Master/Bachelor/Project Thesis: Onset of particle motion in inertial laminar shear flow
The flow-induced onset of particle motion at rough surfaces and granular beds is important for many natural processes and industrial applications like erosion and sedimentation, the formation of dunes, the cleaning of surfaces, filtration, the transportation of fluids in pipes or the assembling of meta-materials. Yet after many years of research, it is not fully understood. Therefore we constructed a setup to further analyse the onset of particle motion in a laminar shear flow where we focus in particular on the impact of inertia.
The setup consists of a conveyor belt submerged in a containment filled with silicone oil. At the bottom, we placed a substrate of 20,000 spheres with a diameter of 5 mm. By running the belt, we can induce a Couette flow between the bottom side of the conveyor belt and the substrate. On top of the substrate, we place a mobile bead and captured its movement with a camera for further analysis.
Tasks:
- Literature research
- Measure the onset of motion for different spheres
- Measure the impact of surface roughness and shielding
- Tracking of the sphere’s movement
- Tracking of the sphere’s rotation
- Improve setup if necessary
- Data and error analysis
Requirements:
- Background in engineering/physics
- Experience in practical work and working in labs
- Motivation for lab work
- Independent and conscientious working style
- Experience in Matlab is beneficial but not necessary
Literature:
S. Wrana, C. Näger, A. Wierschem; „Einsetzende Partikelbewegung in einer trägheitsbehafteten, laminaren Scherströmung“, Fachtagung „Experimentelle Strömungsmechanik“ GALA e.V., 2024
J. R. Agudo, C. Illigmann, G. Luzi, A. Laukart, A. Delgado and A. Wierschem; J. Fluid Mech. Vol. 825 pp. 284-314, Cambridge University Press, 2017
Language: German or English
Advisors:
