Mr Paul Arnold

I first graduated at Plymouth University in 2012, having received the Frederick Barnes Waldron "Best student" award from the IMechE for that year, for my CFD investigation into the Archimedes Screw Turbine. After being employed as an associate lecturer and research assistant for a short period of time, I returned to my property maintenance business, working on Dartmoor at a 16th century farm. When the opportunity to return to study at Plymouth came along by way of a studentship, I took it, and am currently a PhD candidate at the end of his first year of research into Self-Sensing and Energy Harvesting (SSEH) Composites for Coastal Infrastructure.

My interests include long-distance walking, climbing, bouldering, photography and music of all genres. I have carried out a number of long-distance walks across and around Dartmoor for charity, the most difficult being a 100 mile continuous walk across Exmoor and Dartmoor in 27 hours for the British Heart Foundation. I continue to walk and trek mountains in the UK for charity, upcoming challenges include the National Five Peaks (Three Peaks plus Ireland's two highest mountains) plus an extra Welsh mountain to take the total ascent to over 6,000 metres, for the Fire Fighter's Charity in September 2021. 

Qualifications

BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering with Composites

SolidWorks Associate

GTA Teaching Certificate

Qualified Outdoor First Aider.

Teaching interests

Marker/Demonstrator for second and third year mechanical engineering students.

Previous demonstrator in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

Research interests

Self-Sensing and Energy Harvesting (SSEH) Composites for Coastal Infrastructure

Developing a wireless transmission piezoelectric sensor array for measuring wave impact pressure on sea walls

Developing a piezoelectric energy harvesting array to harness and convert the energy of wave impacts and free surface movement in coastal regions

Biomimicry of adhesion methods for sensor placement

Other research

Researching the mechanical and electrical effects of adding Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNTs) to a Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) matrix 

Other academic activities

Providing academic support for second and third year engineering students.