Nature-Inspired Inventions · Volume 014
Bird Feathers
Flow-Control Wing Surfaces
A bird wing is not a smooth, solid surface. It is a layered assembly of thousands of feathers, each made of a central shaft and a vane of interlocking barbs. Small feathers cover the bases of large ones. Some lift up when the airflow changes. Others spread apart, overlap more tightly or flex under load. Together they give the wing abilities that a single rigid surface lacks: delaying stall, recovering from disturbances, adjusting to changing flow, and repairing minor damage.
- Price
- $6.99
- Format
- PDF ebook
- Length
- 30 pages
- Edition
- First Edition
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Inside this volume
- Introduction: Small Structures, Large Effects
- How Feathers Work
- Feathered Wings and Airflow Control
- Boundary Layers and Separation
- History of Flow-Control Devices
- Translating Feathers Into Engineering
- Making Feather-Inspired Devices
- Integration and Side Effects
- Ten Feather-Inspired Design Concepts
- Testing Flow-Control Devices
- Failure Modes and Limitations
- Approval, Intellectual Property and Market
- Design Workbook
- Case Study — Gentler Stalls for a Training Drone
Plus appendices of formulas and rules of thumb, common reader questions, a glossary and further reading.
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