PhD candidate - Nikki
Nikki has been working as a PhD candidate in Aircraft Design Aerodynamics at the Aerospace Engineering faculty for about a year. As a PhD candidate, she performs research at the faculty while working towards the title of doctorate. Before that she did both her Aerospace Engineering Bachelor’s and Master’s at TU Delft, doing her Master’s in Flight Performance and Propulsion, specialising in Flight Performance.
What do you do now that you have graduated?
“I graduated last year in March 2023 and started as a PhD candidate at the Aerospace Engineering faculty in May 2023. I am working in Aircraft Design Aerodynamics investigating the vortex aerodynamics of curved wings with a high degree of sweep applied to the Flying V aircraft. So, I do research on the aerodynamics of vortices, perform tests in the wind tunnels, and develop numerical simulations to see what exactly happens and how we can influence that.”
Why did you decide to study Aerospace Engineering?
“I always used to watch documentaries on National Geographic or Discovery Channel that would cover technical topics or air crash investigations. Those programs really sparked my interest in technology, and especially my interest in aircraft. It was just so fascinating to think about how such a complex object can fly. How does it stay in the air even though it is so heavy? I thought that was incredibly intriguing, which is one of the reasons why I decided to study Aerospace Engineering.”
And why the master track Flight Performance & Propulsion?
“Within the Flight Performance & Propulsion track, I did the Flight Performance profile. For me that felt like a natural continuation of the bachelor as you are still looking at the design of the whole aircraft. With the Aerodynamics or Aerospace Structures and Materials track for example, you go into a lot more in depth into the theoretical aspects of the separate components . I really liked that in Flight Performance you get to look at the whole picture instead.”
Did the PhD also feel like a natural continuation?
“Partly, yes. My work now does include a bit more fundamental aerodynamics and less design aspects, but I would still say that it is a natural continuation from my Flight Performance master. Within the Flight Performance profile, you do need to have some affinity with the aerodynamics aspects, you just don’t go into the very theoretical details. For my work, I use fundamental aerodynamics for my research and experiments, not to create new codes or formulas, but rather to understand what happens when it is applied to a wing, in my case, the Flying V.”
How did you decide what to do after your master's degree?
“Well, I never thought I would do a PhD, but during my master’s thesis my supervisor actually asked if I would be interested. At first, I was hesitant. I still needed to do my internship, so I wanted to experience what it would be like to work for a company. I did always know that I wanted to stay within the aerospace industry. I studied it because I loved learning about the physics and dynamics of aircraft, and I still find that incredibly intriguing. Eventually though, I realised that I wanted to learn and work a lot more with wind tunnels, testing, and aerodynamics. As a master student you will have courses on these topics, but you still won’t know all of it. And when you work for a company, you will work on one of these processes or aspects, but I really wanted to learn about the whole process. Now, I get to see the whole picture and which aspects I like most, and maybe after my PhD I will still work for a company.”
How did you experience being a student?
“I feel very positive about my time as a student. You come to Delft, and you know no one, but then there are introductory events such as the Freshmen Weekend or the OWee (Introduction Week) where you get to meet so many new people. Next to that, you have your project groups almost every semester during which you get to know even more people. For me that was very positive. Of course, the study was also challenging, especially the first year. As a recently graduated high school student coming to university for the first time that can be quite scary, but it will all turn out well.”
What was it like to go from being a student to a PhD candidate?
“For me it was not that big of a transition. I already did both my bachelor’s and master’s degree here, so I was very familiar with the environment. On top of that I also did my master’s thesis with my current supervisor, so the transition for me was very small . Still, being a PhD candidate is different from being a student. You work a lot more independently. You are basically doing a thesis, but over a time span of four years. So, you have to be quite on top of things like project management and responsibilities. Besides that, you still follow some courses and conduct educational activities as a lecturer, teaching assistant, or supervisor, but you do not have any deadlines set by external people anymore. It is your own responsibility now, but it is also in your own best interest to do your work on time. You are working on your own project with your own responsibilities, so if you don’t do the work today, it will be your problem tomorrow.”
How did the Aerospace Engineering bachelor's programme prepare you for your career?
“I think the bachelor helps especially in preparing you on how to think in solutions with a critical and logical mindset. The projects, for example, help especially with preparing you for your career. The final bachelor project, Design Synthesis Exercise, is a great example of how this develops these skills. You get the task of designing an aircraft or space mission for example, but no one in your project group has done this before. So, you learn how to tackle such a big project with multiple people , how to work together, and how to do project management. That is done in quite a short amount of time, so you learn a lot. You learn how to use all the basic engineering skills and knowledge you got during your bachelor's programme and apply them to a big project.”
Where do you see yourself in five years?
“By then, hopefully, I will have defended my PhD. But besides that, I think it would be fun to go abroad and experience a new adventure. The aerospace industry is quite big and there are a lot of career opportunities. I do know that I want to stay in the aerospace industry and, for now, I think I see myself working for a start-up or a branch of a big company working on sustainable aviation developments. I would enjoy working on electrical aircraft or vertical take-off vehicles, but mostly, I would like to work on innovations in the aerospace field.”
What advice would you give to prospective students?
“They should not get scared when people talk about how difficult the bachelor is. Everyone experiences the study and its challenges differently. Maybe the study suits you well, maybe it doesn’t. But that is the case for any study you might choose, and you can always try. So, I would say to just go for it, and if you love challenges, Aerospace Engineering will be the right place.”
