What is the Biohydrodynamics Toolbox?

Biohydrodynamics Toolbox   

What is the Biohydrodynamics Toolbox?

Before explaining what the Biohydrodynamics Toolbox (BhT) is and how it works, let us start by giving some precisions on what Biohydrodynamics is. This term was used originally by biologists and zoologists for the study of animal locomotion in fluid (fishes, aquatic mammals but also birds are concerned since the air is also a fluid).
The investigations to understand the locomotion of aquatic animals have given rise to numerous scientific publications. This constant interest has grown from the observation that aquatic mammals and fishes evolved swimming capabilities far superior to what has been achieved by naval technology. A better understanding of the biomechanics of swimming may allow one to improve the efficiency, manoeuvrability and stealth of underwater vehicles.
During the last fifty years, mathematical models have been devolped by which it became possible to make qualitative analysis of swimming propulsion as a continuation of the previously developed quantitative theories.
Based on recent mathematical advances, BhT gathers a collection of M-Files for design, simulation and analysis of articulated bodies' motions in fluid. More widely, BhT allows also to perform easily any kind of numeric experiments addressing the motion of solids in fluids (simulations of so-called fluid-structure interaction systems).

See also

Where do the equations of motion used by BhT come from? 

Articulated body

BhT overview

2008 - A. Munnier and B. Pincon (Insitut Elie Cartan and INRIA Lorraine, Projet CORIDA, Nancy, France).