{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/83716"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/83716","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Design and vibration testing of a flexible seal whisker model","abstract":"Harbor seal whiskers have a unique surface structure that dramatically reduces vortex induced vibrations as they move through the water. Concurrently with rigid whisker experiments, this project focuses on the design and testing of a flexible model. The rubber model was cast with integrated Kevlar strings, for tensioning purposes, and accelerometers to measure vibration data. The whisker model was mounted to the carriage in the MIT tow tank where it could be towed at a variety of speeds and tension settings. Accelerometer data clarity was a significant problem, but gradual improvements to the whisker mounting design allowed higher quality data to be gathered at a larger range of towing speeds. Using this data we observed correlations between towing speed, vibration frequency, g forces, and displacement in the whisker's vertical axis of motion. Further work could be done to examine whisker motion in multiple axes, as well as with different angles of attack.","abstract_html":"Harbor seal whiskers have a unique surface structure that dramatically reduces vortex induced vibrations as they move through the water. Concurrently with rigid whisker experiments, this project focuses on the design and testing of a flexible model. The rubber model was cast with integrated Kevlar strings, for tensioning purposes, and accelerometers to measure vibration data. The whisker model was mounted to the carriage in the MIT tow tank where it could be towed at a variety of speeds and tension settings. Accelerometer data clarity was a significant problem, but gradual improvements to the whisker mounting design allowed higher quality data to be gathered at a larger range of towing speeds. Using this data we observed correlations between towing speed, vibration frequency, g forces, and displacement in the whisker's vertical axis of motion. Further work could be done to examine whisker motion in multiple axes, as well as with different angles of attack.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Gerber, Christopher D"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering.","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Michael S. Triantafyllou."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013","date_published":"2013","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:52Z","subjects":["Mechanical Engineering."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/83716","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Michael S. Triantafyllou."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Gerber, Christopher D"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-01-09T19:47:53Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-01-09T19:47:53Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2013"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Mechanical Engineering."]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/83716"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2013.","Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (page 52)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Harbor seal whiskers have a unique surface structure that dramatically reduces vortex induced vibrations as they move through the water. Concurrently with rigid whisker experiments, this project focuses on the design and testing of a flexible model. The rubber model was cast with integrated Kevlar strings, for tensioning purposes, and accelerometers to measure vibration data. The whisker model was mounted to the carriage in the MIT tow tank where it could be towed at a variety of speeds and tension settings. Accelerometer data clarity was a significant problem, but gradual improvements to the whisker mounting design allowed higher quality data to be gathered at a larger range of towing speeds. Using this data we observed correlations between towing speed, vibration frequency, g forces, and displacement in the whisker's vertical axis of motion. Further work could be done to examine whisker motion in multiple axes, as well as with different angles of attack."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.B."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Design and vibration testing of a flexible seal whisker model"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Michael S. Triantafyllou."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering."],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering."],"dc:creator":["Gerber, Christopher D"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-01-09T19:47:53Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-01-09T19:47:53Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2013"],"dc:description":["Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2013.","Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (page 52)."],"dc:description.abstract":["Harbor seal whiskers have a unique surface structure that dramatically reduces vortex induced vibrations as they move through the water. Concurrently with rigid whisker experiments, this project focuses on the design and testing of a flexible model. The rubber model was cast with integrated Kevlar strings, for tensioning purposes, and accelerometers to measure vibration data. The whisker model was mounted to the carriage in the MIT tow tank where it could be towed at a variety of speeds and tension settings. Accelerometer data clarity was a significant problem, but gradual improvements to the whisker mounting design allowed higher quality data to be gathered at a larger range of towing speeds. Using this data we observed correlations between towing speed, vibration frequency, g forces, and displacement in the whisker's vertical axis of motion. Further work could be done to examine whisker motion in multiple axes, as well as with different angles of attack."],"dc:description.degree":["S.B."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/83716"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"dc:rights.uri":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"dc:subject":["Mechanical Engineering."],"dc:title":["Design and vibration testing of a flexible seal whisker model"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:52Z"}