Introduction

Welcome to the world of Fluid Flow!

In fluid flow, we try to learn more about what kind of effects flows have on bodies placed in those flows, and the other way around. For example, how does the flow of air around an airplane wing make the plane go up, and how can we make better wings? Or we try to understand why a parachute sometimes doesn't open. Or how the dimples on a golf ball make it go further, and if the shape of these dimples matters. And exactly why does a baseball act like it does when you throw a curveball or knuckleball?

Now, what can you see and learn on these pages?

On the left of the screen, under "Index", are several links. The "Laboratory Tour" takes you through our labs, and explains how things work. Under "Fluid Parameters" you can convert units, e.g. from meters to feet, or from degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit, and you can calculate Mach numbers for given speed. In the sports section, you can play golf, and see what difference it makes when the golf ball has dimples. Furthermore, you can practice your pitching with the baseball simulator. Then there are pages for low speed aerodynamics and supersonic flow. Finally, there is a quiz, so that you can try out what you have learned.

If there is a word you don't understand, you can try and look it up in the Glossary.