The optimization of a dual foil flapping device

Aquatic animals, such as dolphins and tuna, have the ability to swim and maneuver at much greater capacity than any man-made device. If their propulsion methods could be replicated mechanically, the benefits to underwater propulsion would be great. A dual foil pitching-plunging device is used to replicate the basic swimming motion of a dolphin. Numerical simulations are used to predict the behavior of a single foil configuration and its wake. The numerical results are used to predict the behavior of the device and to better direct the experimental study. Experimentally, both a single and dual foil configuration are optimized, with the goal being to determine the optimal conditions for maximizing aft foil thrust production.

Department dc:contributor.department

Aeronautics

Grantor dc:publisher

Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School

Year dc:date.issued

2003

Author dc:creator

• Paganucci, Craig J.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Jones, Kevin D.

Statement dc:rights

• This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10945/6287

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:calhoun.nps.edu:10945/6287