Who are we?

Interactive Flow Studies, started in 2005, is a US based business serving customers Worldwide. We specialize in developing products to be used in laboratory or classroom education. FLOWEX software is specifically developed for education for the purpose of flow visualization and analysis with integrated educational particle image velocimetry, computational fluid dynamics and computer aided design.

Fluid mechanics is a highly visual subject and so during the teaching process one must take full advantage of this fact. Educational Interactive Flow Visualization & Analysis Systems include both hardware and software for fluid science and engineering education at undergraduate and graduate school levels. FLOWCOACH and ePIV provide faculty the latest technology as a teaching tool allowing them to acquire new knowledge and skills. Due to their simplicity of operation and being highly visual they can also be used at museums, science centers and similar institutions to develop exhibits in science and engineering. It can be used to promote fluid mechanics and science in general even to non-science and non-engineering students.

The technology development is based upon work partly funded by the National Science Foundation.

Design→Build→Test→Analyze

FLOWCOACH and ePIV modules allow educators and students to obtain full understanding of the fluid mechanics theory with experimental visualization. The students can use different flow model inserts or design their own inserts. Inserts can be made by machining, molding or rapid prototyping. Students can simulate the flow using the educational CFD module integrated with PIV in FLOWEX software. This is a great way to teach students the complete design process!

Hands-on Approach to Learning Fluid Flow Phenomena

The laboratory experience is a crucial component of fluid mechanics education. Hands-on opportunity provides a compelling and lasting perspective of the realities of fluid flow, aspects that are often missing from the books and CFD simulations. We have designed compact interactive systems for educational use with the purpose of providing actual visualization and validation of various phenomena in fluid mechanics providing links between the experimental measurements and the associated theory. In addition to teaching the classical material, the systems are used in senior design classes to visualize the actual flow in prototypes. Correlations between theory and actual flow visualization and measurements help students fully appreciate the principles of fluid mechanics in a wide range of applications spanning from the fluid machinery to emerging applications, such as environmental, biological and micro-scale flows.

Ease of Use and Safety

FLOWCOACH & ePIV systems are packaged in a compact form so that they are highly portable! Their operation is very user friendly! They are standalone systems which only require connection to a computer. Since the systems are used by educators and students, they are also designed to be safe and robust.

FLOWEX™ Software

In addition to the system module, containing all the hardware, the associated software package is provided with the system. FLOWEX™ is designed to be user friendly and interactive so that the user can visualize the flow field and the velocity distribution instantaneously. Flows can be analyzed using CFD & PIV, specifically designed to be at the basic level for the purpose of teaching! Laminar, transition, turbulent, steady, unsteady and transient flows can be visualized and analyzed. Using the velocity field, other quantities, such as the vorticity, strain rate, streamlines, and other relevant results, can also be calculated and visualized. Flowrate and pressure differentials can also be measured with FLOWCOACH. We created learning materials and novel teaching strategies by developing FLOWEX™ as a virtual teaching assistant for the education process, where the students can develop enhanced understanding of fluid flow by interactive experiments through a computer terminal in the classroom. The software is web based which allows multiple users to access the experiment through the internet wherever they are!

Compatibility

We try to offer as much compatibility as we can on multiple fronts, and provide our users access to a broader range of additional software if they choose to use them. For example, the hardware, image and file formats used in FLOWEX™ are compatible with other PIV software, so users can read it through those programs. Users can export the data from FLOWEX™, process them further, or use it with their own software or third party software. We intend to work closely with the open source community.

Partnerships

We provide ongoing consulting support as part of each software package purchase. We also establish strategic partnerships with curriculum publishers, schools and universities. In particular, we work with the education professors very closely to develop testable new ideas for creating learning materials and teaching strategies that have the potential for a direct impact on educational practices. We share ABET approved curriculums developed for the Educational Interactive Flow Visualization & Analysis Systems with our customers.