mech@eng.ui.ac.id +62 21 7270032 mech@eng.ui.ac.id +62 21 7270032
mech@eng.ui.ac.id +62 21 7270032harinaldi@eng.ui.ac.id
1992 – Mechanical Engineering Universitas Indonesia
1997 – Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University, Japan
2000 – Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University, Japan
In Higher Education, Engineering-based research will help reveal various phenomena that can be applied in the industrial world. Moreover, the presented data will be more valid, precise, and reliable.
Research on flow control helps gather phenomena and technical recommendations required in industrial applications. With various existing analyses, flow control is expected to be a solution that continuously improves the quality of industrial products.
Flow control techniques are used to save energy by reducing the aerodynamic drag of a car or aircraft. Flow properties such as steady, laminar, non-steady, and turbulent will produce aerodynamic dragging when interacting with solid objects. A truck and a sedan have different shapes, so the dragging they will face when running and the fuel consumption are also different. Theoretically, there are two kinds of methods, namely passive and active methods, to reduce these obstacles, so they will require lower energy consumption.
A passive method does not add energy input or mass to the flow. For example, in a car employing a passive method, additional spoilers make speed smoother. On the other hand, an active method provides additional effects that change the flow, such as adding mass or energy. In research, flow control meant to reduce dragging is known as a suction method, and when employed to test a vehicle, it is known as a blowing method. Nowadays, engineers are developing a more sophisticated, future-oriented method using a synthetic jet and plasma.
This research supports the improvement of product quality in the automotive and aircraft vehicle aerodynamics industry. The implementation must be supported with good understanding and good analyses. Moreover, it must produce data and knowledge that can be accounted for. Supporting precision tools are also highly required since results will greatly depend on accuracy. For instance, a sophisticated tool named Particle Image Velocimetry is employed to design the shape of a vehicle’s parts to optimally function.