Physics Fluid dynamics

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Researchers have solved a mystery in fluid dynamics regarding high-speed particle collisions on wet surfaces. They discovered that at high speeds, cavitation (the sudden formation of vapor cavities) changes the liquid shape from a "bridge" to a "dome", releasing the liquid pull-back force. This causes particles to bounce back stronger than they would at lower speeds. Such a vital discovery would drastically improve the safety, design, and durability of ultra-fast motors in the aerospace and automotive industries.

Researchers from The University of Osaka used large-scale simulations and turbulence theory to study how dolphins swim so effectively. The team found that large vortices created by the dolphin’s tail provide most of the propulsion, while smaller vortices contribute little. This discovery improves our mechanical understanding of fast swimming and could guide the design of energy-efficient underwater robots and technologies for controlling turbulence.

Research from The University of Osaka highlights a new model of a gyroscopic wave energy converter. The device was shown to be capable of absorbing up to half of incoming wave energy across a wide range of frequencies, meaning it could achieve the theoretical maximum efficiency. These results provide important design insights for more efficient and adaptable wave energy technologies.

A joint team from UOsaka has uncovered the core principles of the loss maximization in rotor-driven gas-liquid two-phase flows. Performing numerical simulations on the supercomputer "SQUID", they identified the causes as direct collisions between the rotor and the liquid surface and pressure imbalances around the rotor. The findings suggest that, in a resonant state, the enhanced fluid motion is drawn toward the front of the rotor, and the flow instability is intensified behind it. The insights from this research would open the possibility of improving energy efficiency, enhancing reliability and lifespan, and providing new design guidelines for various industrial applications.

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Corrugated wings exhibit larger lift than flat wings

Researchers analyze the collapse of the Misasa Railroad Bridge in Japan — an infrastructure failure caused by unprecedented flooding back in 2018 — to inform future flood-resistant designs.

By virtually reproducing physical reservoir computing, a new information processing technology, using numerical simulation, the present study reveals that vortices in fluid flow phenomena in the downstream region of a cylinder are the key to information processing capability. It is expected that this result concerning fluid flow vortices and information processing capability will be useful in enhancing the information processing capability of the physical reservoir using fluid flow.

New microscopy technique provides unprecedented insight into nanoscopic slip layers formed in flowing complex liquids.

Ultrafast video capture of droplet cloud formation should help minimize the risk of gas-leak explosions.