Acquisition of Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry System For Investigation of Unsteady Flows
Abstract
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 and the Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations Act for 2014 allocated $10.7M to assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) and to enhance their research and education capabilities in scientific areas relevant to the defense mission. The FY 2014 program supports the acquisition of research equipment and instrumentation to augment existing capabilities and to develop new capabilities that will facilitate greater participation in DoD research programs and encourage more students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. This proposal from Principal Investigator, Dr. Vibhav Durgesh, requests support for the acquisition of a stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system for investigation of unsteady flows. The proposed system will enhance experimental capabilities and allow the PI and key personnel to pursue research in the areas of base drag reduction, active flow control, and fluid-structure interaction (FSI). The research opportunities resulting from acquisition of the requested equipment will contribute to the University s vision of significantly increasing research activities in the coming years, and providing a diversified educational experience to a new generation of engineers and researchers. The proposed equipment will be housed in the Experimental Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at CSUN, which is a test facility equipped with a wind tunnel, a water tunnel, Laser Doppler Velocimetry system, data acquisition modules and optical tools required for performing complex fluid dynamics experiments. The PI will be primarily responsible for installation, day-to-day operation, and maintenance of the requested equipment. The PI will have assistance from University staff and access to funds from the College of Engineering and Computer Science, for covering maintenance costs after the initial warranty period of the equipment expires. The research projects facilitated by the stereoscopic PIV system will provide research opportunities to CSUN students. Undergraduate students will be able to use the stereoscopic PIV system for relevant senior design projects. Furthermore, the results obtained from research conducted using stereoscopic PIV will be integrated into course materials for advanced fluid dynamics classes in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, which will enhance the quality of STEM education at CSUN. The proposed equipment will also help the PI facilitate demonstration projects for outreach activities involving high school and community college students. The acquisition of this system will thus help CSUN contribute to development of a skilled engineering workforce that is critical to maintaining the leading role of the United States in academia and industry.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 12, 2017
- Source ID
- W911NF1510061
Entities
People
- Vibhav Durgesh
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- California State University, Northridge
- Office of the Secretary of Defense