Celebrating the physics of all that flows with Nicole Sharp, Ph.D.
- Profile
Robotic Research Facilities
One of the major challenges in fluid dynamics is the size of the parameter spaces we have to explore. Because many problems in fluid dynamics are non-linear, making small changes in the initial set-up can result in large differences in the results. Consider, for example, a simple cylinder towed through a water tank. As the…
Envisioning Chemical Patterns
One of the most beautiful chemical reactions is the Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction, and it’s the subject of the latest video from Beauty of Science. Known colloquially as the BZ reaction, it begins as growing spots of color that turn into rings and chaotic spirals as the chemical reaction progresses. Mathematically, the BZ reaction is a type…
Falling Drops and Forming Stalagmites
The vast stalactites and stalagmites found in caves take millennia to form. Mineral-rich water seeps down the icicle-like stalactites and then drips onto stalagmites below, each drop depositing a little more calcite onto the growing rock. By observing this dripping action first-hand, researchers found that most falling drops create a splash that’s much smaller than…
An Introduction to the Reynolds Number
For those who’d like an overview of the mathematics involved in fluid dynamics, Numberphile has a lovely introduction, given by our friend Tom Crawford. The governing equations in fluid dynamics, the Navier-Stokes equations, are quite complicated, but that’s just been inspiration for scientists and mathematicians to come up with clever ways to simplify them. And,…
Flow on Commercial Wings
Even in an era of supercomputers, there is a place for quick and dirty methods of flow visualization. Here we see a model of a swept wing like those seen on many commercial airliners. It was painted with a layer of fluorescent oil, then placed in a wind tunnel and subjected to flow. As air blows…
CU Flow Vis 2019
I love when science and art come together, which is why I’ve long been a fan of the Flow Vis course at CU Boulder. Some of my earliest posts on FYFD date from previous editions of the course. Here are a few of my favorite images from the Fall 2019 class, from the top: Ferrofluid and India ink merge in this colorful…
Inside the Earth’s Mantle
Plate tectonics is a relatively young scientific theory, only gaining traction among geologists in the late 60s and early 70s. One key tenet of the theory is subduction where plates meet and one is forced down into the mantle, like in this illustration of the subduction zone near Japan. In early incarnations of the theory what happens to…
“Magic Fluids”
In his short film, “Magic Fluids,” Roman De Giuli uses cyan, magenta, and yellow paints to generate a rainbow of macro colors. All the fluid motion you see is a practical effect, painstakingly created by layering paints and flow mediums of different densities. Like in Siqueiros’ “accidental painting” technique, the less dense paints will eventually rise through the…
Understanding Wildfire
Wildfires are an ongoing challenge in the western United States, where droughts and warmer conditions have combined with a century of fire suppression to form perfect conditions for monstrous fires. It’s long been understood that ambient winds can drive spreading fire, but the connection between wildfire and wind is more complicated than this. The heat of…
Surfing Honeybees
Honeybees have superpowers when it comes to their aerodynamics and impressive pollen-carrying, but their talents don’t end in the air. A new study confirms that honeybees can surf. Wet bees cannot fly–their wings are too heavy for them to get aloft when wet–but falling into a pond isn’t the end for a foraging honeybee. Instead,…