Experimental Investigation of Water Entry Flow and Impact Load Characteristics of Northern Gannet’s Head

To explore the water entry flow and impact load characteristics of northern gannets, we conducted water entry experiments using a northern gannet’s head model based on three-dimensional (3D) printing and several cone models under different Froude numbers. A high-speed camera was used to capture flow images, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) was used to record the water entry impact loads. The results indicate that the geometric topology of the model considerably influenced the water entry flow and impact load. Specifically, the northern gannet’s head model created a smaller water entry splash crown, cavity geometry, and impact load compared with the cone models of similar sizes.