Nanotechnology Now – Press Release: Solid understanding of liquid-solid interactions: Pitt researchers receive $300K from NSF to explore motion of viscous liquids interacting with solids
Home > press > Solid understanding of liquid-solid interactions: Pitt researchers receive $300K from NSF to explore the motion of viscous liquids interacting with solids
| G. Paolo Galdi, Professor of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science at University of Pittsburgh CREDIT University of Pittsburgh |
Abstract:
The same principle that caused the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in 1940 may one day allow doctors to guide microrobots through the bloodstream to deliver drugs exactly where they are needed.
Solid understanding of liquid-solid interactions: Pitt researchers receive $300K from NSF to explore the motion of viscous liquids interacting with solids
Pittsburgh, PA | Posted on June 30, 2023
The interaction between viscous liquids and solids has become a major focus of applied research, and with good reason. G. Paolo Galdi, distinguished professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering, is working to harness the potential of this interaction for broad applications in biomedical engineering, design of micro- and nanotechnology equipment, and construction of suspension bridges. The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded Galdi $299,792 for this work.
The Galdi project investigates two specific aspects of this field. The first explores how solid objects move when vibrating in viscous liquids, especially when the vibrations are caused by oscillating masses within the object. This work has practical applications in biomedical engineering and designing small scale equipment.
“Microrobots with vibrating motors can be used to deliver drugs directly to where they are needed in the body, as long as the robot’s movements can be controlled properly,” explained Galdi. “Internal vibratory motors would be much safer than any other way of propelling something in the blood vessels, but the movement of the vibratory motors is much more difficult to predict and control.”
Galdi’s research aims to discover how changes in vibration frequency are related to the robot’s net motion, and how changes in robot shape and vibration speed can direct its path.
The second aspect of Galdi’s research examines how viscous fluid flow can affect or even produce oscillations of elastic structures. Understanding this phenomenon is very important for studying the stability of suspension bridges. By investigating these questions, Galdi hopes to contribute to preventing disasters such as the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, a suspension bridge that famously collapsed soon after it was built in 1940 due to wind-induced oscillations.
“When wind strikes the suspension bridge, it can cause oscillations that can trigger movement of the structure and, sometimes, cause it to collapse. This failure is not as simple as it seems,” explained Galdi. “I approach this problem from a strictly mathematical point of view so that, hopefully, we can prevent these disasters in the future.”
NSF funding not only recognizes the importance of Galdi’s research but also creates opportunities for postgraduate students. This grant will provide ECE PhD Candidate Marc Karakouzian with valuable research experience. Two undergraduate students — Benjamin Carr and Oscar Gerber — will also contribute to this work.
The three-year project will start on July 1.
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