David Braybrook

David Braybrook 

 CFD Consultant 

Tell us about yourself

I graduated from Durham University in 2023, with an MEng in Engineering, specialising in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering in my final two years. Towards the end of my degree, I attended two summer placements at TÜV SÜD gaining further experience in CFD, producing case studies, and helping with data processing. After graduating I was offered a full-time position as a Computational Fluid Dynamics Consultant.

Since starting I have worked on a variety of consultancy and research-based projects in areas such as ultrasonic meter correction, and a horizon scan for the measurement of future green fuels.

Why did you choose to join TÜV SÜD?

After seeing the range of projects the consultancy team was working on throughout my two placements, and being offered a full-time position after graduating, I couldn’t say no to the opportunity!

Where do you work?

I work fully remotely from my home office, but I’m lucky to be able to easily travel to the office when needed.

What are your main areas of expertise?

I have worked mostly with single phase and compressible flow simulations using Fluent and OpenFOAM, and have recently been gaining more experience with multiphase flow simulations.

What does your role involve? What are your main responsibilities?

Most of my work revolves around using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to model industrial flows to help clients adhere to standards, improve safety and increase efficiency. I have also been involved in research-based projects.

What most interests you about your role? What have been the highlights so far?

The best part about this role is certainly the variety of projects I have been able to work on, not only for the energy industry, but also research on the measurement of clean fuels and analysis of facility upgrades.

Most recently, I have been involved in a DSIT-funded flow programme project to quantify uncertainties of CFD-derived flare meter correction factors. This combined experimental and computational work to validate CFD models has been particularly interesting.

What exciting developments have you seen at TÜV SÜD since you started?

Seeing the focus on data-science services, and the integration of those services with other areas of the business, has been very interesting. I expect this area to become increasingly important over the coming years.

What future trends do you see developing in your area of work?

We are already seeing the increased use of machine-learning tools to monitor processes and detect faults. I would say this technology, combined with more extensive and complex models that CFD is able to produce, will be of great interest moving forward, especially in the energy transition.

How have TÜV SÜD supported you?

TÜV SÜD have supported me with my professional development throughout the two placements I had before graduating and since joining full time. I am constantly learning new things and the company and people here greatly support that.

Describe your fellow workers in five words

Dedicated, supportive, welcoming, dependable, intelligent.

What advice would you give to anyone thinking of applying for a role similar to yours?

Definitely apply. There’s no harm in doing so, and there will be something that you enjoy here.

Want to find more about our CFD services?

Visit our computational fluid dynamics (CFD) consultants web page to find out how our CFD experts can help your business.