Flow-signal correlation in seal whisker array sensing

Author(s):  
Geng Liu ◽  
Weili Jiang ◽  
Xudong Zheng ◽  
Qian Xue

Abstract Phocid seals detect and track artificial or biogenic hydrodynamic trails based on mechanical signals of their whisker arrays. In this paper, we investigated the correlations between flow structures and whisker array signals using a simplified numerical model of fluid-structure interaction (FSI). Three-dimensional (3D) wakes of moving paddles in three different shapes (rectangular plate, undulated plate, and circular cylinder) were simulated using an in-house immersed-boundary-method-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver. One-way FSI was then simulated to obtain the dynamic behavior and root signal of each whisker in the two whisker arrays on a seal head in each wake. The position, geometry, and material of each whisker were modeled based on the measurements reported in literatures. The correlations between the wake structures and whisker array signals were analyzed. It was found that the patterns of the signals on the whisker arrays can reflect the strength, timing, and moving trajectories of the jets induced by the vortices in the wakes. Specifically, the rectangular plate generates the strongest starting vortex ring as well as the strongest jets, while the undulated plate generates the weakest ones. These flow features are fully reflected by the largest whisker signal magnitude in the rectangular plate sensing and the smallest one in the undulated plate sensing. Moreover, the timing of the signal initiation and the maximum signal agree well with the timing of the jet reaching the arrays and the maximum flow speed, respectively. The correlation coefficient between the moving trajectories of the jet and the movement of the high signal level region in the array was found to be higher than 0.9 in the rectangular plate case. The results provide a physical insight into the mechanisms of seal whisker flow sensing.

2018 ◽  
Vol 850 ◽  
pp. 875-923 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Vermach ◽  
C. P. Caulfield

We consider a passive zero-mean scalar field organised into two layers of different concentrations in a three-dimensional plane channel flow subjected to a constant along-stream pressure gradient. We employ a nonlinear direct-adjoint-looping method to identify the optimal initial perturbation of the velocity field with given initial energy which yields ‘maximal’ mixing by a target time horizon, where maximal mixing is defined here as the minimisation of the spatially integrated variance of the concentration field. We verify in three-dimensional flows the conjecture by Foures et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 748, 2014, pp. 241–277) that the initial perturbation which maximises the time-averaged energy gain of the flow leads to relatively weak mixing, and is qualitatively different from the optimal initial ‘mixing’ perturbation which exploits classical Taylor dispersion. We carry out the analysis for two different Reynolds numbers ($Re=U_{m}h/\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}=500$ and $Re=3000$, where $U_{m}$ is the maximum flow speed of the unperturbed flow, $h$ is the channel half-depth and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}$ is the kinematic viscosity of the fluid) demonstrating that this key finding is robust with respect to the transition to turbulence. We also identify the initial perturbations that minimise, at chosen target times, the ‘mix-norm’ of the concentration field, i.e. a Sobolev norm of negative index in the class introduced by Mathew et al. (Physica D, vol. 211, 2005, pp. 23–46). We show that the ‘true’ variance-based mixing strategy can be successfully and practicably approximated by the mix-norm minimisation since we find that the mix-norm-optimal initial perturbations are far less sensitive to changes in the target time horizon than their optimal variance-minimising counterparts.


2021 ◽  
Vol 233 ◽  
pp. 109189
Author(s):  
Bin Yan ◽  
Wei Bai ◽  
Sheng-Chao Jiang ◽  
Peiwen Cong ◽  
Dezhi Ning ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 236-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. van Genderen ◽  
M. T. B. Clabbers ◽  
P. P. Das ◽  
A. Stewart ◽  
I. Nederlof ◽  
...  

Until recently, structure determination by transmission electron microscopy of beam-sensitive three-dimensional nanocrystals required electron diffraction tomography data collection at liquid-nitrogen temperature, in order to reduce radiation damage. Here it is shown that the novel Timepix detector combines a high dynamic range with a very high signal-to-noise ratio and single-electron sensitivity, enablingab initiophasing of beam-sensitive organic compounds. Low-dose electron diffraction data (∼0.013 e− Å−2 s−1) were collected at room temperature with the rotation method. It was ascertained that the data were of sufficient quality for structure solution using direct methods using software developed for X-ray crystallography (XDS,SHELX) and for electron crystallography (ADT3D/PETS,SIR2014).


1992 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. P. Sharma ◽  
G. F. Pickett ◽  
R. H. Ni

The impacts of unsteady flow research activities on flow simulation methods used in the turbine design process are assessed. Results from experimental investigations that identify the impact of periodic unsteadiness on the time-averaged flows in turbines and results from numerical simulations obtained by using three-dimensional unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes indicate that some of the unsteady flow features can be fairly accurately predicted. Flow parameters that can be modeled with existing steady CFD codes are distinguished from those that require unsteady codes.


Author(s):  
S. V. Subramanian ◽  
R. Bozzola ◽  
Louis A. Povinelli

The performance of a three dimensional computer code developed for predicting the flowfield in stationary and rotating turbomachinery blade rows is described in this study. The four stage Runge-Kutta numerical integration scheme is used for solving the governing flow equations and yields solution to the full, three dimensional, unsteady Euler equations in cylindrical coordinates. This method is fully explicit and uses the finite volume, time marching procedure. In order to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the code, steady solutions were obtained for several cascade geometries under widely varying flow conditions. Computed flowfield results are presented for a fully subsonic turbine stator and a low aspect ratio, transonic compressor rotor blade under maximum flow and peak efficiency design conditions. Comparisons with Laser Anemometer measurements and other numerical predictions are also provided to illustrate that the present method predicts important flow features with good accuracy and can be used for cost effective aerodynamic design studies.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junshi Wang ◽  
Vadim Pavlov ◽  
Zhipeng Lou ◽  
Haibo Dong

Abstract Dolphins are known for their outstanding swimming performance. However, the difference in flow physics at different speeds remains elusive. In this work, the underlying mechanisms of dolphin swimming at three speeds, 2 m/s, 5 m/s, and 8 m/s, are explored using a combined experimental and numerical approach. Using the scanned CAD model of the Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus) and virtual skeleton-based surface reconstruction method, a three-dimensional high-fidelity computational model is obtained with time-varying kinematics. A sharp-interface immersed-boundary-method (IBM) based direct numerical simulation (DNS) solver is employed to calculate the corresponding thrust production, wake structure, and surface pressure at different swimming speeds. It is found that the fluke keeps its effective angle of attack at high values for about 60% of each stroke. The total pressure force coefficient along the x-axis converges as the speed increase. The flow and surface pressure analysis both show considerable differences between lower (2 m/s) and higher (5 m/s and 8 m/s) speeds. The results from this work help to bring new insight into understanding the force generation mechanisms of the highly efficient dolphin swimming and offer potential suggestions to the future designs of unmanned underwater vehicles.


Author(s):  
Alessandro Armellini ◽  
Filippo Coletti ◽  
Tony Arts ◽  
Christophe Scholtes

The present contribution addresses the aero-thermal experimental and computational study of a trapezoidal cross-section model simulating a trailing edge cooling cavity with one rib-roughened wall. The flow is fed through tilted slots on one side wall and exits through straight slots on the opposite side wall. The flow field aerodynamics is investigated in part I of the paper. The reference Reynolds number is defined at the entrance of the test section and set at 67500 for all the experiments. A qualitative flow model is deduced from surface-streamline flow visualizations. Two-dimensional Particle Image Velocimetry measurements are performed in several planes around mid-span of the channel and recombined to visualize and quantify three-dimensional flow features. The jets issued from the tilted slots are characterized and the jet-rib interaction is analyzed. Attention is drawn to the motion of the flow deflected by the rib-roughened wall and impinging on the opposite smooth wall. The experimental results are compared with the numerical predictions obtained from the finite volume, RANS solver CEDRE.


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