Abstract: Droplets on fibers are part of our everyday lives. Many phenomena involve drops and fibers such as the formation of dew droplets on a spiderweb, the trapping of water droplets on cactus spines or the motion of droplets on wetted moss hairs. These topics have been widely studied. In particular, Lorenceau \textit{et al.} \footnote{Lorenceau [...]

Abstract: We present an integrated experimental and numerical two-dimensional heat conduction exercise to provide analytical and visual validation of basic concepts. The advanced nature of heat transfer leads many instructors to spend a considerable time on numerical techniques. However, due to time limitations, these numerical approaches are often only applied to highly simplified problems within [...]

Abstract: After more than 20 years of development, PIV has become a standard non-invasive velocity field measurement technique [1], and promises to make PIV-based pressure calculations possible [2]. However, there are always uncertainties in PIV velocity fields, and these uncertainties will eventuality propagate through integration and contaminate the pressure field. Some researchers have noticed this [...]

Abstract: Modeling of fluid mechanical systems benefits from and often requires high-fidelity three-dimensional data. This need has pushed experimental fluid dynamicists to look to other fields, such as computational imaging, for innovative measurement methods. Light field (LF) imaging is one (broad) method that has found traction in experimental fluids, mostly being used for three-dimensional velocity [...]

Abstract: The geometric reconstruction of a diffuse surface can be accomplished with a simple projector-camera system [1]. However, in the case of specular objects - such as a gas-liquid interface (GLI) - these same methods fail to uniquely define surface location and orientation. Several methods have been demonstrated for recovering specular surface geometry including: using [...]

Abstract: A  Remotely  Operated  Vehicle  Scaffolded  Activity  is  Increasing  Student   and  Teacher  Interest  in  STEM  –  a  Reporting  on  a  Three-­‐year  Study   Funded  by  the  Office  of  Naval  Research    For  the  past  three  years  a  university  in  the  western  United  States  has  worked  to  build  a  scaffolded  activity,  using  curriculum  from  STEM [...]

Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) microscopic velocimetry methods have been increasingly developed in recent years to meet the measurement demands of microfluidic systems. As all 3D microscopic velocimetry techniques involve reconstructing a volume from two-dimensional (2D) sensor(s), sources of uncertainty arise that are unique from 2D velocimetry methods. This study discusses the error sources associated with a [...]

Abstract: Over the past two years several professors from the technology education and mechanical engineering programs at Brigham Young University have collaborated with local public k-12 teachers to develop and implement a ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) activity to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The activity has focused on students learning about STEM concepts [...]

Abstract: Light field imaging is becoming an increasingly useful tool for measuring fluid mechanical systems. We present advances in light field imaging for fluids along three directions. The first concerns robust reconstruction of fluid measurement volumes using synthetic aperture refocusing followed by deconvolution. Then, we discuss how a flame, which distorts the refractive index, augments [...]

Abstract: This research seeks to model and elucidate the physics of water impact of elastomeric spheres, including the mechanisms by which severe deformations enable spheres to skip off the free water surface. The interplay between solid mechanics and fluid mechanics, or fluid-structure interaction, is extremely rich and complicated for this physical phenomenon. This research [...]