PECASE: The Effect of Surfactant on Topological Transitions in Interfacial Flows

University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Abstract

PROPOSAL NO.: CTS-0448078 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: ASHLEY JAMES INSTITUTION: UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CAREER: THE EFFECT OF SURFACTANT ON TOPOLOGICAL TRANSITIONS IN INTERFACIAL FLOWS Interface rupture is critical to spray cooling, spray coating, emulsification, encapsulation, fuel atomization, drug delivery, the formation of raindrops, chemical separation, and many other industrial, biomedical, and natural processes. Surfactant is present in many of these applications, either as impurities or by design, but its effects are not well understood. The primary objectives of this grant are: to improve understanding of the physics of rupture in interfacial fluid flow with surfactant; and to develop numerical tools to accurately simulate these processes. Numerical simulations will be based on an axisymmetric volume-of-fluid method for interface tracking on an unstructured, adaptive mesh. The method will include algorithms to simulate the dynamics of soluble and insoluble surfactant. Additionally, van der Waals forces will be included. Comparison to theory and experiments will be used to validate the numerical algorithms. Additional impacts of this grant are the educational and outreach components. Involving undergraduate students in research will enhance learning by providing the students with exposure to cutting-edge research and with the opportunity to think more deeply about fluid mechanics problems. The research program will also be integrated with the re-development of a computational fluid dynamics course. Active learning often equates with better learning, yet most engineering courses still rely on a lecture format. In the new course format students will actively participate in deriving numerical methods, developing codes, debugging, comparing various methods, post-processing, and interpreting results. The final component of the grant is outreach to underrepresented groups with the aims of promoting education and increasing participation in science and engineering. A collaborative project with the Circle of Life School on the White Earth Indian Reservation is aimed at interesting Anishinaabe Indian youth in science and engineering, and at lowering the school's drop-out rate. Hands-on, group activities will be designed to excite the students about learning and to give them a sense of achievement. This program has the potential to greatly impact the students' futures by stimulating them to stay in school. It will also enhance partnerships between the University of Minnesota and the Reservation. An additional outreach activity is for the PI to serve as a role model for women engineering students. Fostering a sense of belonging in women engineering students is critical to their professional fulfillment and to retention as engineering majors. By acting as a mentor, the PI can help woman students make informed choices about their careers.