Rosy Monaghan ’24
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Oil Spill Remediation by Enhanced Turbulence
Oil spills cause severe environmental damage to aquatic ecosystems and cleanup is often difficult and expensive. This project investigated a new and more efficient cleanup method for oil spills that uses enhanced turbulence to increase the breakup of oil slicks into smaller droplets that are then dispersed into ocean water columns. Our group conducted experiments in which we increased turbulence added to the system using a remote-controlled boat and a water pump. We then used image processing techniques in the software MATLAB to analyze oil droplet breakup and determine the effectiveness of this cleanup method. I gained experience in academic research, which helped to improve my scientific writing skills, image processing skills and experimental skills. This project also gave me insight into how engineering can be applied to finding solutions to environmental problems and, as a result, encouraged me to pursue further research opportunities related to environmental issues.
2021
Climate and Environmental Science
Smits Fluid Mechanics Lab, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University
Alexander Smits, Eugene Higgins Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Emeritus; Liuyang Ding, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering