Project Overview
My first N-Body CUDA/OpenGL simulation used to study microplastic–polymer interactions in a virtual beaker. The model handles Brownian motion, chain connectivity, container walls, stirring, and gravity to preview coagulation dynamics before lab work. One setup file defines particle counts, sizes, densities, drag, and chain lengths so runs mirror planned lab scenarios; OpenGL renders and nvcc scripts make reruns fast. Media will be replaced with rendered stills exported on Linux.
Parallel processing
CUDA kernels compute polymer–polymer, polymer–microplastic, and microplastic–microplastic forces with Brownian noise.
Configurable
Adjust densities, diameters, drag, and connection lengths to tune coagulation behavior and match lab scenarios.
Virtual beaker
Container walls, fluid height, and stirring controls emulate the lab beaker for visual validation.
Quick Facts
- Goal: Reduce lab iteration time by vetting coagulation behavior in a GPU sandbox before wet work.
- Tech: CUDA C++ n-body solver with OpenGL visualization on Linux (nvcc toolchain).
- Force model: Brownian noise, gravity, container confinement, stirring field, polymer chain springs.
- Parameters: One setup file sets particle counts, diameters, densities, drag, and chain lengths to match planned lab runs.
Main Project Context
This simulation is an extension of the larger microplastic remediation project. The core effort focused on plant-derived polysaccharides (okra and fenugreek) as biodegradable coagulants to replace synthetic polyacrylamide. The GPU model serves as a sandbox to probe force models and mixing behavior before running wet-lab coagulation trials and capturing results in a physical beaker.
How the sim supports the main project
De-risks lab time
Test force/parameter ranges virtually before running wet-lab coagulation trials.
Mirrors lab setup
Particle counts, densities, diameters, drag, and connection lengths match planned experiments.
Visual validation
Simulated beaker stills pair with lab photos to compare expected vs. real coagulation.
Media
Rendered stills and a short capture of the coagulation run. Click thumbnails to swap media; arrows or arrow keys move through the set.