Remember the bullet time effect from The Matrix? This spectacular video gives you a similar effect with the turbulent flames created by firebreathers. To capture this level of detail, Mitch Martinez uses an array of 50 cameras placed around the performers, allowing him to reconstruct the full, three-dimensional representation of the flames. Similarly, some scientists use arrays of high-speed video cameras to collect 3D, time-resolved data about phenomena like combustion. Because these flows are so complex in terms of their fluid dynamics and chemistry, capturing full 3D data is important to help understand and model the flow better. (Video credit: M. Martinez; via Rakesh R.)
Category: Art
Sandscapes
Many of us have played with sand art–the rotating frames filled with water, sand, and air. In this video, Shanks FX demonstrates some of the realistic and surrealistic landscapes you can create using this toy. It also makes for a neat fluid dynamics demonstration. The buoyancy of the trapped air bubbles lets the sand sift slowly down instead of falling immediately. And the sand descends in a variety of ways–sometimes laminar columns and other times wilder turbulent plumes. (Video credit and submission: Shanks FX/PBS Digital Studios)
“The Chase”
Sometimes it takes timelapse photography to truly appreciate the dynamic behavior of our atmosphere. In “The Chase” Mike Olbinski, whose work we’ve featured previously, has captured some of the most incredible and stunning weather timelapse footage I have ever seen. Despite watching it repeatedly, I continue to be awed to the point that I have no words. Seriously, just watch it. Be amazed by the drama of our sky. (Video credit: M. Olbinski)
“En Plein Vol”
Artist Antoine Terrieux’s “En Plein Vol” exhibit shows off the power of hair dryers. Parts of the exhibit, like the floating ball at 0:16, rely on Bernoulli’s principle and the moving stream of air the dryers generate. Others, like the smoke tornado at 0:39 or the (suspended) paper airplane at 0:56, use the hair dryers to generate vorticity essential to the installation. It’s a neat concept and very well executed. (Video credit: A. Terrieux; via io9; submitted by Joseph S. and Eliza M.)
Bubble Rupture
Surface tension draws bubbles into spheres, but the balance of forces holding the sphere together is delicate. When pierced by a projectile, sometimes soap films can heal themselves, but often the film ruptures. Once a hole forms in the bubble, the film’s integrity is lost. Instead of holding the bubble together, surface tension pulls the soap film apart in a spray of thread-like ligaments that break into droplets. In the blink of an eye, the bubble is gone. (Image credit: W. Horton)
Calbuco
Filmmaker Martin Heck captured incredible timelapse footage of the Chilean volcano Calbuco erupting earlier this year. Fluid dynamics on these enormous geophysical scales is always awe-inducing. In the beginning, clouds bob gently and flow around the landscape. Then the volcano erupts, and the towering ash cloud of the eruption roils with turbulence, displaying eddies with length scales from hundreds of meters down to centimeters. And when the hot ash has risen and cooled, it forms a cap that spreads horizontally. Nature is a wonderful demonstrator of fluid dynamics, but what always amazes me is how very alike flows are whether they are confined to a laboratory or take up an entire planet. (Video credit: M. Heck; via It’s Okay To Be Smart)
Sea Foam
Photographer Lloyd Meudell captures surrealistic images of breaking sea foam.
Interestingly, the sea foam is essentially a three-phase fluid made up of air, water, and sand. Yet despite the surrealism of its forms, the foam bears strong resemblance to other flows. The shapes the foam forms are reminiscent of vibrated non-Newtonian fluids like paint or oobleck. Momentum deforms the foam into sheets and ligaments smoothed and held together by surface tension until droplets snap free. You can find more of Meudell’s work at his site. (Image credits: L. Meudell; via freakingmindblowing; submitted by molecular-freedom)
Kitchen Fluid Dynamics
The kitchen is a fantastic place to witness the everyday beauty of fluid dynamics. Daria Khoroshavina and Olga Kolesnikova capture these delectable cooking-related GIFs on their Buttery Planet Tumblr. From pouring cream to drizzling syrup, there are countless examples of fluids in daily life. Check out their site for more awesome images and be sure to keep your eyes open for great examples of fluid behavior in your day-to-day life. (Image credits: Buttery Planet; via Colossal)
“Jack and the Giant”
This fantastic music video by Kim Pimmel is a beautiful merger of art and fluid dynamics. Using household goods (and some slightly more exotic ferrofluid), the video shows how mesmerizing diffusion, buoyancy, Marangoni flow, and other fluid effects can be up close. It may also be the first time I’ve ever seen fluid dynamics–specifically bubbles–used as characters! Also be sure to check out some of his previous videos, many of which also feature cool fluid dynamics. (Video credit and submission: K. Pimmel)
“Heavy Metals”
Photographer Alberto Seveso’s “Heavy Metals” series builds on his previous works capturing fluid dynamics. By dropping mixtures of ink, liquids, and metallic powder through different fluids, he creates ethereal, billowing forms that turn the processes of diffusion and turbulent mixing into something one could almost touch. Be sure to check out the rest of the series and his online portfolio for more examples. (Photo credits: A. Seveso; via Colossal; submitted by jshoer and @catnogood)
