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Air-levitated platelets: from take off to motion

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 February 2017

Dan Soto ,
Hélène de Maleprade ,
Christophe Clanet  and
David Quéré
Dan Soto
Affiliation:
Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes, UMR 7636 du CNRS, ESPCI, 75005 Paris, France LadHyX, UMR 7646 du CNRS, École polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau CEDEX, France
Hélène de Maleprade
Affiliation:
Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes, UMR 7636 du CNRS, ESPCI, 75005 Paris, France LadHyX, UMR 7646 du CNRS, École polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau CEDEX, France
Christophe Clanet
Affiliation:
Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes, UMR 7636 du CNRS, ESPCI, 75005 Paris, France LadHyX, UMR 7646 du CNRS, École polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau CEDEX, France
David Quéré*
Affiliation:
Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes, UMR 7636 du CNRS, ESPCI, 75005 Paris, France LadHyX, UMR 7646 du CNRS, École polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau CEDEX, France
*
†Email address for correspondence: david.quere@espci.fr
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Abstract

A plate placed above a porous substrate through which air is blown can levitate if the airflow is strong enough. We first model the flow needed for taking off, and then examine how an asymmetric texture etched on the porous surface induces directional motion of the hovercraft. We discuss how the texture design impacts the propelling efficiency, and how it can be used to manipulate these frictionless objects both in translation and in rotation.

JFM classification

Aerodynamics: Aerodynamics Low-Reynolds-number flows: Low-Reynolds-number flows
Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 814 , 10 March 2017 , pp. 535 - 546
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Copyright
© 2017 Cambridge University Press 

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Soto et al. supplementary movie

Pressure beneath the porous substrate is increased until a glass lamella (a = 15 mm, b = 12 mm, c = 160 _m) starts accelerating owing to viscous entrainment. Once it has reached the end of the track, it is pushed back in the direction opposite to entrainment. Then it decelerates, stops and reaccelerates. Lateral walls placed above the herringbone pattern keep the glider centered for several "pushes".

Download Soto et al. supplementary movie(Video)
Video 6.2 MB

Soto et al. supplementary movie

Pressure beneath the porous substrate is increased until a glass lamella (a = 15 mm, b = 12 mm, c = 160 _m) starts accelerating owing to viscous entrainment. Once it has reached the end of the track, it is pushed back in the direction opposite to entrainment. Then it decelerates, stops and reaccelerates. Lateral walls placed above the herringbone pattern keep the glider centered for several "pushes".

Download Soto et al. supplementary movie(Video)
Video 4.1 MB

Soto et al. supplementary movie

Lamella (a = 30 mm, b = 6 mm, c = 180 _m) climbing a slope of 1.2°_ owing to viscous entrainment. From this lateral view, we can distinguish the holes through which air is injected at the bottom of each chevron.

Download Soto et al. supplementary movie(Video)
Video 3.1 MB

Soto et al. supplementary movie

Lamella (a = 30 mm, b = 6 mm, c = 180 _m) climbing a slope of 1.2°_ owing to viscous entrainment. From this lateral view, we can distinguish the holes through which air is injected at the bottom of each chevron.

Download Soto et al. supplementary movie(Video)
Video 1.6 MB

Soto et al. supplementary movie

Comparison between two designs (regular and truncated herringbones, with same alpha and a central straight section with width bT = 10 mm in the latter case) entraining a glass plate (a = 30 mm, b = 15 mm, c = 1 mm) of mass M = 1 g.

Download Soto et al. supplementary movie(Video)
Video 16.3 MB

Soto et al. supplementary movie

Comparison between two designs (regular and truncated herringbones, with same alpha and a central straight section with width bT = 10 mm in the latter case) entraining a glass plate (a = 30 mm, b = 15 mm, c = 1 mm) of mass M = 1 g.

Download Soto et al. supplementary movie(Video)
Video 8.4 MB

Soto et al. supplementary movie

Rotation on a windmill design. A vertical glass fiber acting as central axis keeps centered a rotating PMMA plate with density 1190 kg/m3, thickness c = 2 mm and side 2b = 30 mm. The plate first accelerates before reaching its terminal speed.

Download Soto et al. supplementary movie(Video)
Video 82 MB

Soto et al. supplementary movie

Rotation on a windmill design. A vertical glass fiber acting as central axis keeps centered a rotating PMMA plate with density 1190 kg/m3, thickness c = 2 mm and side 2b = 30 mm. The plate first accelerates before reaching its terminal speed.

Download Soto et al. supplementary movie(Video)
Video 9.2 MB