BRIGE: Experimental Analysis of Vortex Flow in Porous Media

大量的天然和人造材料都是含有孔隙（空隙）的固体，例如岩石、土壤、生物组织、水泥、陶瓷等。这些多孔介质广泛应用于过滤、土壤力学、石油工程、生物工程等应用科学和工程领域。多孔介质的静态特性已经被深入研究了几十年，但对流体与多孔介质的动态相互作用的理解仍然是一个重要的研究领域，可以为医疗保健、环境和各种其他工程领域的应用带来关键和急需的改进。该领域的挑战来自于多孔介质复杂的内部结构，以及流体的高度非线性动态行为。提议的活动包括建造一个精心构思的实验装置，以促进涉及（动态）涡旋流动和多孔介质的精确和可重复的实验。解决了关键的困难，首先是由PI实验室设计的高精度涡流发生器，由计算机控制，其软件也是内部开发的。这将允许生成流体的各种速度曲线，达到前所未有的精度水平。其次，构建一种与流体光学折射率相匹配的合成多孔介质，使其透明，可以通过平面激光诱导荧光对流动进行观察和测量。所提出的活动的智力价值涉及对多孔介质中涡旋流动的基本科学问题的研究，即揭示(a)孔隙度，(b)渗透率，(c)流体密度和粘度，(d)注入速度，压力，脉冲持续时间和频率对多孔介质中涡旋流动的流体模式分离，积累和传输现象的影响。本研究受到初步结果的鼓舞，将采用一种新的、独特的实验装置进行多孔介质中涡旋流动的测量和可视化。涡旋流与多孔介质的相互作用及其在多孔介质中的输运是一个具有潜在变革性的新方向。更广泛的影响：该提案通过促进许多过程和设备的进步而造福社会，这些过程和设备对我们的福祉至关重要，因为它们对医疗保健（生物医学设备）、环境（地下流）和农业（侵蚀、谷物干燥和调理）等都有影响。这项研究的结果将通过网络、会议和讨论会广泛传播。这项研究将通过新课程与教育活动相结合，通过为本科生提供必要的（顶点）设计项目的研究机会，以及通过与HI-TECCC（科林县高科技教育联盟）合作的K-12外展活动。拟议的活动包括一项精心制定的扩大参与计划，该计划有两个主要组成部分：一个针对残疾人，另一个针对代表性不足的少数民族和妇女。PI创建了一个无障碍的实验室环境，并与UTD无障碍办公室合作，为残疾学生提供研究职位。PI在招收、保留和毕业女性和少数民族学生方面也有积极、持续和成功的记录。

PI: HassanipourProposal Number: 1227930A vast number of natural and man-made materials are solids that contain pores (voids), for example rocks, soil, biological tissues, cements, ceramics, etc. These porous media are used in many areas of applied science and engineering including filtration, soil mechanics, petroleum engineering, bioengineering, etc. The static properties of porous media have been studied intensively for many decades, but the understanding of dynamic interactions of fluids with porous media remains an important area of investigation that can yield critical and much-needed improvements to applications in health care, environment, and various other areas of engineering. The challenges in this area arise from the complex internal structure of a porous medium, together with the highly nonlinear dynamic behavior of fluids. The proposed activity involves the construction of a carefully conceived experimental apparatus that facilitates precise and repeatable experiments involving (dynamic) vortex flows and porous media. Key difficulties are addressed, firstly by a high-precision vortex generator devised in the PI's lab that is controlled by a computer, whose software is also developed in-house. This will allow the generation of a variety of velocity profiles for the fluid to an unprecedented level of precision. Secondly, a synthetic porous medium will be constructed whose optical refractive index is matched to the fluid, thus making it transparent and allowing observation and measurement of the flow by planar laser-induced fluorescence.Intellectual Merits of the proposed activity involves the investigation of fundamental scientific questions regarding vortex flows in porous media, namely uncovering the effect of (a) porosity, (b) permeability, (c) fluid density and viscosity, (d) injection velocity, pressure, pulse duration, and frequency on the behavior of fluid pattern separation, accumulation, and transport phenomena of vortex flow within the porous medium. This research is well motivated by preliminary results and will be conducted with a new and unique experimental setup for measurements and visualization of vortex flows in porous media. The interaction of vortex flows with porous media and their transport through porous media is a new direction that can potentially be transformative.Broader Impacts: This proposal benefits the society by contributions to the advancement of many processes and devices that are critically important to our well being due to their effect on healthcare (biomedical devices), the environment (underground flows), and agriculture (erosion, grain drying and conditioning), among others. The results of this research will be widely disseminated through the web, via conferences,as well as seminars. This research will be integrated with educational activities via new courses, by providing research opportunities for undergraduates in their required (capstone) design projects, as well as K-12 outreach via collaboration with HI-TECCC (High-Technology Education Coalition of Collin County). The proposed activity includes a carefully crafted broadening participation plan that has two main components: one targeting individuals with disability, and the other targeting under-represented minorities and women. The PI has created an accessible lab environment and has collaboration with UTD Office of Accessibility to make research positions available to disabled students. The PI also has an active, consistent, and successful track record in recruiting, retaining, and graduating female and minority students.