Fluid Dynamics

Bio-Architectural Blueprint: Lessons from Termite Mounds 1 Bio-Architectural Blueprint - Part 1: Diurnal Cycles and Convective Ventilation 2 Bio-Architectural Blueprint - Part 2: Solar Geometry and Thermal Gradients 3 Bio-Architectural Blueprint - Part 3: Internal Architecture Revealed by Tomography 4 Bio-Architectural Blueprint - Part 4: Biomimicry in Action-The Eastgate Centre 5 Bio-Architectural Blueprint - Part 5: Computational Modeling for Future Applications ← Series Home The Challenge of Opaque Systems The success of biomimicry in sustainable architecture hinges on a complete understanding of the natural blueprint. For decades, studying the functional principles of termite mounds, particularly the precise flow of air and gas, was hampered by the mound’s opaque and complex structure. Traditional visualization methods, such as casting the tunnels with plaster or physically sectioning the mound, are inherently destructive, offering only partial and non-reusable information. Furthermore, the complexity of internal structures, featuring a network of tunnels, chimneys, and pores, makes direct in situ flow measurement difficult and localized. ...

Ancient Water and Climate Control Systems 1 The Gravity Engine: Ancient Water Systems That Shaped Civilization - Part 1: Qanat: The Gravity-Fed Engine of Persian Oases 2 The Gravity Engine: Ancient Water Systems That Shaped Civilization - Part 2: Yakhchāl: Harnessing Radiative Cooling in the Desert 3 The Gravity Engine: Ancient Water Systems That Shaped Civilization - Part 3: Hypocaust: Engineering Radiant Heat for Roman Comfort 4 The Gravity Engine: Ancient Water Systems That Shaped Civilization - Part 4: Barbagal Mill: Automation and the Cascade of Roman Power 5 The Gravity Engine: Ancient Water Systems That Shaped Civilization - Part 5: Aqueducts: Mastering Pressure with the Roman Siphon ← Series Home The Self-Sustaining Rivers of Rome To sustain the urban grandeur and colossal population of their cities, Roman civil engineers devised the aqueduct system, a monumental feat of systematic public utility. These massive channels transported water over dozens of miles, relying entirely on the elegant, unceasing principle of gravity. This infrastructure was built with a precision that seems to defy the ruggedness of the ancient world, using surveying tools like the corabates to achieve gradients as slight as one foot of drop for every 250 feet of channel. The Roman aqueduct was not just a convenience; it was the essential foundation of urban life, providing a supply per person that rivals many modern cities. ...

Bio-Architectural Blueprint: Lessons from Termite Mounds 1 Bio-Architectural Blueprint - Part 1: Diurnal Cycles and Convective Ventilation 2 Bio-Architectural Blueprint - Part 2: Solar Geometry and Thermal Gradients 3 Bio-Architectural Blueprint - Part 3: Internal Architecture Revealed by Tomography 4 Bio-Architectural Blueprint - Part 4: Biomimicry in Action-The Eastgate Centre 5 Bio-Architectural Blueprint - Part 5: Computational Modeling for Future Applications ← Series Home The Knowledge Gap in Natural Engineering Termite mounds are unequivocally acknowledged as masterworks of passive ventilation and thermoregulation, stabilizing internal nest temperatures with fluctuations of only 0–4°C despite dramatic external swings. While architects have found success replicating macro-scale effects, like the chimney structure, a full, functional replication of the termite’s climate control system remains elusive. Decades of research have established key insights: the mound’s architecture, not just the insects’ presence, determines stability; thermal gradients drive convective flow; and the material composition buffers extremes. ...