Modeling the formation of hurricanes
While at Loyola Marymount University, I worked with Dr. Emily Hawkins to construct a rotating convection device. A cylindrical column of water is rotated at a constant speed, while a cold source at its center induces convective flow. The combination of Coriolis acceleration, pressure and temperature gradients induce velocity shear of the fluid, known as baroclinicity. This baroclinicity itself is a form of unstable equilibrium, which eventually decomposes to eddies. This is believed to be the main fluid phenomenon driving the formation of hurricanes.
Thermistors connected to an Arduino collected temperature as a function of time at various radial distances. A camera captures the formation of eddies.
Dye was used to visualize the fluid flows. In the center is the ice pail.
Temperature gradient data and eddy radii were measured to compare against theoretical predictions. Measured data was well within an order of magnitude of these predictions.
Predicted Rossby Deformation Radius for BCI Structures: 0.02677m
Measured Value: 0.0275m
Percent Error: 2.72% Error
Predicted Velocity for BCI Structures: 0.0025 m/s
Measured Value: 0.001994 m/s
Percent Error: 19.21%
Predicted Inertial Reynolds Number: 833.76
Measured Value: 865.22
Percent Error: 3.77%
