Biomimetic Engineering for Fluid Manipulation and Flow Control

A special issue of Biomimetics (ISSN 2313-7673). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomimetic Surfaces and Interfaces".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 1301

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education), Jilin University, Changchun 130022, China
Interests: bionic machinery; microfluidics; complex multiphase flow
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over billions of years of evolutionary refinement, biological systems have evolved remarkably ingenious strategies to manipulate fluids, bubbles, and droplets, leveraging these capabilities to support core life processes such as locomotion, predation, sensing, and energy conversion. By emulating biological microstructures, surface properties, and dynamic mechanisms, biomimetic engineering for fluid manipulation and flow control aims to deliver transformative solutions for state-of-the-art engineering applications.

This Special Issue, “Biomimetic Engineering for Fluid Manipulation and Flow Control”, is dedicated to advancing the interdisciplinary dialogue around biomimetic innovation in fluid systems. It seeks to compile the latest breakthroughs and insights in this dynamic domain—encompassing topics ranging from macroscopic flow management (e.g., aerodynamic/ hydrodynamic optimization for vehicles) to the precise manipulation of microscopic droplets (e.g., in lab-on-a-chip devices). Its scope covers fundamental research (including physics of bio-inspired fluid behavior, materials and micro/nanostructure design) as well as applied studies (such as numerical and experimental fluid mechanics, and the translation of these insights into practical engineering solutions). Key areas of interest include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Flow drag reduction;
  • Aeroacoustic noise reduction;
  • Functional bionics and trans-medium vehicles;
  • Droplet physics (e.g., nucleation, coalescence, and controlled movement);
  • Bio-inspired micro/nano structures for fluid regulation;
  • Interfacial science in biomimetic fluid systems;
  • Directed transport of fluids/droplets/bubbles;
  • Microfluidics with biomimetic design principles;
  • Anti-icing/anti-fogging technologies;
  • Droplet-based energy harvesting;
  • Colloid and interface chemistry for biomimetic fluid manipulation;
  • Heat and mass transfer enhanced by bio-inspired flow control;
  • Flow erosion and cavitation mitigation;
  • Bubble/cavitation control.

We warmly invite scholars worldwide to contribute their latest original research and review articles—whether theoretical explorations, experimental validations, or engineering application cases—and to join us in exploring the vast potential of biomimetic engineering in fluid manipulation and flow control. By drawing deep insights from nature, we aim to collectively develop innovative solutions that will shape the future of engineering across diverse fields, including aerospace, marine technology, microfabrication, and renewable energy.

Prof. Dr. Chengchun Zhang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • biomimetic engineering
  • fluid manipulation
  • flow control
  • bio-inspired surfaces
  • droplet dynamics
  • microfluidics
  • drag reduction
  • interfacial science

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

39 pages, 5668 KB  
Review
On Bio-Inspired Strategies for Flow Control, Fluid–Structure Interaction, and Thermal Transport
by Farid Ahmed and Leonardo P. Chamorro
Biomimetics 2026, 11(2), 143; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics11020143 - 13 Feb 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1002
Abstract
Bio-inspired engineering draws on principles refined by natural evolution to tackle persistent challenges in fluid mechanics, structural dynamics, and thermal transport. This article presents a critical, mechanism-driven narrative review that integrates recent advances across three complementary domains that are often treated independently, namely: [...] Read more.
Bio-inspired engineering draws on principles refined by natural evolution to tackle persistent challenges in fluid mechanics, structural dynamics, and thermal transport. This article presents a critical, mechanism-driven narrative review that integrates recent advances across three complementary domains that are often treated independently, namely: flow-control strategies such as leading-edge tubercles, alula-like devices, riblets, superhydrophobic skins, and hybrid low-Reynolds-number fliers; fluid-structure interactions inspired by aquatic and aerial organisms that leverage compliant foils, flexible filaments, ciliary arrays, and piezoelectric fluttering plates for propulsion, wake regulation, mixing, and energy harvesting; and phase-change heat-transfer surfaces modeled after stomata, porous biological networks, and textured cuticles that enhance nucleation control, liquid replenishment, and droplet or bubble removal. Rather than providing an exhaustive catalog of biological analogues, this review emphasizes the underlying physical mechanisms that link these domains and enable multifunctional performance. These developments reveal shared physical principles, including multiscale geometry, capillary- and vortex-mediated transport, and compliance-enabled flow tuning, which motivate the integrated treatment of aerodynamic, hydrodynamic, and thermal systems in applications spanning aerospace, energy conversion, and microscale thermal management. The review assesses persistent challenges associated with scaling biological architectures, ensuring long-term durability, and modeling tightly coupled fluid-thermal-structural interactions. By synthesizing insights across flow control, fluid-structure interaction, and phase-change heat transfer, this review provides a unifying conceptual framework that distinguishes it from prior domain-specific reviews. Emerging opportunities in hybrid multi-mechanism designs, data-driven optimization, multiscale modeling, and advanced fabrication are identified as promising pathways to accelerate the translation of biological strategies into robust, multifunctional thermal–fluid systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomimetic Engineering for Fluid Manipulation and Flow Control)
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