Related papers: Propulsive performance of morphing and heaving foi…
Many swimming and flying animals are observed to cruise in a narrow range of Strouhal numbers, where the Strouhal number ${St = 2fA/U}$ is a dimensionless parameter that relates stroke frequency $f$, amplitude $A$, and forward speed $U$.…
Dimples on a sphere's surface can lead to significant drag reduction. However, the optimal dimple depth to minimize the drag varies with the Reynolds number ($Re$). In this study, a smart surface-morphing technique is devised that can…
We experimentally studied the effect of flexibility on the flow produced by sinusoidally pitching foil in quiescent fluid. The rigid foil produces a weak, divergent and meandering jet. On the contrary, the foil with a flexible flap produces…
Microorganisms such as algae and bacteria move in a viscous environment with extremely low Reynolds ($Re$), where the viscous drag dominates the inertial forces. They have adapted to this environment by developing specialized features such…
This study was inspired from the swimming habits of red nose tetra fish that prefer side-by-side configurations and exhibit changes to their synchronization mid-swimming. Using numerical simulations, alterations to the unsteady wake…
The unsteady hydrodynamics of two in-phase pitching foils arranged in side-by-side (parallel) configurations is examined for a range of Strouhal number and separation distance. Three distinct vortex patterns are identified in the Strohual…
Swimming, i.e., being able to advance in the absence of external forces by performing cyclic shape changes, is particularly demanding at low Reynolds numbers which is the regime of interest for micro-organisms and micro-robots. We focus on…
We study the propulsive properties of rectangular and rhombic lattices of flapping plates at O(10--100) Reynolds numbers in incompressible flow. We vary five parameters: flapping amplitude, frequency (or Reynolds number), horizontal and…
This research proposes a novel morphing structure with shells inspired by the movement of pillbugs. Instead of the pillbug body, a loopcoupled mechanism based on slider-crank mechanisms is utilized to achieve the rolling up and spreading…
A transient two-dimensional acoustic boundary element solver is coupled to a potential flow boundary element solver via Powell's acoustic analogy to determine the acoustic emission of isolated hydrofoils performing biologically-inspired…
Bio-inspired underwater vehicles could yield improved efficiency, maneuverability, and environmental compatibility over conventional propeller-driven underwater vehicles. However, to realize the swimming performance of biology, there is a…
We study a linear inviscid model of a passively flexible swimmer with distributed flexibility, calculating its propulsive performance and optimal distributions of flexibility. The frequencies of actuation and mean stiffness ratios we…
We investigate the hovering dynamics of rigid bodies with up-down asymmetry placed in oscillating background flows. Recent experiments on inanimate pyramid-shaped objects in oscillating flows with zero mean component demonstrate that the…
Inspired by the wake-surfing nature of animals, this study aims to understand the aerodynamic force variation on a wing surfing in an unsteady 2-D wake. Wind tunnel experiments were conducted using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and force…
The intricate wobbling motion of flagellated bacteria, characterized by the periodic precession of the cell body, is a determinant factor in their motility and navigation within complex fluid environments. While well-studied in quiescent…
This study explores the impact of feathers on the hydrodynamic drag experienced by diving birds, which is critical to their foraging efficiency and survival. Employing a novel experimental approach, we analyzed the kinematics of both…
It is well known that tuna fish in the ocean can dynamically morph their median fins to achieve optimal hydrodynamic performance, e.g. linear acceleration and maneuverability. In this study, based on the previous studies about the median…
The stability of a cantilevered elastic sheet in a uniform flow has been studied extensively due to its importance in engineering and its prevalence in natural structures. Varying the flow speed can give rise to a range of dynamics…
Inspired by recent experimental observations of a harmonically excited elastic foil hovering near a wall while supporting substantial weight, we develop a theoretical framework that describes the underlying physical effects. Using…
Effects of chord-wise flexibility as an instrument to control chaotic transitions in the wake of a flexible flapping foil have been studied here using an immersed boundary method-based in-house fluid-structure-interaction solver. The…