Meeting Abstract
Hydrodynamics and force production mechanism of thunniform swimming is numerically studied by using a tuna-inspired underwater vehicle (TunaBot) in forward swimming. The numerical modeling approach employs a sharp-interface immersed-boundary-method (IBM)-based incompressible flow solver. The three-dimensional, time-dependent kinematics of the body-fin system of the TunaBot is obtained via a stereo-videographic technique. A high-fidelity computational model is directly reconstructed based on the experimental data. The primary objectives of the computational effort are to quantify the thrust performance of the TunaBot at different Reynolds number as well as to establish the mechanisms responsible for thrust production. Comparisons in body kinematics, hydrodynamic performances, and wake structures are made between the TunaBot and an Atlantic bluefin tuna at similar swimming condition to bring insight in understanding the difference in thrust producing mechanism between TunaBot and live thunniform swimming fish and to provide potential suggestions in improving the hydrodynamic performance of swimming underwater vehicles.
