Characterization of milkweed-seed gust response

Abstract Inspired by the reproductive success of plant species that employ bristled seeds for wind-borne dispersal, this study investigates the gust response of milkweed seeds, selected for their near-spherical shape. Gust-response experiments are performed to determine whether these porous bodies offer unique aerodynamic properties. Optical motion-tracking and particle image velocimetry (PIV) are used to characterize the dynamics of milkweed seed samples as they freely respond to a flow perturbation produced in an unsteady, gust wind tunnel. The observed seed acceleration ratio was found to agree with that of similar-sized soap bubbles as well as theoretical predictions, suggesting that aerodynamic performance does not degrade with porosity. Observations of high-velocity and high-vorticity fluid deflected around the body, obtained via time-resolved PIV measurements, suggest that there is minimal flow through the porous sphere. Therefore, despite the seed’s porosity, the formation of a region of fluid shear, accompanied by vorticity roll-up around the body and in its wake, is not suppressed, as would normally be expected for porous bodies. Thus, the seeds achieve instantaneous drag exceeding that of a solid sphere (e.g. bubble) over the first eight convective times of the perturbation. Therefore, while the steady-state drag produced by porous bodies is typically lower than that of a solid counterpart, an enhanced drag response is generated during the initial flow acceleration period.