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Scaling laws for the propulsive performance of three-dimensional pitching propulsors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2019

Fatma Ayancik Open the ORCID record for Fatma Ayancik [Opens in a new window] ,
Qiang Zhong Open the ORCID record for Qiang Zhong [Opens in a new window] ,
Daniel B. Quinn ,
Aaron Brandes ,
Hilary Bart-Smith  and
Keith W. Moored Open the ORCID record for Keith W. Moored [Opens in a new window]
Fatma Ayancik*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
Qiang Zhong
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
Daniel B. Quinn
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
Aaron Brandes
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
Hilary Bart-Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
Keith W. Moored
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA
*
†Email address for correspondence: faa214@lehigh.edu
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Abstract

Scaling laws for the thrust production and energetics of self-propelled or fixed-velocity three-dimensional rigid propulsors undergoing pitching motions are presented. The scaling relations extend the two-dimensional scaling laws presented in Moored & Quinn (AIAA J., 2018, pp. 1–15) by accounting for the added mass of a finite-span propulsor, the downwash/upwash effects from the trailing vortex system of a propulsor and the elliptical topology of shedding trailing-edge vortices. The novel three-dimensional scaling laws are validated with self-propelled inviscid simulations and fixed-velocity experiments over a range of reduced frequencies, Strouhal numbers and aspect ratios relevant to bio-inspired propulsion. The scaling laws elucidate the dominant flow physics behind the thrust production and energetics of pitching bio-propulsors, and they provide guidance for the design of bio-inspired propulsive systems.

JFM classification

Biological Fluid Dynamics: Propulsion Biological Fluid Dynamics: Swimming/flying

Information

Type
JFM Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 871 , 25 July 2019 , pp. 1117 - 1138
Copyright
© 2019 Cambridge University Press 

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Footnotes

The online version of this article has been updated since original publication. A notice detailing the changes has also been published at https://doi.org/10.1017/flm.2019.489.

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