Research
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Fluids
Research in fluids at UM has a wide range of applications including naval technologies, automotive engineering, manufacturing, aircraft technologies, and biological models such as the mechanics of fish swimming. Projects include the development of laser-based and other optical measurement techniques to study reactive and non-reactive flows such as those found in combustion and internal combustion engines; multi-dimensional measurement of velocity during thermoplastic injection molding to understand the influence of processing parameters on final part properties and molding time; the testing of photoacoustic techniques for leak detection and their possible application to the leak testing of automobile parts and other consumer products; and experiments to decrease the turbulent boundary layer skin friction of commercial and military transport ships.
Fluids researchers in ME have strong ties to UM's Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Program, among other programs. Funding sources include the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the automobile and other commercial industries.
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Research Highlights
Researchers
Turbulence physics, nanoscale biofludics
Multiphase flows, electrical and radiation based tomography
Fluid structure interaction, free-surface flows, acoustics
Multiphase flows, computational fluid dynamics
Spectral method development, fluid mechanics processes
Comparison with detailed modeling, internal engine combustion