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Thrust production and wake structure of a batoid-inspired oscillating fin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 August 2006

R. P. CLARK  and
A. J. SMITS
R. P. CLARK
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA Present address: Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors, 17th St East Riviera Beach, FL 33404, USA.
A. J. SMITS
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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Abstract

Experiments are reported on the hydrodynamic performance of a flexible fin. The fin replicates some features of the pectoral fin of a batoid fish (such as a ray or skate) in that it is actuated in a travelling wave motion, with the amplitude of the motion increasing linearly along the span from root to tip. Thrust is found to increase with non-dimensional frequency, and an optimal oscillatory gait is identified. Power consumption measurements lead to the computation of propulsive efficiency, and an optimal efficiency condition is evaluated. Wake visualizations are presented, and a vortex model of the wake near zero net thrust is suggested. Strouhal number effects on the wake topology are also illustrated.

Type
Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 562 , 10 September 2006 , pp. 415 - 429
Copyright
© 2006 Cambridge University Press

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