Locomotive Capabilities of a Free-Swimming Robotic Tuna

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Noviasky ◽  
Alexander Matta ◽  
Javid Bayandor
Keyword(s):  
Flow Velocity ◽  
Beat Frequency ◽  
The Body ◽  
Cfd Model ◽  
Ansys Fluent ◽  
Caudal Fin ◽  
Brushless Dc ◽  
Minimum Number ◽  
Scotch Yoke Mechanism ◽  
Icem Cfd

Abstract As we try and understand more about the oceans and the creatures that inhabit them, the need for effective modes of aquatic transportation becomes abundantly clear. Taking a step back from traditional propeller-based systems, we look toward nature and the millions of years of natural selection to find inspiration. The successful designs that have prospered vary greatly from creature to creature depending on their lifestyle. From rays to jellyfish, the propulsion methods used are tailored for a specific purpose. Considering the vastness of the oceans and our desire to explore them, a quick and efficient mode of locomotion would be well suited for this task. A great example of this type of swimmer can be found within the genus Thunnus. Tuna rely on a lift-based propulsion system classified as thunniform swimming. The majority of thrust from this propulsion method is derived from the caudal fin and part of the tail. As the tail sweeps through the water, interesting vortex structures are shed from the trailing edge of the lunate fin. Along with velocity components that travel parallel to the movement of the fish, two separate vortices are shed from the top and bottom inner surfaces of the caudal fin and meet at the lengthwise center axis of the fish. These can be best visualized from the flow velocity components analyzed within a plane just behind the caudal fin and perpendicular to the body length axis. Over time, a reverse Karman vortex street is formed from the combination of vortices from multiple tail beats. A robotic tuna and CFD model were created with the minimum number of joints to approximate thunniform swimming. A modified scotch yoke mechanism was used to convert uniform rotation of a brushless DC motor to oscillatory motion that mimics the tail of a tuna. A servo is mounted on the tail to provide an adjustable angle of attack for the caudal fin. The dynamic CFD model of the tuna employs overset meshing techniques created in ICEM CFD 18.2 and is simulated within ANSYS Fluent 18.2. The model is actuated at the start of the tail and the base of the fin to represent thunniform swimming. The body of the tuna is held static as steady flow is passed around the model. The flow velocity was chosen as an approximation of the speed of a tuna of comparable size and tail-beat frequency.

Kinematics of Pectoral Fin Propulsion in Cymatogaster Aggregata

1973 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 697-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. W. WEBB
Keyword(s):  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Performance Test ◽  
Beat Frequency ◽  
The Body ◽  
Fish Swimming ◽  
Pectoral Fin ◽  
Caudal Fin ◽  
Lift Forces ◽  
Time Of Year ◽  
Refractory Phase

1. The kinematics of pectoral-fin propulsion have been measured for Cymatogaster aggregata, 14·3 cm in length, during an increasing-velocity performance test. Acclimation and test temperature was 15 °C, similar to the fishes' normal environmental temperature for the time of year of the tests. 2. Locomotion was in the labriform mode. Within this mode two pectoral-fin patterns were observed, differing only in the details of fin kinematics. These differences resulted from the length of the propagated wave passed over the fin. At low swimming speeds, up to about 2 L/sec, the wavelength was relatively short, approximately twice the length of the trailing edge of the fin. At higher speeds, a wave of very much longer wavelength was passed over the fin. 3. The pectoral fin-beat cycle was divisible into abduction, adduction and refractory phases. Abduction and adduction phases were of equal duration, and the proportion of time occupied by these phases increased with swimming speed. The duration of the refractory phase decreased with increasing speed. 4. The kinematics indicated that thrust was generated throughout abduction and adduction phases, together with lift forces that cancelled out over a complete cycle. As a result of lift forces and the refractory phase the body moved in a figure-8 motion relative to the flow. 5. Pectoral fin-beat frequency and amplitude increased with swimming speed, and the product of frequencyxamplitude was linearly related to swimming speed. 6. Interactions between pectoral fin-beat frequency, amplitude, refractory phase and kinematic patterns were interpreted as a mechanism to permit the propulsive muscles to operate at optimum efficiency and power output over a wider range of swimming speeds than would otherwise be possible. 7. Pectoral-fin propulsion was augmented by caudal-fin propulsion only at swimming speeds greater than 3·4 L/sec. 8. The mean 45 min critical swimming speed was 3·94 L/sec, and compares favourably with similar levels of activity for fish swimming by means of body and caudal-fin movements.

scholarly journals Tuna robotics: hydrodynamics of rapid linear accelerations

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1945) ◽  
pp. 20202726
Author(s):  
Robin Thandiackal ◽  
Carl H. White ◽  
Hilary Bart-Smith ◽  
George V. Lauder
Keyword(s):  
Power Consumption ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Beat Frequency ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
Particle Image Velocimetry Data ◽  
The Body ◽  
Mechanical Power ◽  
Caudal Fin ◽  
Mechanical Power Output ◽  
Electrical Power Consumption

Fish routinely accelerate during locomotor manoeuvres, yet little is known about the dynamics of acceleration performance. Thunniform fish use their lunate caudal fin to generate lift-based thrust during steady swimming, but the lift is limited during acceleration from rest because required oncoming flows are slow. To investigate what other thrust-generating mechanisms occur during this behaviour, we used the robotic system termed Tunabot Flex, which is a research platform featuring yellowfin tuna-inspired body and tail profiles. We generated linear accelerations from rest of various magnitudes (maximum acceleration of 3.22   m   s − 2 at 11.6   Hz tail beat frequency) and recorded instantaneous electrical power consumption. Using particle image velocimetry data, we quantified body kinematics and flow patterns to then compute surface pressures, thrust forces and mechanical power output along the body through time. We found that the head generates net drag and that the posterior body generates significant thrust, which reveals an additional propulsion mechanism to the lift-based caudal fin in this thunniform swimmer during linear accelerations from rest. Studying fish acceleration performance with an experimental platform capable of simultaneously measuring electrical power consumption, kinematics, fluid flow and mechanical power output provides a new opportunity to understand unsteady locomotor behaviours in both fishes and bioinspired aquatic robotic systems.

Tail shapes lead to different propulsive mechanisms in the body/caudal fin undulation of fish

2020 ◽  
pp. 095440622096768
Author(s):  
Jialei Song ◽  
Yong Zhong ◽  
Ruxu Du ◽  
Ling Yin ◽  
Yang Ding
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Aspect Ratio ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
The Body ◽  
Caudal Fin ◽  
Fish Model ◽  
Swimming Efficiency ◽  
Simulation Results ◽  
Propulsive Mechanism ◽  
High Depth

In this paper, we investigate the hydrodynamics of swimmers with three caudal fins: a round one corresponding to snakehead fish ( Channidae), an indented one corresponding to saithe ( Pollachius virens), and a lunate one corresponding to tuna ( Thunnus thynnus). A direct numerical simulation (DNS) approach with a self-propelled fish model was adopted. The simulation results show that the caudal fin transitions from a pushing/suction combined propulsive mechanism to a suction-dominated propulsive mechanism with increasing aspect ratio ( AR). Interestingly, different from a previous finding that suction-based propulsion leads to high efficiency in animal swimming, this study shows that the utilization of suction-based propulsion by a high- AR caudal fin reduces swimming efficiency. Therefore, the suction-based propulsive mechanism does not necessarily lead to high efficiency, while other factors might play a role. Further analysis shows that the large lateral momentum transferred to the flow due to the high depth of the high- AR caudal fin leads to the lowest efficiency despite the most significant suction.

A Transient 3D CFD Model of a Progressive Cavity Pump

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. R. Mrinal ◽  
Md. Hamid Siddique ◽  
Abdus Samad
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Complex Geometry ◽  
Transient Behavior ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
High Viscosity ◽  
Solid Content ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Cfd Model ◽  
Ansys Fluent ◽  
Flow Variables

A progressive cavity pump (PCP) is a positive displacement pump and has been used as an artificial lift method in the oil and gas industry for pumping fluid with solid content and high viscosity. In a PCP, a single-lobe rotor rotates inside a double-lobe stator. Articles on computational works for flows through a PCP are limited because of transient behavior of flow, complex geometry and moving boundaries. In this paper, a 3D CFD model has been developed to predict the flow variables at different operating conditions. The flow is considered as incompressible, single phase, transient, and turbulent. The dynamic mesh model in Ansys-Fluent for the rotor mesh movement is used, and a user defined function (UDF) written in C language defines the rotor’s hypocycloid path. The mesh deformation is done with spring based smoothing and local remeshing technique. The computational results are compared with the experiment results available in the literature. Thepump gives maximum flowrate at zero differential pressure.

Review of an experiment to study the propane discharge in a closed production area

2021 ◽  
pp. 25-30
Author(s):  
Евгений Евгеньевич Простов
Keyword(s):  
Volume Fraction ◽  
The Body ◽  
Concentration Limit ◽  
Internal Diameter ◽  
Plastic Film ◽  
Confined Space ◽  
Gas Analyzer ◽  
Ansys Fluent ◽  
Gas Source ◽  
Gas Supply

В статье представлены результаты экспериментальных исследований истечения пропана в различных направлениях в закрытом помещении. Рассматривался случай, когда источник истечения находился в багажнике автомобиля - имитация нахождения автомобиля с газомоторным топливом на станции технического обслуживания. Целью эксперимента являлось изучение механизма пространственного распространения газа в закрытом помещении для валидации математических моделей, используемых в программном комплексе ANSYS Fluent при моделировании поступления пропана в закрытое помещение. This scientific work describes a test conducted in a multidisciplinary test box on the testing training ground of the Orenburg branch of the All-Russian Research Institute for Fire Protection of EMERCOM of Russia. For the experiment there was built a room to simulate a service station (or parking box) for two cars. The frame was made of wooden bars and a plastic film was used to isolate the internal volume. The experimental installation consisted of a gas source with an internal diameter of 5 mm, located in the center of the room, and a system for gas supply and registration of experimental data from six gas analyzers SGOES-2 with a measurement range of pre-explosive concentrations from 0 to 100% of the lower concentration limit of flame propagation (NKPR) or a volume fraction from 0 to 1.7% with absolute ± 5% NKPR (in the range from 0 to 50% NKPR) and relative ± 10% NKPR (in the range from 50 to 100% NKPR) errors. In the center of the experimental room there was placed a car with the gas source in the trunk. All openings to the interior were insulated with plastic film and mounting foam. Natural cracks were left between the trunk lid and the body. The gas source is located in the trunk of the car and is directed towards the wide part of the trunk at an angle of 30 degrees relative to the floor (simulating the location of the gas cylinder used in cars). The gas analyzers were located along the wall, where the outflow is directed along the perimeter of the trunk, and one gas analyzer was located directly in the trunk behind the gas analyzer to control gas contamination. Propane has been released into the trunk with a constant flow rate of 2.8 m/h for 5 minutes. There were 8 test starts of the gas supply system (the flow vertically down), and then there were carried out 3 experiments per 3 series of tests in each. The purpose of the test was to study the mechanism of spatial gas propagation in an confined space for validation of mathematical models used in the ANSYS Fluent software package when modeling the propane intake into the confined space

Numerical study of the aerodynamic and power characteristics of the cycloidal rotor, under incoming flow

2019 ◽  
pp. 25-34
Author(s):  
Александр Анатольевич Дектерев ◽  
Артем Александрович Дектерев ◽  
Юрий Николаевич Горюнов
Keyword(s):  
Flow Velocity ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Lift Coefficient ◽  
Simulation Method ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Incoming Flow ◽  
Ansys Fluent ◽  
Energy Characteristics ◽  
Power Characteristics ◽  
Calculation Results

Исследование направлено на разработку и апробацию методики численного моделирования аэродинамических и энергетических характеристик циклоидального ротора. За основу взята конфигурация ротора IAT21 L3. Для нее с использованием CFD-пакета ANSYS Fluent построена математическая модель и выполнен расчет. Проанализировано влияние скорости набегающего потока воздуха на движущийся ротор. Математическая модель и полученные результаты исследования могут быть использованы при создании летательных аппаратов с движителями роторного типа. This article addresses the study of the aerodynamic and energy characteristics of a cycloidal rotor subject to the influence of the incoming flow. Cycloidal rotor is one of the perspective devices that provide movement of aircrafts. Despite the fact that the concept of a cycloidal rotor arose in the early twentieth century, the model of a full-scale aircraft has not been yet realized. Foreign scientists have developed models of aircraft ranging in weight from 0.06 to 100 kg. The method of numerical calculation of the cycloidal rotor from the article [1] is considered and realized in this study. The purpose of study was the development and testing of a numerical simulation method for the cycloidal rotor and study aerodynamic and energy characteristics of the rotor in the hovering mode and under the influence of the oncoming flow. The aerodynamic and energy characteristics of the cycloidal rotor, rotating at a speed of 1000 rpm with incoming flow on it with velocities of 20-80 km/h, were calculated. The calculation results showed a directly proportional increase of thrust with an increase of the incoming on the rotor flow velocity, but the power consumed by the rotor was also increased. Increase of the incoming flow velocity leads to the proportional increasing of the lift coefficient and the coefficient of drag. Up to a speed of 80 km/h, an increase in thrust and power is observed; at higher speeds, there is a predominance of nonstationary effects and difficulties in estimating the aerodynamic characteristics of the rotor. In the future, it is planned to consider the 3D formulation of the problem combined with possibility of the flow coming from other sides.

Does a rigid body limit maneuverability?

2000 ◽  
Vol 203 (22) ◽  
pp. 3391-3396 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.A. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Rigid Body ◽  
The Body ◽  
Alternative Measure ◽  
Pectoral Fin ◽  
Caudal Fin ◽  
Minimum Radius ◽  
Current Definition ◽  
Theoretical Minimum

Whether a rigid body limits maneuverability depends on how maneuverability is defined. By the current definition, the minimum radius of the turn, a rigid-bodied, spotted boxfish Ostracion meleagris approaches maximum maneuverability, i.e. it can spin around with minimum turning radii near zero. The radius of the minimum space required to turn is an alternative measure of maneuverability. By this definition, O. meleagris is not very maneuverable. The observed space required by O. meleagris to turn is slightly greater than its theoretical minimum but much greater than that of highly flexible fish. Agility, the rate of turning, is related to maneuverability. The median- and pectoral-fin-powered turns of O. meleagris are slow relative to the body- and caudal-fin-powered turns of more flexible fish.

Caudal Fin and Body Movement in the Propulsion of some Fish

1963 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD BAINBRIDGE
Keyword(s):  
Body Movement ◽  
Wave Length ◽  
The Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Tail Region ◽  
Caudal Fin ◽  
A Value ◽  
Total Thrust ◽  
Transverse Movement ◽  
Relationship Of

1. Observations made on bream, goldfish and dace swimming in the ‘Fish Wheel’ apparatus are described. These include: 2. An account of the complex changes in curvature of the caudal fin during different phases of the normal locomotory cycle. Measurements of this curvature and of the angles of attack associated with it are given. 3. An account of changes in area of the caudal fin during the cycle of lateral oscillation. Detailed measurements of these changes, which may involve a 30 % increase in height or a 20 % increase in area, are given. 4. An account of the varying speed of transverse movement of the caudal fin under various conditions and the relationship of this to the changes in area and amount of bending. Details of the way this transverse speed may be asymmetrically distributed relative to the axis of progression of the fish are given. 5. An account of the extent of the lateral propulsive movements in other parts of the body. These are markedly different in the different species studied. Measurements of the wave length of this movement and of the rate of progression of the wave down the body are given. 6. It is concluded that the fish has active control over the speed, the amount of bending and the area of the caudal fin during transverse movement. 7. The bending of the fin and its changes in area are considered to be directed to the end of smoothing out and making more uniform what would otherwise be an intermittent thrust from the oscillating tail region. 8. Some assessment is made of the proportion of the total thrust contributed by the caudal fin. This is found to vary considerably, according to the form of the lateral propulsive movements of the whole body, from a value of 45% for the bream to 84% for the dace.

Pectoral fin locomotion in the striped surfperch. I. Kinematic effects of swimming speed and body size

1996 ◽  
Vol 199 (10) ◽  
pp. 2235-2242 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Drucker ◽  
J Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Swimming Speed ◽  
Beat Frequency ◽  
Limited Range ◽  
The Body ◽  
Small Fish ◽  
Large Fish ◽  
Pectoral Fin ◽  
Transition Speed ◽  
Speed Up

Swimming trials at increasing velocity were used to determine the effects of steady swimming speed on pectoral fin kinematics for an ontogenetic series of striped surfperch Embiotoca lateralis, ranging from 6 to 23 cm in standard length (SL). The fin stroke cycle consisted of a propulsive period, the duration of fin abduction and adduction, and a 'refractory' period, during which the fin remained adducted against the body. Pectoral fin-beat frequency (fp) measured as the inverse of the entire stride period, as in past studies, increased curvilinearly with speed. Frequency, calculated as the reciprocal of the propulsive period alone, increased linearly with speed, as shown previously for tail-beat frequency of fishes employing axial undulation. Fin-beat amplitude, measured as the vertical excursion of the pectoral fin tip during abduction, increased over a limited range of low speeds before reaching a plateau at 0.35­0.40 SL. Pectoral fin locomotion was supplemented by intermittent caudal fin undulation as swimming speed increased. At the pectoral­caudal gait transition speed (Up-c), frequency and amplitude attained maxima, suggesting that the fin musculature reached a physiological limit. The effects of body size on swimming kinematics differed according to the method used for expressing speed. At a given absolute speed, small fish used higher stride frequencies and increased frequency at a faster rate than large fish. In contrast, the relationship between fp and length-specific speed (SL s-1) had a greater slope for large fish and crossed that for small fish at high speeds. We recommend that comparisons across size be made using speeds expressed as a percentage of Up-c, at which kinematic variables influencing thrust are size-independent.

Muscle strain histories in swimming milkfish in steady and sprinting gaits

1999 ◽  
Vol 202 (5) ◽  
pp. 529-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.L. Katz ◽  
R.E. Shadwick ◽  
H.S. Rapoport
Keyword(s):  
White Muscle ◽  
Beat Frequency ◽  
The Body ◽  
Body Volume ◽  
Implicit Assumption ◽  
Muscle Strain ◽  
Body Movements ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Speed Range ◽  
Local Body

Adult milkfish (Chanos chanos) swam in a water-tunnel flume over a wide range of speeds. Fish were instrumented with sonomicrometers to measure shortening of red and white myotomal muscle. Muscle strain was also calculated from simultaneous overhead views of the swimming fish. This allowed us to test the hypothesis that the muscle shortens in phase with local body bending. The fish swam at slow speeds [U<2.6 fork lengths s-1 (=FL s-1)] where only peripheral red muscle was powering body movements, and also at higher speeds (2. 6>U>4.6 FL s-1) where they adopted a sprinting gait in which the white muscle is believed to power the body movements. For all combinations of speeds and body locations where we had simultaneous measurements of muscle strain and body bending (0.5 and 0.7FL), both techniques were equivalent predictors of muscle strain histories. Cross-correlation coefficients for comparisons between these techniques exceeded 0.95 in all cases and had temporal separations of less than 7 ms on average. Muscle strain measured using sonomicrometry within the speed range 0.9-2.6 FL s-1 showed that muscle strain did not increase substantially over that speed range, while tail-beat frequency increased by 140 %. While using a sprinting gait, muscle strains became bimodal, with strains within bursts being approximately double those between bursts. Muscle strain calculated from local body bending for a range of locations on the body indicated that muscle strain increases rostrally to caudally, but only by less than 4 %. These results suggest that swimming muscle, which forms a large fraction of the body volume in a fish, undergoes a history of strain that is similar to that expected for a homogeneous, continuous beam. This has been an implicit assumption for many studies of muscle function in many fish, but has not been tested explicitly until now. This result is achieved in spite of the presence of complex and inhomogeneous geometry in the folding of myotomes, collagenous myosepta and tendon, and the anatomical distinction between red and white muscle fibers.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document