::.:: Techniques

A typical Fastflo simulationExperimental, Mathematical and Computational Techniques

The Group's research work uses a combination of experimental, mathematical and computational methods. The laboratory techniques include spectrophotometry, densitometry, laser-induced fluorescence imaging, and three-dimensional particle image velocimetry.

The analytical mathematical techniques range from scaling, perturbation methods and asymptotics to stability analysis. Computational research is carried out using state-of-the-art PDE solvers, such as Fastflo, as well as Mathematica and MatLab.

(click images to enlarge)

Photograph of a laboratory analogue for a CO2 plume rising in the deep ocean. Velocity field of a laboratory analogue for a CO2 plume rising in the deep ocean.
Laboratory analogue for a CO2 plume rising in the deep ocean. Photograph (left) and velocity field in a two-dimensional plane bisecting the plume (right). Colour indicates relative light scattering intensity.
Photograph of a laboratory experiment showing small scale convection and mixing. Computer simulation of small scale convection and mixing.
Small-scale convection and mixing may arise at the boundaries of a cloud of pollutant discharged into the ocean. Photograph of a laboratory experiment (left) and computer simulation (right) for the concentration field . The results show that such mixing processes can lead to unexpectedly large pollutant concentrations, locally. This may have serious implications for local flora and fauna.