Abstract

A novel biomimetic aerodynamic thrust bearing is developed and investigated. The surface structure of the bearing is evolved from the micro-grids of dragonfly wings, which presumably aid flying and maneuver ability of dragonflies. The topography of the micro-grids of dragonfly wings was studied and five most representative geometries were extracted before being put on thrust bearings for performance examination. A theoretical model, solved with finite different and finite volume method, is developed to compare the static load capacity of the bearings under various velocities and flow angles, and the best geometry and velocity angle were selected and manufactured on the bearing surface for experimental tests. The dragonfly wing biomimetic bearing is found to increase load capacity by up to 46.11% in comparison with an optimized conventional spiral grooved bearing by experiments.

Keywords: Biomaterials; Heat transfer coefficient; Nano medicine; Nanotechnology; Tissue engineering