Faculty Research Grants
Turbomachinery Research Laboratory: Phase II – $20,000.00
// Dr. Ivana Milanovic // University of Hartford // Spring 2014 //
The objective of the proposed project was to complete the existing turbomachinery facility. Specifically, the water table was assembled and tested, and secondary flows around turbine blades were investigated experimentally. Additionally, the wind tunnel was refurbished.
A combined PIV, POD, and Vortex-Identification Study of the Global Structure in a Turbulent Flow Over an Open Cavity – $20,000.00
// Dr. Khaled Hammad // Central Connecticut State University // Fall 2014 //
Flow over open cavities is important from fundamental and practical points of view. It is frequently encountered in practice, e.g. many aerospace applications including subsonic, supersonic and hypersonic propulsion systems, weapon bays of combat aircraft, landing gear of airplanes, structural discontinuities, adjacent tall buildings, high-speed trains, and sunroofs and opened windows in automobiles. It is characterized by its geometrical simplicity and flow complexity which made it a long-standing numerical benchmark for the computation of compressible and incompressible flows.
Cavity flows have been used to shed light on the physics of numerous aerodynamic and aero-acoustic features, e.g. unsteady boundary layer separation, the periodic formation of vortices at the leading edge and shedding to the trailing edge, flame stabilization in propulsion systems, vortex-structure interaction, flow-induced acoustic oscillation and structural vibrations, and noise generation. Most previous experimental work used point measurements techniques like Laser Doppler Velocimetry Anemometry (LDA) and Hot Wire Anemometry (HWA). LDA and HWA are inherently incapable of instantaneously resolving the formation or the evolution of vortical structures. Global measurement techniques like Particle Image Velocimetry PIV became the tool of choice in more recent investigations.
In the current project, PIV was used to measure the turbulent flow fields over single and dual rectangular cavities. Four sets of PIV measurements were acquired, corresponding to two Reynolds numbers per each cavity configuration. The cavity depth based Reynolds number was varied between 21,000 and 42,000, while the cavity length‐to‐depth ratio was fixed at four. Galilean decomposition was used to present instantaneous velocity fields. Turbulent velocity fields were presented using Reynolds decomposition into mean and fluctuating components. Characteristics of the instantaneous and time‐averaged velocity fields corresponding to a single cavity configuration were in agreement with the observations from previous studies. All mean flow field results displayed a large vortical structure spanning the entire length and height of each cavity. In the case of a dual cavity configuration, the free shear layer and trailing edge regions of the second cavity were found to always display higher streamwise and crosswise flow fluctuations in comparison with the first cavity. Furthermore, a wider free shear layer region was observed in the second cavity, in comparison with the first cavity.
What makes the current work unique in comparison with previous studies is that it is a PIV study of turbulent flows over single and dual cavity configurations. All past cavity flow studies used a single cavity. Furthermore, the combination of specific test parameters governing the turbulent flow over an open rectangular cavity is different than what has been investigated in past studies. The used high‐resolution PIV system allowed for detailed investigation of the turbulent flow structure and will improve our understanding of the mechanism controlling momentum, heat, and mass transport as well possible implementation of effective flow control mechanisms.
Dr. Khaled J. Hammad and students Kyle W. Saucier and Nicholas C. Koblick running PIV tests at CCSU.
Faculty STEM Ed Grants
Hosting the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics at Wesleyan – $4,710.00
Dr. Alanna Meredith Hughes // Wesleyan University // Spring 2015
“Physics is among the most male-dominated STEM fields, and the most dramatic drop in the proportion of women occurs between the fraction of female high school physics students (47%) and female physics bachelor’s degree recipients (20%). In order to provide undergraduate women with the tools and inspiration they need to succeed in the physics major, the American Physical Society each year organizes regional Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) at universities around the country. In January 2016, Wesleyan will be the first primarily undergraduate institution to host a CUWiP. Holding a CUWiP at Wesleyan will benefit students from all of Connecticut and the broader Northeast region, and will address NASA’s strategic goals of training and retaining a diverse workforce while simultaneously addressing the CT Space Grant goal of building ties between academia and industry. The Wesleyan CUWiP’s focus on diversity – of career paths within and outside of academia, of subject areas in physics, and of the pipeline of physicists-in-training – will be accomplished through a series of science presentations, career panels, skills workshops, and choice of invited speakers. This proposal will support two of the lunches and associated career panels, ground transportation for students between events, and printing costs to help us spread the word and ensure a diverse group of college and university student attendees.”
Enhanced Curriculum Development for Computer Education Academy – $5,000.00
Dr. Yoo Wook-Sung // Fairfield University // Spring 2015
“To address the documented shortage of students in the United Sates choosing to enter computing and engineering fields, Fairfield University in partnership with the Diocese of Bridgeport and Bridgeport Public Schools established a Computing Education Academy (CEA) in 2013 to expose the high school students to key computing concepts and basic computer programming through hands-on activities and to motivate students to enter post-secondary education and career opportunities in computing. Curriculum of CEA was developed in 2013 with 24 class modules (lecture+ activity) providing basic computing skill development in first semester and Android App development in second semester. After running CEA in 2013-14 school year with 20 students selected from schools in Bridgeport, we identified some need of improvement in CEA curriculum based on the input from participants in CEA to integrate activities in first semester with those of second semester. Before resuming CEA in 2015-6, we hope to develop additional class modules with the support of CT Space grant to teach students on Arduino board in first semester and continue to develop hand-on activities to control Arduino using an Android App on the phone through Bluetooth module in second semester. I believe the mission of CEA is well matched with the purpose of STEM Education Programming Grant collaborating with other educational partners to educate and increase exposure of students to an aspect of STEM education.”
A Public Lecture on Astronomy at Wesleyan University – $1,000.00
Dr. Seth Redfield // Wesleyan University // Spring 2015
“We propose to build on the legacy of the Sturm Memorial Lecture, and provide a public lecture on the topic of astronomy by a prominent astrophysicist for the greater central Connecticut community. This year, we are fortunate to have booked Sara Seager, a professor of planetary science at MIT and a recent MacArthur Fellowship recipient to spend a couple days at Wesleyan University, interact with our students and faculty, give a technical colloquium, as well as a public lecture on the prospects of discovering life on planets around other stars. This is a collaboration with the Planetary Science Group at Wesleyan, which is an interdisciplinary association of faculty from Astronomy, Earth and Environmental Science, Physics, Biology, and Chemistry, as well as involving the Astronomical Society of Greater Hartford. The Sturm Lecturer will spend a significant fraction of her time interacting with students, by visiting a general education class, and special meetings with undergraduate and graduate students. These provide excellent opportunities to gain valuable career advice from one of our most prominent scientists. Likewise, at the telescope viewing and reception that follows the public lecture (which attract a significant number of K-‐12 students and their families), there is typically lots of interaction between the speaker and students considering a STEM career. We are particularly excited to have a prominent female scientist.”
