Institute of Fluid Dynamics

Open Opportunities

Experimental investigation of impact-induced bubble dynamics ETH Zurich Group Supponen This project aims to experimentally study the dynamic response of bubbles to an external impulse. Impact-induced bubble dynamics observed for controlled initial conditions can help us model and identify the underlying mechanisms of traumatic brain injury and cavitation-induced damage. The main objectives include improving the in-house drop weight impact testing setup (the drop tower), high-speed imaging of bubbles and comparison with the theoretical model. The results will give insights into how single or multiple bubbles behave under extreme loading conditions. Engineering and Technology, Physics Semester Project

Volumetric Imaging of Natural Snowfall Formations in the Field ETH Zurich Group Coletti The interaction between natural snowfalls and atmospheric wind conditions can lead to complex snow clustering dynamics mediated by turbulence. For example, the formations of columnar structures and kinematic waves such as those present in particle-laden flows. How do such complex systems composed of millions of snowflakes in the presence of a large variety of atmospheric turbulence conditions lead to structure? Which kind of structures form depending on the snow mass loading, the type of frozen hydrometeor, and the atmospheric turbulence intensity levels? Building on a previous project that performed planar imaging, this project will focus on performing volumetric field imaging. Measurements will be located at a professional field site in Davos while a scientific holography setup will be collocated for snowflake characterization. Aerospace Engineering, Earth Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Mathematical Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, Physics ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Master Thesis

Imaging Snowflakes in Freefall using a Novel Hovering Microscopy System ETH Zurich Group Coletti Understanding the relation between the complex morphology of snowflakes and their fall behavior is crucial in understanding the dynamics of natural snowfalls; with numerous applications in atmospheric and climate sciences, weather forecasting, sports, recreation, building construction, etc. To elucidate the fall behavior of snowflakes this project aims to perform imaging of snowflakes using a novel drone-based microscopy platform. This newly developed platform is capable of capturing high-resolution imagery of snowflakes in freefall, meanwhile monitoring the ambient flow conditions. The objective is to perform multiple data campaigns for different atmospheric conditions and bring new understanding to the snowflakes' most turbulent end-of-life time at descent through the atmospheric surface layer. Aerospace Engineering, Earth Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Mathematical Sciences, Mechanical Engineering, Physics Bachelor Thesis, ETH Zurich (ETHZ), Internship, Master Thesis, Semester Project

Cavitation bubble cloud modeling ETH Zurich Group Supponen The aim of this project is to develop a numerical solver to approximate the behavior of cavitation bubble clouds. The solver should model the interactions between bubbles and accurately predict their oscillatory dynamics, as well as their translation within the cloud. Engineering and Technology Semester Project