Bio-inspired propulsion: Downstream travelling wave motion of a surface with finite & infinite extension

Abstract

The thrust force on a surface that performs a fish-like travelling wave motion downstream to an oncoming flow is discussed. Unsteady potential flow, with vortex shedding from the trailing edge, is known to explain the generation of thrust. Contrarily, fish swimming has been related to the flow over an infinitely extended surface. To interlink both problems, the potential flow over the surface of finite length is considered in the limit of high wave numbers. It turns out that the leading order, space-periodic pressure does not contribute to thrust. Thus, the perturbation pressure is essential for propulsion. Besides, laminar flow is considered in the space-periodic setting. The present results reveal - in contrast to literature - that the surface force is always drag.