Measuring unsteady efficiency and performance of biological and bio-inspired propulsors

Prof. John O. DabiriGraduate Aeronautical Laboratories and BioengineeringCalifornia Institute of TechnologyAbstract:
This talk will describe the development of new experimental and analytical
tools to extract the governing mechanisms of animal swimming and flying
from empirical observations. The approach advocated presently avoids
direct use of the vorticity field in favor of a Lagrangian,
particle-tracking perspective. The benefits of this strategy are
demonstrated in laboratory studies of the bluegill sunfish and various
jellyfish species. These laboratory observations are complemented by
inexpensive computational models and a new in situ field apparatus, which
enables a SCUBA diver to make velocimetry measurements normally confined
to artificial laboratory environments. The principles derived from these
studies are applied to fluid dynamic problems as varied as autonomous
underwater vehicle design, cardiovascular flow diagnostics, and wind energy harvesting.

Location: Stauffer Science Lecture Hall, Rm 102

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: April Mundy