Bulletin of the American Physical Society
60th Annual Meeting of the Divison of Fluid Dynamics
Volume 52, Number 12
Sunday–Tuesday, November 18–20, 2007; Salt Lake City, Utah
Session GT: Mini-Symposium on Fluids Demonstrations and Instructional Laboratories |
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Chair: Jean Hertzberg, University of Colorado Room: Salt Palace Convention Center Ballroom FH |
Monday, November 19, 2007 10:30AM - 10:56AM |
GT.00001: Hands-On Experimentation in the Fluid Mechanics Classroom as Homework Invited Speaker: In an introductory fluid mechanics course, it is important for students to realize that the mathematical models they are deriving sometimes model the real world well and sometimes not so well. One way to show them is to have them model a simple experiment, then run the experiment and compare the results of the model to that of the experiment. This helps them understand the importance of the model assumptions and the applicability of the model. It would be even better if these experiments were simple enough that students could do them at home as a homework assignment, rather than have a ``canned'' 2 hour lab course. We are collecting these simple experiments in an effort to build a community of educators that want to move beyond the traditional mathematical exercises for homework. In this presentation, we will outline a number of these experiments and how they can be used in undergraduate or K-12 classes. We will also present some methods of using Gallery of Flow Images in the classroom as well to give the students the opportunity to see ``Fluids in Action.'' Finally, we will introduce Gallery of Home Work Problems for fluid dynamics students. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 19, 2007 10:56AM - 11:22AM |
GT.00002: Virtual Laboratories and Interactive Demonstrations for Multimedia Teaching Tools Invited Speaker: The use of images, films and animations in teaching fluid mechanics has a long history that can be traced back through the MIT/NCFMF films in the 1960s, through Milton van Dyke's ``Album of Fluid Motion'', to projects that enlarge the functionality to allow interaction with the media. One such project is ``Multimedia Fluid Mechanics'', (Cambridge Univ. Press (2001)) and its forthcoming second edition. This talk will focus on the conceptualization and implementation of two types of interactive pieces within MMFM: the self-contained Virtual Laboratory and the Interactive Demonstration. I will give examples of both and use these to discuss the principles we applied in conceiving them and the various lessons we have learned from their development. Examples will include Laminar Boundary Layer Growth, Control Volume Analysis of Drag on Bluff Bodies, Pendant Drop Measurements of Surface Tension, and Reynolds Averaging of Turbulent Signals. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 19, 2007 11:22AM - 11:48AM |
GT.00003: How to teach computational fluid dynamics: explore the method or explore the flow? Invited Speaker: A traditional course in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) at the senior or first-year graduate level has one main goal. The student should finish the course with a clear understanding of the numerical techniques involved in CFD and how they are used to solve the specific partial differential equations (PDEs) that describe fluid motion. Typically, the instructor chooses a specific numerical technique, i.e., finite difference, finite volume, or finite element, teaches the fundamentals of that technique, and possibly reviews the others. This lecture material is followed by a project in which each student writes their own Navier-Stokes solver, uses it to solve a simple flow problem, and validates the code by comparison of the numerical results to experimental data for their flow geometry. The educational pedagogy of this course format is that the only way one can truly learn and appreciate CFD is to work through the underlying nuts-and-bolts of these respective numerical methods and see how they work in code. The evolution of CFD software over the past twenty years has brought us to the point where a challenge to this traditional pedagogy is in order. In this paper, a CFD course given during the Spring 2007 term at Georgia Tech will be described that was based on the idea that a tool to successfully solve the PDEs for an incompressible, Newtonian flow in any geometry is available. In this GT course, the flow solver used was COMSOL Multiphysics. The course involved the exploration of a number of fluid flows with the intent of developing a deep understanding of the underlying fluid mechanical mechanisms involved in the flow. Along the way, the student learned about the finite element method used in the software, how to properly pose the underlying mathematical model for the fluid flow, the limitations of the modeling process, and how to properly validate the flow solution. Specific examples from the course that illustrate these ideas will be discussed. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 19, 2007 11:48AM - 12:14PM |
GT.00004: Take-Home Experiments in Undergraduate Fluid Mechanics Education Invited Speaker: Hands-on take-home experiments, assigned as homework, are useful as supplements to traditional in-class demonstrations and laboratories. Students borrow the equipment from the department's equipment room, and perform the experiment either at home or in the student lounge or student shop work area. Advantages include: (1) easy implementation, especially for large classes, (2) low cost and easy duplication of multiple units, (3) no loss of lecture time since the take-home experiment is self-contained with all necessary instructions, and (4) negligible increase in student or teaching assistant work load since the experiment is assigned as a homework problem in place of a traditional pen and paper problem. As an example, a pump flow take-home experiment was developed, implemented, and assessed in our introductory junior-level fluid mechanics course at Penn State. The experimental apparatus consists of a bucket, tape measure, submersible aquarium pump, tubing, measuring cup, and extension cord. We put together twenty sets at a total cost of less than 20 dollars per set. Students connect the tube to the pump outlet, submerge the pump in water, and measure the volume flow rate produced at various outflow elevations. They record and plot volume flow rate as a function of outlet elevation, and compare with predictions based on the manufacturer's pump performance curve (head versus volume flow rate) and flow losses. The homework assignment includes an online pre-test and post-test to assess the change in students' understanding of the principles of pump performance. The results of the assessment support a significant learning gain following the completion of the take-home experiment. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 19, 2007 12:14PM - 12:40PM |
GT.00005: From Art to Physics: A Course on Flow Visualization Jean Hertzberg For the past four years, a course on flow visualization has been offered to mixed teams of engineering and fine arts photography students at the University of Colorado. The course has significant technical content on flow visualization and photographic techniques, and includes some emphasis on documentation and the interpretation of results, particularly with respect to atmospheric dynamics as revealed by clouds. One unusual aspect of the course is that all students are expected to demonstrate both aesthetic sensibility and scientific discipline. Another is that students are not constrained to study specific phenomena or use specific techniques; instead, creativity is required. A major outcome from this course is a series of stunning images which challenge the mind and delight the eye. In addition, anecdotal evidence suggests that this course has a lasting impact on students' perception of fluid physics, which can be contrasted to the effect of traditional introductory fluids courses. [Preview Abstract] |
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