scholarly journals Kinematics and hydrodynamics analyses of swimming penguins: wing bending improves propulsion performance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natsuki Harada ◽  
Takuma Oura ◽  
Masateru Maeda ◽  
Yayi Shen ◽  
Dale M. Kikuchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motion Analysis ◽  
Thrust Force ◽  
Water Tunnel ◽  
Detailed Mechanism ◽  
Propulsion Performance ◽  
Wing Model ◽  
Thrust Generation ◽  
Lift And Drag ◽  
Wing Deformation ◽  
Rigid Wing

Penguins are adapted to underwater life and have excellent swimming abilities. Although previous motion analyses revealed their basic swimming characteristics, the details of the 3-D wing kinematics, wing deformation, and thrust generation mechanism of penguins are still largely unknown. In this study, we recorded the forward and horizontal swimming of gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua at an aquarium with multiple underwater action cameras and then performed a 3-D motion analysis. We also conducted a series of water tunnel experiments with a 3-D printed rigid wing to obtain the lift and drag coefficients in the gliding configuration. Using these coefficients, the thrust force during flapping was calculated in a quasi-steady manner, where the following two wing models were considered: (1) an “original” wing model reconstructed from 3-D motion analysis including bending deformation and (2) a “flat” wing model obtained by flattening the original wing model. The resultant body trajectory showed that the penguin accelerated forward during both upstroke and downstroke. The motion analysis of the two wing models revealed that considerable bending occurred in the original wing, which reduced its angle of attack during upstroke in particular. Consequently, the calculated stroke-averaged thrust was larger for the original wing than for the flat wing during upstroke. In addition, the original wing required less work for flapping, indicating more efficient propulsion. Our results unveil a detailed mechanism of lift-based propulsion in penguins and underscore the importance of wing bending.

scholarly journals Computational Analysis of Propulsion Performance of Modified Pitching Motion Airfoils in Laminar Flow

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Yonghui Xie ◽  
Kun Lu ◽  
Di Zhang ◽  
Gongnan Xie
Keyword(s):  
Laminar Flow ◽  
Cfd Modeling ◽  
Shape Effect ◽  
Optimal Range ◽  
Propulsive Efficiency ◽  
Pitching Motion ◽  
Propulsion Performance ◽  
Reduced Frequency ◽  
Thrust Generation ◽  
The Cost

The thrust generation performance of airfoils with modified pitching motion was investigated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling two-dimensional laminar flow at Reynolds number of 104. The effect of shift distance of the pitch axis outside the chord line(R), reduced frequency(k), pitching amplitude(θ), pitching profile, and airfoil shape (airfoil thickness and camber) on the thrust generated and efficiency were studied. The results reveal that the increase inRandkleads to an enhancement in thrust generation and a decrease in propulsive efficiency. Besides, there exists an optimal range ofθfor the maximum thrust and the increasingθinduces a rapid decrease in propulsive efficiency. Six adjustable parameters(K)were employed to realize various nonsinusoidal pitching profiles. An increase inKresults in more thrust generated at the cost of decreased propulsive efficiency. The investigation of the airfoil shape effect reveals that there exists an optimal range of airfoil thickness for the best propulsion performance and that the vortex structure is strongly influenced by the airfoil thickness, while varying the camber or camber location of airfoil sections offers no benefit in thrust generation over symmetric airfoil sections.

scholarly journals Aerodynamic Analysis of a Flapping Wing Aircraft for Short Landing

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3404
Author(s):  
Bing Ji ◽  
Zenggang Zhu ◽  
Shijun Guo ◽  
Si Chen ◽  
Qiaolin Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Aerodynamic Analysis ◽  
Drag Forces ◽  
Wing Model ◽  
Aerodynamic Model ◽  
Computational Fluid Dynamics Cfd ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Cfd Method ◽  
Lift And Drag

An investigation into the aerodynamic characteristics has been presented for a bio-inspired flapping wing aircraft. Firstly, a mechanism has been developed to transform the usual rotation powered by a motor to a combined flapping and pitching motion of the flapping wing. Secondly, an experimental model of the flapping wing aircraft has been built and tested to measure the motion and aerodynamic forces produced by the flapping wing. Thirdly, aerodynamic analysis is carried out based on the measured motion of the flapping wing model using an unsteady aerodynamic model (UAM) and validated by a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The difference of the average lift force between the UAM and CFD method is 1.3%, and the difference between the UAM and experimental results is 18%. In addition, a parametric study is carried out by employing the UAM method to analyze the effect of variations of the pitching angle on the aerodynamic lift and drag forces. According to the study, the pitching amplitude for maximum lift is in the range of 60°~70° as the flight velocity decreases from 5 m/s to 1 m/s during landing.

Leading edge strengthening and the propulsion performance of flexible ray fins

2012 ◽  
Vol 693 ◽  
pp. 402-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kourosh Shoele ◽  
Qiang Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Phase Difference ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Immersed Boundary ◽  
Propulsion Performance ◽  
Thrust Generation ◽  
Generation Capacity ◽  
Effective Angle ◽  
Edge Separation ◽  
Thrust Production

AbstractA numerical model of a ray-reinforced fin is developed to investigate the relation between its structural characteristics and its force generation capacity during flapping motion. In this two-dimensional rendition, the underlying rays are modelled as springs, and the membrane is modelled as a flexible but inextensible plate. The fin kinematics is characterized by its oscillation frequency and the phase difference between different rays (which generates a pitching motion). An immersed boundary method (IBM) is applied to solve the fluid–structure interaction problem. The focus of the current paper is on the effects of ray flexibility, especially the detailed distribution of ray stiffness, upon the capacity of thrust generation. The correlation between thrust generation and features of the surrounding flow (especially the leading edge separation) is also examined. Comparisons are made between a fin with rigid rays, a fin with identical flexible rays, and a fin with flexible rays and strengthened leading edge. It is shown that with flexible rays, the thrust production can be significantly increased, especially in cases when the phase difference between different rays is not optimized. By strengthening the leading edge, a higher propulsion efficiency is observed. This is mostly attributed to the reduction of the effective angle of attack at the leading edge, accompanied by mitigation of leading edge separation and dramatic changes in characteristics of the wake. In addition, the flexibility of the rays causes reorientation of the fluid force so that it tilts more towards the swimming direction and the thrust is thus increased.

Flexible- and Rigid-Wing Micro Air Vehicle: Lift and Drag Comparison

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 572-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony M. DeLuca ◽  
Mark F. Reeder ◽  
Jacob A. Freeman ◽  
Michael V. Ol
Keyword(s):  
Micro Air Vehicle ◽  
Air Vehicle ◽  
Lift And Drag ◽  
Rigid Wing

Wind Tunnel Test of a Blended Wing Aircraft in Ground Effect With Active Flow Control

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Mayo ◽  
Jonathan Carroll ◽  
Nicholas Motahari ◽  
Warren Lee ◽  
Robert Englar
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Active Flow Control ◽  
Wind Tunnel Test ◽  
Ground Effect ◽  
Circulation Control ◽  
Wing Model ◽  
Subsonic Wind Tunnel ◽  
Test Methodology ◽  
Tunnel Floor ◽  
Lift And Drag

This paper describes the test methodology and results for a wind tunnel experiment featuring a blended wing aircraft in ground effect with built-in circulation control. A 82.55cm wingspan blended wing model was tested in a subsonic wind tunnel at velocities ranging from 18m/s – 49m/s and corresponding Reynolds numbers ranging from 130k – 350k. Pitch angle was held constant at 0 degrees and the height above the wind tunnel floor was modified to determine lift and drag modification due to ground effect. At a normalized height (y/bw) of 0.06, ground effect increased lift production by 24% and reduced drag by 22% when compared to a normalized height of 0.5. The addition of the circulation control significantly increased the lift production of the model at a cost of increased drag. At a normalized height of 0.031, the lift production increased by 200% at a blowing coefficient of 0.01, but the drag also increased by 72%, ultimately increasing L/D by 178%. Experimental results also suggest that ground effect and circulation control have a synergistic effect when used simultaneously. The effects of Reynolds number and circulation control slot height are also investigated.

A Preliminary Investigation of Caudal Fin Shape Effects on Thrust and Power of a Newly Designed Robotic Tuna

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Matta ◽  
Hodjat Pendar ◽  
Javid Bayandor
Keyword(s):  
Thrust Force ◽  
Preliminary Investigation ◽  
Water Tunnel ◽  
Preliminary Results ◽  
Hydrodynamic Efficiency ◽  
High Speeds ◽  
Shape Effects ◽  
Caudal Fin Shape ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Tail Beat

Thunniform swimmers are known to travel at high speeds for long periods of time and at high hydrodynamic efficiency. Thus, there is a great deal of interest in their swimming physics. In order to better understand these physics, a newly designed robotic tuna was constructed that allows for interchangeable caudal fins. This robot was put in a water tunnel and tested at tail beat frequencies ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 Hz and at freestreams of 0, 0.2, and 0.4 m/s. A lever assembly was used to transmit thrust force to a load cell, and power was calculated using data from current sensors. Preliminary results suggest that swept caudal fins produce more thrust and are more efficient than trapezoidal fins at higher freestreams while the opposite is true at lower freestreams. However, several induction factors need to be resolved before more confident assertions can be made.

Numerical Study on Thrust Generation Performance of Plunging Airfoils

2013 ◽  
Vol 312 ◽  
pp. 235-238
Author(s):  
Ji Gao ◽  
Rui Shan Yuan ◽  
Ming Hui Zhang ◽  
Yong Hui Xie
Keyword(s):  
Viscous Flow ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Angle Of Attack ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Thrust Coefficient ◽  
Propulsive Efficiency ◽  
Propulsion Performance ◽  
Incompressible Viscous Flow ◽  
Thrust Generation ◽  
The Difference

In this paper, the effects of angle of attack, camber and camber location on propulsion performance of flapping airfoils undergoing plunging motion were numerically studied at Re=20000 and h=0.175. The unsteady incompressible viscous flow around four different airfoil sections was simulated applying the dynamic mesh. The results show that the time averaged thrust coefficient CTmean and propulsive efficiency η of the symmetric airfoil decrease with the increasing angle of attack, and the variation of CTmean is more obvious than that of CPmean. Both CTmean and η for NACA airfoils studied in this paper decrease with the increasing camber and the difference between the propulsion performances of different airfoils is not obvious, and the thrust generation and power of various NACA airfoils gradually increase during the downstroke and decrease during the upstroke. Under the same conditions, the airfoil with a further distance between the maximum camber location and the chord of the leading edge leads to higher propulsive efficiency.

Experimental Force Coefficients for a Parametric Series of Spinnakers

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
William C. Lasher ◽  
James R. Sonnenmeier ◽  
David R. Forsman ◽  
Cheng Zhang ◽  
Kenton White
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Thrust Force ◽  
Statistical Design ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Statistical Design Of Experiments ◽  
Force Coefficient ◽  
Force Coefficients ◽  
Drag Forces ◽  
Parametric Series ◽  
Lift And Drag

A parametric series of eight spinnaker models was built and tested in a wind tunnel according to the theory of statistical Design of Experiments. In these models, three sail shape parameters were varied - cross section camber ratio, sail aspect ratio, and sweep. Lift and drag forces were measured for a range of angles of attack, and the thrust force coefficient was determined as a function of apparent wind angle for each of the eight sails. It was found that flat spinnakers are faster than full spinnakers and that spinnakers with low sweep (more vertical) are faster than spinnakers with high sweep. This is consistent with general sailing practice, which maximizes projected sail area by pulling the pole back and down. The influence of aspect ratio on drag coefficient was small and within experimental error. A description of the sail shapes and corresponding force coefficients is presented for future validation of Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes simulations.

Surface Modifications for Improved Maneuverability and Performance of an Aircraft

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deepanshu Srivastav ◽  
K. N. Ponnani
Keyword(s):  
Surface Modifications ◽  
Boundary Layer Separation ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Aircraft Wing ◽  
Pressure Drag ◽  
Wing Model ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Stall Angle ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Lift And Drag

The work describes a comparative study of aerodynamic characteristics of an aircraft wing model with and without surface modifications to it. The surface modifications that are considered here are outward dimples on the wing model. In the present study, results of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis are presented showing variance in lift and drag of modified wing models at different angle of attacks. Dimples on the surface aircraft wing model doesn’t affect much the pressure drag since it’s already aerodynamic in shape but it can affect the angle of stall. This project verifies if the dimples that reduce a golf ball’s drag, can also increase an airplane’s critical angle of stall. Dimples delay the boundary layer separation by creating more turbulence over the surface. The airfoil profile considered here is NACA-0018 with uniform cross-section throughout the length of airfoil. Subsonic flows are considered for the study. The CAD model is prepared in CatiaV5 R18 and simulations are carried out in Comsol 3.4 and Comsol 4.0. The overall aim of the study is improved maneuverability and performance of an aircraft. The results justify the increase in the overall lift and reduction in drag of the aircraft, also change of stall angle with different surface modifications on the wing model is observed.

Analysis of the Flow Characteristics of Two Nonrotating Rotor Blades

2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. J. O. M. van Rooij
Keyword(s):  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Rotor Blades ◽  
Drag Coefficients ◽  
Wing Model ◽  
Stall Angle ◽  
Twisted Blade ◽  
Lift And Drag

The investigation focuses on the analysis of the airfoil segment performances along rotor blades in the parked configuration. In this research, wind tunnel experiments on two twisted blade geometries with different airfoils played a dominant role. These measurements were carried out by the Swedish Aeronautical Research Institute, former FFA, and by the American National Renewable Energy Laboratories (NREL) during the Unsteady Aerodynamic Experiment. The spans of the blades were 2.375m and 5m, the STORK 5 WPX and the NREL Phase VI blade, respectively. Five span locations (inboard, midspan, outboard, and tip regions) were considered and compared with the 2D airfoil characteristics. Wing model experiments with similar blade aspect ratio were included in the research. Furthermore, the commercial computational fluid dynamics code FLUENT was used for the validation and analysis of the spanwise lift and drag coefficients at four different pitch settings, 20deg, 30deg, 45deg, and 60deg. The computed pressure distributions compared reasonably well, but the derived lift and drag showed quite some differences with the blade measurements. The lift coefficients for the sections beyond the leading-edge stall angle of the STORK blade were larger than for the NREL blade and were close to that of a wing model with similar airfoil and aspect ratio. Lift and drag coefficients for the sections of the two blades were always much smaller than the 2D results. The drag values for both blades showed quite some agreement, and airfoil and blade dependency seemed to be small.

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