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Christoph Mertens

Assistant Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
person with short blonde hair, wearing gray suit, white shirt and striped tie

AME N721

520.621.3214
christophmertens@arizona.edu

Christoph Mertens is an assistant professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering (AME) at the University of Arizona. His research focuses on experimental aerodynamics, using state-of-the-art optical diagnostics to analyze unsteady subsonic flows. He previously earned his doctorate from Delft University of Technology and served as an R&D Engineer at the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre. At the University of Arizona, Mertens is establishing an experimental aerodynamics research group and will teach foundational courses in aerodynamics and fluid mechanics.

Degrees

  • PhD Aerospace Engineering
    • Delft University of Technology
  • MS Aerospace Engineering
    • Delft University of Technology
  • BS Aerospace Engineering
    • Technical University of Berlin

Work Experience

  • University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2026 - Ongoing)
  • Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (2023 - 2026)
  • Delft University of Technology (2019 - 2023)
  • German Aerospace Centre (2018)
  • Airbus (2017)

Selected Publications

Journals/Publications

  • Düssler, S., Mertens, C., & Palacios, R. (2026). Gust Response Predictions of a Very Flexible Wing Model. Journal of Aircraft, 63(1), 303–314. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.C038332
  • Mertens, C., Costa Fernández, J. L., Sodja, J., Sciacchitano, A., & van Oudheusden, B. W. (2023). Nonintrusive Experimental Aeroelastic Analysis of a Highly Flexible Wing. AIAA Journal, 61(7), 3062–3077. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.J062476
  • Grille Guerra, A., Mertens, C., Little, J., & van Oudheusden, B. W. (2023). Experimental characterization of an unsteady laminar separation bubble on a pitching wing. Experiments in Fluids, 64(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-022-03564-w
  • Carrillo Córcoles, X., Mertens, C., Sciacchitano, A., van Oudheusden, B. W., De Breuker, R., & Sodja, J. (2023). Effect of Wing Stiffness and Folding Wingtip Release Threshold on Gust Loads. Journal of Aircraft, 60(6), 1917–1936. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.C037108
  • Mertens, C., De Rojas Cordero, T., Sodja, J., Sciacchitano, A., & Van Oudheusden, B. W. (2022). Aeroelastic Characterization of a Flexible Wing Using Particle Tracking Velocimetry Measurements. AIAA Journal, 60(1), 276–286. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.J060713
  • Mertens, C., Sciacchitano, A., van Oudheusden, B. W., & Sodja, J. (2021). An integrated measurement approach for the determination of the aerodynamic loads and structural motion for unsteady airfoils. Journal of Fluids and Structures, 103, 103293.
  • Mertens, C., Wolf, C. C., Gardner, A. D., Schrijer, F. F. J., & van Oudheusden, B. W. (2020). Advanced infrared thermography data analysis for unsteady boundary layer transition detection. Measurement Science and Technology, 31(1), 015301.
  • Wolf, C. C., Mertens, C., Gardner, A. D., Dollinger, C., & Fischer, A. (2019). Optimization of differential infrared thermography for unsteady boundary layer transition measurement. Experiments in Fluids, 60(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-018-2667-0

Proceedings Publications

  • Mertens, C., Grille Guerra, A., Van Oudheusden, B. W., Fehrs, M., & Ritter, M. R. (2024). Analysis of the Boundary Layer on a Highly Flexible Wing Based on Infrared Thermography Measurements. In A. Dillmann, G. Heller, E. Krämer, C. Wagner, & J. Weiss (Eds.), New Results in Numerical and Experimental Fluid Mechanics XIV (Vol. 154, pp. 3–13). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40482-5_1
  • Ritter, M., Fehrs, M., & Mertens, C. (2023, January 23). Aerodynamic and Static Coupling Simulations of the Pazy Wing with Transitional CFD for the Third Aeroelastic Prediction Workshop. AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum. AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-0762
  • Fehrs, M., Ritter, M., Helm, S., & Mertens, C. (2022). CFD simulations of the Pazy wing in support of the third aeroelastic prediction workshop. International Forum on Aeroelasticity and Structural Dynamics IFASD, Madrid, Spain. https://pure.tudelft.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/123498559/IFASD_2022_156.pdf
  • Mertens, C., Fernández, J. L. C., Sodja, J., Sciacchitano, A., & van Oudheusden, B. W. (2022). Integrated aeroelastic measurements of the periodic gust response of a highly flexible wing. International Forum on Aeroelasticity and Structural Dynamics IFASD, Madrid, Spain. https://pure.tudelft.nl/ws/files/123498359/IFASD_2022_132.pdf
  • Mertens, C., Sodja, J., Sciacchitano, A., & Van Oudheusden, B. (2022, January 3). Experimental Aeroelastic Characterization of a Very Flexible Wing in Steady and Unsteady Inflow. AIAA SCITECH 2022 Forum. AIAA SCITECH 2022 Forum. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2022-1344 
  • Mertens, C., De Rojas Cordero, T., Sodja, J., Sciacchitano, A., & Van Oudheusden, B. (2021, January 11). Determination of Collar’s Triangle of Forces on a Flexible Wing based on Particle Tracking Velocimetry Measurements. AIAA Scitech 2021 Forum. AIAA Scitech 2021 Forum. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-0221
  • Mertens, C., Sciacchitano, A., van Oudheusden, B. W., & Sodja, J. (2021). Non-intrusive determination of the unsteady surface pressure and aerodynamic loads on a pitching airfoil. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 1024(1), 012051. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/1024/1/012051/meta
  • Fernández Barrio, J., Mertens, C., Ragni, D., Schiacchitano, A., & van Oudheusden, B. W. (2020). Pressure based active load control of a blade in dynamic stall conditions. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1618(2), 022003. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1618/2/022003/meta
  • Mertens, C., Wolf, C. C., & Gardner, A. D. (2020). Unsteady Boundary Layer Transition Detection with Local Infrared Thermography. In A. Dillmann, G. Heller, E. Krämer, C. Wagner, C. Tropea, & S. Jakirlić (Eds.), New Results in Numerical and Experimental Fluid Mechanics XII (Vol. 142, pp. 382–391). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25253-3_37
  • Mertens, C., Pineda, S., Agate, M., Little, J. C., Gross, A., & Fasel, H. F. (2016, January 4). Effects of Structural Motion on the Aerodynamics of the X-56A Airfoil. 54th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting. 54th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2016-2073

Awards

  • ICAS-IFAR Award
    • International Council of Aeronautical Sciences, 2026