Muriel Barker (1892 – 1949) was a British mathematician and aerodynamicist of the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, who made significant contributions to early advances in aerodynamics. In August 1922-08 she published her paper On the use of very small pitot-tubes for measuring wind velocity in the Proceedings of the Royal Society. A pitot tube is a slender tube with two holes used to calculate speed through the air or water, used by both ships and aeroplanes. Barker was the first researcher to demonstrate that the difference between the pitot tube’s reading and the static pressure is proportional to the flow speed rather than to its square. That same year she married Hermann Glauert (1892 – 1942).
Hermann Glauert was also a British aerodynamicist and Principal Scientific Officer at the Royal Aircraft Establishment who laid the groundwork for optimizing wind turbine performance. His primary work, The Elements of Aerofoil and Airscrew Theory (1926), was regarded as the most important instrument for spreading airfoil and wing theory around the English speaking world. His approach, however, overlooked critical aspects, limiting its effectiveness.
Divya Tyagi (1990 – ) is an engineering student at Pennsylvania State University who has completed her undergraduate degree in aeronautical engineering and is now conducting pioneering research in computational fluid dynamics, for a master’s degree in aerospace engineering, with the goal of the finding the maximum attainable power coefficient of wind turbines.
Tyagi reapproached Glauert’s challenge. She applied techniques such as the calculus of variations to enhance the aerodynamic performance of wind turbines. These modifications identify optimal flow conditions to maximize energy output. This is important, for the world to increase energy demand from sustainable sources.
Aeronautical engineering professor Sven Schmitz (1978 – ), recognized gaps in Glauert’s original solution and challenged his students., including Tyagi. Tyagi created an addendum to Glauert’s problem, which determines the aerodynamic performance of wind turbines by resolving ideal flow conditions. Tyagi’s work required persistence but addressed the problem and provided an elegant resolution. Every 1% improvement in the coefficient of power boosts wind energy production by 1%. Her work provides a pathway to more efficient wind turbines by addressing factors previously neglected, such as total force and moment coefficients on the rotor and blade flexing under wind pressure. This is fundamental for the production of next-generation turbines that are more efficient while minimizing environmental impact.
I am not a mathematician. I have acquired a copy of Baker’s On the use of very small pitot-tubes for measuring wind velocity, and of Glauert’s The Elements of Aerofoil and Airscrew Theory. I am also hoping to get copies of works by Divya Tyagi. I intend to work my way through these works in the coming months, during 2026, the centenary of Glauert’s work.