Biological and Bio-Inspired Fluid Dynamics

A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 10283

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
Interests: fluid mechanics; biofluids; soft matter
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fluids are key for sustaining biological life. The complex and often counterintuitive fluid dynamics of animal world has been a constant source of inspiration for researchers and engineers in the pursuit of a better understanding of biology and of building novel devices and machines that can effectively replicate the behavior and function of animals. Among many others, examples of such systems include different modes of aquatic locomotion, flapping flight, flocking and swarming of animals, transport by flagella and cilia, sensory functions of the fish lateral line, hemodynamics, and flow in circulatory systems. Studies of these and other biological systems open new and exciting opportunities for harnessing approaches and strategies from biology to solve engineering problems.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to collect contributions that report on recent progress in biological and bio-inspired fluid dynamics. We invite theoretical, computational, and experimental studies that focus on fundamental and applied aspects of fluid flows in biological and bio-inspired systems and emphasize the diversity of their applications to designing novel biomimetic devices and machines.

Prof. Dr. Alexander Alexeev
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomimetics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biofluids
  • aquatic locomotion
  • flapping flight
  • fluid–structure interactions
  • flow-induced vibrations
  • non-newtonian fluids
  • complex fluids
  • active matter
  • boundary layer
  • flow separation
  • microfluidics
  • hemodynamics
  • cellular fluid mechanics
  • biosensors
  • collective behavior
  • schooling/flocking

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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31 pages, 7088 KiB  
Article
Design of a Flapping Fins Mechanism for Roll Damping of Yachts at Anchor: Kinematic, Hydrodynamic and Structural Study
by Joel Guerrero, Paolo Silvestri and Andrea Canepa
Biomimetics 2023, 8(2), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8020144 - 03 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1399
Abstract
The design of a flapping fins stabilization system for yachts at anchor (zero speed conditions) is presented in this study. The solution presented in this manuscript took inspiration from a solution proposed for the design of a biologically inspired flapping UAV. Although the [...] Read more.
The design of a flapping fins stabilization system for yachts at anchor (zero speed conditions) is presented in this study. The solution presented in this manuscript took inspiration from a solution proposed for the design of a biologically inspired flapping UAV. Although the application was different, we used the same principles and methodology to design and study the stabilization mechanism discussed hereafter. The proposed system uses flapping fins to damp the roll oscillations of the vessel, and when the stabilization system is retracted, the surface of each of the fins is flush with the hull, thus offering minimum resistance when the ship is in cruise conditions. The unsteady forces of the flapping fins were computed using computational fluid dynamics, and they were used as input to conduct the structural and durability study of the proposed mechanism. The vessel’s response to roll perturbations was also studied, using a multi-body dynamics approach. From the results obtained, and the design specifications defined, it was found that the response of the stabilization system was acceptable, and that the mechanism could withstand the inertial and hydrodynamic loads. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological and Bio-Inspired Fluid Dynamics)
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25 pages, 10166 KiB  
Article
Aerodynamic Evaluation of Flapping Wings with Leading-Edge Twisting
by Lung-Jieh Yang, Vivek Jabaraj Joseph, Yuan-Lung Lo, Wen-Tzu Tang, Balasubramanian Esakki, Saravana Kompala and Paritala Veeranjaneyulu
Biomimetics 2023, 8(2), 134; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics8020134 - 24 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2028
Abstract
The purpose of the current study is to emphasize the characteristics and phenomena of leading-edge twisting in flapping wing vehicles. A fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing method is applied to develop the flapping mechanisms with bevel gears to achieve the leading-edge twisting. [...] Read more.
The purpose of the current study is to emphasize the characteristics and phenomena of leading-edge twisting in flapping wing vehicles. A fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing method is applied to develop the flapping mechanisms with bevel gears to achieve the leading-edge twisting. Three flapping mechanisms were developed, including simple flapping only (type-A1: normal servo mechanism), flapping with continuous leading-edge twisting (type-B: servo-bevel gear mechanism), and flapping with restricted leading-edge twisting via mechanical stoppers (type-B1: servo-bevel gear mechanism with adjustable mechanical stoppers). Utilizing a low-speed wind tunnel, the aerodynamic performances of these mechanisms are examined by extracting their lift and net thrust forces. The wind tunnel testing data showed that the flapping with restricted leading-edge twisting via mechanical stoppers (type-B1) showed better performance than the simple flapping (type-A1) by 32.9%, and also better performance than the flapping with continuous leading-edge twisting (type-B) by 64%. Next, MATLAB software was used to create the 3D wing surfaces from the instantaneous stereophotography Kwon3D trajectories to fully sketch the leading-edge twisting features. The 2D airfoil cut sections at the mean aerodynamic chord at different stroke moments depict the instantaneous angles of attack to justify the aforementioned wind tunnel testing data and it was verified using a theoretical trajectory model. This comprehensive study using the 3D-printed mechanisms is well suited for the quantitative evaluation of the lift contribution from leading-edge twisting. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological and Bio-Inspired Fluid Dynamics)
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20 pages, 8566 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of the Self-Propelled Locomotion of a Pitching Airfoil near the Flat and Wavy Ground
by Zhiqiang Xin, Zhiming Cai, Yiming Ren and Huachen Liu
Biomimetics 2022, 7(4), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics7040239 - 12 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1699
Abstract
In this paper, a pitching airfoil near flat and wavy ground is studied by numerical simulations. The kinematic features of the airfoil and the flow field around it are analyzed to reveal unsteady vorticity dynamics of the self-propelled airfoil in ground effect. The [...] Read more.
In this paper, a pitching airfoil near flat and wavy ground is studied by numerical simulations. The kinematic features of the airfoil and the flow field around it are analyzed to reveal unsteady vorticity dynamics of the self-propelled airfoil in ground effect. The optimal pitching periods at different initial heights above flat ground are obtained, which make the pitching airfoil achieve the maximum lift-to-drag ratio. Compared with flat ground, at the same initial height, the optimal pitching periods vary with the shape of ground. The structure and the strength of the wake vortices shedding from the airfoil are adjusted by the wavelength of ground. This leads to the changes of amplitude and occurrence times of the peak and valley of lift and drag force. The results obtained in this study can provide some inspiration for the design of underwater vehicles in the ground effect. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological and Bio-Inspired Fluid Dynamics)
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11 pages, 2511 KiB  
Article
Nature’s Wind Turbines: The Measured Aerodynamic Efficiency of Spinning Seeds Approaches Theoretical Limits
by Timothy C. A. Molteno
Biomimetics 2022, 7(4), 161; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics7040161 - 12 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1430
Abstract
This paper describe a procedure to measure experimentally the power coefficient, Cp, of winged seeds, and apply this technique to seeds from the Norway maple (Acer platanoides). We measure Cp=56.9±2% at a tip [...] Read more.
This paper describe a procedure to measure experimentally the power coefficient, Cp, of winged seeds, and apply this technique to seeds from the Norway maple (Acer platanoides). We measure Cp=56.9±2% at a tip speed ratio of 3.21±0.06. Our results are in agreement with previously published CFD simulations that indicate that these seeds—operating in low-Reynolds number conditions—approach the Betz limit (Cp=59.3%) the maximum possible efficiency for a wind turbine. In addition, this result is not consistent with the recent theoretical work of Okulov & Sørensen, which suggests that a single-bladed turbine with a tip-speed ratio of 3.2 can achieve a power efficiency of no more than 30%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological and Bio-Inspired Fluid Dynamics)
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Review

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22 pages, 2178 KiB  
Review
Recent Progress and Challenges on the Microfluidic Assay of Pathogenic Bacteria Using Biosensor Technology
by Farnaz Bahavarnia, Mohammad Hasanzadeh, Deniz Sadighbayan and Farzad Seidi
Biomimetics 2022, 7(4), 175; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics7040175 - 25 Oct 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2086
Abstract
Microfluidic technology is one of the new technologies that has been able to take advantage of the specific properties of micro and nanoliters, and by reducing the costs and duration of tests, it has been widely used in research and treatment in biology [...] Read more.
Microfluidic technology is one of the new technologies that has been able to take advantage of the specific properties of micro and nanoliters, and by reducing the costs and duration of tests, it has been widely used in research and treatment in biology and medicine. Different materials are often processed into miniaturized chips containing channels and chambers within the microscale range. This review (containing 117 references) demonstrates the significance and application of nanofluidic biosensing of various pathogenic bacteria. The microfluidic application devices integrated with bioreceptors and advanced nanomaterials, including hyperbranched nano-polymers, carbon-based nanomaterials, hydrogels, and noble metal, was also investigated. In the present review, microfluid methods for the sensitive and selective recognition of photogenic bacteria in various biological matrices are surveyed. Further, the advantages and limitations of recognition methods on the performance and efficiency of microfluidic-based biosensing of photogenic bacteria are critically investigated. Finally, the future perspectives, research opportunities, potential, and prospects on the diagnosis of disease related to pathogenic bacteria based on microfluidic analysis of photogenic bacteria are provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biological and Bio-Inspired Fluid Dynamics)
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