Associate Professor Graeme Hocking

Room: S&C/3.023

Research

Free-surface hydrodynamics, industrial, biological and environmental modelling

Projects

Aerodynamics (ground effect)

The phenomenon of ground effect is the actual increase in lift on a wing (or downforce on a racing car), caused by the presence of the ground. This project would involve examining possible causes for this effect using the equations of fluid flow.

Galvanising of Steel Sheeting

Steel products are galvanised by passing them through a bath of molten zinc. The thickness of the layer of zinc depends on gravity and viscosity, and the speed of withdrawal. It also depends on the shape of the object. In this project, a model of the process will be developed and solved. Extensions would include looking at the effect of blowing an air jet against the steel as it comes from the bath.

The Grounding of the QEII

A ship travelling at speed in shallow water tends to sit lower. This is not obvious to the passengers, as the water tends to sit lower also. The effect is called 'squat'. Several years ago the QEII ran aground off New York. Litigation is still proceeding - the owners claim errors in the US Coast Guard maps, the Coast guard claims pilot error due to not allowing enough for 'squat'. We will examine the degree of squat in different situations, and find the truth!

Other Topics

There are a number of suitable projects available in mechanics, fluid mechanics or biological or chemical systems, including flow of air in the lungs, or blood through arteries, modelling temperature and density in a reservoir, withdrawing water from density-stratified fluids, modelling wave heights in a harbour, and flow of water or oil underground. Recently completed Honours projects have included;

Blood flow in arteries, A model of fisheries with an exclusion zone, Atmospheric waves in the lee of mountains, Withdrawal from a groundwater aquifer, Selective withdrawal from a two-layer fluid, Modelling flow past a vehicle using a source distribution.

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