Drag Reduction through Bionic Approaches

A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673). This special issue belongs to the section "Development of Biomimetic Methodology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 June 2025) | Viewed by 4163

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Beihang University, Beijing, China
Interests: interfacial microfluid and mechanism of micro-effect; flexible electronics manufacturing; bionic multifunctional surface; multi-scale micro and nano manufacturing; 4D printing

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Guest Editor
College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University, Changchun, China
Interests: drag reduction; antifouling; resist wear; anti-corrosion; energy conservation; biomimetic micro-nano manufacturing

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Guest Editor
School of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China
Interests: drag reduction; anti-icing technology; aviation and fluid mechanics; biomimetic micro-nano manufacturing

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Guest Editor
College of Transportation, Ludong University, Yantai, China
Interests: drag reduction; antifouling; anti-icing technology; smart skin; micro and nano fabrication

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Energy-saving technology plays a vital role in improving the natural environment, building a green, low-carbon and sustainable economic system, and realizing the goal of “Peak Carbon Dioxide Emission and Carbon Neutrality”. As one of the practicable methods to pursue this goal, drag reduction has attracted significant attention, and nature-inspired drag reduction surfaces have achieved great progress. Innovation inspiration can be continuously provided via mimicking the special structure and material of creatures found in nature.

This Special Issue aims to exhibit new research achievements, findings and ideas in drag reduction via bio-inspired approaches and technologies. These include bionic approaches and technologies, such as the bionic design of micro-nano structures, the fabrication of bionic surfaces, the numerical analysis of drag reduction characteristics, and other new advances in theoretical, experimental, and bionic design focusing on drag reduction.

This Special Issue will focus on recent progress in multi-disciplinary biomimetic technologies that have practical potential, such as bio-inspired drag reduction films, turbulators, large-area preparation and flow field analysis based on machine learning.  Practical application methods and cases of bionic drag reduction may also be submitted.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:

  • Advances in bionic drag reduction;
  • Design and fabrication of bionic surfaces;
  • Bio-inspired micro- and nano-structures;
  • Bio-inspired learning and control of fluid fields;
  • Analysis of micro-nano flow fields;
  • Applications of bio-inspired drag reduction

Prof. Dr. Huawei Chen
Prof. Dr. Limei Tian
Prof. Dr. Yang He
Dr. Dengke Chen
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • bio-inspired surfaces
  • bio-inspired fabrication
  • drag reduction
  • numerical simulation
  • applications

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 12995 KiB  
Article
DEM Study and Field Experiments on Coupling Bionic Subsoilers
by Zihe Xu, Hongyan Qi, Lidong Wang, Shuo Wang, Xuanting Liu and Yunhai Ma
Biomimetics 2025, 10(5), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics10050306 - 11 May 2025
Viewed by 263
Abstract
Subsoiling is an effective tillage method for breaking up the plough pan and reducing soil bulk density. However, subsoilers often encounter challenges such as high draft resistance and excessive energy consumption during operation. In this study, the claw toes of the badger and [...] Read more.
Subsoiling is an effective tillage method for breaking up the plough pan and reducing soil bulk density. However, subsoilers often encounter challenges such as high draft resistance and excessive energy consumption during operation. In this study, the claw toes of the badger and the scales of the pangolin were selected as bionic prototypes, based on which coupling bionic subsoilers were designed. The discrete element method (DEM) was used to simulate and analyze the interactions between soil and both the standard subsoiler and coupling bionic subsoilers. Field experiments were conducted to validate the simulation results. The simulation results showed that the coupling bionic subsoilers reduced the draft force by 7.70–16.02% compared to the standard subsoiler at different working speeds. Additionally, the soil disturbance coefficient of the coupling bionic subsoilers decreased by 5.91–13.57%, and the soil bulkiness was reduced by 2.84–18.41%. The field experiment results showed that coupling bionic subsoilers reduced the average draft force by 11.06% and decreased the soil disturbance area. The field experiments validated the accuracy of DEM simulation results. This study provides valuable insights for designing more efficient subsoilers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drag Reduction through Bionic Approaches)
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16 pages, 8584 KiB  
Article
Efficient Mako Shark-Inspired Aerodynamic Design for Concept Car Bodies in Underground Road Tunnel Conditions
by Ignacio Venegas, Angelo Oñate, Fabián G. Pierart, Marian Valenzuela, Sunny Narayan and Víctor Tuninetti
Biomimetics 2024, 9(8), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics9080448 - 24 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2705
Abstract
The automotive industry continuously enhances vehicle design to meet the growing demand for more efficient vehicles. Computational design and numerical simulation are essential tools for developing concept cars with lower carbon emissions and reduced costs. Underground roads are proposed as an attractive alternative [...] Read more.
The automotive industry continuously enhances vehicle design to meet the growing demand for more efficient vehicles. Computational design and numerical simulation are essential tools for developing concept cars with lower carbon emissions and reduced costs. Underground roads are proposed as an attractive alternative for reducing surface congestion, improving traffic flow, reducing travel times and minimizing noise pollution in urban areas, creating a quieter and more livable environment for residents. In this context, a concept car body design for underground tunnels was proposed, inspired by the mako shark shape due to its exceptional operational kinetic qualities. The proposed biomimetic-based method using computational fluid dynamics for engineering design includes an iterative process and car body optimization in terms of lift and drag performance. A mesh sensitivity and convergence analysis was performed in order to ensure the reliability of numerical results. The unique surface shape of the shark enabled remarkable aerodynamic performance for the concept car, achieving a drag coefficient value of 0.28. The addition of an aerodynamic diffuser improved downforce by reducing 58% of the lift coefficient to a final value of 0.02. Benchmark validation was carried out using reported results from sources available in the literature. The proposed biomimetic design process based on computational fluid modeling reduces the time and resources required to create new concept car models. This approach helps to achieve efficient automotive solutions with low aerodynamic drag for a low-carbon future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drag Reduction through Bionic Approaches)
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