In a exploration of fluid dynamics, the MEAM department invited Gareth McKinley from Massachusetts Institute of Technology to speak at the Fall 2024 Tedori-Callinan Distinguished Lecture. To a full auditorium, McKinley presented his talk “Novel Passive and Active Approaches to Fluid Friction Reduction using Polymers & Plastrons,” unraveling innovative strategies for reducing frictional dissipation.
The Tedori-Callinan Lecture Series, made possible by the generosity of Letty Tedori-Callinan and her husband Jim, continues to honor Letty’s late father, Fred Tedori Sr., an advocate of education who instilled in his daughters the importance of pursuing careers in engineering. Letty herself, an alumna of the Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics department, epitomized excellence during her undergraduate studies, showcasing qualities of curiosity, creativity, diligence, responsibility, and attention to detail.
McKinley’s lecture offered insights into fluid friction reduction with a variety of examples, from exploration of superhydrophobic (SH) textured surfaces that trap a thin air layer known as a plastron, to taking inspiration from shark skin. Through a Taylor-Couette apparatus, McKinley and his team compared drag reduction mechanisms across a wide range of Reynolds numbers, investigating how these surfaces create shear-free regions that locally lower frictional dissipation.
The culmination of McKinley’s research leads to the development of novel drag reduction strategies. Particularly intriguing was the investigation of how different friction reduction methods interact, demonstrating that the effectiveness of polymer drag reduction can be complex and nuanced when combined with surface texturing.