Bioinspired aerodynamics is an emerging subject in the design of advanced flight vehicles with superior performance and minimum fuel consumption. In the present review article, a comprehensive evaluation is focused on previous studies and investigations toward the performance enhancement of aerodynamic surfaces with leading-edge (LE) tubercles. The implementation of tubercles has been biologically imitated from humpback whale (HW) flippers. Particularly, aerodynamicists are much interested in this bioinspired technology because of the exclusive maneuvering and flow control potential of HW flippers. LE protuberances are considered as a passive flow control method to improve the aerodynamic performance in various applications like aviation, marine, and wind energy. The aerodynamic and hydrodynamic performance variations caused by specific tubercles amplitude and wavelength are also compared through numerical and wind tunnel testing. The prospective utilization of tubercles on boundary layer flow control is measured with regard to conventional and swept-back wing designs. Flow control mechanisms of tubercles are outlined with several interesting facts in addition to the outcomes of various bioinspired aerodynamic investigations in the recent years.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Aerodynamics with state-of-the-art bioinspired technology: Tubercles of humpback whale


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    2021-12-01


    Size :

    19 pages




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English




    Experimental and numerical analysis of humpback whale inspired tubercles on swept wings

    Joseph, Jeena / A., Sathyabhama / Sridhar, Surya | Emerald Group Publishing | 2022


    Impact of Whale Tubercles on the Aerodynamics Characteristics of F1 Front Wing - Adjoint Optimization

    Toprakoglu, Fidel / Ozyumruoglu, Ismet / Rana, Zeeshan A. et al. | AIAA | 2025


    Humpback-whale-imitated fin stabilizer structure and ship with humpback-whale-imitated fin stabilizer structure

    SUI CONGBIAO / FU WENXUAN / DING YU et al. | European Patent Office | 2024

    Free access

    Bioinspired Experimental Study of Leading-Edge Plasma Tubercles on Wing

    Meng, Xuanshi / Abbasi, Afaq Ahmed / Li, Huaxing et al. | AIAA | 2019


    Reynolds Number Effect of Leading Edge Tubercles on Airfoil Aerodynamics

    Peristy, Luke H. / Perez, Ruben E. / Asghar, Asad et al. | AIAA | 2016