Toothpaste, Custard and Chocolate: Mathematics Gets Messy

TL;DR

Exploring how the flow of chocolate in a fountain is modeled through fluid dynamics and its applications.

Transcript

thank you Chris so this is my doll title slide but that's what I should have put up this is of course what we do to undergraduates who don't pass the exams I'm going to talk to you today about the story of an undergraduate project how to get this through the UCL mail room in our UCL master's degree a small subset but a highly prized subset of our s... Read More

Key Insights

• 💝 Motivation: The study on the chocolate fountain aims to provide undergraduates with a unique research experience and delve into the complex fluid dynamics of chocolate.
• 💝 Viscosity Modeling: Understanding the viscosity of molten chocolate is crucial for predicting its flow behavior and utilizing mathematical models effectively.
• 💝 Practical Applications: Research outcomes on chocolate fountain flow have practical implications in diverse fields like ballistics protection and cryopreservation techniques.
• ☠️ Fluid Dynamics Principles: The study encompasses fundamental fluid dynamics principles like surface tension, gravity effects, and shear rate calculations.
• 🥺 Media Impact: The research's novel and engaging nature has led to significant media coverage, demonstrating the public interest in unique scientific investigations.
• 💝 Interdisciplinary Approach: The project involves interdisciplinary collaboration, incorporating physics, mathematics, and engineering to analyze chocolate flow dynamics thoroughly.
• 💝 Universal Fluid Flow: The study of chocolate fountain flow reveals universal fluid flow characteristics that apply to various real-world scenarios beyond chocolate.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the main focus of the undergraduate project at UCL regarding the chocolate fountain?

The project aims to study the flow of chocolate in a fountain and model it mathematically, focusing on viscosity, shear rate, and fluid dynamics aspects.

Q: How is the viscosity of the chocolate in the fountain described and used in modeling?

Viscosity is measured by imposing a sheer flow to determine how hard the fluid is to push at a given speed, aiding in modeling the flow behavior of the chocolate in the fountain.

Q: What are some real-world applications of the research on the chocolate fountain's fluid dynamics?

The research has implications in fields like improving ballistics protection by treating Kevlar with similar substances and potentially enhancing cryopreservation techniques by preventing the nucleation of ice crystals.

Q: How does the study of the falling sheet of chocolate in the fountain relate to water bells?

The falling sheet of chocolate mimics the water bells' shape formed under running taps, illustrating how surface tension and gravity shape the flow behavior of the chocolate fountain.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Undergraduates at UCL work on a project studying the flow of chocolate in a fountain for an individual research project.

• The study involves mathematical modeling of the chocolate and the fountain, focusing on viscosity and shear rate.

• Applications of this research include improving ballistics protection and advancing cryopreservation techniques.