Statement of Purpose

I intend to pursue my Ph.D. in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the
University of Toronto. I received my M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering after graduating in
Aeronautical Engineering. I am currently employed as a XXX, Bangladesh. I believe that the
skills and experiences I have gained from my five years of teaching experience make me an
appropriate candidate for the Ph.D. studentship.

I want to do research on the optimization of wind turbines to enhance their performance. This
optimization can be done based on the findings of the numerical simulation results. Depending
on the optimization model, wind turbines can be installed in the farms to harness maximum
energy, and new flow control techniques could be developed to minimize the wake effects.
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is one of the prominent aspects of predicting the flow
analysis before performing the experimental investigation and fabrication because these are
more concerned with time and cost. I would like to work on numerical methods and the
algorithms behind them and utilize them to model wind turbine wakes. Supervised machine
learning can be used to develop new flow control techniques by utilizing data from
experimental or computational work. I've already started working with artificial neural
networks (ANN) in one of my projects where numerical findings are used as the input data.

During my M.Sc. thesis, the core interest is to analyze horizontal axis wind turbines'
performance by adding winglets at the tip. Before the experimental investigation,
computational simulations had been done to predict the performance of the turbine model. I
published a journal article titled "Study on the Effects of Winglets: Wind Turbine Blades with
Circular Arc Blade Section Profile" based on my findings. While doing my undergraduate
degree, my thesis topic was to improve the performance of the NACA0012 airfoil with MSBLC
(Moving Surface Boundary Layer Control) by computational study. In conclusion, the
experience gained from this project will be useful in pursuing my doctoral studies, as both
experimental and computational backgrounds are required for research activities.

I published a conference paper during the final year of my undergraduate degree titled
"Comparative assessment of a turbulence model in predicting airflow over a NACA 0010
airfoil". This paper depicts the flow behavior over an airfoil using different turbulence models
like K-epsilon, K-omega, Spalart Allmaras, etc., and a comparison with the experimental
results that satisfy the computational results most. My research interests on turbulence has
continued since then. Another paper I published was titled "Computational study of airfoil
performance with the incorporation of a moving surface at the leading edge." This paper
described that the aerodynamic performance of an airfoil could be enhanced by momentum
injection, which is implemented by incorporating a leading-edge rotating cylinder.

As a senior lecturer in the Aeronautical Engineering department, I conduct theory classes on

Aircraft vehicle design, Aircraft stability and control, and Machine design. Furthermore, I take
sessionals like the Applied Aerodynamics sessional, Computational Fluid Dynamics sessional,
and Aeronautical Engineering Drawing II using Solid Works. In the Applied Aerodynamics
lab, the sessional are performed in a low-speed subsonic wind tunnel (maximum Mach no. 0.1).
I have to take sessional like calculating the drag experienced by an airfoil using drag
momentum principles and measuring the pressure distribution over a circular cylinder in
subsonic flow, as well as flow visualization (smoke) over them. In the computational fluid
dynamics lab, ANSYS software is used for simulation, where different turbulence model
impacts are shown in objects like a cylinder or an airfoil. Thus, these experiences would be
fruitful and advantageous for me while pursuing the prospective doctoral degree.

After going through the research activities at the XXX Laboratory, I found that various ongoing
research provide a balanced understanding across the areas of XXXX. I found XXX Professor
of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, has done extensive research on
XXX. The corresponding research works of XXX have matched my interest entirely.
Furthermore, the reason behind choosing the XXX is that the research facilities and laboratories
available for prospective graduates could be of imperative importance.

Professor, I have always had a strong interest in learning to develop self-purposed simulation
codes that could be used in different numerical methods. To begin, I learned the fundamentals
of machine learning through the online education platform Coursera, where I studied the
supervised learning back-propagation algorithm, which will help optimize the performance of
any designed model. Additionally, I enrolled in the "Rotor and Wake Aerodynamics" online
course offered by the Department of Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft. After successfully
completing the course, I'll be able to learn about vortex line methods, vortex wake structure,
and unsteady aerodynamics. With the kind of dedication and perseverance required for
obtaining a Ph.D. degree, I think that I have the ability and determination to deal with this
exciting journey.

Finally, apart from my academic and professional experience regarding myself, I am an

extrovert by nature. Usually, in my leisure time, I like to play desktop games and listen to
music. One strength I would like to add is my smiling face, which helps me relax in a pressured
situation.

I look forward to hearing back from you, and all I need is one opportunity to prove my will to
knowledge.

Sincerely,
Nafiz Ahmed Khan
Prospective Gradate Studentship
Date: XXX