Thermo/Fluids Research Paper Idea

[Yander]

I am a sophomore engineering student taking a thermodynamics/fluid mechanics course right now. We have to write a short 4 page research paper on a topic of our choosing, that deals with thermodynamics and/or fluid mechanics. I am looking for ideas on a good topic, keeping in mind that I have to find 5 technical sources to use as references and it has to fit onto 4 pages total, so It can't be something too complicated or obscure. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Mapes]

How about the difficulty of mixing fluids at the microscale? Flows at this scale are laminar rather than turbulent; as a result, poor reagent mixing has slowed development of lab-on-a-chip and micro-total-analysis-system devices. Researchers have responded by conceiving of and building a multitude of mixers, pumps, and ingenious channel designs. See, for example, J Micromech Microeng and Lab on a Chip.