Unveiling the nature of cavitation suppression in mantis shrimp appendage strikes

In our proposed research we will be performing numerical simulations of cavitation occurring around mantis shrimp appendages.
The simulation results will serve to answer how evolutionary diversification in the species has enabled appendages to selectively
cavitate only upon impact, and not during forward rotation, despite the appendage-acceleration being comparable with that of a
bullet. Moreover, insight into the effects of appendage-surface topology on the cavitation field will be produced and can create
new avenues of bio-inspired research in cavitation suppression in industrial pumps and marine propellers.

Faculty Supervisor:

Joshua Brinkerhoff

Student:

Partner:

California Institute of Technology

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Education

University:

The University of British Columbia - Okanagan

Program: