Fridays, 6a (3:30-4:30), Olin 141
The Department of Physics and Astronomy is pleased to present this year’s Physics 123 series. “What Physicists Do” is our annual series of five lectures by invited speakers, many of whom are Carleton Physics alumni. It is intended to introduce students to a broad range of real-world physics and to give some perspective on the kinds of work done by people with a physics background. After each presentation, please join us in the 2nd Olin student lounge for coffee & cookies, and the opportunity to talk face-to-face with the featured speaker.
May 1: Adam Witt ’06 “Developing Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations to Solve Environmental Issues at Hydropower Dams”
Hydropower dams produce a reliable, clean, and valuable source of renewable electricity. The era of large hydropower dam construction in the U.S. is likely at an end, but the need to fully understand and account for the adverse environmental impacts of these massive civil structures will persist well into the foreseeable future. Low impact hydropower operation necessitates innovative environmental impact mitigation technologies that preserve and ensure favorable environmental conditions. Over the past two decades, advances in computational fluid dynamics have transformed our ability to analyze and understand the complex air-water interactions that form the fundamental basis of environmental sustainability. High fidelity simulations can replicate flow scenarios that are nearly impossible to observe experimentally, revealing turbulent structures and fluid behavior that furthers our understanding of flow physics. This presentation will describe and present some of these simulations, and outline how computational fluid dynamics is used as a tool for exploring pressing issues in hydropower sustainability. The talk will also outline the struggles, failures, and lessons learned during my journey from Carleton physics graduate to insurance industry analyst to postdoc at a national lab.
Adam Witt attended Carleton College from 2002 to 2006 where he earned a B.A. in Physics and a Concentration in French and Francophone Studies. After spending four years in San Francisco as an insurance analyst, an epiphany realigned his academic compass towards the intersection of energy and water. In 2010 Adam packed his motorcycle and trekked cross country back to his home state of Minnesota, where he began his doctorate in Civil Engineering at the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory as a Hydro Research Foundation Fellow. He completed his Ph.D. in 2014 and began a postdoc as a research and development engineer in water power technologies at Oak Ridge National Lab. His current research interests include water quality optimization modeling, modular pumped storage hydro technology development, hydropower reservoir economic benefits assessments, and analysis of distributed energy storage device applications. Adam currently resides in Knoxville, TN with his wife Kasey and their newborn son Abel. They are busy learning new biscuit recipes, hiking the Great Smoky Mountains, and training Abel how to talk Minnesotan.