Journal article
Understanding the Hydrodynamics of Swimming: From Fish Fins to Flexible Propulsors for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
Advances in Science and Technology, v 58, pp 193-202
02 Sep 2008
Abstract
The research effort described here is concerned with developing a maneuvering propulsor
for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV’s) based on the mechanical design and performance of
sunfish pectoral fin. Bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) are highly maneuverable bony fishes
that have been the subject of a number of experimental analyses of locomotor function [5, 6].
Although swimming generally involves the coordinated movement of many fin surfaces, the sunfish
is capable of propulsion and maneuvering using almost exclusively the pectoral fins. They use
pectoral fins exclusively for propulsion at speeds of less than 1.1 body length per second (BL/s). The
curve in Fig. 1 depicts two peaks of body acceleration of bluegill sunfish during steady forward
swimming. These abilities are the direct result of their pectoral fins being highly deformable control
surfaces that can create vectored thrust. The motivation here is that by understanding these complex,
highly controlled movements and by borrowing appropriately from pectoral fin design, a bio-robotic
propulsor can be designed to provide vectored thrust and high levels of control to AUVs. This paper
will focus on analyses of bluegill sunfish’s pectoral fin hydrodynamics which were carried out to
guide the design of a flexible propulsor for AUV’s
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26 citations in Scopus
Details
- Title
- Understanding the Hydrodynamics of Swimming: From Fish Fins to Flexible Propulsors for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles
- Creators
- James Tangorra - Drexel UniversityRajat Mittal - George Washington UniversityGeorge Lauder - Harvard University ,Meliha Bozkurttas - Exa Corporation
- Publication Details
- Advances in Science and Technology, v 58, pp 193-202
- Publisher
- Trans Tech Publications Ltd
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-62649156320
- Other Identifier
- 991019173750204721