Turbulent flows feature swirling eddies over a range of sizes — the larger the size range, the higher the Reynolds number. In this satellite image, sediment highlights these eddies in Keep reading
Tag: Reynolds number
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, Keep reading
Pouring a Liquid Mirror
In this video, the Slow Mo Guys play with liquid gallium, giving us a chance to see how molten metals behave (outside of, say, the Terminator movies). Near its melting point, gallium Keep reading
Why Does This Kite Look So Real?
A recent viral video features mesmerizing footage of a giant octopus kite flown at a kite festival in Singapore earlier this month. The kite’s arms twist and wave lazily in Keep reading
The Challenges of Micro Air Vehicles
Interest in micro-aerial vehicles (MAVs) has proliferated in the last decade. But making these aircraft fly is more complicated than simply shrinking airplane designs. At smaller sizes and lower speeds, Keep reading
Cylinder Wakes
A simple cylinder in a steady flow creates a beautiful wake pattern known as a von Karman vortex street. The image above shows several examples of this pattern. Flow is Keep reading
The Reynolds Experiment
One of the most famous and enduring of all fluid dynamics experiments is Osborne Reynolds’ pipe flow experiment, first published in 1883 and recreated in the video above. At the Keep reading
The Reynolds Number Illustrated
The dimensionless Reynolds number is a key concept in fluid dynamics, allowing scientists to distinguish regimes of flow between differing geometries and even different fluids. This video gives a great Keep reading
Ig Nobel Fluids: Swimming in Syrup
Does a person swim faster in water or syrup? One expects the more viscous syrup would offer a swimmer greater resistance, but, at the same time, it could also provide Keep reading
Watching the Boundary Layer Go By
In experiments, it can be difficult to track individual fluid structures as they flow downstream. Here researchers capture this spatial development by towing a 5-meter flat plate past a stationary Keep reading