Background
Weeratunge was born in Sri Lanka and attended St. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, Colombo. He graduated from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, in 1983 and went on to obtain a Ph.D. and D.I.C. from Imperial College of Science, Technology, and Medicine, University of London, in 1988. From 1984 to 1985, he served as an Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Peradeniya. Between 1985 and 1989, he worked as a Research Assistant, later becoming a Postdoctoral Research Assistant (1989), in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College, London. In 1989, Weeratunge joined Loughborough University as a lecturer. He became a Professor at Loughborough University in 2007 and holds the title of 'Professor of Computational Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer.’
Interests and Expertise
- Energy and related technologies
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling and applications
- CFD simulation of I.C. engine combustion
- Radiative Heat Transfer (Monte Carlo, Discrete Transfer and Discrete Ordinates)
- Combustion modelling and furnace simulations
Qualifications and Awards
- Ph.D., D.I.C, Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, 1988.
- B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, First Class Honours, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, 1983.
Research Interests and Activities
Professor Malalasekera is engaged in a wide range of simulation research, primarily in the areas of energy, combustion, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). He is the co-author of the widely cited textbook An Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics: The Finite Volume Method. His current research topics include:
- Application of AI and advanced data-driven simulation techniques in CFD and related areas.
- Development and application of simulation techniques for hydrogen generation processes.
- Modelling and simulation of internal combustion engines, including the combustion of biofuels, hydrogen, ammonia, and other fuel mixtures.
- Investigations into hydrogen applications, combustion, deflagration, and flame propagation in hydrogen mixtures.
- CFD modelling of Fluid-Structure Interactions (FSI).
- Development of advanced combustion modelling techniques for premixed and non-premixed flames, as well as for LES (Large Eddy Simulation) applications.
Prof. Malalasekera contributes to undergraduate teaching at all levels and to the M.Sc. program in Mechanical Engineering. His main teaching areas are Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Heat Transfer. He has co-authored a textbook titled An Introduction to Computational Fluid Dynamics: The Finite Volume Method. First published by Longman Higher Education in 1995, this book has become a widely used and popular CFD course text at many universities worldwide. An enhanced second edition, covering advanced topics and recent developments in CFD, was published by Pearson Higher Education in February 2007. Due to popular demand, several international editions (Chinese, Asian, Japanese, Greek, and Korean) have also been released. Modules taught:
- WSC801 – Advanced Heat Transfer
- WSC802 – Computational Fluid Dynamics 1
- WSD802 – Computational Fluid Dynamics 2
- WSP810 – Thermo-Fluids – M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering
Prof. Malalasekera is a member of Editorial Board of the Journal, “Engineering Applications of Computational Fluid Mechanics”