Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering
Balachandar Research Group
Led by S. Balachandar · Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
What we study
Bala Balachandar uses large computer simulations to study flows full of tiny particles or droplets, like fuel sprays, volcanic eruptions and airborne droplets. The group also uses machine learning to build faster models of these flows.
What working here is like
- Computational
- No organisms (data only)
- Coding required
- Projects
- 2
Current projects
Multi-Shock Instability Effects on a Dense Distribution of Particles
The lab used computer simulations to see how releasing two shock waves at different times moves a packed bed of particles. The student ran Euler‑Lagrange models and found the best timing is when the second shock arrives as the first shock’s inner reflection occurs, improving particle dispersion.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 244
A Machine Learning Approach to Modeling Particle Flocculation Dynamics
Researchers built a machine-learning model that predicts the forces on clumping particles (flocculation), so large simulations run faster and cheaper. It learns from particle positions, accelerations and how tightly particles are packed, and was 99.7% accurate in early tests.
From the Spring 2025 UF Undergraduate Research Symposium · abstract book, p. 77
Summaries are written by AI in plain language from public symposium abstracts and may be imperfect.
How to reach out
S. Balachandar hasn't set up this page yet. Their UF Scholars profile lists their publications.