Simon Pääjärvi

Research

My research subject is rotor dynamics, a discipline within solid mechanics that studies force-driven motion in rotating machinery. The field involves the design, analysis, and diagnosis of rotating machines and is essential for ensuring the operational stability and performance of large-scale energy production systems. The primary emphasis is on the mechanical modeling of hydropower machinery, with the aim of predicting its mechanical dynamics, such as vibrations and stability. In general, the analysis of hydropower machinery is an interdisciplinary topic involving the modeling of bearings (tribology), generators (electromagnetism), turbine runners (fluid mechanics), and governing control systems (control engineering).

Teaching and supervision

I am currently conducting teaching in the following courses:

• M0015T - Mechanical Vibrations
• M0010T - Computer-Aided Design
• M7010T - Dynamics in Mechanical Systems
• M7032T - Applied Systems Simulation
  
  

I also welcome supervision of master thesis projects within mechanical modeling and simulation. Examples of supervised work:

Rotordynamic Analysis of Plain Journal Bearings in Vertical Machines

Modelling of Contact Dynamics in Kaplan Turbines

Stability Analysis of Hydropower Generators

Background

Master's degree in Computational Mechanics (Mechanical Engineering) at Luleå University of Technology in spring 2022. Conducted master's thesis "Rotor Dynamic Modeling of Hydropower Rotors by 3D-Finite Element Analysis" for Vattenfall Research & Development and Luleå University of Technology.

PhD position at subject of Machine Design started in July 2022.