#fluiddynamics

#fluiddynamics

Physicists Determine the Best Way to Split an Oreo CookieHow do you like to split open and eat an Oreo cookie? How can you most effectively separate the creme from the cookie shell? Yes, there’s a lot of folk wisdom about this. But Oreo creme is a fluid and thus this is a question of fluid dynamics.Researchers led by Crystal E. Owens, a doctoral student at MIT, recently published the results of their study into the fluid dynamics of Oreo cookies and how to optimize the separate process. They published their article titled “On Oreology, The Fracture and Flow of ‘Milk’s Favorite Cookie’” in the journal Physics of Fluids.

Spiral Shark Intestines Function Like Nikola Tesla ValveIt may be surprising, but scientists actually don’t know much about how a shark’s digestive system works, and how they eat, digest and excrete impact other marine species.In a new study, scientists used computerized tomography or CT scanner to investigate the intestine of a Pacific spiny dogfish shark (Squalus suckleyi). “It’s high time that some modern technology was used to look at these really amazing spiral intestines of sharks,” said professor Samantha Leigh of California State University, Dominguez Hills. “We developed a new method to digitally scan these tissues and now can look at the soft tissues in such great detail without having to slice into them.”The researchers found that the spiral intestine of the shark resembles the one-way valve designed by Nikola Tesla more than a century ago. The so-called ‘Tesla Valve’ allows fluid to flow in one direction without backflow or even moving parts.Leigh suggests that as most sharks usually go days or even weeks between eating large meals, their spiral intestines allow them to hold food in their digestive system and absorb as much nutrients as possible. The slowed movement of food in the intestines allows sharks to retain food there longer, as well as use less energy processing it.Images and video clip: Samantha Leigh/California State University, Dominguez Hills#CTScan #shark #intestines #TeslaValve #NikolaTesla #digestivesystem #marinebiology #anatomy #fluiddynamics

Cylinder 'Levitates' on an Oil-Coated Belt Running Like a Vertical TreadmillHere’s a surprising way you can defy gravity with a metal cylinder, a vertical treadmill and oil.Mohit Dalwadi at the University of Oxford, UK, and colleagues experimented with cylinders of various masses and several different treadmill belt speeds to model the conditions at which the cylinder will “levitate” whilst rotating on the oil-slicked belt.#fluiddynamics #levitation #physics #cylinder #oil #treadmill #lubrication