scholarly journals Flow interaction of three-dimensional self-propelled flexible plates in tandem

2021 ◽  
Vol 931 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Arranz ◽  
O. Flores ◽  
M. García-Villalba

Tandem configurations of two self-propelled flexible flappers of finite span are explored by means of numerical simulations. The same sinusoidal vertical motion is imposed on the leading edge of both flappers, but with a phase shift ( $\phi$ ). In addition, a vertical offset, $H$ , is prescribed between the flappers. The configurations that emerge are characterized in terms of their hydrodynamic performance and topology. The flappers reach a stable configuration with a constant mean propulsive speed and a mean equilibrium horizontal distance. Depending on $H$ and $\phi$ , two different tandem configurations are observed, namely compact and regular configurations. The performance of the upstream flapper (i.e. the leader) is virtually equal to the performance of an isolated flapper, except in the compact configuration, where the close interaction with the downstream flapper (i.e. the follower) results in higher power requirements and propulsive speed than an isolated flapper. Conversely, the follower's performance is significantly affected by the wake of the leader in both regular and compact configurations. The analysis of the flow shows that the follower's performance is influenced by the interaction with the vertical jet induced by the vortex rings shed by the leader. This interaction can be beneficial or detrimental for the follower's performance, depending on the alignment of the jet velocity with the follower's vertical motion. Finally, a qualitative prediction of the performance of a hypothetical follower is presented. The model is semi-empirical, and it uses the flow field of an isolated flapper.

Author(s):  
Junshi Wang ◽  
Huy Tran ◽  
Martha Christino ◽  
Carl White ◽  
Joseph Zhu ◽  
...  

Abstract A combined experimental and numerical approach is employed to study the hydrodynamic performance and characterize the flow features of thunniform swimming by using a tuna-inspired underwater vehicle in forward swimming. The three-dimensional, time-dependent kinematics of the body-fin system of the underwater vehicle is obtained via a stereo-videographic technique. A high-fidelity computational model is then directly reconstructed based on the experimental data. A sharp-interface immersed-boundary-method (IBM) based incompressible flow solver is employed to compute the flow. The primary objective of the computational effort is to quantify the thrust performance of the model. The body kinematics and hydrodynamic performances are quantified and the dynamics of the vortex wake are analyzed. Results have shown significant leading-edge vortex at the caudal fin and unique vortex ring structures in the wake. The results from this work help to bring insight into understanding the thrust producing mechanism of thunniform swimming and to provide potential suggestions in improving the hydrodynamic performance of swimming underwater vehicles.


2019 ◽  
Vol 880 ◽  
pp. 1020-1035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juhi Chowdhury ◽  
Matthew J. Ringuette

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.


Author(s):  
Yibo Liang ◽  
Weichao Shi ◽  
Longbin Tao

Abstract Leading-edge tubercles have been investigating widely on the performance of foils in the last decade. In this study, the biomimetic tubercle design has been applied to the corner shape on a deep-draft semi-submersible. A numerical study on flow over a deep-draft semi-submersible (DDS) with a biomimetic tubercle corner shape was carried out to investigate the corner shape effects on the overall hydrodynamics and motion responses. The hydrodynamic performance of the biomimetic tubercle corner is compared with a traditional round corner design platform. It is demonstrated that, as the corner shape design changed, the motion responses alter drastically. In addition, the flow patterns were examined to reveal some insights into fluid physics due to the biomimetic tubercle corner design. The comprehensive numerical results showed that the three-dimensional effect, which causes spanwise flow, can be reduced by a continuous spanwise (column-wise) variation of the shear-layer separation points.


1999 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 266-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Ejiri ◽  
M. Kubo

The hydrodynamic performance of a three-element automotive torque converter is analyzed by measuring flow between the elements with five-hole Pitot tubes. The performance of each element, including head, head loss, and efficiency, is defined and evaluated. The results show that the pump is the major source of loss in the speed ratio range where vehicles are most frequently operated in everyday driving. The loss coefficients for the three elements are also evaluated using a one-dimensional flow model. The friction loss coefficient of the turbine shows small variation over the entire tested speed ratio range, whereas the coefficients of the pump and stator vary considerably according to the operating speed ratio. The cause of loss in the pump and stator is investigated by flow visualization and three-dimensional numerical flow analysis. A low kinetic energy region in the pump and leading edge separation in the stator are clearly visualized or computed.


1997 ◽  
Vol 352 (1351) ◽  
pp. 317-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Coen van den Berg ◽  
Charles P. Ellington

Visualization experiments with Manduca sexta have revealed the presence of a leading–edge vortex and a highly three–dimensional flow pattern. To further investigate this important discovery, a scaled–up robotic insect was built (the ‘flapper’) which could mimic the complex movements of the wings of a hovering hawkmoth. Smoke released from the leading edge of the flapper wing revealed a small but strong leading–edge vortex on the downstroke. This vortex had a high axial flow velocity and was stable, separating from the wing at approximately 75 % of the wing length. It connected to a large, tangled tip vortex, extending back to a combining stopping and starting vortex from pronation. At the end of the downstroke, the wake could be approximated as one vortex ring per wing. Based on the size and velocity of the vortex rings, the mean lift force during the downstroke was estimated to be about 1.5 times the body weight of a hawkmoth, confirming that the downstroke is the main provider of lift force.


2012 ◽  
Vol 152-154 ◽  
pp. 1509-1515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feng Feng ◽  
Xiang Ru Cheng ◽  
Xiang Yang Qi ◽  
Xin Chang

Based on RANS method, this paper studied leading-edge tubercle three-dimensional airfoil, which had effect on hydrodynamic performance of three-dimensional airfoil. Both section configurations of the two three-dimensional airfoil models were NACA0020 airfoil. The research method was numerical simulation. First, the leading-edge profile of the first airfoil model was normal. To get stalling angle of the first model, it analyzed hydrodynamic performance of the first model under different angle of attacks at Re=1.35*105. Then, the second model had a sinusoidal leading-edge profile. The second model chose the same Reynolds number. By comparison the numerical calculation results between the first and the second model, the stalling angle of second model delays 3°than the normal airfoil, and the lift coefficient of the second model increases 11.92% than the normal model. The results have laid the foundation for optimization design of leading-edge tubercle three-dimensional airfoil.


2014 ◽  
Vol 575 ◽  
pp. 405-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Chang ◽  
Xin Ning Wang ◽  
Xiang Ru Cheng

This paper aims to improve and control hydrodynamic performance of three-dimensional airfoils and investigate hydrodynamic performance of three-dimensional airfoil with tubercles on leading-edge by imitating the sinusoidal leading-edge systematically. Based on the DES method, a series of parameters, such as amplitudes and numbers of tubercles, had been studied via the FLUENT software with model constructed by ICEM software and divided by structural grid. According to the results, the amplitudes significantly affect the hydrodynamic performance of three-dimensional airfoil. With maintaining other conditions,tubercle airfoils can make stall angle delay, raise the lift and the drag ratio coefficient. Especially, if there is a bigger attack angle, it is better to reduce resistance and save energy, which will be a cornerstone for further study. It is of vital importance to find out appropriate amplitudes and numbers of tubercles to achieve further progress in hydrodynamic performance of three-dimensional airfoil.


Author(s):  
Satoshi Fujita ◽  
Keisuke Minagawa ◽  
Mitsuru Miyazaki ◽  
Go Tanaka ◽  
Toshio Omi ◽  
...  

This paper describes three-dimensional isolation performance of seismic isolation system using air bearings. Long period seismic waves having predominant period of from a few seconds to a few ten seconds have recently been observed in various earthquakes. Also resonances of high-rise buildings and sloshing of petroleum tanks in consequence of long period seismic waves have been reported. Therefore the isolation systems having very long natural period or no natural period are required. In a previous paper [1], we proposed an isolation system having no natural period by using air bearings. Additionally we have already reported an introduction of the system, and have investigated horizontal motion during earthquake in the previous paper. It was confirmed by horizontal vibration experiment and simulation in the previous paper that the proposed system had good performance of isolation. However vertical motion should be investigated, because vertical motion varies horizontal frictional force. Therefore this paper describes investigation regarding vertical motion of the proposed system by experiment. At first, a vertical excitation test of the system is carried out so as to investigate vertical dynamic property. Then a three-dimensional vibration test using seismic waves is carried out so as to investigate performance of isolation against three-dimensional seismic waves.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 3618
Author(s):  
Emmanuel N. Paul ◽  
Gregory W. Burns ◽  
Tyler J. Carpenter ◽  
Joshua A. Grey ◽  
Asgerally T. Fazleabas ◽  
...  

Uterine fibroid tissues are often compared to their matched myometrium in an effort to understand their pathophysiology, but it is not clear whether the myometria of uterine fibroid patients represent truly non-disease control tissues. We analyzed the transcriptomes of myometrial samples from non-fibroid patients (M) and compared them with fibroid (F) and matched myometrial (MF) samples to determine whether there is a phenotypic difference between fibroid and non-fibroid myometria. Multidimensional scaling plots revealed that M samples clustered separately from both MF and F samples. A total of 1169 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (false discovery rate < 0.05) were observed in the MF comparison with M. Overrepresented Gene Ontology terms showed a high concordance of upregulated gene sets in MF compared to M, particularly extracellular matrix and structure organization. Gene set enrichment analyses showed that the leading-edge genes from the TGFβ signaling and inflammatory response gene sets were significantly enriched in MF. Overall comparison of the three tissues by three-dimensional principal component analyses showed that M, MF, and F samples clustered separately from each other and that a total of 732 DEGs from F vs. M were not found in the F vs. MF, which are likely understudied in the pathogenesis of uterine fibroids and could be key genes for future investigation. These results suggest that the transcriptome of fibroid-associated myometrium is different from that of non-diseased myometrium and that fibroid studies should consider using both matched myometrium and non-diseased myometrium as controls.


2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alvaro Gonzalez ◽  
Xabier Munduate

This work undertakes an aerodynamic analysis over the parked and the rotating NREL Phase VI wind turbine blade. The experimental sequences from NASA Ames wind tunnel selected for this study respond to the parked blade and the rotating configuration, both for the upwind, two-bladed wind turbine operating at nonyawed conditions. The objective is to bring some light into the nature of the flow field and especially the type of stall behavior observed when 2D aerofoil steady measurements are compared to the parked blade and the latter to the rotating one. From averaged pressure coefficients together with their standard deviation values, trailing and leading edge separated flow regions have been found, with the limitations of the repeatability of the flow encountered on the blade. Results for the parked blade show the progressive delay from tip to root of the trailing edge separation process, with respect to the 2D profile, and also reveal a local region of leading edge separated flow or bubble at the inner, 30% and 47% of the blade. For the rotating blade, results at inboard 30% and 47% stations show a dramatic suppression of the trailing edge separation, and the development of a leading edge separation structure connected with the extra lift.


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