Our client is the Fluids Lab at UNC, managed by the Department of Mathematics. The Fluids lab is comprised of an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the mathematics, biology and marine science departments. They operate an experimental laboratory in the basement of Chapman Hall which is where the WakeMaker, the focus of our project, is located. The lab studies all things fluid, utilizing the WaveMaker to model fluid dynamics. The goal of this project is to improve the existing GUI used to control the WaveMaker allowing the researchers greater flexibility when carrying out experiments and improve the range of experiments they can control with it.
Understanding fluid dynamics and being able to simulate it in a lab-like environment has a lot of far-reaching effects. Fluid dynamics play a large role in environmental science and the field of meteorology. Understanding wave patterns and how fluids mix, interact at different densities and temperature can lead to better understanding of ocean currents leading to a better understanding of weather patterns and climate dynamics. Understanding wave mechanics can also help in better predicting erosion on the coasts and modeling natural disasters such as tsunamis aiding in disaster mitigation efforts.
Fluid dynamics is also vital in designing transportation systems such as ships and in the field of renewable energy generation. Our groups goal is to enhance the type of experiments the lab can perform and make it easier for them to carry out experiments. This will allow them to better study fluids and make larger contributions to this field.