The SAIMechE John Orr Annual Lecture 2023

The School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering invites you to the SAIMechE - John Orr Annual Lecture 2023

HYBRID EVENT
Date: Thursday, 2 November 2023
Time: 17h15 for 17h50
Venue: Senate Room, 2nd Floor, Solomon Mahlangu House, Wits University, Braamfontein, Johannesburg

Enquiries: info@saimeche.org.za

RSVP: shorturl.at/eyZ48

The event will also be streamed live on the Wits University YouTube Channel.
Streaming Link: shorturl.at/uQZ67

Many flows encountered in our daily lives involve a moving boundary. The shape of a raindrop, for example, evolves as it falls through the air. Likewise, the free surface of a river deforms as it encounters obstacles. While the mathematical ingredients required to describe such flows have been known since the late 19th century and are encapsulated in the Navier-Stokes equations, solving complex flows with a moving boundary or interface still poses significant challenges and provides stimulating cross-disciplinary research opportunities for which mechanical engineers have much to contribute. The question at the centre of this lecture is “if information about the interface dynamics is available, can we indirectly infer unknown properties of the flow?” Such a question falls in the realm of inverse problems for which one knows the effect but is looking for the cause. Specifically, the presentation is about how it is possible to estimate fluid properties from limited observations, how to control the flow around hydrofoils to mitigate cavitation, or what is the best way to rotate a pan to cook the perfect crêpe.