Peretz P. Friedmann

Peretz P. Friedmann is currently the François-Xavier Bagnoud Professor in the Aerospace Engineering Department at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is also the Director of the FXB Center for Rotary and Fixed Wing Air Vehicle Design. He has been with the University of Michigan since January 1999. Between 1972 and 1998 he was a Professor, (1972-1977 Assistant Professor, 1977-1980 Associate Professor, 1980-1998 Professor) in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department of the University of California, Los Angeles. Between 1988 and 1991 he served as the Chair of the Department. He received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Aeronautical Engineering from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and his Sc.D (1972) in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to entering the Academic world, Dr. Friedmann was a Senior Engineer at Israel Aircraft Industries and an engineering officer in the Israeli Air Force.

Dr. Friedmann has been engaged in research on rotary-wing and fixed-wing aeroelasticity, on blade control of rotor vibration and noise, hypersonic aeroelasticity and aerothermoelasticity, structural optimization with aeroelastic constraints, and jet engine aeroelasticity. He has published extensively, 388 journal and conference papers. A total of 40 Ph.D. students have graduated, under his guidance, several of them hold faculty positions as well as senior positions in the aerospace industry in the US. He was Editor-in-Chief of the AIAA Journal (2009-14), Editor-in-Chief of Vertica – The International Journal of Rotorcraft and Powered Lift Aircraft (1980-90), Associate Editor of the Journal of the American Helicopter Society (2004-9) and AIAA Journal of Aircraft (2005-9). He has served on a number of national award boards and review committees engaged in review of research funding, as well as review of Aerospace Departments. He has been a naturalized US citizen since 1977.

Professor Peretz Friedmann has made outstanding and lasting original contributions to rotary and fixed wing aeroelasticity and structural dynamics, on blade control of vibration and noise in rotorcraft, optimum design of low vibration helicopter rotors, rotorcraft aeromechanics and unsteady aerodynamics. He has also made major contributions to hypersonic aeroelasticity and aerothermoelasticity as well as jet engine fan blade aeroelasticity. A number of other areas where he has contributed are described in his CV.

His research has addressed the major technical challenge for civilian and military rotorcraft i.e. vibration reduction to improve passenger comfort, pilot performance and ensure structural integrity. He originated the concept of on-blade control for vibration reduction in helicopter rotors implemented by partial span actively controlled trailing edge flaps, and was the first to demonstrate its feasibility in 1991. For on-blade control, both the control surfaces (flaps) and actuators are on the rotating blade. During the past 28 years he has extended on-blade control to encompass combined vibration and noise reduction and turned the concept into a practical tool suitable for implementation on full-scale rotors [see – Friedmann, P. P., “On-Blade Control of Rotor Vibration, Noise and Performance: Just Around the Corner?,” Journal of the American Helicopter Society, Vol. 59, No. 4, October 2014, pp. 041001-1 to 041001-37]. Since conceiving on blade control, the subject has blossomed into an active field of research with over 800 papers published.

Friedmann has made lasting original contributions to rotary-wing aeroelasticity, on-blade control of vibration and noise, optimum design of low vibration rotors, rotorcraft aeromechanics and unsteady aerodynamics.  These contributions have advanced the understanding of rotorcraft aeromechanical behavior and have had a major impact on modern helicopter design.

Another thrust of Professor Friedmann’s research, during the last 28 years has focused on the aeroelasticity and aerothermoelasticity of hypersonic vehicles. In these vehicles, the aerodynamic loading, the dynamics of the structure, the aerodynamic heating and the propulsion system are tightly coupled. This challenging problem represents one of the last frontiers of aerospace research and his contributions have improved substantially the fundamental understanding of this multiphysics problem.

Professor Friedmann’s accomplishments have been recognized by several awards, for details see Honors and Awards tab below.

POSITIONS HELD AT MICHIGAN

François-Xavier Bagnoud Professor
Director of FXB Center for Rotary and Fixed Wing Air Vehicle Design