Effect of curvature and taper on the hydrodynamic properties of seal whisker inspired cylinders in uniform flow and wake

The exceptional prey-tracking abilities of seals arise from the unique morphology of their whiskers. Previous research has parameterized whisker-inspired geometries and analyzed the role of geometric parameters in vibration damping. However, existing whisker models do not consider the effects of curvature and taper on hydrodynamic properties. Therefore, this study constructs a generalized model that incorporates both curvature and taper. Four bionic whiskers with varying curvatures and tapers, along with cylindrical and elliptical columns, were numerically investigated in both uniform and wake flow fields using large eddy simulations (LES). The results indicate that all whiskers reduce drag and suppress lift fluctuations in the uniform flow field, and taper further enhances the suppression of vortex-induced vibrations. In the fixed cylinder wake flow field, the drag and lift fluctuations of the bionic whiskers significantly increased. The four whiskers displayed distinct target perception capabilities based on varying target intensities. By analogizing the bionic whiskers constructed in this study to real seal whiskers, it is evident that the tips of the whiskers are more adept at sensing weak vortices, while the bases are more sensitive to strong vortices. These findings enhance the understanding of seal whiskers' hydrodynamic sensing mechanisms and inform biomimetic wake-sensing device design.