Discovery Projects - Grant ID: DP160102279 [ 2016 - 2020 ]

Research Grant

Researchers A/Prof Nicholas Hutchins; Prof Ivan Marusic; Dr Daniel Chung; Prof Andrew Ooi; Prof Dale Pullin

Brief description This project aims to improve understanding of the effect of spatial roughness transitions on turbulent flows. Fluids flowing over non-smooth surfaces influence our daily lives, such as water moving through a pipe, wind blowing over the Earth's surface or aircraft moving through air. The presence of surface roughness profoundly influences these flows. Though engineers have learnt to deal effectively with evenly distributed roughness, this is seldom encountered in reality. Rather, there are abrupt changes in roughness, for example at the edges of wind-farms or at rivets on aircraft. This project aims to investigate these important, but little understood, turbulent flows. Potential benefits include improved simulation, more efficient vehicle design and improved atmospheric and climate models.

Funding Amount $685,000

Funding Scheme Discovery Projects