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Visualization of complex near-body transport processes in flexible-body propulsion

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Abstract

Recent interest in the application of fish-like propulsion mechanisms to practical engineering systems has led to the development of a three-dimensional numerical method to enable the study of the fluid dynamics associated with flexible-body swimming. Visualization of the near-body and near-wake flow processes has elucidated unique flow manipulation capabilities utilized by the fish, associated with the controlled production and release of body-generated vorticity. In addition, efficient actuation of flow into the oscillating tail allows for energy recovery by the tail from flow perturbations initiated by the upstream flexible-body motions for improved efficiency. In this work, we highlight some of these processes through visualization of the unsteady flow patterns, whose three-dimensionality is more complex than linear theory would suggest. We then compare these results to experimental data of fish swimming dynamics. These comparisons reinforce the applicability of the simulation method as a visualization tool for the study of the hydrodynamic mechanisms of fish-like swimming motions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ocean Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 02139, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    Wolfgang M. J., Triantafyllou M. S. & Yue D. K. P.

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  1. Wolfgang M. J.
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  2. Triantafyllou M. S.
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  3. Yue D. K. P.
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Additional information

Meldon J. Wolfgang IV : He received his Ph.D. in hydrodynamics from the Department of Ocean Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in April, 1999. Prior to that, he received his B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Webb Institute of Naval Architecture in 1993. He is currently a research engineer in the M.I.T. Ocean Engineering Department, and his research interests include flexible-body hydrodynamics, active flow control, and computational vortex methods.

Michael S. Triantafyllou : He was born and raised in Athens, Greece. Undergraduate studies at the National Technical University of Athens (1969–74), graduate studies at MIT: SM in Ocean Engineering and SM in Mechanical Engineering (1977), ScD in 1979. With the MIT faculty since 1979; currently Professor of Ocean Engineering, Director of the Testing Tank Facility, Chairman of the Joint Committee in Applied Ocean Sciences and Engineering, MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography. Research work focuses on: The mechanics of cables. Vortex induced vibration of bluff bodies. Generation and control of vorticity for flow control. Biomimetic development of vehicles employing unsteady propulsion and maneuvering (work on RoboTuna highlight paper 1995, Scientific American).

Dick K.P. Yue : He received all his degrees (S.B., S.M. and Sc.D.) from M.I.T. He has been a faculty member at M.I.T. since 1983 and is now Professor of Hydrodynamics and Ocean Engineering. He is also Director of the M.I.T. Vortical Flow Research Laboratory, and Associate Director of the M.I.T. Testing (Tow) Tank Facility. His main research interests are: nonlinear wave hydromechanics; free-surface vortical and turbulent flows; fish hydromechanics and vortex dynamics of moving flexible bodies; and computational methods for engineering mechanics. He is the author or co-author of over 100 publications in these areas.

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Wolfgang, M.J., Triantafyllou, M.S. & Yue, D.K.P. Visualization of complex near-body transport processes in flexible-body propulsion. J Vis 2, 143–151 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03181517

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03181517

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