BIO-INSPIRED AERO AND HYDRODYNAMICS RESEARCH LABORATORY

Welcome to the Bio-Inspired Aero and Hydrodynamics Research Laboratory (BIAHRL). This research lab is headed by Dr. Sunil Manohar Dash, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India. Our group’s research interests are in understanding the physics of the fluid dynamics of biological flyers and swimmers and apply them to the design and development of energy-efficient flapping based Micro Areal Vehicles (MAVs) and Under Water Vehicles (UWVs). In our lab, we have designed a flapping mechanism capable of mimicking various biological flapping modes in both single and tandem operations. We conduct experiments in water tunnel and wind tunnel to measure the propulsive performance of the flapping wings of MAVs and UWVs. Additionally, we carry out numerical investigations using inhouse developed computational code. Some of our other research interests are on bio-inspired solutions to reduce the drag force and control the flow separation, particle sedimentation, natural convection, etc.