RISE Leadership Academy Research:Air Entrainment by a Laminar Jet

Arec JamgochianUMD Mechanical Engineering ’16Under auspices of Dr. Ken Kiger

Research Background• Worked in the Hydrodynamics Lab under Dr. Ken Kiger• Entrainment is when air bubbles become trapped due• Unwanted entrainment causes the Metal Casting industry

millions a year• Also of interest to the Navy – air entrainment makes the path

of ships easily noticeable• Must figure out circumstances which air entrains

Laminar Jet• How?• Disturbance pushes through surface water, jet pushes through

hemisphere, the new part created seals around and splits off.

Research• Use jet assembly to create laminar flow

Research• Use speakers to drive cup, making symmetric capillary

(surface) waves

Research• Use other speaker to drive jet stand up-down, making waves

on the jet

Research• Do the two processes together, driving both speakers at the

same frequency with a phase shift to determine when air entrains

• Record all using Phantom High-Speed Camera

Problems• Things would keep breaking/leaking, proper parts took time to

arrive• Figuring out how to get to where the project had been left off• Reassembling structure, reprogramming electronics

• Process of jet assembly takes a long time• Needed more hours in the week

• Had to work with/around other student

Leadership• Inside the lab, not a whole lot necessary• Making sure to find time to come in• Making sure to get needed parts

• Outside the lab, improved leadership a lot• VP of Society of Physics Students, VP of Armenian Student Union• Able to take more initiative to do more things at once

Kouzes and Posner• Initially was best at Inspiring a Shared Vision, worst at

Encouraging the Heart• Realized how important appreciation is in everyday

interaction, and have started showing more appreciation for the people around me