BIO-INSPIRED AERO AND HYDRODYNAMICS RESEARCH LABORATORY

Welcome to the Bio-Inspired Aero and Hydrodynamics Research Laboratory (BIAHRL)

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Led by Dr. Sunil Manohar Dash, an Associate Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India, our research lab delves into the intricacies of fluid dynamics in biological flyers and swimmers. The primary focus is on applying these insights to the design and advancement of energy-efficient Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) and Underwater Vehicles (UWVs) that operate via flapping mechanisms. In our pursuit, we engineer flapping mechanisms capable of emulating various biological flapping modes, both in single-wing and tandem-wing pair configurations. To gauge the propulsive performance of the flapping wings of MAVs and UWVs, we conduct experiments in water and wind tunnels. Complementing these physical experiments, we conduct numerical investigations using our in-house developed computational code. Beyond our emphasis on flapping-based vehicles, our research extends to bio-inspired solutions to minimise drag force, control flow separation, address particle sedimentation, study natural convection, and more.

We are dedicated to unravelling the secrets of nature's fluid dynamics to advance cutting-edge aero- and hydrodynamic research.

 

Our laboratory currently has openings for motivated and dynamic students interested in pursuing post-doctoral, doctoral and masters' studies.