Superpropulsion of Droplets and Soft Elastic Solids
Christophe Raufaste1, Gabriela Ramos Chagas2, Thierry Darmanin2
1Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Institut de Physique de Nice, 06100 Nice, France.
Abstract:
We investigate the behavior of droplets and soft elastic objects propelled with a catapult. Experiments show that the ejection velocity depends on both the projectile deformation and the catapult acceleration dynamics. With a subtle matching given by a peculiar value of the projectile/catapult frequency ratio, a 250% kinetic energy gain is obtained as compared to the propulsion of a rigid projectile with the same engine. This superpropulsion has strong potentialities: actuation of droplets, sorting of objects according to their elastic properties, and energy saving for propulsion engines.
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