Federal Grant Award Summary

The Pennsylvania State University received a $297,347 EAGER (Exploratory Research) project grant from the National Science Foundation's Directorate for Engineering (CFDA 47.041) awarded July 15, 2026, with completion scheduled for June 30, 2028. Funded through the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems, this research project develops and applies physics-based computational tools to reconstruct complex fluid motion from sparse Lagrangian particle trajectory data. The research combines fluid dynamics models, optimization methods, and machine learning techniques to address a fundamental gap in flow measurement reliability—specifically, determining under what conditions turbulent flows can be accurately reconstructed from scattered particle tracks and quantifying the data requirements for accurate estimation.

The project deliverables include computational methodologies and theoretical frameworks that advance experimental fluid mechanics measurement techniques critical for aerospace, energy systems, environmental monitoring, and biomedical applications including blood flow analysis. Beyond the technical research products, the award supports graduate student training in fluid mechanics, data science, and computational modeling. The research outcomes are intended to improve the reliability of flow measurements used in advanced energy and propulsion systems while establishing principles for determining reconstruction feasibility and data adequacy across diverse engineering applications.