How dorsal fin sharpness affects swimming speed and economy

2019 ◽  
Vol 878 ◽  
pp. 370-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Zhong ◽  
Haibo Dong ◽  
Daniel B. Quinn
Keyword(s):  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cross Flow ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Caudal Fin ◽  
Fish Model ◽  
Dorsal Fin ◽  
Flow Interactions ◽  
Edge Vortex

Multi-fin systems, like fish or fish-inspired vehicles, are governed by unsteady three-dimensional interactions between their multiple fins. In particular, dorsal/anal fins have received much attention because they are just upstream of the main thrust-producing fin: the caudal (tail) fin. We used a tuna-inspired fish model with variable fin sharpness to study the interaction between elongated dorsal/anal fins and caudal fins. We found that the performance enhancement is stronger than previously thought (15 % increase in swimming speed and 50 % increase in swimming economy) and is governed by a three-dimensional dorsal-fin-induced cross-flow that lowers the angle of attack on the caudal fin and promotes spanwise flow. Both simulations and multi-layer particle image velocimetry reveal that the cross-flow stabilizes the leading edge vortex on the caudal fin, similar to how wing strakes prevent stall during fixed-wing aircraft manoeuvres. Unlike other fin–fin interactions, this mechanism is phase-insensitive and offers a simple, passive solution for flow control over oscillating propulsors. Our results therefore improve our understanding of multi-fin flow interactions and suggest new insights into dorsal/anal fin shape and placement in fish and fish-inspired vehicles.

scholarly journals The leading-edge vortex on a rotating wing changes markedly beyond a certain central body size

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (7) ◽  
pp. 172197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shantanu S. Bhat ◽  
Jisheng Zhao ◽  
John Sheridan ◽  
Kerry Hourigan ◽  
Mark C. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Central Body ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Particle Image Velocimetry Technique ◽  
Leading Edge Vortex ◽  
Rapid Acquisition ◽  
Edge Vortex ◽  
Rotating Wing

Stable attachment of a leading-edge vortex (LEV) plays a key role in generating the high lift on rotating wings with a central body. The central body size can affect the LEV structure broadly in two ways. First, an overall change in the size changes the Reynolds number, which is known to have an influence on the LEV structure. Second, it may affect the Coriolis acceleration acting across the wing, depending on the wing-offset from the axis of rotation. To investigate this, the effects of Reynolds number and the wing-offset are independently studied for a rotating wing. The three-dimensional LEV structure is mapped using a scanning particle image velocimetry technique. The rapid acquisition of images and their correlation are carefully validated. The results presented in this paper show that the LEV structure changes mainly with the Reynolds number. The LEV-split is found to be only minimally affected by changing the central body radius in the range of small offsets, which interestingly includes the range for most insects. However, beyond this small offset range, the LEV-split is found to change dramatically.

Three-Dimensional Solution of Flows over Wings with Leading-Edge Vortex Separation

AIAA Journal ◽  
1976 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 519-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Weber ◽  
Guenter W. Brune ◽  
Forrester T. Johnson ◽  
Paul Lu ◽  
Paul E. Rubbert
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Dimensional Solution ◽  
Leading Edge Vortex ◽  
Vortex Separation ◽  
Edge Vortex

scholarly journals Three-dimensional vortex wake structure of flapping wings in hovering flight

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (91) ◽  
pp. 20130984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Cheng ◽  
Jesse Roll ◽  
Yun Liu ◽  
Daniel R. Troolin ◽  
Xinyan Deng
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Ring Structure ◽  
Tip Vortex ◽  
Flapping Wings ◽  
Vortex Wake ◽  
Wake Structure ◽  
Edge Vortex ◽  
Vorticity Transport

Flapping wings continuously create and send vortices into their wake, while imparting downward momentum into the surrounding fluid. However, experimental studies concerning the details of the three-dimensional vorticity distribution and evolution in the far wake are limited. In this study, the three-dimensional vortex wake structure in both the near and far field of a dynamically scaled flapping wing was investigated experimentally, using volumetric three-component velocimetry. A single wing, with shape and kinematics similar to those of a fruitfly, was examined. The overall result of the wing action is to create an integrated vortex structure consisting of a tip vortex (TV), trailing-edge shear layer (TESL) and leading-edge vortex. The TESL rolls up into a root vortex (RV) as it is shed from the wing, and together with the TV, contracts radially and stretches tangentially in the downstream wake. The downwash is distributed in an arc-shaped region enclosed by the stretched tangential vorticity of the TVs and the RVs. A closed vortex ring structure is not observed in the current study owing to the lack of well-established starting and stopping vortex structures that smoothly connect the TV and RV. An evaluation of the vorticity transport equation shows that both the TV and the RV undergo vortex stretching while convecting downwards: a three-dimensional phenomenon in rotating flows. It also confirms that convection and secondary tilting and stretching effects dominate the evolution of vorticity.

scholarly journals Unsteady Aerodynamic Characteristics Simulations of Rotor Airfoil under Oscillating Freestream Velocity

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1822
Author(s):  
Qing Wang ◽  
Qijun Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Grid Method ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Critical Value ◽  
Dynamic Stall ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Freestream Velocity ◽  
Unsteady Aerodynamic ◽  
Edge Vortex

The dynamic stall characteristics of rotor airfoil are researched by employing unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) method under oscillating freestream velocity conditions. In order to simulate the oscillating freestream velocity of airfoil under dynamic stall conditions, the moving-embedded grid method is employed to simulate the oscillating velocity. By comparing the simulated dynamic stall characteristics of two-dimensional airfoil and three-dimensional rotor, it is indicated that the dynamic stall characteristics of airfoil under oscillating freestream velocity reflect the actual dynamic stall characteristics of rotor airfoil in forward flight more accurately. By comparing the simulated results of OA209 airfoil under coupled freestream velocity/pitching oscillation conditions, it is indicated that the dynamic stall characteristics of airfoil associate with the critical value of Cp peaks (i.e., the dynamic stall characteristics of OA209 airfoil would be enhanced when the maximum negative pressure is larger than −1.08, and suppressed when this value is smaller than −1.08). By comparing the characteristics of vortices under different oscillating velocities, it indicates that the dissipation rate of leading edge vortex presents as exponent characteristics, and it is not sensitive to different oscillating velocities.

A simple vortex-loop-based model for unsteady rotating wings

2019 ◽  
Vol 880 ◽  
pp. 1020-1035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juhi Chowdhury ◽  
Matthew J. Ringuette
Keyword(s):  
Lift Force ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Tip Vortex ◽  
Vortex Loop ◽  
Edge Vortex ◽  
Semi Empirical ◽  
And Control ◽  
Angular Impulse

An analytical model is developed for the lift force produced by unsteady rotating wings; this configuration is a simple representation of a flapping wing. Modelling this is important for the aerodynamic and control-system design for bio-inspired drones. Such efforts have often been limited to being two-dimensional, semi-empirical, sometimes computationally expensive, or quasi-steady. The current model is unsteady and three-dimensional, yet simple to implement, requiring knowledge of only the wing kinematics and geometry. Rotating wings produce a vortex loop consisting of the root vortex, leading-edge vortex, tip vortex and trailing-edge vortex, which grows with time. This is modelled as a tilted planar loop, geometrically specified by the wing size, orientation and motion. By equating the angular impulse of the vortex loop to that of the fluid volume driven by the wing, the circulatory lift force is derived. Potential flow theory gives the fluid-inertial lift. Adding these two contributions yields the total lift formula. The model shows good agreement with a range of experimental and computational cases. Also, a steady-state lift model is developed that compares well with previous work for various angles of attack.

Topology Optimization of the Caudal Fin of the Three-Dimensional Self-Propelled Swimming Fish

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (06) ◽  
pp. 732-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiqiang Xin ◽  
Chuijie Wu
Keyword(s):  
Topology Optimization ◽  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Moving Boundary ◽  
Swimming Performance ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
The Body ◽  
Caudal Fin ◽  
Swimming Efficiency ◽  
Vorticity Flux ◽  
3D Topology

AbstractBased on the boundary vorticity-flux theory, topology optimization of the caudal fin of the three-dimensional self-propelled swimming fish is investigated by combining unsteady computational fluid dynamics with moving boundary and topology optimization algorithms in this study. The objective functional of topology optimization is the function of swimming efficiency, swimming speed and motion direction control. The optimal caudal fin, whose topology is different from that of the natural fish caudal fin, make the 3D bionic fish achieve higher swimming efficiency, faster swimming speed and better maneuverability. The boundary vorticity-flux on the body surface of the 3D fish before and after optimization reveals the mechanism of high performance swimming of the topology optimization bionic fish. The comparative analysis between the swimming performance of the 3D topology optimization bionic fish and the 3D lunate tail bionic fish is also carried out, and the wake structures of two types of bionic fish show the physical nature that the swimming performance of the 3D topology optimization bionic fish is significantly better than the 3D lunate tail bionic fish.

Vortex dynamics and hydrodynamic performance enhancement mechanism in batoid fish oscillatory swimming

2021 ◽  
Vol 930 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Zhang ◽  
Qiao-Gao Huang ◽  
Guang Pan ◽  
Li-Ming Yang ◽  
Wei-Xi Huang
Keyword(s):  
Vortex Dynamics ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Tip Vortex ◽  
Hydrodynamic Performance ◽  
Immersed Boundary ◽  
Transformation Theory ◽  
Enhancement Mechanism ◽  
Edge Vortex

The effects of chordwise deformation and the half-amplitude asymmetry on the hydrodynamic performance and vortex dynamics of batoid fish have been numerically investigated, in which the two parameters were represented by the wavenumber ( $W$ ) and the ratio of the half-amplitude above the longitudinal axis to that below ( $HAR$ ). Fin kinematics were prescribed based on biological data. Simulations were conducted using the immersed boundary method. It was found that moderate chordwise deformation enhances the thrust, saves the power and increases the efficiency. A large $HAR$ can also increase thrust performance. By using the derivative-moment transformation theory at several subdomains to capture the local vortical structures and a force decomposition, it was shown that, at high Strouhal numbers ( $St$ ), the tip vortex is the main source of thrust, whereas the leading-edge vortex (LEV) and trailing-edge vortex weaken the thrust generation. However, at lower $St$ , the LEV would enhance the thrust. The least deformation ( $W=0$ ) leads to the largest effective angle of attack, and thus the strongest vortices. However, moderate deformation ( $W=0.4$ ) has an optimal balance between the performance enhancement and the opposite effect of different local structures. The performance enhancement of $HAR$ was also due to the increase of the vortical contributions. This work provides a new insight into the role of vortices and the force enhancement mechanism in aquatic swimming.

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