Chapters authored
Biological Propulsion Systems for Ships and Underwater Vehicles
Regulations and performance requirements related to technology development on all modes of transport vehicles for reduced pollution and environmental impact have become more stringent. Greening of transport system has been recognized as an important factor concerning global warming and climate change. Thus environment-friendly technical solutions offering a reduction of noxious exhaust gases are in demand. Aquatic animals have good swimming and maneuvering capabilities and these observations have motivated research on fish-like propulsion for marine vehicles. The fish fin movements, used by fish for their locomotion and positioning, are being replicated by researchers as flapping foils to mimic the biological system. Studies show that flapping foil propulsion systems are generally more efficient than a conventional screw propeller, which suffers efficiency losses due to wake. The flapping foil propulsors usually do not cavitate and have less wake velocity variation. These aspects result in the reduction of noise and vibration. The present study will cover an overview of aquatic propulsion systems, numerical simulations of flapping foils and ship model self-propulsion experiments performed using flapping foil system, particle image velocimetry (PIV), and digital fluoroscopy studies conducted on fish locomotion. Studies performed on underwater and surface vehicles fitted with flapping fins will also be presented.
Part of the book: Propulsion Systems