Bioinspired High-Performance Hydrofoils (BIOFOILS) for Future Naval Undersea Vehicles

The proposed BIOFOILS program will develop innovative designs and control concepts for bioinspired hydrofoils for use in future Naval undersea vessels. The program will incorporate novel structures and mechanisms inspired from aquatic mammals into the design and function of human-engineered biofoils. In Phase I, Innovative Technology Applications Company (ITAC), LLC and its collaborators will explore and parameterize foil geometries and maneuver performance of various aquatic mammals and fishes, and demonstrate via experimental and numerical studies the hydrodynamic performance of candidate bioinspired and engineered foils undergoing severe maneuvers in an unsteady flow. The research will focus on investigating the influence of highly evolved morphological structures on associated vortical flows, loading and hydrodynamic performance of these foils. In Phase II, the biomimetic exploration will be extended to include multiple modes of motion for promising aquatic mammal appendages, flippers, and fish to develop innovative formulations of biofoil designs. The end product will be a new class of high-performance biofoil designs that provide greater control and maneuver performance, and are more compliant to the surrounding turbulent flows than conventional control surfaces. The proposed BIOFOILS technology can potentially lead to changes in design paradigms for future naval and aerial vehicles with advanced capabilities.