67th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics (November 23, 2014 — November 25, 2014)

V0072: Fluid flow visualization through a geometrically complex hydrogel obstruction

Authors

• Joel Weitzman, Stanford University
• Anna Craig, Stanford University
• Jeffrey Koseff, Stanford University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/APS.DFD.2014.GFM.V0072

Novel materials like polymer gels can absorb hundreds of times their weight in water, swelling in volume dramatically as they do so.  Objects manufactured from these specialty 'hydrogels' are solid but they can be designed to have optical properties nearly identical to that of liquid water.  When submerged, they serve as impermeable obstacles to flow - but not to light.  Incident rays can travel through hydrogel bodies just as they do through the surrounding water.  This video demonstrates a key benefit of this 'refraction matched' condition.  Namely, the ability to illuminate the details of water motion in places otherwise hidden from view.