Undulating Seal Whiskers Evolved Optimal Wavelength‐to‐Diameter Ratio for Efficient Reduction in Vortex‐Induced Vibrations (Adv. Sci. 2/2024)
Name
Advanced Science - 2023 - Kamat - Undulating Seal Whiskers Evolved Optimal Wavelength‐to‐Diameter Ratio for Efficient.pdf
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Published version
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3.45 MB
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987fe17918f9ba49fa68202483398985
Author(s)
Kamat, Amar M.
Zheng, Xingwen
Bos, Julian
Cao, Ming
Triantafyllou, Michael S.
Kottapalli, Ajay Giri Prakash
Date Issued
January 2024
Journal
Advanced Science
Publisher
Wiley
Citation
Kamat, A.M., Zheng, X., Bos, J., Cao, M., Triantafyllou, M.S. and Kottapalli, A.G.P. (2024), Undulating Seal Whiskers Evolved Optimal Wavelength-to-Diameter Ratio for Efficient Reduction in Vortex-Induced Vibrations (Adv. Sci. 2/2024). Adv. Sci., 11: 2470012.
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Seals are well-known for their remarkable hydrodynamic trail-following capabilities made possible by undulating flow-sensing whiskers that enable the seals to detect fish swimming as far as 180 m away. In this work, the form-function relationship in the undulating whiskers of two different phocid seal species, viz. harbor and gray seals, is studied. The geometry and material properties of excised harbor and grey seal whiskers are systematically characterized using blue light 3D scanning, optical and scanning electron microscopy, and nanoindentation. The effect of the undulating geometry on the whiskers’ vibration in uniform water flow is studied using both experimental (piezoelectric MEMS and 3D-printed piezoresistive sensors developed in-house) and numerical (finite element method) techniques. The results indicate that the dimensionless ratio of undulation wavelength to mean whisker diameter (λ/Dm) in phocid seals may have evolved to be in the optimal range of 4.4–4.6, enabling an order-of-magnitude reduction in vortex-induced vibrations (compared to a similarly-shaped circular cylinder) and, consequently, an enhanced flow sensing capability with minimal self-induced noise. The results highlight the importance of the dimensionless λ/Dm ratio in the biomimetic design of seal whisker-inspired vibration-resistant structures, such as marine risers and wake detection sensors for submarines.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sea Grant College Program
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DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202470012
