U of M working on Navy’s dime to solve sea-erosion puzzle
“One of the biggest reasons we’re doing this research is because the Navy will send a vessel out to sea for five years, and when they bring it back, they notice things like wear on the rudder that completely erodes away part of the service,” said Daniel Foti, principal investigator on the $2.25 million research grant with the University of Memphis. (Benjamin Naylor/The Daily Memphian)
Five years ago, Daniel Foti was a new assistant professor in the University of Memphis Herff College of Engineering, trying to find his niche.
He’s found it.
Foti is an expert in fluid dynamics and turbulent flows.
He was among 50 national researchers at the FedEx Institute of Technology on campus discussing the not-so-esoteric topic of cavitation and the cost of the erosion it causes on rudders, propellers and turbines for the U.S. Navy and the entire U.S. nuclear and hydroelectric power complex.
On Thursday, July 25, the whole contingent — including researchers from Oak Ridge National Lab and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s lab in the Pacific Northwest — visited the William B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel on Presidents Island.
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Daniel Foti University of Memphis Herff College of Engineering William B. Morgan Large Cavitation Channel Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
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Jane Roberts
Jane Roberts has reported in Memphis for more than 20 years. As a senior member of The Daily Memphian staff, she was assigned to the medical beat during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also has done in-depth work on other medical issues facing our community, including shortages of specialists in local hospitals. She covered K-12 education here for years and later the region’s transportation sector, including Memphis International Airport and FedEx Corp.
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