Mechanical Engineering PhD student Aditya Aiyer was recently featured by Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) for his research on the dynamics between oil droplets and turbulent flows.
Aiyer is currently working in the lab of Prof. Charles Meneveau, where he is investigating a GoMRI-funded project titled “Transport and fate of oil in the upper ocean: Studying and modeling multi-scale physical dispersion mechanisms and remediation strategies using Large Eddy Simulation.” Aiyer and his team are developing a new approach for state-of-the-art models that simulate oil’s behavior as it moves through turbulent flows and track the subsequent different-sized oil droplets’ breakup and coalescence. The improved simulations of the fate and evolution of oil droplets in deepwater plumes can inform decisions about dispersant application.
In the article, Aiyer, a GoMRI Scolar, reflects on his experiences in the GoMRI science community and engaging with other scientists at the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference, “There are hundreds of people [in the GoMRI community] working on a myriad of topics from the chemistry and physics of the oil all the way to the ecological effects and effects on local aquatic life. It was humbling to see that my research is also playing a small role in saving our environment.”