Flow Facilities with Refractive Index Matched Solution (FoRMS)

A new laboratory will build fluid flow loops using salt water that makes solid plastic models invisible, allowing lasers to map hidden currents inside complex machinery. Engineers struggle to measure how fluids behave inside pipes, pumps, and biological channels because the solid walls block optical access. The problem is especially acute near surfaces, within porous materials, or behind curved models—exactly where the most important flow physics occur. By dissolving sodium iodide in water until its refractive index matches acrylic or silicone, the solid model becomes optically transparent. Laser-based techniques such as particle image velocimetry can then capture full-field velocity data in previously inaccessible locations. If successful, the FoRMS lab will produce high-fidelity experimental data for flows that currently resist accurate computer modelling—such as blood flow through artificial heart valves, coolant circulation in nuclear reactors, or oil moving through porous rock. These measurements could enable a shift to data-driven modelling, replacing empirical guesswork with validated simulations. The facility will also accelerate model-making by combining 3D printing with casting, allowing rapid iteration of complex geometries. This is primarily an infrastructure investment in fundamental fluid dynamics, but the resulting datasets could improve the design of medical devices, industrial heat exchangers, and water treatment systems.