Effect of slip on the linear stability of the rotating disk boundary layer (submitted to Physics of Fluids).

B. Smith, Z. Hussain, S. J. Garrett, S. A. W. Calabretto (2023) Laminar boundary layer separation and reattachment on a rotating sphere. (submitted to Journal of Fluid Mechanics).

Z. Hussain, S. Tambe, M. Fildes (2023) Experimental and theoretical comparisons of the boundary-layer flow over rotating cones in axial flow: The crossflow instability. (submitted to Journal of Fluid Mechanics).

S. Akhtar, Z. Hussain, Z. A. Khan, S. Nadeem, J. Alzabut (2023) . Chinese Journal of Physics, 2161.

S. Akhtar, Z. Hussain, S. Nadeem, I. M. R. Najjar, A. M. Sadoun (2023) . Science Progress, 106(2).

B. F. H. Al-Saeedi, F. Abdelrazik, M. Fildes, Z. Hussain (2023) . Physics of Fluids. 35(5), 054103.

M. A. S. Al-Malki, M. Fildes, Z. Hussain (2022) . Physics of Fluids. 34(10), 104103.

B. F. H. Al Saeedi, Z. Hussain (2021) . Mathematics - Asymptotics for Differential Equations. 9(22), 2967.

M. A. S. Al-Malki, Z. Hussain, S. J. Garrett, S. A. W. Calabretto (2021) . Physical Review Fluids. 6(11), 113902.

M. A. S. Al-Malki, S. J. Garrett, S. Camarri, Z. Hussain (2021) . Physics of Fluids. 33(10), 104109.

R. Bhoraniya, Z. Hussain, V. Narayanan (2021). . European Journal of Mechanics - B/Fluids. 87, pp.113-127.

M. Fildes, Z. Hussain, J. Unadkat, S. J. Garrett (2020) . Physics of Fluids. 32(12), 124118.

R. Miller, PT. Griffiths, Z. Hussain, S. J. Garrett (2020). Physics of Fluids. 32(2), 024105.

R. Miller, S. J. Garrett, P. T. Griffiths, Z. Hussain (2018). . Physical Review Fluids. 3(11)(113902), pp.1-36.

P. T. Griffiths, S. J. Garrett, S. O. Stephen, Z. Hussain (2017). . European Journal of Mechanics - B/Fluids. 61(2), pp.304-309.

P. D. Towers, Z. Hussain, P. T. Griffiths, S. J. Garrett (2016). . IMA Journal of Applied Mathematics. 81(5), pp.940-960.

Z. Hussain, S. J. Garrett, S. O. Stephen, P. T. Griffiths (2016). . Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 788, pp.70-94.

Z. Hussain, S. J. Garrett, S. O. Stephen (2014). . Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 755, pp.274-293.

Z. Hussain, S. J. Garrett, S. O. Stephen (2012). . Journal of Algorithms and Computational Technology. 6(1), pp.113-128.

Z. Hussain, S. J. Garrett, S. O. Stephen (2011). . Physics of Fluids. 23(11)(114108), pp.1-13.

S. J. Garrett, Z. Hussain, S. O. Stephen (2010). . AIAA Journal. 48(6), pp.1184-1194.

S. J. Garrett, Z. Hussain, S. O. Stephen (2009). . Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 622, pp.209-232.

Post-Doctoral Research Associates (PDRAs)

• Dr Jay Unadkat (Â鶹ÊÓƵ), Post-doctoral supervisor, 2018-2021

 

Postgraduate supervision (completed/in progress)

Current research students

• Kawthar Alsuwat, PhD primary supervisor 2023-
• Sara Ahmed Almammary, PhD primary supervisor, 2021-
• Maha Alshahrani, PhD primary supervisor, 2021-
• Bashar Al Saeedi, PhD primary supervisor, 2019-

 

Previous research students

 

PhD

 

• Dr Matthew Fildes, primary supervisor (2019-2023) [awarded]
• Dr Ben Smith, primary supervisor (2019-2023) [awarded]
• Dr Mushrifah Al-Malki, primary supervisor (2019-2022) [awarded]
• Dr Robert Miller, secondary supervisor (2016-19) [awarded]
• Dr Paul Griffiths, secondary supervisor  (2013-16) [awarded]
• Dr Alistair Barrow, secondary supervisor (2010-13) [awarded]
• Dr Paul Towers, secondary supervisor (2010-13) [awarded]

Undergraduate & Postgraduate teaching

• Fluid Instability, Transition and Turbulence (Year 4)

Fluid dynamics transition to turbulence turbulent flow flow instabilities

Recent grant:

Membership of professional associations

• Royal Aeronautical Society
• American Physical Society
• UK Fluids Network
• Fellow of the HEA

M. A. S. Al-Malki, Z. Hussain, S. J. Garrett, S. A. W. Calabretto (2021) On the boundary-layer flow over a rotating rough cone: energy eigenmode comparisons, Proceedings of the ICTAM 20.

J. Unadkat, Z. Hussain (2021) On the stability of boundary-layer flow over a rotating cone in an enforced axial free stream, Proceedings of the ISROMAC 18.

Z. Hussain, S.J. Garrett (2021) On the stability of boundary-layer flow over a rotating cone using new solution methods, Proceedings of the ISROMAC 18.

P. T. Griffiths, R. Miller, Z. Hussain, S. J. Garrett (2019). Temperature dependent boundary-layer flows. In: Proceedings of the 8th Bifurcations and Instabilities in Fluid Dynamics Symposium. Limerick, Ireland, 16/7/2019.

Z. Hussain, J. Unadkat, S. J. Garrett, S. O. Stephen (2018). Recent developments on the stability of boundary-layer flow over a rotating cone. In: Proceedings of the 1st UKFN Conference. Manchester, UK, 4/9/2018.

Z. Hussain (2016). Competing instabilities of rotating boundary-layer flows in an axial free-stream. In: Proceedings of the 16th ISROMAC 2016. Honolulu, USA, 10/4/2016.

Academic & professional qualifications

• 2009 PhD in Applied Mathematics (University of Birmingham)
• 2005 Advanced Studies in Mathematics - Part III (University of Cambridge)
• 2004 BA Hons in Mathematics, MA (University of Cambridge)