Electromagnetically driven, environmentally adaptive, and functionally switchable hydrodynamic devices

Abstract

Metamaterials provide exceptional control over physical phenomena, enabling many disruptive technologies. However, researches in hydrodynamic meta-devices have mainly used intrusive methods to manipulate material structures, limited by material properties and specific environmental conditions. Each design serves a single function, reducing versatility. This study introduces a meta-hydrodynamics theory using applied force fields to avoid physical contact with the fluid and eliminate the need for inhomogeneous and anisotropic metamaterials, allowing continuous switching between cloaking, shielding, and Venturi amplification. The force field operates independently of the fluid's physical properties, making it adaptable to various fluids and environmental conditions. We derive volumetric force distributions for hydrodynamic devices based on fluid properties and forces equivalence, using the integral median theorem to homogenize these forces for practical applications. The effectiveness of the proposed hydrodynamic devices is validated through numerical simulations and quantitative analyses. By utilizing the electromagnetic forces produced by the interaction between a conducting fluid and an electromagnetic field, we experimentally verified the validity of our theoretical simulations. Our research offers different insights into hydrodynamic meta-devices design, enhancing practical applications and opening avenues for innovative flow manipulation.