Mechanics of Fluids
The study of fluid mechanics imbues many domains of engineering, including hydropower, aerodynamics, sailing hydrodynamics, blood flow and vortex behaviour.From observing, analysing and simulating the behaviour of a single droplet impacting on a solid surface, to modelling the transition from laminar to turbulent flow around the wing of an aircraft, fluid mechanics permeates countless scenarios in the world of engineering.
At the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, among many other achievements, we have used micro-channels of liquids to cool 3D computer chips, perfected the hydrofoil systems of a record breaking sailing vessel, observed the behaviour of bubbles in zero gravity and developed a system to predict the thickness of chocolate coatings.
Key research themes
- Cavitation and Multiphase Flows
- Hydrodynamic Instabilities and Free Interface Phenomena
- Unsteady Flow Diagnostics
- Emergent Complexity in Physical Systems