Simulations of bioinspired fluid-flexible body interaction

Abstract

Systems involving flexible bodies interacting with a surrounding fluid flow are commonplace, e.g. flying birds, swimming fishes and flapping flags on the macro scale and cells swimming in blood on the micro scale. The mechanics of elastic bodies immersed in a viscous flow has been studied by many researchers in biology, bioengineering, and chemical engineering. Analyzing fluid-flexible body interactions helps us understand how fishes, birds, and cells move in fluids such as water, air, and blood. More importantly, these results have potential applications in biomimetic engineering, bioengineering, and industrial engineering. In the present study, we will simulate the passive flexible body in a flowing flow in the first section and the self-propelled flexible body in a quiescent flow in the second section by using an improved version of immersed boundary method.