Jerry Westerweel

Delft University of Technology, J.M. Burgerscentrum

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Jerry Westerweel is a leading experimental fluid dynamicist whose work bridges fundamental turbulence physics and practical engineering applications. His research focuses on transition to turbulence, flow instability, and particle image velocimetry (PIV) development. Westerweel is renowned for pioneering high-resolution PIV techniques that revolutionized how researchers visualize and quantify complex flows, enabling unprecedented measurements of turbulent structures. His most-cited work investigates the effect of hand posture on swimming efficiency, demonstrating how thumb and finger positioning maximizes drag in front crawl propulsion—a study leveraging Reynolds similarity to conduct wind tunnel experiments that inform athletic performance. He also explores the Lyapunov field behind traveling plates, using robotic precision to map sensitivity to perturbations during turbulent transition. With over 10,000 citations and a h-index exceeding 50, Westerweel’s impact extends through his textbook *Particle Image Velocimetry*, a standard reference in the field. His notable achievements include the 2016 APS-DFD Otto Laporte Award and leadership of the Laboratory for Aero and Hydrodynamics at TU Delft. For students, his work exemplifies how rigorous experimental design can unlock insights from swimming efficiency to fundamental turbulence, making complex flows accessible and applicable.