Turbulent flows in rotating thermal-fluid systems play a key role in a wide variety of fields, from engineering (e.g., rotating machines, propulsion engines) to geophysics (e.g., ocean currents, atmospheric currents, climate system) to astrophysics (e.g., accretion disks around white dwarfs and freshly formed stars). Yet the effect of rotation on the interplay among forces (i.e., Coriolis force and centrifugal force) acting on fluid particles and turbulence, mean flow features, and solid boundaries is not well understood. This gap in research is fundamentally attributed to the lack of adequate experimental facilities. The principle aim of this project is to develop a rotating experimental facility and advanced volumetric flow diagnostics tools to investigate turbulence physics and facilitate the development/validation of new turbulence models. The project will also encompass significant STEM education and outreach activities, including multiple undergraduate research projects and senior design projects, new curricula development, and research leadership opportunities for women and minority students.
This goal of this project is to develop new experimental facilities and instrumentation to study rotating flows and produce benchmark data sets for the geosciences and engineering communities. Our specific aims are to (1) design and manufacture a closed-loop wind tunnel to be mounted on an existing large rotation platform at Purdue University and (2) integrate an onboard Tomographic particle image velocimetry system for volumetric three-dimensional measurements of the rotating turbulence.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
