This three-year award in support of U.S.-France collaborative research in applied mathematics and fluid mechanics involves Yuriko Renardy and Michael Renardy of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Stephane Zaleski of Universite Pierre et Marie Curie. Their collaboration addresses the numerical resolution of the shape of the interface separating two or more immiscible liquids. Their objective is the development of software for 3D transient simulations of the interface shapes. The US investigators bring to this collaboration expertise on physical modeling, analytical and computational techniques for study of stability of interface shapes and the appearance of new arrangements from unstable ones. This is complemented by French expertise in numerical simulation and the extension of French developed codes to two-fluid flow problems. The research results have potential industrial applications in the processing of bicomponent fibers from polymers and pipelining of viscous crude oil.
