Natural swimmers and the development of advanced biomimetic technologies

The ability to control the flow of water around the body dictates the performance of marine animals and technologies in the aquatic environment. Dolphins and mantas are able to swim with high efficiency and maneuver by use of oscillating propulsive surfaces. This mechanism makes these animals ideal platforms to emulate in designing bio-inspired autonomous underwater vehicle. As an alternative to active propulsion, passive flow control for improved aero/hydrodynamic performance is displayed in the wing-like flippers of humpback whales. The novel design of the flippers includes prominent leading edge tubercles. These structures induce a flow field of separated vortices alternating with regions of accelerated flow. The coupled flow regions maintain areas of attached flow and delay stall at high angles of attack. Both active and passive flow control by large marine organisms can be utilized in the bio-inspired design of engineered structures and commercial products for enhanced performance in fluid environments.

Speaker: Frank Fish, West Chester University