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Kee Onn Fong, PhD

Fluid dynamics & oceanography

Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies, University of Washington

Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, NOAA

ResearchGate

I am a scientist interested in the flow of matter and the laws that govern them.

Currently, I am studying the exchange of gases between the ocean and atmosphere. At the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory. I studied how bubbles mediate ocean-atmosphere gas exchange in the Labrador Sea with Craig McNeil. At the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, I am helping to develop a next-generation instrument for measuring dissolved organic carbon in seawater autonomously.

I obtained my PhD at the University of Minnesota with Filippo Coletti, studying particle-turbulence interaction and rapid granular flows. I also did my first postdoc studying spray atomization with Alberto Aliseda in the Mechanical Engineering department at UW.

I am currently in search of a tenure-track faculty position. I can be reached any time at keeonnfong [at] gmailcom.

Research overview

The overarching challenges of this century are defined by energy and climate change.

I am interested in combining soft matter and fluid mechanics to offer solutions to the global energy challenge. By creating programmable, active particles to control fluid turbulence, we can create designer complex fluids where active control of heat and mass transport is possible.

My group also aims to conduct research in energy harvesting and storage, Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement-based approaches in marine-based carbon dioxide removal (mCDR), and entrainment of scalars in methane bubble plumes.

Current/past projects

Bubble-mediated air-sea gas exchange in the Labrador Sea

I am currently studying air-sea gas exchange in the Labrador Sea, a site of deep water formation and an important part of the ocean engine. I focus on air-sea gas exchange in wintertime convection conditions - how convection affects the transport of bubbles and Langmuir currents and ultimately gas exchange.

As part of this project, I participated in a 5-week field measurement campaign in Nov-Dec 2023 aboard the R/V Maria S Merian (Germany), deploying autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to observe bubbles and currents using sonars and acoustic Doppler profilers, as well as measure in situ gas fluxes using dissolved gas sensors. Funded by the National Science Foundation, with cooperation from collaborators in Germany, the UK, and Canada.

High pressure gas-liquid atomization

A novel experiment where a coaxial liquid-gas atomizer operates in a high-pressure environment. We study the effect of elevated ambient pressures on the atomization dynamics of the liquid column & the resulting droplet formation and dispersion, and compare with predictions from Kelvin-Helmholtz and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities. Funded by the U.S. Navy under the MURI Spray Control Project.

- Experiment article: Journal of Fluid Mechanics 2022 (open access)
- Swirl experiment article: International Journal of Multiphase Flows 2024
- APS DFD 2021 presentation

Clustering in dense particle-laden flows

Inspired by particle solar receivers and circulating fluidized beds, a setup of falling particles against rising air flow allows for controllable solids volume fractions to study particle clustering, uncovering a critical volume fraction beyond which clusters form and alters the bulk flow. Funded by NSF, U.S. Army and the State of Minnesota.

- Experiment article: Journal of Fluid Mechanics 2022 (open access)
- APS DFD 2020 presentation

Preferential concentration of particles

A canonical turbulent channel flow is laden with solid particles, with sizes such that they exhibit turbophoresis and streak formation near the walls, and preferential concentration in the centerplane. Varying the solids volume fraction also revealed a transition from one-way to two-way coupling between the solids and the gas phase.

- Experiment article: Journal of Fluid Mechanics 2019
- Numerical comparison: International Journal of Multiphase Flow 2019

Microfluidics

Several microfluidic chips are used to significantly accelerate the time to identify and quantify microbes in a biological sample and test them for antibiotic resistance. Applications include rapid diagnosis of urinary tract infections.

- Microfluidic device for rapid UTI testing (U.S. Patent #10,738,342)

About me

Education

University of Minnesota Twin-Cities, Minneapolis, MN

PhD, Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, 2021

MSc, Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, 2018

BEng, Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, 2015

Research interests

Fluids: Experimental fluid mechanics, multiphase flows, environmental flows

Thermodynamics: Heat transfer, energy harvesting, conversion & storage

Oceanography: Air-sea interaction, upper ocean turbulence, bubble-wave-turbulence interaction, ocean carbon cycle, marine carbon dioxide removal

Science outreach

UW Engineering Discovery Days, May 2024
Astronomy outreach, Seattle Astronomical Society, Jan 2022 - present
Academic advisor, Malaysian Olympiad in Astronomy & Astrophysics, Sep 2021 - present
Astronomy outreach volunteer, Bell Museum of Natural History (St. Paul, Minnesota), Jun 2018 - May 2021

Leadership

Ride Leader, Cascade Bicycle Club, Nov 2024 - present
Building coordinator, University of Minnesota Graduate Student Housing Cooperative, Aug 2019 - May 2021
Aerodynamics team lead, University of Minnesota Solar Vehicle Project, Sep 2012 - Oct 2014

Industrial experiences

Exponent - Mechanical engineering consulting
Seagate - Failure analysis of hard drive heads
Strand - Stress analysis on aircraft strucutures

Reviewer

Journal of Fluid Mechanics
International Journal of Multiphase Flows
Experiments in Fluids
European Journal of Mechanics - Fluids

Professional societies

American Physical Society
American Geophysical Union

Volunteer societies

Minnesota Astronomical Society
Seattle Astronomical Society
Cascade Bicycle Club
Washington Trails Association
Seattle Parks & Recreation

Google Sites

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