Courses

Flows of Complex Fluids

The course starts by building the concept of a “complex fluid” from fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and statistical physics. It then covers the main classes of complex fluids: viscoelastic fluids, yield-stress fluids, suspensions and molten polymers, with practical examples from industry and from biology and health for each. A short but systematic introduction to their rheological characterisation follows. We then analyse flows specific to each class (for example, elastic turbulence) and their practical applications, such as mixing and heat transport.

Towards the end, the course introduces numerical simulation of complex-fluid flows, using the open-source solvers Gerris and Basilisk at the macroscopic scale, and basic molecular dynamics methods at the nanoscale. Part of the course follows sections of the book Transport Phenomena in Complex Fluids.

Handwritten lecture notes

Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics

A short “crash” course introducing the basic concepts of fluid mechanics. It provides the foundation for more advanced graduate courses such as Hydrodynamic Turbulence, Transport Phenomena in Fluids and Complex Fluids. Part of the last lecture gives an overview of research topics currently studied in our team, including simulations of seemingly “basic” fluid-dynamics problems with the open-source flow solver Gerris, developed by Stéphane Popinet.

Handwritten lecture notes

Exam

A 1.5-hour written exam in two parts. For the first 30 minutes you answer short theoretical questions on the course material, with no documents allowed. In the remaining hour you solve exercises on the topics covered, and you may use any books or the lecture notes. No computers, mobile phones or calculators are allowed at any time. Exams are graded out of 20, and the passing grade is 10.

Thermorheology of Complex Fluids

A short course that introduces Thermal Engineering students to the rheology and hydrodynamics of complex fluids, in both isothermal and non-isothermal settings. It covers fundamental concepts (with some mathematics), but is geared mainly towards practical questions such as: why is warm butter easier to spread than cold butter? How do we mix cream into coffee efficiently? Which polymer-processing operation produces a plastic bottle?

A printed version of the notes is handed out in class.

Exam

The exam is open-book: you may use any printed material (books, lecture notes and so on). No electronic devices (mobile phones, calculators, computers) are allowed. The exam is individual, and collaboration between students is strictly forbidden. During the exam the instructor answers only questions about the meaning of the exercises and, on request, translates parts of them into French, out loud so that everyone can hear. Rescheduling an exam can only be arranged with the teaching department.