A micro-scale swimmer propelled by traveling surface waves

Izhak Bucher, Eyal Setter

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Micro-scale slender swimmers are frequently encountered in nature and recently in micro-robotic applications. The swimming mechanism examined in this article is based on small transverse axi-symmetrical travelling wave deformations of a cylindrical long shell. In very small scale, inertia forces become negligible and viscous forces dominate most propulsion mechanisms being used by micro-organisms and robotic devices. The present paper proposes a compact design principle that provides efficient power to propel and maneuver a microscale device. Shown in this paper is a numerical analysis which couples the MEMS structure to the surrounding fluid. Analytical results compare the proposed mechanism to commonly found tail (flagella) driven devices, and a parametric comparison is shown suggesting it has superior performance. Numerical studies are preformed to verify the analytical model. Finally, a macro-scale demonstrator swimming in an environment with similar Reynolds numbers to the ones found in small scale is shown and its behavior in the laboratory is compared to the theory

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationASME 2011 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, IDETC/CIE 2011
Pages101-106
Number of pages6
DOIs
StatePublished - 2011
EventASME 2011 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, IDETC/CIE 2011 - Washington, DC, United States
Duration: 28 Aug 201131 Aug 2011

Publication series

NameProceedings of the ASME Design Engineering Technical Conference
Volume7

Conference

ConferenceASME 2011 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, IDETC/CIE 2011
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityWashington, DC
Period28/08/1131/08/11

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Modelling and Simulation
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design

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