ENTRY

Jan 2025 Entry

STUDY MODE
Full-time, Part-time
Application Deadline
PhD & MPhil
30-Sep-2024

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  • Taught Postgraduate
  • Undergraduate
Talk / Seminar Playbacks are now available
About Programme
How to Apply
Introduction

The Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering (AAE), formerly the Interdisciplinary Division of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering, was established under the Faculty of Engineering in 2016 to lead the development of the field of aeronautical and aviation engineering by amalgamating the experts in the Faculty and the industry.

 

AAE strives to play a leading role in bridging innovative research and development in the field of aeronautical and aviation engineering that accommodates the needs and demands of the aeronautical and aviation industry. AAE currently leads/hosts three research centres/consortiums: the Aviation Research Consortium, the Joint Research Centre of Advanced Aerospace Propulsion Technology, and the Research Centre for Unmanned Autonomous Systems. The close collaboration with the industry, dedicated research centres, excellent facilities and staff expertise enable our various stakeholders' sustainable growth and competitiveness, including students, staff and industrial partners.

 

There are 6 main research areas in AAE:

  • Aerodynamics

  • Aerospace Propulsion and Combustion

  • Aerospace Structures and Materials

  • Aviation Engineering

  • Flight Mechanics and Control

  • Satellite Communication and Navigation

Research Area

Aerodynamics

SupervisorSpecialisation
Prof. C.Y. Wen
cywen@polyu.edu.hk
Aerothermodynamics and boundary layer transition of hypersonic/supersonic vehicles; Shock/droplet and shock/bubble interactions; Applications of DBD actuators on flow control; Experimental fluid mechanics and CFD; Numerical simulations and assessment of urban wind field and air pollution
Prof. Simon Yu
simon.c.yu@polyu.edu.hk
Vortex ring dynamics and starting jet phenomena 
Dr Jiaao Hao
jiaao.hao@polyu.edu.hk
High-Speed Aerodynamics; Hypersonic Nonequilibrium Flows; Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interactions; Computational Fluid Dynamics
Dr Siyang Zhong
siyang.zhong@polyu.edu.hk
Acoustics & Aeroacoustics (aircraft noise); Urban air mobility aerodynamics & noise; Rotor noise prediction and low-noise design; Environment noise assessment and low-noise path planning; Performance sports aerodynamics
Dr Shibin Cao
shibin.cao@polyu.edu.hk 
High-speed flows; Shock/boundary-layer interaction; Laminar-turbulent transition; Direct numerical simulation
Dr Zhengtong Li
zheng-tong.li@polyu.edu.hk
Numerical simulations and assessment of urban wind field and air pollution; Sports Aerodynamics; Smart Cities and Urban sustainability; Real-time Computational Fluid Dynamics; AI-accelerated Computational Fluid Dynamics; AI-based aerodynamic shape optimization

Aerospace Propulsion and Combustion

SupervisorSpecialisation
Prof. C.Y. Wen
cywen@polyu.edu.hk
Scramjet and Oblique Detonation Engines; Detonation
Prof. Simon Yu
simon.c.yu@polyu.edu.hk
Turbulent mixing; Applied fluid dynamics; Multi-phase flows; Starting jet phenomenon; Gas turbine design 
Dr Yu Guan
yu.guan@polyu.edu.hk
Combustion dynamics in gas turbines and rockets; Combustion instability; Clean combustion; Nonlinear dynamics; Data-driven methods
Dr Sangdi Gu
sangdi.gu@polyu.edu.hk
Thermochemical nonequilibrium; Hypersonic impulse facilities; Optical diagnostics; Experimental hypersonics
Dr Zijian Zhang
zijian92.zhang@polyu.edu.hk
Hypersonic air-breathing propulsion; Detonation phenomenon and Detonation-based engine; Supersonic combustion; Shock dynamics; Supersonic/hypersonic wind tunnel experiment; Computational fluid dynamics

Aerospace Structures and Materials

SupervisorSpecialisation
Dr Xi Shen 
xi.shen@polyu.edu.hk
Nanoengineered composites; Nanostructured fillers for composites; Functional composites for thermal management; Multimodal sensors; and EMI shielding; Fracture of nanocomposites
Dr Frank Zou
frank.zou@polyu.edu.hk
Quantum tunneling; Quantum tunneling-enabled strain sensing
Dr Kit Ying Chan
kit-y.chan@polyu.edu.hk
Structural energy storage composites; Nanocomposite dielectrics; Nanostructured composites for thermal management

Aviation Engineering

SupervisorSpecialisation
Dr Wei Liu
wei.w.liu@polyu.edu.hk
Air transportation modeling; Air-rail system modeling; Airport ground transportation; Data-driven decision analytics; Transportation network modeling; Transportation and aviation economics; UAV applications in smart transportation and logistics
Dr Ang Li
ang-joy.li@polyu.edu.hk
Air Traffic Management (ATM); Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM); Mechanism design and resource allocation; Multi-modal urban mobility; Air transportation economics; Urban last-mile parcel delivery; Congestion optimization; Path planning and conflict resolution; Large-scale optimization; Deterministic and stochastic optimization; Machine learning; Network science; Data Analytics
Dr Fan Li
fan-5.li@polyu.edu.hk
Human factors; Fatigue risk management; Accident analysis; Human-machine co-driving; Psychophysiological data analytics; Mutual understanding between human and machine
Dr Kam Hung Ng
kam.kh.ng@polyu.edu.hk
Air traffic control, air traffic flow, airport engineering and aviation management; Human factors engineering and neruoergonomics in air traffic control and flight operations
Dr Lingxiao Wu
lingxiao-leo.wu@polyu.edu.hk
Data-driven Optimization; Aviation Operations Modelling and Optimization; UAV Service Network Design; Shipping and Port Operations Modelling and Optimization
Dr Gangyan Xu
gangyan.xu@polyu.edu.hk
Data-Driven Optimization; Multi-Agent Systems; Networked System Control and Optimization; Airport Operations; Air Transport Network; UAV Applications

Flight Mechanics and Control

SupervisorSpecialisation
Prof. C.Y. Wen
cywen@polyu.edu.hk
UAV/MAV technology research and development
Dr Hailong Huang
hailong.huang@polyu.edu.hk
Coordination, perception, motion planning and control; Unmanned vehicles (UAVs, UGVs, UUVs, etc); Autonomous and interactive systems: Multi-agent systems; Control applications
Dr Bing Wang
bing-w.wang@polyu.edu.hk
3D Computer Vision; Machine Learning; Intelligent Spatial Perception; Visual and LiDAR SLAM; Robotics and Autonomous Systems; Cyber-Physical Systems; Metaverse
Dr Weisong Wen
welson.wen@polyu.edu.hk
LiDAR SLAM; Visual SLAM; GNSS; GNSS-RTK; Sensor Fusion; Cooperative Positioning; Cloud Positioning; Autonomous Driving; UAV; Robotics; Intelligent Transportation Systems; Smart Cities
Dr Tianqi Wang
tianqi-aae.wang@polyu.edu.hk
Multi-agent systems; Rigid body control; Nonlinear control theory and applications; Event-triggered control; Satellite design
Dr Jingjie Xie
jingjie.xie@polyu.edu.hk
Intelligent control; reinforcement learning; model predictive control; UAV control; wind energy; spacecraft control; trajectory planning

Satellite Communication and Navigation

SupervisorSpecialisation
Dr L.T. Hsu
lt.hsu@polyu.edu.hk
Global navigation satellite system; Beidou; Integrated navigation system; Autonomous driving; Simultaneous localisation and mapping
Dr Wei Liu
wei.w.liu@polyu.edu.hk
Applications of satellite communication and navigation in smart transportation systems; GIS-integrated smart transportation
Dr Y.P. Jiang
yiping.jiang@polyu.edu.hk
Satellite Navigation; Precise Positioning; High Integrity Navigation for Civil Aviation and Intelligent Transportation Systems; Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring; Ground Based Augmentation System; Satellite Based Augmentation System
Dr Weisong Wen
welson.wen@polyu.edu.hk
LiDAR SLAM; Visual SLAM; GNSS; GNSS-RTK; Sensor Fusion; Cooperative Positioning; Cloud Positioning; Autonomous Driving; UAV; Robotics; Intelligent Transportation Systems; Smart Cities
Dr Bing Xu
pbing.xu@polyu.edu.hk
Satellite positioning and navigation; GNSS receiver design and signal processing; GNSS security reinforcement; Low Earth orbit positioning, navigation, and timing (LEO PNT); Wireless communications
Dr Guohao Zhang
gh.zhang@polyu.edu.hk
GNSS positioning in challenging environments; 3D mapping aided GNSS; Collaborative positioning; Signal propagation modelling; Multipat and NLOS reception mitigation; Multi-sensor Integration; Machine learning; and Indoor positioning
Research Facilities

Please visit our website for more information about our research facilities.

Other Information

For full-time PhD admission, preference will be given to applicants who apply for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme, for which the application period starts in early September each year. All research postgraduate applicants are recommended to approach potential supervisors and, preferably, put their names on the applications. For details, please refer to

AAE Research Overview page: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/aae/research/overview/

AAE staff website: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/aae/people/academic-staff/.  

Supporting Documents
Academic Referee's Report

Compulsory - Two Academic Referee's Reports are required. 

  • Identify and invite two academics who are familiar with your academic performance and achievements. Proposed supervisor(s) from the PolyU, proposed supervisor(s) from the partner institution (if any), and persons from non-academic backgrounds are not considered appropriate academic referees.

  • Provide complete and accurate information on your referees, including their email addresses under a university or an organisation, in your online application.

Curriculum Vitae

Compulsory

Research Proposal

Compulsory - submit the research proposal using the standard form: Form GSB/1A.

Transcript / Certificate

Compulsory

Graduation Certificate(s)

  • Provide graduation certificates for undergraduate and/or postgraduate studies.

  • Applicants with academic qualifications from the Chinese Mainland must submit:

    • Degree Certificate (學位證書) and the Online Verification Code (線上驗證碼) issued by the China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center (教育部學位與研究生教育發展中心); and

    • Graduation Certificate (畢業證書) and the Online Verification Code (線上驗證碼) issued by the CHESICC (學信網).

  • Dual-degree applicants must hold a graduation certificate/testimonial with the name of the collaborating institutions.

Official Transcript(s)

  • Provide all pages of transcript(s) that show:

    • all the courses and grades taken during the whole study period;

    • the explanatory notes of the marking scheme/ grading system, and

    • official stamps.

  • Graduation transcripts should be the latest version with the graduation date (or the issue date matching the graduation date).

  • Students who have not graduated should provide the latest transcript or testimonial issued by the institution. Unofficial copies are not accepted.

Others

Optional - Publication records, scholarships, awards/prizes and class rankings (with supporting documents).