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Self-directed propulsion of an unconstrained flapping swimmer at low Reynolds number: hydrodynamic behaviour and scaling laws

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 November 2020

Xingjian Lin ,
Jie Wu Open the ORCID record for Jie Wu [Opens in a new window]  and
Tongwei Zhang
Xingjian Lin
Affiliation:
Department of Aerodynamics, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Yudao Street 29, Nanjing, Jiangsu210016, PR China Key Laboratory of Unsteady Aerodynamics and Flow Control, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Yudao Street 29, Nanjing, Jiangsu210016, PR China
Jie Wu*
Affiliation:
Department of Aerodynamics, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Yudao Street 29, Nanjing, Jiangsu210016, PR China Key Laboratory of Unsteady Aerodynamics and Flow Control, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Yudao Street 29, Nanjing, Jiangsu210016, PR China State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Yudao Street 29, Nanjing, Jiangsu210016, PR China
Tongwei Zhang
Affiliation:
Department of Aerodynamics, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Yudao Street 29, Nanjing, Jiangsu210016, PR China Key Laboratory of Unsteady Aerodynamics and Flow Control, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Yudao Street 29, Nanjing, Jiangsu210016, PR China
*
†Email address for correspondence: wuj@nuaa.edu.cn
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Abstract

Flapping-wing-based propulsion is ubiquitous in Nature, and it is free in all directions. In this work, the hydrodynamic behaviour of an unconstrained flapping foil, which can self-propel in both longitudinal and lateral directions, is numerically studied. It is found that the flapping foil can keep self-propelling in a straight line along the longitudinal direction, together with a passive oscillation in the lateral direction. Moreover, the effects of multiple parameters on the performance of the flapping swimmer are investigated, including the flapping frequency and amplitude, the mass ratio between foil and fluid, and the thickness–chord ratio of the foil. It is shown that the propulsive speed, the power consumption and the lateral oscillating motion obey some simple scaling laws. The results obtained here may provide some light on understanding biological flapping-wing-based propulsion.

JFM classification

Biological Fluid Dynamics: Propulsion Biological Fluid Dynamics: Swimming/flying
Type
JFM Rapids
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 907 , 25 January 2021 , R3
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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