The School of Engineering

Profile

BEng, MSc, PhD

Dr Ya Huang joined in 2009 to strengthen the School’s teaching and research in dynamics and vibration-related subjects. Before that, he enjoyed over a year at the Blast and Impact Dynamics Group at Sheffield University after obtaining his doctorate degree in human vibration at the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), University of Southampton in 2008. Ya’s research interests have then been in understanding forces experienced by the human body during whole-body vibration seen in many modes of transport. These draw a focus on experimental and analytical methods for nonlinear dynamic systems.

As a member of the Mechanical Behaviour of Materials (MBM) laboratory and the Biomechanical Engineering Group, Dr Huang supervised the commission of an electrodynamic shaker system for mechanical vibration testing mainly to support his research in biodynamic responses of soft tissues and experimental method for nonlinear dynamic systems.

Research interests

Dynamic property of soft tissues and experimental methods;  

Nonlinear dynamic systems and signal processing;

Human whole-body vibration and biodynamics;

Suspension seat dynamics for high speed marine crafts.

Main teaching responsibilities

Ya teaches Foundation, Year one, two, three and postgraduate levels in Engineering Dynamics and Vibration subjects in the following units:

-       Engineering Principles 0 (Foundation, ENG311)

-       Technology Concepts 1 (ENG413)

-       Solid Mechanics and Dynamics 1 (ENG480)

-       Solid Mechanics and Dynamics 2 (ENG580)

-       Materials, Solid Mechanics and Dynamics 3 (ENG663)

-       MSc Individual project (ENG704)

His other duties include supervising students on undergraduate and postgraduate projects, from the School and from external institutions.

Sponsored by the Faculty of Technology Learning and Teaching Committee, Ya commissioned a curriculum development project for his year one Mechanical Engineering students in 2010: Adapting ‘Racing Academy’ – a game-based learning software – to a simulated Engineering Dynamics lab session. The collaboration with the University of Bath yielded a comparison study between the two institutions.

Selected Publications

Tyas, A, Warren, J, Davison, B, Stoddart, E, Tait, S, and Huang, Y (2012). A methodology for combined rotation-extension testing of simple steel beam to column joints at high rates of loading. Journal of Experimental Mechanics 52. dio:10.1007/s11340-011-9562-4

Huang Y and Griffin MJ (2009). Nonlinearity in apparent mass and transmissibility of the supine human body during vertical whole-body vibration. Journal of Sound and Vibration 324, 1-2, pp4292 – 452. doi:10.1016/j.jsv.2009.02.017

Huang Y and Griffin MJ (2008). Nonlinear dual-axis biodynamic response of the semi-supine human body during vertical whole-body vibration. Journal of Sound and Vibration 312, 1-2, pp296 – 315. doi:10.1016/j.jsv.2007.10.046

Huang Y and Griffin MJ (2008). Nonlinear dual-axis biodynamic response of the semi-supine human body during longitudinal horizontal whole-body vibration. Journal of Sound and Vibration 312, 1-2, pp273 – 295. doi:10.1016/j.jsv.2007.10.047 

Huang Y and Griffin MJ (2006). Effect of voluntary periodic muscular activity on nonlinearity in the apparent mass of the seated human body during vertical random whole-body vibration. Journal of Sound and Vibration 298, 3, pp824 – 840. doi:10.1016/j.jsv.2006.06.028