Fluid Dynamics
Articles tagged with Fluid Dynamics
Explosive evaporation unlocks new possibilities in 3D printing and chemical analysis
Researchers have discovered two thresholds for the behavior of charged water droplets on frictionless surfaces, enabling finer control over electrospray processes and opening up opportunities for nanofabrication. The study's findings may also lead to greener scientific techniques.
MIT engineers’ virtual violin produces realistic sounds
The new computational violin simulates the physics of string interaction with air, producing realistic sound. Luthiers can tweak parameters like wood type or body thickness before hearing the instrument's response.
Why dolphins swim so fast: the secrets of eddies
A team of researchers from The University of Osaka used supercomputer simulations to study how vortices generated by dolphin kicks power fast swimming. They found that large, powerful vortices created by the movement of the dolphin's tail are responsible for most of the propulsion, while smaller ones contribute little to forward motion.
Why do high-speed particles bounce higher in wet collisions?
High-speed particles bounce higher on wet walls due to a morphological transition in the post-collision liquid film, which shifts from a bridge to a dome shape. This phenomenon is crucial for predicting high-speed particle collisions and designing safer equipment.
New MIT study bridges the worlds of classical and quantum physics
Researchers at MIT have discovered a mathematical connection between quantum mechanics and classical physics, enabling the description of quantum behavior using everyday classical ideas. The team's findings shed light on phenomena such as the double-slit experiment, which has long been challenging to explain using classical tools.
Waves hit different on other planets
Scientists at MIT have developed a new wave model called PlanetWaves that predicts how waves will behave on planetary bodies with different liquids, atmospheres, and gravity. The model reveals that gentle winds can create massive waves on Titan, while hurricane-force winds barely move the surface of lakes on exoplanet 55-Cancri e.
Drexel researchers discover liquids have a breaking point
Drexel researchers have found that, given the right strain rate, simple liquids can fracture like solid objects. This discovery suggests that viscosity plays a more significant role in the mechanical properties of liquids than previously thought, potentially leading to new possibilities for manipulating liquids in various applications.
How fast does smoke rise, rain fall, and a supernova explode?
Researchers at OIST and University of Turin developed a general formulation for mixing heavy particles with fluid, enabling study of fundamental physics phenomena and applied research in fluid engineering. Simulations reveal the formation of sediment plumes and the role of friction in particle interactions.
How does snow gather on a roof?
Researchers developed a model to calculate snow accumulation on roofs, considering snowflake size and distribution. Larger snow particles lead to greater accumulation, while higher wind speeds reduce depth. The study provides insights for building codes and guidelines for snow loading.
Landmark in real-time metabolic monitoring on chip: BLOC benchtop NMR comes to light
Researchers at IBEC have developed a compact, cost-effective NMR platform capable of direct observation of dynamic metabolic fluxes in microfluidic systems. This technology leverages hyperpolarization to bridge the gap between high-field NMR performance and lab-on-chip analysis.
Modeling how pollen flows through urban areas
A team of researchers developed a computational model to study how pollen disperses in urban areas, influenced by factors such as tree geometry, wind speed, and direction. The model provides quantitative insight to inform urban planning decisions and reduce the risks associated with airborne allergenic pollen exposure.
How long does it take to get last liquid drops from kitchen containers? These physicists know the answer
Researchers found that low-viscosity liquids like milk take around 30 seconds to drain 90% of a thin film, while more viscous fluids like olive oil require over nine minutes. The study provides insight into everyday physics and its applications in the kitchen.
Power in motion: transforming energy harvesting with gyroscopes
Researchers from The University of Osaka developed a novel device to harness wave power, achieving high energy absorption efficiency across broadband frequencies. By tuning gyroscopic parameters, the device can maximize performance, providing a roadmap for developing adaptable and efficient wave energy converters.
Frontier simulations test turbulence theories at record 35 trillion grid points
Researchers used the Frontier supercomputer to perform a record-breaking direct numerical simulation of turbulence in three dimensions, achieving a resolution of 35 trillion grid points. The study offers new insights into turbulent fluid flows, which govern various natural and engineered phenomena.
Uncovering patterns amid chaos
A recent NSF grant will support the development of new diagnostics and predictive models for understanding self-competition and weak asymmetry in turbulent flows. The project aims to uncover hidden patterns that current models miss, leading to improved simulations in weather forecasting, climate modeling, and engineering design.
Seeing the whole from a part: Revealing hidden turbulent structures from limited observations and equations
Researchers discovered that only observing the flow down to a specific scale is enough to reconstruct the full motion of fluid in two-dimensional turbulence, unlike three-dimensional systems. This finding has significant implications for modeling and prediction in atmospheric and ocean circulation.
New research from Harbin Institute of Technology aims to predict turbulence like weather – with probability
Researchers develop a probabilistic framework to predict turbulence onset in flow systems, enabling better forecasting of extreme weather events and understanding climate tipping points. This approach has potential implications for atmospheric science, aviation, and meteorology.
Study: The infant universe’s “primordial soup” was actually soupy
Physicists at MIT observed clear signs that quarks create wakes as they speed through the plasma, confirming the plasma behaves like a liquid. This finding provides new insights into the properties of the quark-gluon plasma and its behavior in the early universe.
UC3M receives a new ERC Proof of Concept grant to advance real-time flow measurement technologies
The RT-FLOW project aims to transform aerodynamic experiments with compact, cost-effective hardware and real-time flow field measurements. It will define requirements for a fast visualization platform and tackle challenges in data-driven spatial resolution enhancement.
Compton highlights physics priorities of direct-ink writing in top journal
Direct-ink writing (DIW) technology faces unique physics puzzles, requiring a balance between liquid-like and solid-like behavior. The review aims to stimulate fundamental work on the central challenges of DIW, enabling more reliable and precise processes.
Making lighter work of calculating fluid and heat flow
Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have re-engineered the Lattice-Boltzmann Method to store certain data, reducing memory usage and overcoming a key bottleneck. The new algorithm achieves significant accuracy and stability in simulations of fluids and heat.
More efficient aircraft engines: Graz University of Technology reveals optimization potential
Researchers developed a reduced order model that accelerates calculations by identifying key features in flow data, enabling faster testing of geometry parameters for efficiency gains. The team plans to make their extensive database and model available online for other research groups.
New study suggests chiral skyrmion flows can be used for logic devices
Researchers at Waseda University have demonstrated a transformative approach for realizing skyrmion logic based on fluidic principles, utilizing the flow behavior of many skyrmions to simplify device operations. This breakthrough enables the development of nanofluidic logic gates with reduced complexity and improved stability.
Lightning-prediction tool could help protect the planes of the future
A new physics-based approach predicts how lightning strikes aircraft, identifying vulnerable regions for protection. The tool can be applied to any shape of aircraft, including unconventional designs.
Join thousands of researchers in Houston as they share the latest developments in fluid dynamics
The scientific program features nearly 300 sessions and thousands of presentations on various fluid dynamics topics. The conference will also include a visual arts competition, Gallery of Fluid Motion, with a traveling exhibit on display until January 2026.
Miniscule wave machine opens big scientific doors
University of Queensland researchers have developed a microscopic 'ocean' on a silicon chip, allowing for the study of wave dynamics at an unprecedented scale. The device, made with superfluid helium, enables the observation of striking phenomena, including waves that lean backward and shock fronts.
Taking the shock out of predicting shock wave behavior with precise computational modeling
Computational models now accurately represent very weak shock waves, which are crucial in flows involving shock waves. The final state of a moving shock wave can be classified into three regimes: dissipated, transitional and thinly captured.
Drip by drip: The hidden blueprint for stalagmite growth
Researchers from Poland, USA, and Slovenia found a mathematical description of stalagmite shapes, revealing that shape matters for climate science. The study provides an analytical solution for the growth of ideal stalagmites in constant cave conditions.
New research submarine after Ran got lost under the ice
The University of Gothenburg will acquire a new AUV, named Ran II, with improved navigation and emergency response systems. The new vessel will enable researchers to gather unique data on glacier melting and ice dynamics in the Baltic Sea and Antarctica.
Press registration now open for one of the world’s largest fluid dynamics meetings
Thousands of scientists will gather to present new research on fluids at the 78th American Physical Society meeting. The conference features a scientific program with thousands of presentations on various fluid dynamics topics.
New prediction model could improve the reliability of fusion power plants
Scientists at MIT developed a method to predict how plasma in a tokamak will behave during rampdown, achieving high accuracy with limited data. This new model could significantly improve the safety and reliability of future fusion power plants.
Engineers uncover why tiny particles form clusters in turbulent air
A new study reveals that small electric charges between particles play a crucial role in forming highly concentrated clusters in turbulent environments. This discovery has significant implications for climate research, medicine, engineering, and science, enabling better predictions and controls.
Turbulence with a twist
UC San Diego researchers Guru K. Jayasingh and Nigel Goldenfeld have predicted that a pipe's curvature can lead to a discontinuous turbulent transition beyond a critical flow velocity. This phenomenon is mathematically equivalent to the freezing of water, leveraging tricritical directed percolation theory.
Prussian Blue breaks out of its cubic mold after 300 years
Researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology have successfully synthesized Prussian Blue with an octahedral morphology by using a specialized solvent. The new crystal shape enhances electrochemical reactivity and stable performance in sodium-ion hybrid capacitors.
Rice, Waseda engineers’ space-time computational breakthrough powers solutions from medicine to aerospace
Tayfun Tezduyar's space-time computational flow analysis enables accurate modeling of complex systems, from designing parachutes for astronauts to simulating blood flow through heart valves. The approach provides high-fidelity representations in both space and time, allowing for more realistic solutions.
Scientists discover how brain fluid movement drives cancer spread and ways to fight back
Researchers uncover how cerebrospinal fluid dynamics drive tumour spread, identifying a way to target this process to inhibit metastasis. The study provides new insights into the role of fluid shear stress in shaping cancer behaviour and offers a promising therapeutic approach for medulloblastoma.
“Major floods and droughts every 15 years” ... AI forecasts a crisis
A new study led by Professor Jonghun Kam predicts that Pakistan will experience major floods and severe droughts on a periodic basis, exacerbated by accelerating global warming. The AI model forecasts these extreme weather events every 15 years for the upper Indus River, and roughly every 11 years for surrounding rivers.
Microscale mixing without turbulence
Researchers at Max Planck Institute develop protocols for optimal mixing in cellular and microfluidic systems, overcoming energetic and fluid motion limitations. Their findings reveal a fundamental limit on information erasure efficiency, providing a theoretical framework for efficient engineering designs.
Hidden turbulence discovered in polymer fluids
Researchers at OIST have found that two types of turbulence coexist in everyday fluids like shampoos and ketchup, shifting from inertial to elastic turbulence at the smallest scales. This discovery bridges two branches of turbulence research and has potential implications for industries relying on polymers.
Elegant theory predicts the chaos created by bubbles
A team of researchers has confirmed Kolmogorov scaling in bubble-induced turbulence, revealing the fundamental rules of chaotic flows in fluids. The study provides new insights into the behavior of turbulent fluid motion and its applications in industrial designs, climate models, and more.
Waiting in line: Why six feet of social distancing may not be enough
A team of researchers led by undergraduate physics majors at UMass Amherst modeled how aerosol plumes spread when people are waiting and walking in a line. They found that warm air rises, causing the plumes to sink, but temperatures can affect their height. The study sharpens our understanding of airborne-communicable diseases travel.
How do water rings “bounce”? New discovery answers decades-old question
Researchers at New York University have discovered that water rings can rebound when they reach a water-air interface, maintaining their shape in the process. The study reveals four possible outcomes for vortex rings when interacting with air, including dissipation and breakup.
Designing better brain shunts
Bioengineers at Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a computational model called BrainFlow that simulates cerebrospinal fluid flow in the presence of shunt implants, providing insight into optimal shunt design and placement for hydrocephalus patients.
New study tackles the dynamics of common -- and difficult -- sailing maneuver
Researchers at New York University and University of Michigan have developed a detailed characterization of sail behavior during tacking maneuvers. This framework has potential applications in designing more efficient autonomous sailboats, particularly in oceanographic research.
Rice researchers develop superstrong, eco-friendly materials from bacteria
Scientists at Rice University developed a scalable approach to engineer bacterial cellulose into high-strength, multifunctional materials. The dynamic biosynthesis technique aligns bacterial cellulose fibers in real-time, resulting in robust biopolymer sheets with exceptional mechanical properties.
SwRI offers megawatt-scale heat exchanger testing and research
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is expanding its heat exchanger testing capabilities to include megawatt-scale performance evaluations. This move addresses a significant market gap for high-heat transfer rates involving high-temperature and -flowrate applications in data centers, defense, and other fields.
Island rivers carve passageways through coral reefs
Research shows that island rivers shape reef passes, allowing seawater and nutrients to flow in and out. The locations of reef passes align with where rivers funnel out from an island's coast, providing circulation throughout the reef.
FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers discover universal law of quantum vortex dynamics
FAMU-FSU College of Engineering researchers have discovered a fundamental universal principle governing the behavior of microscopic whirlpools in quantum fluids, which also has implications for understanding turbulent flows in classical physics. The study reveals that when these quantum vortices intersect and reconnect, they separate f...
When, where and how wet is the forest?
A study by Göttingen University researchers combined satellite data with manual measurements to better understand forest soil moisture. The findings show that soil moisture is strongly influenced by weather and season, not exact location, and highlight the importance of monitoring soil moisture over time for effective forest management.
A drop hollows out the stone... and records the climate's history
A team of scientists from the University of Warsaw discovered that karstic solution pipes preserve a record of Earth's climatic history. The pipes evolve into an invariant shape as they deepen, encoding ancient rainfall patterns.
NSF awards $300K grant to LyoWave to scale up its high-frequency microwave heating tech for biopharma manufacturing
LyoWave, a company commercializing microwave heating technologies developed at Purdue University, has received a $304k NSF SBIR grant to scale its tech for pharmaceutical and biologics manufacturing. The project aims to increase manufacturing throughput and reduce costs.
Why are some rocks on the moon highly magnetic? MIT scientists may have an answer
Researchers suggest that an ancient, weak magnetic field and a large plasma-generating impact combined to create a strong magnetic field on the moon. This process could explain the presence of highly magnetic rocks near the south pole's far side, where the Imbrium basin is located.
Physics advance details new way to control solid objects in liquid
Researchers have developed a technique to create spin in liquid droplets using ultrasound waves, concentrating solid particles suspended in the liquid. This allows for the creation of novel technologies for biomedical applications and research on rotating systems.
How to swim without a brain
A team of scientists simulated the movement of microorganisms in liquids without a central control system. They found that simple rules and decentralized control can lead to efficient swimming behavior, potentially enabling nanobots to transport drugs or perform other complex tasks.
Nimble dimples: Agile underwater vehicles inspired by golf balls
Researchers developed a spherical prototype with adjustable surface dimples to cut through pressure drag and generate lift, reducing drag by 50% compared to smooth counterparts. The adaptive skin setup can adjust dimple depth to maintain drag reductions and generate controlled movement.
Butterflies hover differently from other flying organisms, thanks to body pitch
Researchers discovered that butterflies use body pitch to generate aerodynamic forces and sustain hovering flight. By adjusting their body angle, they counteract gravity and achieve stable flight. This finding could revolutionize the design of stealthy MAVs with low structural demands.
Caltech's CARL-bot catches an underwater wave
Researchers create CARL-Bot to ride vortex rings and navigate turbulent ocean currents without fighting them, inspired by nature's ability to conserve energy. The system uses a single accelerometer and simple control laws to achieve energy-efficient propulsion, opening doors for future applications in ocean exploration and monitoring.
Do manta rays benefit from collective motion?
A study by Northwestern Polytechnical University and the Ningbo Institute modeled manta ray group dynamics to understand their propulsion. The researchers found that tandem formation significantly improves middle manta ray's performance but two triangular setups decrease overall efficiency compared to a single swimmer.
A cool fix for hot chips: Advanced thermal management technology for electronic devices
Researchers from The University of Tokyo developed a novel water-cooling system with three-dimensional microfluidic channel structures to enhance heat transfer. The new design achieved a significant increase in performance, reaching up to 10^5 COP, surpassing conventional cooling techniques.