Swimming Near the Wall

ORAL

Abstract

The aerodynamic loads on rectangular panels undergoing heave and pitch oscillations near a solid wall were measured using a 6-axis ATI sensor. Over a range of Strouhal numbers, reduced frequencies and flexibilities, swimming near the wall was found to increase thrust and therefore the self-propelled swimming speed. Experimental particle image velocimetry revealed an asymmetric wake structure with a momentum jet angled away from the wall. Both the thrust amplification and the asymmetric wake structure were verified and investigated further using an in-house inviscid panel method code.

*Supported by ONR MURI Grant N00014-08-1-0642

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Authors

  • Daniel Quinn

    • Princeton University

  • Keith Moored

    • Princeton University

  • Peter Dewey

    • Princeton University

  • George Lauder

    • Harvard University

  • Alexander Smits

    • Princeton University