A mechanical design approach to testing fluid turbulence over a rough surface

Senior thesis written for Oceanography 444

[author abstract] This experiment took a mechanical design approach to analyzing aquatic energy loss through observing small scale water movement across a rough surface. The project was conducted in three phases. The first involved designing and building an instrument to observe water movement and critically accounting for factors such as material costs and environmental limitations. Phase two involved repeated deployment of the instrument, evaluation of its structural integrity, and data collection regarding the scientific issue of water movement. Finally, phase three integrated an in depth examination of one design aspect, specifically the portion of the design used to imitate surface roughness. This led to the observation of the importance of surface areas of the materials used and how this could be implemented when considering possible design changes.

University of Washington School of Oceanography