EAGER: Large-Scale Refractive-Index-Matched Flow Facility Support

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1241349ChristensenThis grant will be used to purchase index-matching fluid to operate an existing large-scale flow facility to explore flows over complex topography (relevant to aerodynamics and geophysical phenomena), within complex geometries (flow in porous media and coral reefs, turbines, etc.) and in the presence of particulates (sediment transport, nutrient transport, pollutant and aerosol dispersion, etc.). The RI-matched (RIM) flow facility will permit Illinois researchers to render complex acrylic solid models and/or particulates optically transparent when immersed in a sodium iodide solution at ~63% by weight, thereby minimizing reflections and distortion and facilitating thorough non-intrusive experimentation. Intellectual Merit - The uniqueness of this facility lies in its large size (0.45 m x 0.45 m x 2.5 m test section), allowing flow studies at relevant scales and Reynolds numbers. This funding from NSF overcomes the remainder of the funding shortfall. Doing so will prevent the team from having to pursue volume reduction that would undermine the novelty and paradigm-shifting capabilities of the large-scale facility as intended with the original MRI funding. Broader Impacts - Researchers on multiple levels (46 undergraduate and 812 graduate students, 35 postdocs and 35 visiting researchers per year anticipated amongst the research groups of the Illinois faculty on the MRI proposal) will immediately benefit from one-of-a-kind training and research experiences once the facility is operational. In particular, this unique training and education will position these researchers as the next generation of leaders in experimental fluid mechanics in both academia and industry. The facility will be run in a shared-use manner, meaning its positive impact will extend well beyond Illinois to researchers at other universities and in the private sector (in addition to the numbers listed above).