Smart Flow Sensor
Problem statement
The environmental impact of plastic waste is a well-studied area, however, new experimental methods are needed to further explain this phenomenon. Being able to predict the transportation paths and aggregation sites of marine debris would give more information about the harm done to the environment. Our client has produced a sensor that would be able to highlight this motion but does not have a way to calibrate the measurement device. While traditional methods, such as particle image velocimetry or color tracing do exist for measuring fluid streamlines, they are not able to fully characterize flow behavior, such as extreme turbulence or vortexes [1]. In addition, these methods cannot be utilized in conditions outside of the laboratory setting [2]. We intend to create a procedure that would be able to calibrate our client’s sensor for one-directional and rotational motion so that it can accurately measure the movement of the sensor. Our solution will result in a clear-cut method to calibrate the sensor so that its motion can eventually be recorded in all dimensions, which can then be utilized to characterize fluid motion in various scenarios. Citations: [1] J. Westerweel and G.E. Elsinga, “Particle Image Velocimetry for Complex and Turbulent Flows”, Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, vol. 45, no. 409, Oct. 2012, doi: 10.1146/annurev-fluid-120710-101204. [2] C.Brossard, et al., “Principles and Applications of Particle Image Velocimetry”, The French Aerospace Lab, p. 1-11. Hal-01180587.
Team members
Kaan Beyduz – leader
Lauren Chriss – communicator
Carter Theis – accountant
David Bondi – admin
Client
Nimish Pujara, UW-Madison