Oscillating motion is found in countless physical systems. The types of oscillation vary due to the forces imposed. This research focuses on studying the oscillating motion of a watch as it falls thro..
Oscillating motion is found in countless physical systems. The types of oscillation vary due to the forces imposed. This research focuses on studying the oscillating motion of a watch as it falls through water. The fluid imposes lift and drag forces on the body subsequently influencing its path as it descends. The body is also imposing forces on the fluid. The central question of this research is: Can Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) programs be used to model the system and recreate the observed motion? The current mode of research is observation. A GoPro HERO7 is used to record the motion for further analysis. The watch is dropped from just below the surface of a pool beginning in a neutral position at the center of its oscillating path. As the watch falls, it swings along its long axis. The amplitude of its oscillation increases until it reaches a point at which the amplitude remains constant. The method to analyze this problem is to model the system in two CFD programs, Ansys Fluent and OpenFoam. The simulation will reveal the forces acting in the system, the velocity profile of the fluid interacting with the body and will answer the central question. The use of two CFD programs will allow comparison between their results and determine if the open-source CFD program, OpenFoam is useful for modeling complex systems such as this. Future exploration aims to answer the following questions. In what ways does the object's geometry influence the path it takes? How can the geometry of the object be varied to produce different types of motion? The overall outcome of this stage of research is ideally to achieve a simulated model in which the oscillating motion is reproduced and subsequently velocity and pressure data to go along with it.