In this video, Destin Sandlin of smarter every day and an associate, David Linderman, investigated the ideal collision of vortex rings. To conduct this experiment, two vortex rings made out of ink were created and collided under water in order to see what type of fluid mechanics would occur when such an event happened. This was an incredible undertaking as making the rings collide perfectly was no simple task and took several years of refinement on the system that was used to conduct the experiment. However, The experiment yielded incredible results. The fluid mechanics are clearly seen at work as the vortices collide and the ink spreads out and then forms secondary vortices. Although the fluid mechanics of much of this process are very complicated, and the mechanics of the secondary rings remain unknown, there is incredible beauty here in the complexity and unpredictability of the formation and collision of near perfect vortices.
Image Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVbdbVhzcM4
Original Author: Destin Sandlin
5 Comments. Leave new
This is stunning. Shared first place.
Third place. I remember watching this video when it came out and I was blown away by it. It was immediately the first thing I thought of when I registered for this class. The amount of work that went into setting up the experiment alone is incredible.
First Prize. I love the beauty of the vortex rings colliding and forming perpendicular vortex rings.
First place. This image/video is awesome but the fluid dynamics theory behind it is even more impressive since it seems like even professionals in the video only have “theories” rather than proof. Even when the vortex rings didn’t collide perfectly it was still mesmerizing.
First Place