APPLIED MECHANICS LABORATORY

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Mechanics & Applied Mathematics group Mechanical Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

WHAT WE DO

We use science, mostly mechanics, to understand the behaviour and patters exhibited by various physical phenomenon or entities. These may be naturally occurring, namely soil and rock particles that interact with one another under gravity giving rise to extremely complex motion of the entire system, such as Asteroids, or desert sand for that matter. They may also be man-made, such as beams, tethers and cables structures, adhesives, etc., which interact with fluids, as in the case of tethered balloons, wherein the hot gas inside the balloon and the turbulent wind outside are constantly acting on it, or fuel in moving vehicles, which may slosh violently inside the tank thereby causing perturbation in the vehicle’s course.

Then we formulate our understanding of these systems into mathematical equations, which are based upon the laws of physics. These equations may turn out to be extremely complex. They are then tested and solved with the help of sophisticated mathematical tools on the high performance computers of our laboratory.

The resulting computer simulation is then verified using experiments, which are performed on lab-scale model of the system, in our well equipped laboratory. This verification process helps us to obtain a simplified, yet efficient, model of the system that describes the observed physical phenomenon.

Such simplified models are extremely necessary while addressing the issues associated with the actual system. Using them we may get better insights into various situations concerning such systems and, may perhaps, provide a modest solution to avoid or eradicate several associated problems.

However, this work is not so straightforward as it sounds, rather it is always a hard nut to crack! One may have to strive for days (or weeks) just to get past the first step, and that is why we work together. We even collaborate with experts both in and out of this field.

Research projects

Ploughing process:

We estimate forces during ploughing of a granular bed by performing experiments. Click to know more !

Plough

Granular chute:

We report experiments performed on granular flows over an inclined and spring-supported base. We observe the energy profiles of steady granular flow and compare our findings with simulations. Click to know more !

Granular chute

Asteroids:

Avalanches on asteroids: Theory and Simulations. Modelling of shallow granular flows on simple non-axisymmetric cores using using continuum mechanics and an open source software called LAMMPS. Click to know more !

Asteroid

Grain Sorter:

Click to know more !

grain1

Fluid slosher

The liquid contained in the spherical tank, which is located at the center of the pendulum structure, is sloshed by imparting motion to the structure. The pendulum models have been drawn/marked on the top of the two photographs (on the right) to show the setup’s resemblance with the mathematical model of that of a double spherical pendulum. The Euler angles of the compound pendulum structure, and their rates, are observed and tracked using the digital camera system set up in our lab. Click to know more !

slosh