Numerical simulation of a flow induced by the high-speed closure of a bioinspired claw

We present the numerical simulations of the flow in a simple mechanical device inspired by the snapping-claw mechanism of alpheidae shrimps. The simulations were based on the entropically damped artificial compressibility (EDAC) method. The governing equations of fluid dynamics were discretized using high-order spatial and temporal schemes. The solid bodies were modeled on the computational domain by using the immersed boundaries method. High-speed video and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements of the flow generated in a physical model were used to validate the numerical results. Based on these, we were able to explain the behavior of the flow during the entire length of the closing of the device’s claw and moments after. A simple model was also implemented to predict the steam dynamics. The experimental results confirmed the numerical results. The cavitation process in the mechanical device was correctly modeled and understood.