VISUALIZATION OF TURBULENT EVENTS VIA VIRTUAL/AUGMENTED REALITY

Abstract

Mixed reality technology, i.e., virtual (VR) and augmented (AR) reality, has spread from research laboratories to enter the homes of many. Further, the widespread adoption of these technologies has caught the scientific community's attention, which is constantly researching potential applications. Backed by the continued enhancement of high-performance computing in hardware and software, we are applying mixed reality technologies as a scientific visualization tool for fluid dynamics purposes. In particular, we show a virtual wind tunnel (along with the simplified methodology to replicate it) that enables the user to visualize complex and intricate turbulent flow patterns within an immersive environment. Briefly, high spatial/temporal resolution numerical data over supersonic turbulent boundary layers subject to concave and convex wall curvature has been creatively "pipelined" for VR/AR visualization via several scripts, software, and apps, which are further explained and described along the manuscript. The intention is to present a technique of how to visualize fluid flows to be the most convenient for the user, especially if one is slightly unfamiliar with scientific visualization. Whereas VR/AR applications are principally discussed here for flow visualization, the lessons learned can be certainly extended to other disciplines involving three-dimensional time-dependent databases.