Undergraduate Research in Engineering at Rice
Jordan Pearce, Senior Chemical Engineering student
Solving Mathematical Models of Phase Transitions in Complex Fluids in a Shear Flow
with Dr. Jacqueline GoveasThis summer Jordan Pearce worked as an intern on a theoretical project, which was supervised by Professor Jacqueline Goveas. The project dealt with solving mathematical models of phase transitions in complex fluids in a shear flow. Dr. Goveas has previously developed phenomenological models for these processes, for the case of non-conserved order parameters, which required the solution of second order nonlinear partial differential equations. The goal for the summer project was to extend this model to the conserved order parameter case, which requires the solution of fourth order nonlinear partial differential equations, using fully implicit finite difference schemes. Mr. Pearce learned the numerical techniques required and wrote programs in Fortran to solve a simplified version of the second order equations previously solved by Dr. Goveas. Mr. Pearce then attempted to solve a simplified version of the fourth order equations, but the results were not in agreement with previous results obtained by a British group. The discrepancies have not as yet been reconciled, as the internship period ended.
Department of Chemical Engineering
Back to Undergraduate Research page
|
About the School | Academics & Research | Departments | What's New Alumni | Calendar | Contacts | SE Web | Duncan Hall Conference Room Reservations |
 
|
||