Generation of Data Sets Using CFD and Realistic Probe Design for a Virtual Fluid Mechanics Laboratory

Purdue University is facing an increasing undergraduate student enrollment every year. Laboratory courses in fluid mechanics at the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the School of Mechanical Engineering are facing challenges due to increased enrollments. On the other hand, the internet and computer technology have made education more conveniently delivered in recent years. The onset of these technologies has made way for innovative forms of teaching. One such application is virtual laboratories. This document will describe the challenges in the current method of teaching and learning fluid mechanics laboratory courses, explain how a virtual lab is a potential solution to supplement the current learning methods, and discuss its development. This document will discuss the virtual fluid mechanics laboratory development from the fluid mechanics perspective- generating flow data and designing realistic measurement probes. The use of CFD to generate flow data sets, along with their post-processing for virtual labs, will be discussed. Furthermore, simulation results for flow around cylinders and through pipes will be presented. And finally, design ideas conceptualized for developing a virtual pitot-static probe and a virtual hot-wire anemometer will also be presented. Finally, this document summarizes the work done till now and presents conclusions on what has been achieved along with recommendations that could be completed in the future.