Related papers: Surfing vortex rings for energy-efficient propulsi…
We propose to combine the active vortex generators with the particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements and post-processing streamwise vortex characterization algorithms into a feedback based closed-loop control system for wind turbine…
Torque-driven microscale swimming robots, or microrotors, hold significant potential in biomedical applications such as targeted drug delivery, minimally invasive surgery, and micromanipulation. This paper addresses the challenge of…
This work applies a combined approach a reduced-order model (ROM) together with experiments and direct numerical simulations to investigate the optimal efficiency of fluid-flow energy harvesting from transverse vortex-induced vibration…
We consider the mixing of a viscous fluid by the rotation of a pitched blade turbine inside an open, cylindrical tank, with air as the lighter fluid above. To examine the flow and interfacial dynamics, we utilise a highly-parallelised…
Legged robots offer several advantages when navigating unstructured environments, but they often fall short of the efficiency achieved by wheeled robots. One promising strategy to improve their energy economy is to leverage their natural…
Turbulence is hard to control. A plethora of experimental methods have been developed to generate this ephemeral state of matter, leading to fundamental insights into its statistical and structural features as well as its onset at ever…
In this work we address the "smoking ring" propulsion technique, originally proposed by E. M. Purcell. We first consider self-locomotion of a doughnut-shaped swimmer powered by surface tank-treading. Different modes of surface motion are…
Inertial pumping is a promising new method of moving fluids through microchannels but many of its properties remain unexplored. In this work, inertial flow rates are investigated for different channel lengths, operating temperatures, and…
We study the transition from fluid at rest to turbulence in a rotating water cylinder. We show that the energy, injected at a given height, is transported by inertial wave packets through the fluid volume. These waves propagate at…
Motivated by the aim of understanding the effect of media heterogeneity on the swimming dynamics of flagellated bacteria, we study the rotation and swimming of rigid helices in dilute suspensions experimentally and theoretically. We first…
In turbulent flows subject to strong background rotation, the advective mechanisms of turbulence are superseded by the propagation of inertial waves, as the effects of rotation become dominant. While this mechanism has been identified…
A theory is presented for wave-driven propulsion of floating bodies driven into oscillation at the fluid interface. By coupling the equations of motion of the body to a quasi-potential flow model of the fluid, we derive expressions for the…
This thesis presents a solution that enables aerial robots to reason about surrounding wind flow fields in real time using on board sensors and embedded flight hardware. The core novelty of this research is the fusion of range measurements…
The last few decades have led to the rise of research focused on propulsion and control systems for bio-inspired unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), which provide more maneuverable alternatives to traditional UUVs in underwater missions.…
Compliant robotics have seen successful applications in energy efficient locomotion and cyclic manipulation. However, exploitation of variable physical impedance for energy efficient sequential movements has not been extensively addressed.…
We investigate the vorticity dynamics in a turbulent vortex using scattering of acoustic waves. Two ultrasonic beams are adjusted to probe simultaneously two spatial scales in a given volume of the flow, thus allowing a dual channel…
This paper presents a trajectory tracking control strategy that modulates the active power injected by geographically distributed inverter-based resources to support transient stability. Each resource is independently controlled, and its…
We design and test an octopus-inspired flexible hull robot that demonstrates outstanding fast-starting performance. The robot is hyper-inflated with water, and then rapidly deflates to expel the fluid so as to power the escape maneuver.…
We analyze theoretically the sensitivity of accelerometry and rotation sensing with a point source interferometer employing large momentum transfer (LMT) and present a design of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that can measure rotation…
Fish in schooling formations navigate complex flow-fields replete with mechanical energy in the vortex wakes of their companions. Their schooling behaviour has been associated with evolutionary advantages including collective energy…