Thermally Stable Boundary Layers

Emily Moder – Grand Energy Challenges

BackgroundBasics of boundary layer fluid mechanics

Turbulent structures – vortices

Navier-Stokes Equation:

Experiment SetupGoal: create a simulation of a thermally stable boundary layer, and measure the fluid dynamics properties of the system

Preliminary Work

Data Collection and Analysis

T3, V 2.5 T3, V6

Data Collection and Analysis

T3, V8T3, V4

Data Collection and Analysis

0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.0605

1015202530354045

f(x) = − 275.676947095589 x + 38.1366031995403R² = 0.699006812817208

Bulk Richardson Number

Mea

n H

airp

in V

orte

x An

gleV4, T1 V4, T2

Thanks to Professor Lex Smits and Owen Williams!