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The effect of fin ray flexural rigidity on the propulsive forces generated by a biorobotic fish pectoral fin
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The effect of fin ray flexural rigidity on the propulsive forces generated by a biorobotic fish pectoral fin

James L Tangorra, George V Lauder, Ian W Hunter, Rajat Mittal, Peter G A Madden and Meliha Bozkurttas
Journal of experimental biology, v 213(Pt 23), pp 4043-4054
01 Dec 2010
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.048017
PMID: 21075946
url
https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.048017View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Animal Fins - anatomy & histology Swimming - physiology Animal Fins - physiology Motion Animals Time Factors Rheology Biomechanical Phenomena - physiology Perciformes - physiology Perciformes - anatomy & histology Robotics
A biorobotic pectoral fin was developed and used to study how the flexural rigidities of fin rays within a highly deformable fish fin affect the fin's propulsive forces. The design of the biorobotic fin was based on a detailed analysis of the pectoral fin of the bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). The biorobotic fin was made to execute the kinematics used by the biological fin during steady swimming, and to have structural properties that modeled those of the biological fin. This resulted in an engineered fin that had a similar interaction with the water as the biological fin and that created close approximations of the three-dimensional motions, flows, and forces produced by the sunfish during low speed, steady swimming. Experimental trials were conducted during which biorobotic fins of seven different stiffness configurations were flapped at frequencies from 0.5 to 2.0 Hz in flows with velocities that ranged from 0 to 270 mm s(-1). During these trials, thrust and lift forces were measured, kinematics were recorded in three dimensions, and digital particle image velocimetry was used to evaluate flow hydrodynamics. The results of the trials revealed that slight changes to the fin's mechanical properties or to the operating conditions can have significant impact on the direction, magnitude and time course of the propulsive forces. In general, the magnitude of the 2-D (thrust and lift) propulsive force scaled with fin ray stiffness, and increased as the fin's flapping speed increased or as the velocity of the flow decreased.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Biology
Zoology
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