Numerical analysis on the propulsive performance and vortex shedding of fish‐like travelling wavy plate

Numerical analysis is carried out to investigate viscous flow over a travelling wavy plate undergoing lateral motion in the form of a streamwise travelling wave, which is similar to the backbone undulation of swimming fish. The two-dimensional incompressible Navier–Stokes equations are solved using the finite element technique with the deforming-spatial-domain/stabilized space–time formulation. The objective of this study is to elucidate hydrodynamic features of flow structure and vortex shedding near the travelling wavy plate and to get into physical insights to the understanding of fish-like swimming mechanisms in terms of drag reduction and optimal propulsive performance. The effects of some typical parameters, including the phase speed, amplitude, and relative wavelength of travelling wavy plate, on the flow structures, the forces, and the power consumption required for the propulsive motion of the plate are analysed. These results predicted by the present numerical analysis are well consistent with the available data obtained for the wave-like swimming motion of live fish in nature. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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