Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Georgia TECH Research Corp received a $308,748 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Directorate for Engineering (CFDA 47.041) for collaborative research on the physics of breakup and population-balance modeling of oil-coated air bubbles in strong turbulence. The award, effective September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2029, supports an integrated research program combining controlled laboratory experiments with high-fidelity computer simulations to characterize how liquid coatings alter bubble deformation and breakup behavior in turbulent flows. The research will quantify the influence of coating thickness, fluid material properties, and turbulence intensity on breakup mechanisms and the resulting distributions of daughter bubbles and droplets, ultimately producing physics-based predictive models suitable for incorporation into larger-scale engineering simulations.

The project deliverables will advance multiple application domains, including drug delivery technologies, oil and gas transport in marine environments, and industrial separation process efficiency. Additionally, the award incorporates an educational component providing undergraduate students with hands-on research opportunities and developing K-12 educational materials focused on fluid dynamics and scientific exploration. The research outcomes—comprising experimental data, computational models, and validated breakup prediction frameworks—will support improved understanding of multiphase flow systems critical to both civilian industrial applications and environmental response initiatives.