Fluid Mechanics

Research in fluid mechanics in the department encompasses a wide range of areas, from traditional to emerging, with the aim of advancing state-of-the-art fundamental knowledge and/or improving practical engineering and environmental applications. Flows studied range from nano to atmospheric scales and from single-phase to multiphase and complex fluids. Theoretical, experimental, and computational approaches are employed in the research.

Research Topics

1. Computational Fluid Dynamics (Figliola, Kung, Z. Li, Miller, Thompson): Parallel supercomputing simulations of turbulent reacting flows using direct numerical simulations and large eddy simulations. Numerical study of steady and unsteady fluid motion including the prediction of multiphase flows, biological flows, advanced CFD algorithms (e.g., high-order methods, multiscale coupling, and physics-informed neural network models), and programming for performing CFD on future high-performance computing systems.
2. Environmental & Atmospheric Flows (Saylor, Tong): Gas exchange and evaporative processes in lakes. Theoretical and experimental study of the atmospheric boundary layer, including the similarity theory, prediction of turbulence statistics, and subgrid-scale modeling for large-eddy simulation
3. Micro/Nano/Bio Fluids (Martinez-Duarte, Figliola, Kung, Tallapragada, Xuan): Theoretical and numerical modeling of and experiments with flows in microfluidic devices; manipulation of micro and nanoparticles and artificial microswimmers in such flows; biofluid systems such as in cardiovascular, pulmonary, urinary, nasal, cerebral flows. Research areas cell identification, sorting, diagnostics, targeted drug delivery, bottom-up precision manufacturing, clinical applications, disease diagnosis/etiology, treatment planning, physiology, clinical data analysis, medical devices, and patient management strategies.
4. Multi-Phase Flows, Complex Fluids, and Soft Matter (Bostwick, Kung, Z. Li, Miller, Ochterbeck, Saylor, Xuan): Theoretical and experimental investigations of bubbles and drops; investigations of particle drop interactions; the study of gel drops and their use in rheological measurements. Theoretical, experimental, and computational investigations of complex fluids and soft matter, which are ubiquitous in nature and play an important role in many industrial and biological applications, from soft construction materials, food processing industries, to biomimetic soft materials and artificial tissues. Research areas include gels, droplets, polymer fluids, blood flows, emulsions, foams, particle suspensions, and viscoelastic materials.
5. Turbulence & Turbulent Flows (Miller, Saylor, Tong): Theoretical, experimental, and numerical investigations of turbulence. Research areas include turbulent boundary layers, turbulent mixing, turbulence in two-phase and supercritical fluids, turbulent reactive flows, small-scale turbulence, large-eddy simulation, and subgrid-scale modeling.